Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-10-01

|
Sister Rose was use to being dominated
Her will had been too long subjected "a
authority to dream of rebelling. "You
can do anything you please; only care
about James Henry" she said, with un.
worldly candor her mind unversed in the
little social arbitration which makes wom-
an the passive agent in conjugal arrange
| mentS.
IAN right, then" said Sister Liza; IAN
remember the egg-money is mine. Hush
is thet Elder Thomas? 'Sh-h-h. She
snapped her bonnet over her face, and
scutted down the walk.
Sister Rose went on TRANQUILITY sweeping
the walk, her eyes not seeing outward
things at all, but turned inward upon a
bewildering vision of life far less abstract
than this about her. Literature had not
purveyed to her with poetic food but she
had shapeless sense of the human salts
faction that lies in sympathy and the
fusion of interests, and the feeling was
the stronger that she made no effort at an
alyzing it, Marriage meant TO her a state in
which she and Brother James Henry
should be able to talk to each other as of
ten as pleased them. If he should find it
needfu sometimes to scold her, she would
be grieved indeed, but she should not love
him the less and If he praised the coffee,
how this would compensate, She had no
intimate sense of the doctrinal evil of this
| conDubial vista on which her eyes were
set. She only knew that it would be
| pleasant MOTTO be obliged to have ones
| hair cut every year, just as the yellow
locks grew long enough to be woven in a
worldly bunch on top. She was tired of
wearing caps which gave her an air Of holy
resignation to perpetual maidenhood
| Shoes which buttoned instead of lacing
| solidly up the front and gowns made
without capes in the neck-was it so very
| wicked then TO have a desire for these fat
| he-hed luxuries?
| They were all a part of the glamour
which shone about Brother James Henry
| That night she caught his eyes as the fam
| lily filed into the dining room. The women
| ranged themselves at one table, the men AT
| another, all standing a moment in silent
! prayer.
| The boards were spread in coarse white
| cloths The crockery was heavy, but there
/ were few cups of sprig.ed pattern
which some one had brought a. dover 70
the settlement, and Rose Traps mind az
she bowed her head aud hrt4thed an inyo-
cation fer spiritual grace. formed sub
tly pleasing connection between James
Henry and the spidery moss roses repre-
-ented a crawling over the porcelain.
"We'll hev a set like them" she decided
as she sat down
Brother James Henry was certainly re-
gariIug her with moderate sort of in
tere>t. He was young and had broad
brow, over which a long lock of hair
swung in Catenary curve. its end trailing
behind and around one ear. His glance
was dreamy and an>trscted. In his chin
dmpl" showed the imprint Of the finger OF
Venus A. she felt his obscry alton Sister
Rose Traps heart was seu-ihy agitatrd
and she found 1t hard to eat.
"You should not have taken more food
than Won wanted" the cldere>, presently
rehnktd her eyiDg the overfull plate
Roses laShc- pointed with tears and
she felt an added paug at thi- reproof
because Brother james Henry had heard
it.
That evening, she WAS going up
stairs malicious fate which hal no re-
gard for Shaker ideas. arranged that James
/ Henry should be coming down. and the
two young people met on the landing
! That they should pause was contrary to all
rule. and regulations. but nevertheless
each one Stacked up a little, and stood
looking at the other. Brother James Hen
ry indeed seemed simply waiting for her to
90 by. but though She wa, sbashed. and
had laid hold Of the stair rail to STAY her
strength, Sister Rose was not aware Of
wishing to cut the rapiur0us moment
short He made a. If to proceed on hi
way, and Sister Rose, realizing that he
meant strictly TO abide by the Law and the
prophets, yielded to a womanly impulse.
and reaching ont trembling, appealing
little hand touched his arm
''Sister liza = she faltrr,i he
But after all, she could not go on, and on
ly hung her head her breast heayug
SISTER Rose said the Young man,
speaking with the appalling plainness of
common human nature unrestricted by a
knowledge of polite formulas, mother
SAYS YOU love me"
There was no questioning in his tone;
lie did not attempt to paliiate the robust
nudity OF this remark. but simply stated 1t
a. he might have stated that night was
coming on.
Rose nodded She did not know that
a delicate sense of modest reserve would
have required her to deny his statement
II don't know as it's my fault, he com
mented. slowly. Il never tried to hey
you,"
She laid her wrist over her eyes
You better not think about it any
more" he advised
Rose lowered her hand and looked at
him, and with an eye of unimpassioned
criticism he noticed that her hair was as
yellow a. the breast of meadow lark, aud
grew III downy points about her brow.
Beware Of the voices of earthly afiec-
tiOns," he said, in an equabe voice.
Brother James Henry breathed Sister
Rose. IN low tone, Sister Liza-I
wouldn't have said anything about you
only-she told me you-cared- me
Don't you:
There was in her face, in her voice and
bearing, as she spoke, the whole piteous,
passionate bewilderment of a woman
whose conviction of another's regard is
uncertain.
But just now a voice sounded in the cor
ridor above. Some one looked over the
baluster.
Sister Rose Trapp.'
Rose shrank.
'Yyea, eldress."
"Wh hat are you doing down there:'
IL was only passing the time of day
with-with brother James Henry"
"Eh-ha. Come up to my room. Sister
Rose. You, Brother James Henry, report
! to Elder Thomas"
The voice melted away with the majes-
tic effect of the utterance of a god with
drawing in clouds.
Sister Rose clutched at her cape, her
eyes wide. The young man looked dis
turbed, but his masculine calm prevailed
as the girl glIded by in the dark of the
stairway. He saw her disappear in the
| turn of the ball, door slammed, and he
knew she was in chamber of pres
| ence.
For several days he saw nothing of her
| but he took the less account of this that
certain visitors from an older community
were present in the village, having come
| to arrange business affairs of some weight.
| 1t was reported that the leading elderess
was to be removed to wider fields, and,
| among the subordnates whom this action
affected was Sister Eliza Hoggins.
| In view of her undoubted capacity for
the conduct Of affairs, she was informed
| by her superiors in office of their intention
of comforting upon her the leading posi-
tion in East Family's executive force
| Even before this matter was officially Civ
en- out, the community was made aware Of
| it through the medium of Sister Eliza's
altered bearing. She dropped her peremp-
tory air and assumed the gracious manner
of one upon whom fitting honors have fall
len, and who, having known how to be
abased, knows also how to abound
! Her son, coming upon her one day as
| she sorted linen in a little room below
stairs, stopped to make query as to the