Читать книгу Ye Lyttle Salem Maide. A Story of Witchcraft онлайн

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“Good sir,” she replied, “my punishment was none too heavy, for my heart had grown carnal and adrift from God, and the follies and vanities o’ youth had taken hold on me. It happed in this wise. Goodwife Higgins, who keeps our home since my dear mother went to God, be forever sweethearting me because I mind her o’ her own little girl who died o’ the smallpox. So she made me this fair silken gown out o’ her wedding-silk brought from England. Ye can feel for yourself, good sir, if ye like, that it be all silk without a thread o’ cotton in it. Now, Abigail Brewster, whose father be a godly man, telled him that when I passed her going to meeting last Sabbath morn, I switched my fair silken gown so that it rustled in an offensive manner in her ears. So the constable came after me, and I was prosecuted in court for wearing silk in an odious manner. The Judge sentenced me to stand all day on the block, near the town-pump, exposed to public gaze in my fine raiment. Also, he did look at me o’er his spectacles in a most awesome, stern, and righteous fashion, for he said I ‘drew iniquity with a cord o’ vanity and sin with a cart-rope.’ Then he read a stretch from the Bible, warning me to repent, lest I grow like those who ‘walk with outstretched necks, mincing as they go.’” She sighed: “Ye ken not, sir, how weary one grows, standing on a block, blinking o’ the sun, first resting on your heels, then tipping forward on your toes, and finding no ease. About the tenth hour, as I could see by the sun-dial, there comes Abigail Brewster walking with her father. When I catched sight o’ him I put my hands over my face, and weeped with exceeding loud groans to show him I heartily repented my wickedness in the sight o’ God. But he, being spiritually minded at the time, had no thought for a sinner like me and went on. Now, I was peeking out betwixt my fingers, and I saw Abigail Brewster had on her gown o’ sad-coloured linsey-woolsey. Her and me gave one another such a look! For we were both acquainted like with the fact that that sad-coloured linsey-woolsey petticoat and sacque were her meeting-house clothes, her father, as I telled ye, having no patience for the follies o’ dress. Beshrew me, sir,” added the little maid, timidly, “but I cannot refrain from admiring your immoderate great sleeves with the watchet-blue tiffany peeping through the slashes.”