She bore in her hands a pail of milk and a fowl neatly dressed, which
she gave to Elnathan's mother, and, seeing strangers by his bedside, was
about to go out, when he called to her and besought her to stay. As she
came up and spoke to him, I knew her to be the maid we had met at the
spring. The young man, with tears in his eyes, acknowledged her great
kindness to him, at which she seemed troubled and abashed. A pure,
sweet complexion she hath, and a gentle and loving look, full of
innocence and sincerity. Rebecca seemed greatly disturbed, for she no
doubt thought of the warning words of this maiden, when we were at the
spring. After she had left, Goodwife Stone said she was sure she could
not tell what brought that Quaker girl to her house so much, unless she
meant to inveigle Elnathan; but, for her part, she would rather see him
dead than live to bring reproach upon his family and the Church by
following after the blasphemers. I ventured to tell her that I did look
upon it as sheer kindness and love on the young woman's part; at which
Elnathan seemed pleased, and said he could not doubt it, and that he did
believe Peggy Brewster to be a good Christian, although sadly led astray
by the Quakers.
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