Today in Salem: It’s the Sabbath, and the men’s side of the Meeting House is quietly agog. Women are strictly not allowed to speak in church. And yet here is 11-year-old Abigail Williams, standing up and demanding that the minister state which Scripture he’s using.
If it’s possible to be frightened and angry at the same time, Mrs. Parris is it. Abigail has been living with the Parris family for some time now, and her public afflictions have only grown worse. Now Mrs. Parris, sitting on the bench behind her, touches Abigail’s shoulder until she quiets.
The calm is momentary, though, and soon Abigail cries out at the specter of the gospel woman Martha Corey, flying to a beam above their heads then sitting next to a yellow bird. Yellow is the Devil’s color, so it’s even more alarming when the invisible bird flies off the beam and perches defiantly on the preacher’s hat.
Abigail and her afflicted friends continue talking and seeing specters throughout the services, and all through it the gospel woman Martha Corey sits with her back straight and eyes forward.
Finally, mercifully, the services come to an end. Standing to leave and walking toward Giles, Martha can no longer stay quiet. She knows she’s appearing before the Magistrates tomorrow, and of course everything that has happened today will be thrown at her.
She is a Gospel Woman, she says to Giles, and would never do anything like this. These ridiculous girls can’t possibly win tomorrow. Even the Devil himself cannot win. Martha is a Gospel Woman, and she will open the eyes of the Ministers and Magistrates to the truth.
Tomorrow in Salem: EXAMINATION: the gospel woman Martha Corey