Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-04-13
NeIt morning Betsey and Sarah

were Congefgalionalists, hhd many o.
the nelghbors were surprised TO sec
them stop at The house OF Eliza SIM
mons, one Of the stauavhest sisters ol
the Methodist persuasion, II couldn't
have been over on hour before the
town was alive with the news,
The Orthodox were shocked, the
MeihodIsts opened their eyes Ia won
der. while the Baplisls stocd aloot In
dlgniaed silence. For oae whole day
they talked Of nothing bai this breach
of sectariaa etiquette, The nest day
they had something else TO talk about
These three ladies, Ia company with
Margaret Stiles, aaothcr Methodist
sister, e,Aed upon tho West
sisters. Mary and Martha, two Of the
leading ladies' Of the Baptist society
They not only called but they stayed
all tho iorea oon and took dinner
This was on Saturday. On Sunday
these six ladies occupied Miss Bailey's
pew in the Congregational church.
The little flock were no aslonished that
they paid little attention to ths sermon
and the Minister went home with the
feeling that not q dozen In the whole
congregation could tell what hi' text
was.
Bosworlh was now 10 state OF IN
tense cxcit em'nt, Such q thing had
never happened before. Many OF the
Congregaliona'ists called on Miss
Betsey and Miss Sarah, but all they
could find out was that the ladies
went with them by special invitation
On Thursday night the six ladies
attended a class meeting at the Me;ho.
dist ycsiry. Not ouly that but Miss
Jinkins aud Miss NJ ar,ha Stiles took
part in the meeting.
What was to be done I something
certain, for this state Of affairs could
..
not exist long. The Bap'ists visited
the Misses Stiles, but all the informa
ton they could get was that they went
to both places by invitation, aud tina,
Martha tet moved to speak at the lat
ter place and did SO. And the Metho-
d;s,s were no wiser for having called
upon the erring sisters.
The next Thursday saw more mix
ing OF the sec,s, aud Monday night
there was a gathering at Miss Betsey's
residence of all the ladies engaged in
the conspiracy. Sixteen ladies were
present, and was it chance--oll were
maiden ladies Of fifty years and over
From this time forward there was a
great intimacy between these ladies'
In vain they tried to induce others to
ioin them. At the end of three
months their band still numbered six
teen.
Betsey and Sarah talked the matter
over and concluded to open another
chapter of their plan. They were
not disappointed in not getting only
sixteen ladies' to join them
in fact that was nearly double the
number they hal hopel to get IN the
beginning.
A few days later notice appeared
on the door of the Baptist store to
the effect that it had boen sold to Miss
Betssy Bailey. About the same time
one appeared on the Consrega-
tionalst store, saying it had been sold
to Miss Sarah jenkins. Both stores
were closed and the people all had to
90 to the only remaining store In town
the Methodist If they would buy any
thing.
Both the ladies' next called on the
Methodist brother. and he readily
agreed TO take all the goods from the
other stores, it he could thereby get
the whole trade Of the town. He
knew from bitter experience that one
store was all the town could support,
and he at once began to helpthe ladies
in their scheme, though he was not
aware of The part he was taking
looking oay to the fact that he could
make more mohey by The change. This
plan ofthe ladies was partially success
full for the inhabitants fell right into
this arrangement because they could
not help it.
Still they would not visit or attend
any but their own church, and the
three months past and still only six
teen maideus sisters belonged to the
visiting committee. So chapter num-
Der three was opened.
One morning the train brought to
the village a very pretty young lady
and four large trunks. Such thing
was not a common occurrence and the
depot loungers spread the news. aud
stated also that Miss Bailey was there
Al. H. ,z..c lad a,