ral duties as relentlessly as a Catholic ascetic(530). This seems harsh at first but it is just conveying the ignorance of the minister. In the times of this story the town would have to be Protestant or maybe even Puritan, but definitely not Catholic because it is set in early New England times and for the simple fact that he is a minister with a wife. The fact that he is referred to as a Catholic ascetic(530) shows that he is not believer in the scriptures as the Protestants are, but a conformist to the Catholic Church and not an interpreter of the Lords will. Sarah, on the other hand, is an interpreter of the Lords will.Sarah comes to the conclusion that she is doing the Lords will when she declared the new maxim for her self. She now believed that Unsolicited opportunities are the guideposts of the Lord to the new roads of life(528). She knows that this is an unsolicited opportunity because she had nothing to do with Hiram sending notice of a good horse to father. It is also known that Sarah believes she is doing by the Lords will because it is a providence to her; which is taken as her having divine foresight. This foresight comes from her being a new spirit. The sense that she is a new spirit is implied when she states, Ive let the fire go out(528). Even though she is talking about the stove, it is taken that it is a fire inside of her. The fire, which is a means of destruction and chaos, was burning up her soul. And now that it was out a new spirit could take over. The new spirit is also seen by Nanny when she tremble(s), as if it were a ghost(528). This ghost that she feels is representative of the new spirit that has embodied mother. Because of this new feeling both Sammy and Nanny seem to become something of religious followers to her.The children as religious followers to Sarah are first clearly seen through the observation that There is a certain uncanny and superhuman quality about such a purely original under...
