The author, Joan Fields Long, wrote Depart From Evil in 1976-77. The setting is in a peaceful farming community in the South. When a new pastor is hired for the local church things begin to change. He and his wife and their dog are welcomed with open arms by dairy farmers, Jed and Jenny Bentley and their family. Something strange and mysterious begins to happen after their arrival. Attitudes and disruptions in the Bentley household and in lives of some of the church members and even the farm animals take place. There is an account in the Bible in Matthew where Jesus cast out demons and they went into a herd of swine. The Bible gives strict instructions against delving into what we now call the occult or having anything to do with evil spirits. Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." KJV. Readers of most any age will be able to relate to the characters and their life style of 40 years ago. When rural America moved at a slower pace and dairy farms were the livelihood of many people. The community and the local church were important parts of their everyday lives. Proverbs 3:7 "Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and 'depart from evil.' " KJV. Depart from Evil By Joan Fields Long AuthorHouse Copyright © 2017 Joan Fields Long All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-5246-5538-9 CHAPTER 1 Jenny Bentley looked up from the pair of blue denim overalls that she was patching for her husband Jed. She pushed back a wisp of red hair streaked with gray that had fallen across her forehead. With a sweaty hand, she touched her cheek that showed traces of faded freckles. It was hot. So hot that the overalls felt clammy as she held them up to inspect the patch on the knee. "There," she said out loud. "That ought to last for at least one more wearin'." She was sitting in a rocking chair on the wide front porch of the big old white framed house. It was the house in which Jed had been born. The bedroom they shared had been Jed's parents' room. She got up and walked to the edge of the porch. A big yellow cat came up the steps and began to wind himself around her bare legs. "Quincy, stop that touchin' me. It's too hot to have you rubbin' all over me. You lazy good for nothin' cat, get out yonder to the barn and catch those mice that keep cuttin' our feed bags. I'll find myself patchin' them like I've been patchin' Jed's overalls." As if he understood her every word, the cat slowly went down the steps, stretching his long body, and wandered lazily around the corner of the house. Jenny looked across the grassy front yard toward the dirt road that ran in front of the house. She could see a cloud of dust in the distance. "Must be the mailman," she thought. "He's late today. I do hope we'll get a letter from Jason. That boy hasn't written since he went to South America." Jenny started down the steps toward the mailbox at the side of the road. She realized that the approaching automobile was not Mr. Weathers, the mailman. It was a blue car pulling a U-Haul-It trailer. The car turned in the driveway and came to a halt. Jenny could see that it was occupied by two people, or was it three? The driver stopped the noisy engine and stepped from the car. A short heavy set man in a dingy white shirt and floppy brown necktie walked toward Jenny. He was smiling and Jenny sensed there was nothing to be alarmed about. "Hello," the stranger said in a cheerful voice. "Is this the Jed Bentley place?" "Yes," answered Jenny. The man stuck out his right hand. "You must be Mrs. Bentley. I'm Thomas Wilson and this is my wife Cybele," indicating toward the car. "I'm the new pastor at your church." "Mr. Wilson," Jenny replied, pumping his hand. "How nice to meet you. Get out Mrs. Wilson and come on in out of this heat." The car door opened with a loud squawk as if it had been a long time without oil. The paint on the car was faded and scratched. The left back fender was dented and the side that Jenny saw was caked with dried mud. Mrs. Wilson stepped out and stretched her long arms high above her head. She was tall and slim. Long blond straight hair, parted in the middle fell around her shoulders and clung to the blue shirt that she was wearing. It was as faded as the blue jeans that dragged the ground around her bare feet. A large black dog bounded over the front seat and dashed into the yard. It ran between Jenny and Mr. Wilson. Jenny thought she had never seen such a big dog in all her life! "Czar, get back in the car," Mr. Wilson commanded. "Cybele, keep the door open so he can get back in." The dog did not obey. He spied Quincy, the cat, and took off after him. He began to bark with a loud throaty sound that made Jenny shiver. "Mr. Wilson, is your dog friendly?" she stammered. "You don't have a thing to worry about. This is one Doberman Pincher that is as friendly as can be." "Yo