Utica Free Academy - Academician Yearbook (Utica, NY)

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means now to force her to his wishes, determined to make the most of it. One day When she was out in the woods gathering medicinal herbs, she was suddely confronted by Graham's sullen andmorose face. She was not one to flinch at an un- pleasant encounter, and braced herself instinctively for what she felt would be somthing deeply concerning her welfare. '4She listened to his passionate and violent speech, which was that if shewould not consent to be his wife he would cause the accusation of witchcraft to be brought against her, with the usual fatal results. In his own selfishness and cowar- dise he never believed that Charity would hold out against such a threat.. But indeed he did not realize the strength of resolution contained in that frail form. 1 . .. F' 'No,,Ambrose Grahamf shereplied, calmly and coldly, il will never marry you. ,Bring this accusation against 'me if you will, you who profess to love me. Surely the record of my past life will sustain me. ln any case God will protect his child against such foul dishonorf ' . . '4All the cunning plans of the jealous lover were frustrated. He had never dreamed of such resistance, and all the horror ofthe scenes of the witchcraft trials failed to move her from her purpose. But he had vowed to bring the charge against her, and now hatefulas it was even to him, he must carry out his threat. 'At all events,7 he muttered, as he strode off from the resolute girl, 'she will never live tobecome the wife of another' :Charity returned to the home which she had left so full of youthful buoyancy and hope that afternoon, with a sad heart indeed. A terrible load lay on her mind, it seemed as if the whole world were against her, the very stones seemed to accuse her falsely, she seemed to see, as in a dream, the trial-room, with every friendly face turned from her in scorn. Vainly she prayed for divine strength, her footsteps wavered, her senses became benumbed, the weird awfulness of the witchcraft horror crept over her soul. H 4Surely those whom I have always loved will not desert me? Surely the God whom Irphave so faithfully served will not suffer me to be condemned? Thus she moaned and prayed the entire night but alas it seemed as if her fate were only - 7 D , 0 i I I ' ' 0 J 7 7 ' ' ,. ,. ,f f f ff ff-a .fe-114f..4f,f,ff.-,:,: f:fcfgzfr ,sfggwfgrygr-a-55,451-aff, f -v f ff f ff M W 4 33:11 ge,

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v her the secret of medicinal herbs and their preparation, S0 that together with her womanly patience and sympathy, She was of the rarest value at every sick-bed. ' , lt was at this time, in her sixteenth year that the terrible epidemic of Salem witchcraft broke out in their hitherto peace- ful village. The superstition was started by some demented children, influenced by an old Indian nurse, Tituba, who claim- ed that they were being tortured by spells cast over them by certain of the good people of the region, who had always been regarded as peaceful and harmless. The curse rapidly spread, and it was used by anyone who bore a grudge or possessed an enemy to cast over them disrepute and ignominy. The mere accusation of the afflicted children, who professed to be under these spells, was sufficient to subject the accused to trial, and death, if found guilty, which was generally the case. Not only did this madness seize hold of the common people, but the magistrates and clergy themselves believed in it, and did' all they could to punishthose said to possess this evil power. Only a few of the saner and more reasonable of, the people denounced this witchcraft delusion, and sought to arouse public indignation against its atrocities. The Ainsworth were among this number, and refused either to testify against old friends and neighbors or to-have any belief in the reality of witchcraft. In particular Charity was grieved and angered atthis wicked snare of delusion, for she had ample opportunity to observe its horrible eiects in the village homes where she sought to be of some comfort. In her work among the sick and poor, in min- istering to those who had been deluded in thinking themselves under wicked spells, she had seen the horror of it all. The ravages of those affiicted, not in body, but in spirit, filled her with disgust and pity, the accusations against old friends, the trials and tortures used to wring out false con- fessions, the cruel deaths of those whom she knew innocent all filled her mind, greatly matured foruher age, with dark forei boding for her country and friends. A Hlt was not for others, however, but for herself, that Charity had to fear. Her thwarted lover, Ambrose Graham, seeing a '97 5fW77 f'

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too inevitable. The very next morning She was confronted by the Elders of the church with the charge of exercising the evil power of witchcraft on one Prudence Graham, Who was most terribly racked in body and spirit by evil spirits in the guise of Charity Ainsworth. i- '4All her entreaties and protestations of innocence were of no avail, the charge prevailed. In view of her remarkably blameless life and character, she would be allowed until the following day at sundown, to withdraw the enchantments from the tortured girl. lf the afflicted one had not commenced to rally by that time, Charity Ainsworth would be cast into prison, and the following day be tried for witchcraft. Her conviction was almost certain, as her honesty and sincerity forbade her following the only course which could save her- acknowledging herself to be guilty. , At her request she was allowed to see the sick girl, who recoiled and cried out withfterror at her approach. But Charity in her skill and knowledge of sickness, divined at-once the nature of the fever which afflicted her friend, and thus still hoped, by curing her, to save the lives of both. 4'She knew an herb which was an infallible remedy for this disorder, and if she could only procure it, would cure the disease and restore her mental balance. The only trouble was that this herb usually could be found only in the early spring, and now it was the first month of summer. But with a con- stant prayer on her lips, shehoped againts hope, and spent the entire day in the woods searching for the precious herb. At last, near sundown, she realized that the' quest was hopeless, and seating herself on a grassy bank, near a little stream, where so often she had played as a child with Philip, she poured out a last agonizing prayer for Divine aid. , HA soft thud struck her ears, and she opened her eyes to see an Indian, with a gleaming knife in his hand, crouching before her. She neither started nor screamed, but resigned herself to what she believed to be a speedy death, and by motions, signs, and all the means of expression at her command, beseeched the savage to put a speedy end to her miserable existence. To her surprise she heard an old, familiar voice, -30.- 4442?