The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-06-10
The Saving Of
Patience Goodwin
By KATHLEEN J. M'CURDY
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

our family Tor many generations o.
her descendants. Patience in the day!
when witchcraft had its grip on Mas
sachusetts was young girl. She wor
the love Of Francis Winthrop, who hat
been attentive to Jane Hartshorne, ant
Jane for spite accused Patience Of be
ing a witch.
A great deal OF interest was mani
tested in the trial. especially because
Patience was SO well beloved. The ev
idence brought against her was con
vincing.
Young Winthrop when his sweet
heart had been tried and found guilty
said that he could not be present when
she was burned. and he would nc
longer remain in a so called civilized
community where such superstitions
were rife and such cruelties were prac.
ticed. The day before the execution
he left the settlement, saying that be
would go and live among the Indians
! His parting with Patience was distress.
ing in the extreme and would have
moved anything but the ironbound
| cOusciences of the Puritans
The next day a stake was set up in
| Il wood near the settlement and
! fagots laid about il in preparation for
/ the burning. which was set for the
! hour of sunset, 1t was October. and
there was mellow haze in the at
moSphere Shortly before the sun
| went down the great men Of the
church and their families began to
collect at the place Of execution Pres
emily in the distance appeared a little
procession, led by the minister, who
read from his Bible as be walked such
| passages as be thought might exercise
the evil spirit that had got into the
poor girl Patience came next. attend
ed by her weeping parents and few
of her intimate friends.
Now, ii is not claimed that what
am about to uarrate is a matter Of his
tory. Detailed accounts Of those who
persisted by the witchcraft insanity
have been given in histories Of the
times. but / admit there is no his.
ANi dNNtuuk VI NIlIS NdSt. IL udS
merely been perpetuated in the family
We must remember that those were n
superstitious people. looking always
for the marvellous. Yet there is moth
ing more remarkable in the witch
plague than In the story Of what hap
pened al Patience Godwin's burning.
The condemned girl babe farewell to
her parents. her brothers and sisters
and her friends and with a resigned
step approached the stake. She was
bound. and the executioner was about
TO apply the torch to the fagots when
the setting sun broke through a cloud
and flooded the scene with a yellow
splendor glory from heaven seem
ed TO be poured upon the trees. whose
leaves still wore the autumnal colors
the group standing about the stake
and liz the face Of the witch. giving
a holy glow to her pale features.
And then out Of the western sun
light there came figure dressed in a
long white robe waking slowly
Whether man or woman none could
say. FOR the long hair falling on the
shoulders gave the figure a feminine
appearance while a sword pressed by
the right hand against n large blood
red cross on the breast seemed to indi.
cate manhood As the visitor drew
near the face was seen to be white as
marble and a soft brown beard could
be distinguished
AS the man or specter or god, flood
ed by the yellow light. which every
moment took on more effulgence. APP
preached those about the stake knelt
with bowed beads. Reaching thu
witch he said in a voice soft. but dis.
tinct:
Come out. Satan"
Then IL seemed to those who saw
that Patience writhed for a moment.
after which her face shOne with holy
light. Raising his sword. the appari-
ton cut the rope that bound her: then.
taking her hand, led her away In the
direction from which be bad come
Some say that the two figures were
lost in snowstorm that suddenly
came up from the east. giving a still
more wonderful appearance to the
western illumination as seen throuctI |
the falling fakes.
l have examined the records of the |
weather for the year in question AMI |
found mention of a terrible snowstorm |
that covered Massachusetts, to a great |
depth. falling on verdure that had not |
yet been blighted
The legend says that Patience and |
he stranger were seen walking through |
this snowstorm In gradually lessen
Ing illumination, darkness finally e.
veloping them.
Patience never returned TO Massa-
chusetts. brit after the witch craze had
passed she was known to be living In
the wife of Francis Win
throp. Who the mysterious stranger
was has never been definitely settled
In Massachusetts most people believed
that It was either the Saviour or st.
John. But In the family inheriting
he legend II has been supposed that
be was none other than Francis Win