Read Online Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham - Free Book Online

“With all the theories they’ve had regarding the hysteria, I still can’t imagine sane adults allowing those girls who accused their neighbors of being witches—some only because they used herbs to help cure sicknesses—to cause such a tragedy.”
    â€œI quite agree,” Jake said. “Many people were killed with no evidence that they had done anything wrong.”
    â€œDo you believe in witchcraft?” Melody asked.
    â€œWhether I believe or not does not matter,” Jake said. “Massachusetts was a British colony, and witchcraft wasillegal. Could someone really curse his neighbor’s cow with an evil eye? Most probably not. But mixing potions—even herbal potions—could be considered witchcraft and sadly, the punishment for witchcraft could be death. But I don’t believe that any of those caught up in the hysteria at Salem were practicing real witchcraft of any kind. They were just caught up in a miasma of fear. There was so much of the world that was unknown and frightening.”
    â€œIndeed,” George agreed.
    Mona pounced on the words. “That’s just it, people act out of fear or ignorance. The true Wiccans were not guilty of any evil—they were part of the pagan way that existed before Christianity began to spread. And those who brought Christianity across from Europe were willing to do what was necessary to convince others to follow them. I mean, seriously, we don’t know what day Christ was born, we have settled on a day for it to be Christmas. The high holy day of All Hallow’s Eve coincided with a pagan practice that had long been celebrated. And Easter! The holiday and celebration are even named for Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. The old Anglo-Saxons celebrated spring and rebirth, and the Hebrews celebrated Passover, and Christians celebrate the fact that Christ rose from the dead. Here’s my point, we are all one creation, however we choose to see our deities.”
    â€œMom, that’s not at all how the Puritans saw it,” Melody said.
    â€œNo, I’m afraid they weren’t at all accepting of others, and they certainly wouldn’t appreciate anyone pointing out the fact that Easter came from Eostre,” Jake said.“Mrs. Tarleton, this stew is absolutely delicious. Thank you very kindly.”
    â€œOh,” Mona said, enrapt with her guest. “That’s so kind of you. It’s just a Crock-Pot stew. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! And I’m fascinated with what you’re saying, of course, because it’s just terrible to think of the wonderful and kind people who practiced old forms of medicine just to wind up burned at the stake in Europe and Scotland and hanged in England for witchcraft. They were often midwives, or people working with herbs, and as we all know now, many of the natural ingredients cured people.”
    â€œMom,” Melody pointed out, “just because something is natural, doesn’t always mean that it’s good for you. Hemlock is natural.”
    Mona waved a hand in the air. “My dear, you’re missing the point.”
    â€œWhat is the point?” Keith asked, grinning.
    Melody kicked him beneath the table again.
    â€œOuch! Stop that,” he told her.
    â€œWhat is going on there?” George demanded.
    â€œShe kicked me,” Keith said.
    â€œMother, he’s being obnoxious,” Melody said.
    â€œChildren! We have a guest,” Mona said, shaking her head. “Honestly, George, how old are they now? How can this still be going on?”
    â€œMom, I know the point, and our college genius keeps missing it,” Melody said. “What matters is not always the truth, but rather, peoples’ perception of the truth. And fear is something that often sways our perceptions. When you’re afraid, you may see something that is entirely innocent as something evil. And in the old days, science was often seen