Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-05-11


the hour of noon Ally sat on the door. step Of
her cabin mending Niney's pink calico. 1t
was one of those hot breathless afternoons
in August when the air, charged with cleo
tricity, seems every moment ready to burst
into forked lightning. Ally, however, un.
disturbed by any sense of danger, piled her
coarse steel needle busily, and lifted up her
voice in monOtonous quavering nasal hymn
Viney in the room back of her was busy mix
ing the corn-bread for supper. As she did
so she joined in the singing in sweet high
treble, intonated with the plaintive wall char
acteristic Of the music Of a captive race. The
words went round in a circle like the rolling
of a hoop:
''Dis air de house what Jee-sus built,
An He built 1t 'd0ut hammer or nail,
An In dis house sinners lay down DER sins
An drink de grace ob de Lord by de pal-ful.'
The last syllable, like one born out OF season,
was carried over violently to the beginning of
the next verse, in which the same lines were
repeated, varied only by altering a word
here and there so as to change the scene Of
action for example, "Dis air de church
what Jee-sus built" or "Dis air de ship"
Viney while waiting for the oven to get a
little hotter, had placed the tin pan with the
bread in it on the table, and setting her arms
akimbo she gave full vent to her vocal pow
ers. As she sang, her thoughts, naturally
enough. fell away from the state of her soul.
first to Jack Chaney, and from Jack Chaney
to one or two stolen frolcs she had had with
that youth. Then her feet broke out, so to
speak into a gay shuttle with which they
seemed sadly familiar Her sisters quick
ear caught the deadly sound, and laying down
her work, she turned slowly, with righteous
wrath "Viney," she said, in solemn voice.
"hab my ears beled me, or hab l heerd you
dancin' '-a-dancin' stIaigh,forwards into de
briling pitt
"Iou 'ain't heerd me dancin' into no pit"
said Viney, with her hot but invisible blush.
"Ef you was" continued Ally, oratorical-
ly, "you's a onthsnkful gal, for here's me
a-mendn' an iXn' your dress 10 wear to de
mex spectacle religious party ives invited to-
for de Lord can he praised widout maxim
Him ashamed of His critters. Don't let me
hear no mo- sech sham full gwines on Hav-
ing thus relieved herself, Ally returned to
her hymn and Nney joined as if nothing had
happened
1t mus; be owned that from time to time
she spun round, in a noiseless pas seul, snap
ping her fingers at the unconscious Ally, eX-
cusug her neglect Of duty by rejecting that
the ''creeper" was not yet hot enough for her
bread.
1t so happened, however, that certain
yellow dog, Of the pure mongrel breed, be-
longing to the Hancock family, was not par.
ticular as to the cooking of his TO cd, and so,
Cs silently a. Niney danced, SO silently be de-
voured the corn cake. She onl9 knew it
when the tin pan, being too violently licked
came rolling to the floor and stopped bottom
upward at her feet.
EUR de lau's sake" cried Viney, "de dog
done eat de bread for supper. Git out you
thief :"
The mougrel fled Broomstick in hand,
the girl pursued, with the result that the dog
escaped after leading her a long hot chase.
As she came back breathless and hot, to
the house, she glanced with alarm at the sud
denly changed sky an evil wind was blow
ing Heavy black sullen clouds were rolling
fart across the sky.
Sis Ally she cried II believe dar's goin
to be thunder. shower -
80 dar is chile" cried Ally, with a look
Of alarm, Hurry in an' close de dos an de
wnders'
Alas, poor Ally those were the last words
she spoke. The heavy heated August atmos-
| phere, as we have said, was charged with
electricity. Suddenly, like a tongue of fire,
there darted from the bresthless heavens a
| flash Of lightning straight to the door of the
little cabn-to the bowed, turbaued head of
the poor woman but moment past sewing
and singing in the sunshine. There was an
| explosion as though the earth itself was rent
asunder. To see and hear all this was the
act of second to poor Viney; for an instant
she could not move, but stood transfxed
with terror and amazement She saw the
keen fiery blade fash upon her sisters head,
and lay her low on the threshold. Even as
| she looked il seemed as If her own spirit
was wrenched away and had gone out on the
raging thunder. She lay PROSTATE, stunned
| by the shock
When she came to her senses she dragged
| herself to her ieet, aud looked with wild eyes
toward the rigid form which lay over the
| threshold. She shrank from it like fright
ened child. Even TO her inexperience it
meant death. With sudden wild cry she
rushed away and fled into the forest,
The storm was now raging with all its fury
Flash after flash OF lightning darted from the
darkened sky like stealthy enemies in am-
bush, striking more than one of the lofty
trees, and shivering them from top to bot
tom. Lord hab mercy on me !" sobbed
Viney. Judgment Day done come. In de
day oh judgment good Lord, delber me I!
Lord, sabe me from my sins ~ With such
terror. stricken words bursting from her lips
she ran at full speed. She ran for more than
half mile, until she came to the Happy
Hollow church. Instinct rather than inten-
tion had guided her. A few of the brothers
and sisters were assembled, but none of the
! usual exercises were attempted. All were on
| DNNH1ANA@N'
shrek from one of the women testified to
her fright at the storm. Painting like wild
creature Yiney rushed in, the door slamming
behind her with bang.
''Yiney Hancock, said Elder BufOrd Be-
verely, "what in de name oh creation does
dis mean 2"
isis Ally" cried poor Yiney-"Sis Ally.
"Ahe amt here Viney. Did you run al
dis way to find her cause you was skeerd al
de storm ? All, Yiney, chile, you must learI
to cling to de Rock OBJ Ages, an it 'ull sab'
you, even at such time as dis, when dc
heabens is tore up from DER berry founda
tions, an de wrath OBJ God is sarchin' ou
sinners in high places an low"
"He done foun' Sis Ally" gasped Viney
IAN He struck her dead wild a flash o. light
mini !"
great excitement followed Many spranl
toward Yiney with eager questions.
"Speak out, my chile" said Presche
Simpkins, laying his hand upon her arm, Tan
try to tell us straight an plain what has hap
pened."
His voice seemed to calm Yiney, and sh
told her story with tolerable composure, AM
With simple truthfulness which struck
chill of terror to every heart A hush thrill
ed the little assembly. Then one sister be
gan TO weep aloud another aud another fol
lowed, while the brothers folded their arm
and groaned-piteous sounds mingling wit
the roar of the storm without
Elder Buford felt that his hour had come
Now should the smoking fax be quenched