Cuphead was not a forest at that time, for the Indians, realizing its fertility, had cleared a large portion of it for their planting ground.

We know but little of the trials experienced in this new settlement; its people were too engrossed with the stern realities of life to write its records. Even the links which connected many of the families of the New and Old World have been lost. The enforcement of the law, compelling all persons to partake of the sacrament before leaving England, resulted in the escape of the non-conformists in all kinds of disguises. Many succeeded in reaching America undiscovered, but owing to the watchfulness of the Government spies, it was never safe for them to refer to their ancestral homes. This silence has been the cause of their descendants losing all trace of their ancestors in the motherland.

Stratford in its infancy was surrounded by a dense forest inhabited by the deer, wolf, fox, otter, mink, muskrat, bear, and wild cat. These animals were not only a source of revenue to the hunter, but the terror of the children and the belated traveler. No unguarded farmyard was safe from their depredations. In the evening, as the Colonists sat by the light of the tallow candles, and the blaze of the burning logs in the great fire places, spinning, knitting, and preparing utensils for the home use, they were serenaded by the hideous cries of the wild cat, and the howlings of the beasts of the forest.

In the winter season the wolves, driven by hunger, imperiled the lives of all who ventured into the wilderness. Our ancestor, Joseph Curtis, with a number of his neighbors, rode on horseback to Newtown for grain. As they proceeded slowly homeward through the forest, they heard the distant howlings of their dreaded enemies. It was impossible to ride fast, for the horses were heavily ladened. While they were discussing what course to follow, a large pack of wolves suddenly appeared in their rear. We can easily imagine how those flint locks did good service; but as one wolf fell, the rest stopped only long enough to devour him, before hastening in pursuit. Bag after bag of grain was thrown to them, but with the ferocity known only to the wolf nature, they came onward. At last as the only means of escaping, all of the corn was

thrown upon the ground. The panic-stricken horses, relieved of their burdens, carried their riders safely home.

The good people of Stratford determined that the wolves. should be exterminated, and as a reward of thirty-two shillings was offered for every wolf slain, their number was soon reduced; but far more terrible to the people of Stratford than any danger from wild beasts, was a threatened Indian war. From Long Island Sound to the Housatonic Valley there were between two and three thousand Indians. Before 1700 there were at least four natives to every Colonist.

The merciless cruelty practiced by Captain Mason's soldiers upon the "red men," inspired in their breast an intense desire for revenge. The white man and his religion were hated by them. Although they had daily opportunities of learning of "the Christ," there were not a dozen conversions reported before the Moravian missionaries came to Scatacook in 1743.

In 1643 or '44, the people of Stratford, in order to protect their village from any sudden assault by the Pequonnock Indians, built a palisade fence from the Housatonic River across the north part of Academy Hill to the swamp, on the west side of the town, and southward as far as it was deemed necessary.

A house was built upon the hill called the "Watch Hill House," and a watch was kept there day and night. Every morning at break of day, and at the setting of the sun a drum was beaten.

Upon the "Lord's Day" a drum was beaten to notify the people when it was time to prepare for meeting. The second drum was the signal for the trained band to attend service. Every head of a house was obliged upon the Sabbath to go to the "House of God" armed. The laws required every herd of cattle to be attended upon the Sabbath by two armed men. The fields were tilled by the husbandman with a loaded gun by his side; and the wife and mother, as she bade her dear ones good-bye before they left home to attend to their daily duties, felt that the dreadful tomahawk might do its deadly work before the night came.

Fortunately for the good people of Stratford, they were

spared the horrors of Indian warfare. Our ancestors' Sabbath was preeminently a day of rest. Upon Saturday the busy housewife prepared and baked a double portion of food, so that no unnecessary labor should be performed upon Sunday. At sunset all work was laid aside; the elders and children assembled in the "keeping room" to read their Bibles and other religious books.

"The Pilgrim's Progress," "Baxter's Saint's Rest," "Fox's Book of Martyrs," and sermons, were read eagerly by both old and young. The "Westminster Catechism" was learned so thoroughly that all were able to recite perfectly both the questions and answers from the beginning, "What is the chief end of man," to its happy ending; that book was the foundation stone of the Colonies; its fruits were a trust, and faith in an overruling providence, a sternness of character suited to the times, a religion of mighty convictions and strivings of the spirit; so strict an adherence to duty was inculcated in the hearts of the people, that they were willing to suffer all things for conscience sake.

