The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-06

glove. saying twas great odds -
tween handling a dead COST (neaning
q grove and d living lady" He Odds.
GOT II OIL" from which We ara prob
aoly TO infer that the judge held the
WldoW hand. He told her the same
evening". when the subject Of Canary
VINE came IN. that her kisses We're
better to me than the best Canary
Nevertheless. the widow seemed
cold, and on November !. I72o. some
weeks after the beginning Of the
coultshl1. there is an entry which
SHOWS that the tire vas OFT. in a
double sense: The fire was come TO
one short brand eside the block,
which brand was Set up on end. at
last it fell TO pieces. and no recruit
was made: | did not bid her
draW off her glove as sometime for
merly) | had done. Her dress was
not 50 clean as sometime it had been.
Jehovah jireh." Another entry. dated
November 9. completes the tale: Dine
at Bro. ~Stoddard's: tthey} We're 50
kind as TO inquire if they should invite
Mn Winthrop. 1 answered. No.
Eight months later We read Of an
ether attempt on Sewall's part to get
Il companion for the rest OF his Jour
ney: Saturday. July -. 1871 :.
Call and sit "a while with Madam
ltuggles | showed my will
ngnesS to renew my old acQuaint-
ance Cas- a S%uit0r). She expressed her
inability to be serviceable. Gave me
cider to drink. came home Thursday.
Aug. 3. went in the coach and visited
Mrs. RuggieS after lecture. She
seems resolved not to move out Of
that house till she he car
ried out
Madam Eu2gies did not change her
mind, but We are glad to learn that
4 letter in which Judge SeuaIl pro
posed marriage to Mrs. Mary Gibbs.
widow at Newtown." January u. l-21,
VAS successful. and that she married
the Chief Justice some two and 4 half
months later. She survived him.
The quotations from the diary 50
TAR given show mainly the humorous
side Of SnWalIS character. and w
should Dc careful not to be misled into
a false opinion Of the dlaristS charac-
ter. 1t is to be remembered that
Sewall held for ten years the most
distinguished judicial position ia
Massachusetts, and that he was noted
for his justice. for L humaneness ir
advance Of his time. and for his heroic
persistence in what he considered
right.
The Witchcraft trials occupy more
than n entry in his diary. He tells
for example. how the preachers Were
in evidence at the trials: how NJ
Mather said they certain victims 81
the year 1922 all died by a righteou.
sentence; how Giles Corey wa:
pressed to death for standing mute
when on trial: and how Dorcas Hoal
confessed herself a witch-doubtlesS
as we see it, to save her life.
But the most important entry i
the copy Of the Bill [ put upon tn,
Fast Day Cir January. 1870
standing up at the reading Of it. an,
bowling when finished. : |
is too long to repeat here, but tn
; substance Of it is a confession Of hi
guilt in the witchcraft trials. Doubt
less he had acted in good faith, il
{ passing sentence for supposed witch
, craft. but the conviction Of his erro
mad him feel as if he had bee
guilty Of murder. He is said to hav
kept a regular fast day each yea il
memory Of his fault. We should re
member not his error. but the cour
: age which made him. out Of all tn
guilty judges. the only one who con
fessed> his miserable error.
The Boston Weekly News Letter 70
January s. 1870 (the year of Sewall'
9 death). has this to say Of him: III
, was universally and greatly ever
; enced. esteemed. and beloved amongs
: us for his eminent piety, learning, an
wisdom, his strict. integrit
and regard to Justice; his ~extra-or
e dinarily tender and compassionate
r heart: and as the crown Q
3 all. his moderation, peaceabienes.
V and humility" To whic
high praise modern writers hay
h generally said amen.
$ G@F