Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-09

feeling that she belonged 10 a different
sphere. They Knocked her refinement
and ridiculed the characteristics which
made her different from themselves,
And in an evil hour for Henrette one
OF her envious and malicious female
neghbors originated the theory that
she was possessed OF an evil spirit and
that she was In constant communica-
ton with hell, This idea was eagerly
accepted by the inhabitants OF Fms
Haul and the belief that she was In
league with the devil came to be shared
by her own family
Then period Of terrible and relent-
less persecution began for the unfortu-
nate girl When she ventured to leave
her fathers hut TO walk In the public
roads, the little boys and girls OF the
village ran after her and pelted her
with stones. The girls of her own age
shrleked abusive names when they
caught sight OF her, and the older wo.
men crossed themselves ana muttered
prayers when she approached them.
Once when she trespassed on a small
plot Of land belonging TO another peas
ant Of the village the owner and his
two sons drove her off with the help or
their long, thick cattle whips ana many
vigorous oaths. on another occasion,
MnfU Snt went 10 tHuitn Nlt NAli'i W.
men Of the village modified their
forces to repel the invasion Of the evil
spirit and drove her away from the
house OF God with violence,
In her own humble home, her brothers
and sisters We're MORALLY AFRAID OF her
and her parents were ashamed of the
freak which they had brought into the
world. They feared TO sleep under the
same roof with her. and the result was
that she was compelled to spend the
nights IN the loft of the stable, lying
on the hay and fodder stored there Tor
the horses. Her family also refused
10 eat at the same table with her' Atter
time they would not even speak 10
her and II the unfortunate girl had
been leper they could not have
Stunned her more absolutely
Her life OF compulsory solitude was
martyrdom, but worse was IN store Tor
her. The old women Of the village put
their heads together and decided lhal
the presence Of a person possessed ol
an evil spirit was a serious danger 10
the whole community, A deputauon
waited upon the two parish priests ana
represented to their reverences mat
this ally OF hell ought to he driven
ont OF the place. The priests accord
ingly approached Henriette's parents
10 lberato the girl from the grip OF the
evil one. The parents welcomed the
idea and handed over their daughter to
the priests, at the same time giving
permission for the employment Of any
methods which the holy fathers con-
sdered suitable for the case.
TO begin with IIenriette was placed
IN a prison mprovised for her recep-
ton. and then the priests began their
system Of cure First they subjected
the girl TO periods Of starvation Keep
ing her without food for AZ TO 60 hours
at time. She was incarcerated In
lonely hut and from this she was made
to crawl on her hands and knees over
rough, stony ground to the village
church, where she had to kneel for
hours al a time in front of the images
OF the saints. And when she tainted
from the effects of this unique cure the
two priests who personally superin-
tended the treatment brought her back
to consciousness by slapplng her lace
harshly and beating her back.
After a time she was led baref0oted
Oh pilgrimage to the convent OF ~.
Maurice. distance Of 60 miles from
the village. This Journey Of humilia-
ton she was forced TO undertake with
crown OF thons on her head and a
heavy cross resting an her shoulders
All along the road she was the OBJ
jcct OF the mockery Of the ignorant
rustic population, and on arrival at 81.
Maurice her bare feet We're covered
with deep cuts and sores.
subsequently IIenrlettc was taken on
another pilgrimage to the convent of
81. Bernard. This was a distance OF
over 80 miles from the village and she
was compelled TO do part OF the journey
on her hands and knees, while her per-
socutors goaded her ON with whip,
After she returned from this Pilgrim
age she was placed on the altar in the
village church and tied there for a
continuous period of As hours on am