loss, as one by one the
patriarchs of the primitive little community had rapidly followed each
other to the grave. They had been beloved as fathers, and looked up to
as judges in the land. The first bad effect of their loss was seen in
the heated dissension which sprang up between Pastor Tappau and the
candidate Nolan. It had been apparently healed over; but Mr. Nolan had
not been many weeks in Salem, after his second coming, before the
strife broke out afresh, and alienated many for life who had till then
been bound together by the ties of friendship or relationship. Even in
the Hickson family something of this feeling soon sprang up; Grace
being a vehement partisan of the elder pastor's more gloomy doctrines,
while Faith was a passionate, if a powerless, advocate of Mr. Nolan.
Manasseh's growing absorption in his own fancies, and imagined gift of
prophecy, making him comparatively indifferent to all outward events,
did not tend to either the fulfilment of his visions, or the
elucidation of the dark mysterious doctrines over which he had pondered
too long for the health either of his mind or body; while Prudence
delighted in irritating every one by her advocacy of the views of
thinking to which they were most opposed, and retailing every gossiping
story to the person most likely to disbelieve, and be indignant at what
she told, with an assumed unconsciousness of any such effect to be
produced. There was much talk of the congregational difficulties and
dissensions being carried up to the general court, and each party
naturally hoped that, if such were the course of events, the opposing
pastor and that portion of the congregation which adhered to him might
be worsted in the struggle.

Such was the state of things in the township when, one day towards the
end of the month of February, Grace Hickson returned from the weekly
prayer meeting; which it was her custom to attend at Pastor Tappau's
house, in a state of extreme excitement. On her entrance into her own
house she sat down, rocking her body backwards and forwards, and
praying to herself: both Faith and Lois stopped their spinning, in
wonder at her agitation, before either of them ventured to address her.
At length Faith rose, and spoke:

'Mother, what is it? Hath anything happened of an evil nature?'

The brave, stern, old woman's face was blenched, and her eyes were
almost set in horror, as she prayed; the great drops running down her
cheeks.

It seemed almost