The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-06


This is the legend Of Patience God
win as It has been handed down IN
our family for many generations Of
her descendants. Patience 10 the days
when witchcraft had It's grip Oh Mas
sachuaetts was a young girl. She won
The love of Francis Winthrop, who bad
been attentive 70 Jane Hartshorne, and
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 50 wen beloved, The ev-
idence brought against her was con-
vincins.
Young Winthrop wien his sweet
heart bod been tried and found guilty
said that he could rot BE present when
she was burned, and he would no
longer remaia IN q 50 called civilized
community where such superstltlons
were rife and such cruelties were prac.
tlced. The day before the execution
be left the settlement saying that he
would 70 and live among the indians
/ His parting with Patience was distress.
ing To the extreme and would have
moved anything but the ironbound
consciances Of the pufitans
The next day stake was set up in
wood near tie settlement and
fagots laid about i ID preparation for
the burning. which was SET fer the
4 hour Of sunset II was October, and
there was mellow haze ia the e.
mosphere. shortly before the sun
went down the great men d the
church and their families began 10
collect at the place Of execution Pres
entity III tie distance appeared d little
procession. led BY the minister who
read from bis Bible as Ne walked such
passages as he thought might exercise
the evil spirit that had got into the
poor girl Patience came next attend
ca ~ her weeping parents and q few
Of her intimate friends.
Now. it Is not claimed that what
am about 70 narrate IL matter 81 his
tory. Detailed accounts Of those who
4 persisted BY the vlteheraft insanity
have been given n histories 81 the
4 times but ! admit there Is 10 bis.
torlcal account Of this case, It has
merely been perpetuated ID the family
/ We must remember that those were a
supersfitious people, looking always
for the marvellous, Yet there is moth
ing more remarkable ID the witch
/ plague than Ia the story Of what hap
pened at Patience Godwin's burning
Tho condemned girl bade 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 yellow
splendor A glory from heaven seem
ed to be poured upon the trees. whose
leaves stilI wore the autnmnai colors,
the group standing about the stake,
ana lie the face Of the witch, giving
a holy glow TO her pale features
And then out OF the western sun
light there came a figure dressed ID q
long white robe walking slowly
Whether man on woman none could
say, Tor the long hair falling On the
shoulders gave the figure feminine
appearance. while a sword pressed b.
the right hand against d large blood
red cross on the breast seemed to indi.
cate manhood AS the visitor drew
near the face was seen TO De white as
marble, and q soft brown beard could
be distinguished
AIS the man or specter or god, flood.
ed hy the yellow light which every
moment took on more effulgenee. ap
preached those about the stake knelt
with bowed heads. Reaching the
witch. he said IN a voice soft but dis
tinet:
Come out, SatanW
Then It seemed to those who saw
Thar Patience writhed for moment.
after which her face shone With q holy
light Raising bis sword. The appari-
ton cut The rope that bound her; then
taking her hand. led her away in the
direction from which be had come.
Some say that the two figures were
lost in q snowstorm that suddenly
came up from the east, giving q STUB
more wonderful Appearance % the
western illumination as seen through
the falling flakes
I have examined the records Of The
weather for the year ia question and
found mention Of a terrible snowstorm