Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

  CHAPTER IV.

  Satan's Especial Grudge against Our Puritan Fathers.

  "Tituba!" And who else? Why need there have been anybody else? Why couldnot the whole thing have stopped just there? No doubt Tituba was guilty,if any one was. But Tituba escaped, by shrewdly also becoming anaccuser.

  "Who else?" This set the children's imagination roving. Their firstcharges were not so unreasonable. Why, the vagrant Sarah Good, a socialoutcast, wandering about without any settled habitation; and SarahOsburn, a bed-ridden woman, half distracted by family troubles who hadseen better days. There the truth was out. Tituba, Sarah Good and SarahOsburn were the agents of the devil in this foul attempt against thepeace of the godly inhabitants of Salem village.

  For it was a common belief even amongst the wisest and best of ourPuritan fathers, that the devil had a special spite against the NewEngland colonies. They looked at it in this way. He had conquered inthe fight against the Lord in the old world. He was the supreme andundoubted lord of the "heathen salvages" in the new. Now that thePuritan forces had commenced an onslaught upon him in the westernhemisphere, to which he had an immemorial right as it were, could it bewondered at that he was incensed beyond all calculation? Was he, afterhaving Europe, Asia and Africa, to be driven out of North America by asmall body of steeple-hatted, psalm-singing, and conceited Puritans? Nowonder his satanic ire was aroused; and that he was up to all manner ofdevices to harass, disorganize and afflict the camp of his enemies.

  I am afraid this seems a little ridiculous to readers nowadays; but tothe men and women of two hundred years ago it was grim and soberearnest, honestly and earnestly believed in.

  Who, in the face of such wonderful changes in our religious views, canventure to predict what will be the belief of our descendants twohundred years hence?