They were murdered, Mr. Parris! And mark this proof! Last night my Ruth were ever so close to their little spirits; I know it, sir. For how else is she struck dumb now except some power of darkness would stop her mouth? It is a marvelous sign, Mr. Parris!
– Arthur Miller
The Crucible, Act 1. Mrs. Putnam firmly believes that evil supernatural forces killed her seven babies at birth. Now that her remaining child Ruth has been struck ill and cannot speak, she sees this as "a marvelous sign" of the powers of darkness at work in Salem.