in chopping and felling trees; and had about this time an
accident which broke him down. Having felled a tree, it remained
hanging with its branches in the limbs of another one, and in
endeavoring to pull it out his whole hand was crushed so that all his
fingers festered. This happened shortly after the others. All these
misfortunes depressed this poor man very much, and daily increased his
anguish. He could not sleep, and found rest nowhere. He did nothing
but sigh and complain of inward trouble. When we heard all these
things, we said several times to each other, the Lord has certainly
some intention in regard to this man and this household: the Lord
visits this man; although we did not doubt there was something of the
evil one.

About this time he came to our house, and we embraced the opportunity
to speak to him, which we did with great earnestness and affection, by
which he was strengthened, and went home contented. But it did not
continue long. He became very much disturbed and troubled. He went in
the fields to plough, and the horses began to neigh and bellow, and
would not stand still an instant, springing and jumping, entangling
themselves together, foaming and fuming so that he did not know what
course to pursue. As to himself, he became so frightened and
perplexed, so confused that he did not knew what he did or where he
was; he was bewildered, and his whole understanding lost; he was like
one blind; he wanted to go to the house, and ran hither and thither,
through water and everywhere, his hat off his head, and across the
fields, and thus reached home. His wife and children were frightened
because he looked so horrible and disfigured. He demanded a rope and
wanted to harm himself, for he said he could live no longer. The wife
and children cried; neighbors were sent for; one of the children
brought the grandmother and Rebecca, his sister, from the city. This
was on Tuesday, the 16th of April, in the afternoon. My comrade was in
the front room when the news came, though there were no particulars.
He came to me in the back room sorrowful, and said to me, "_Vous ne
savez que le malin a eu possession sur nostre pauvre homme_."[324]
"What man?" I asked. "Our Theunis," he replied, "word came that he had
hanged himself, and afterwards that they did not know whether he was
alive." We were alarmed; the old woman, his mother, had gone to him;
and after waiting a little time, we also determined to go, and as we
were a