The Blue Laws of Connecticut forbade a man kissing his wife upon the Sabbath, and when a citizen of Milford offended in this particular, he was upon Monday sentenced to receive a number of lashes. He escaped from the officers, ran to the river, swam it, and once upon Stratford's shore, shook his fists in his pursuers' faces. His wife soon followed him.

As a gentleman from Stratford rode through a neighboring town one Monday morning, a man was being publicly whipped upon the village green. Enquiring the cause for this punishment, he learned that the culprit was a sailor, who after many months' absence from home, arriving in port the previous day: rejoiced to be once more with his family, he kissed them. He was arrested for violating the laws, and sentenced to receive a certain number of lashes. The stranger expressed his disapprobation of this penalty so forcibly as to excite the indignation of the officers of justice, who endeavored to arrest him. Putting spurs to his horse, the traveler fled homeward with the townsmen in hot pursuit; reaching the Housatonic River, he ran his horse upon the ferry which was tied to a stake, cutting the ropes he pushed off from the shore and escaped.

The whipping post upon the village green, the stocks and the pillory were the offenders' dread. If a husband's accusations against his scolding wife were proven, she was provided by the judge with a mask and gag, and was obliged to stand a certain length of time where she could be seen by her neighbors, as a warning not only to herself, but to others.

In 1651 witchcraft with its attendant evils affected the people of Stratford so greatly that they arrested as a witch a feeble woman called Goodwife Bassett. She was tried, convicted and sentenced to die upon the gallows. No records are now

in existence which state her sin. To be called a witch meant usually conviction and death. If certain marks were found upon the suspected person, they were said to have been made by Satan, who was believed to be 'a veritable personage' with cloven hoofs and horns, who roamed through the earth "seeking whom he might devour."

If a woman aroused jealousy by being a more skillful nurse and concocter of herbs than her neighbors, or had incurred the hatred of the malicious, or if some one owed her money which they did not wish to pay, the charge of unlawful practices with Satan was resorted to and scarcely ever failed to affect the superstitious. Arrest, imprisonment and conviction generally followed.

On the day set for Goodwife Bassett's execution great excitement prevailed in Stratford. Household work was hastily finished or left undone. The fields were untilled, while people assembled at the jail, to follow the prisoner to the gallows. Magistrates of the law and ministers of the gospel were in the procession. Our ancestors must have formed a part of that company, for they were residents of Stratford; and as they were men of dignity and influence, it was essential that both they and their wives should testify by their presence the justice of the sentence. Heavily loaded with chains, Goodwife Bassett was led at the head of the procession. As they were passing a large stone by the roadside, she became so overcome with terror and horror at her approaching fate, that she threw herself upon it, proclaiming in piteous accents her innocence. Sternly she was ordered to rise, but refused, and clung so tightly to the stone that the officers were obliged to forcibly

remove her hands, which were cut and bleeding from its sharp edges. Turning toward the assembled people, she raised those poor, cut, bleeding hands toward heaven crying: "If I am innocent, I pray God that my clasped bleeding hands shall appear upon this stone." Was there no one among her followers to plead for mercy? No, not one. For did not the Bible ordain, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," and had not Goodwife Bassett been sentenced after careful and prayerful investigation?

She was hastened onward to Gallows Brook and there met her death, and was buried in accordance with the laws regarding witches, at the foot of the scaffold, a victim to the superstitions of her times. Judge not our Judge not our ancestors too harshly; they lived, according to their light, true and noble lives. Two hundred years in the future will not our descendants judge this age, even as we are judging the centuries that are past?

Tradition states that on the morning following Goodwife Bassett's death two clasped and bleeding hands appeared upon the stone as a witness of her innocence.

The daughter of Mr. Phineas Curtis, who played upon it in her childhood, said, "that there were marks upon this stone which had the appearance of two clasped, bleeding hands." Upon moonlight nights the wayfarer who passes this place at twelve o'clock, can see two hands rise from this stone, clasped, as if pleading for mercy. Justice seemed satisfied with one victim, for there is no official record of any more executions for witchcraft in Stratford.

It has been said that the Colonists first built the church, and then the school-house. Although many of the colonial children could only attend school three months in the year, they were expected during that time to study faithfully, and be able to read, write and learn the common branches. When the minister visited the school, every scholar arose, and remained standing during his presence. All money earned by the minor children was usually claimed by the parent.

The children of that day were taught reverence toward their elders. No words of disrespect were allowed in the family." Wilful disobedience was punishable even with death, although the sentence was probably never carried into execution.