Till Death Do Us Part

"Thou look very tired." Nathaniel walked his best friend to her small home after meeting. "If thou art not careful everyone will acuse you of finding the sermon boring." He smirked a bit as he said this last sentence.

Charity tried to stifle a yawn as she walked. Everyon in Salem already thought she was strange. She was not nearly as quiet as she was expected to be, and she spent more time with the preacher's son than with other girls.

"I did not get much sleep."

"Why not?"

"I was...busy. Yes, very busy. I lost track of time reading the Psalms."

The dark haired young man laughed at her. "I know as well as thou do that you were not reading the Psalms. If anything you were in the woods being a heathen."

"Shhhh! Not so loud! Do thou want the whole village to hear?" Her dark eyes opened wide.

"I am sorry." He still laughed a bit. "It would seem that we are here. May I trust thou to stay awake long enough to get in the house?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes good sir, I am awake. The escort is much appreciated."

"Good bye."

Charity walked into her family's small home to be greeted by her mother and a few of the other women from the village.

"Charity, why art thou so late getting home from meeting?" Goodwife Blackburne scolded her daughter.

"I am sorry, Nathaniel was taking extra care to make sure I arrived at home. I suppose."

"The son of Master Lyttle is more than thou deserveth if thou were to ask me." Old woman Whippel looked at her critically.

"Goodwife Whippel! I cannot believe thou have said that!" The equally old Remember Hawthorne exclaimed.

"Thou know it is true, Goody Hawthorne." She pointed a gnarled finger at Charity. "The girl is a practical heathen and I am surprised she has not tried to conjur spirits or some other devil brought nonsense!"

"Goody Whipple, that is enough! I will not have thou, a guest in the house of mine family, speaking about a daughter of mine like that!" She opened the door. "Thou will either be civil to me and mine or thou will leave."

"Well! Come along Goody Hawthorn!" The old woman stood up. "I have never been spoken to like thou hath spoken to me in all mine life!" And with that she walked out in a huff, her companion following behind her.

"Oh mo-" Charity began, but her mother interruped her.

"I am not finished with thou Charity Lyttle. I saw thou falling asleep in meeting. What is the meaning of that?"

"I-i did not fall asleep..." Her voice barely squeaked out. "I was only a bit tired from my late night reading, of the Psalms. I only want to be well read in the Scriptures mother. I will not stay up that late-"

"Thou most certainly will not. Thou art fifteen, it is time for thou to grow up and find a husband. That will not happen if thou continue on with this childish foolishness of...whatever it is thou do to set off so many neighbors. The arguments of Goody Whippel had a bit of truth to back up her outragious claims. If she had seen thou falling asleep in meeting she would surely tell all of the neighbors what she thinketh of thou and there be no way to know what will happen."

"Yes." She nodded, her whispered answer barely audible.