Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-03-14

around here anyhow but Shakers, and
they amt the marrying kind"
'tWhy?o asked Nora"
against the laws. Don't waste
no words on UNI, Nora, when you
turn the pole for UNI. The women
are right softspoken, but the men
wouldn't take off their hats to lady
to save their lives. That there Broth
er Boone is the worst of all UNI. He's
too straightlaced to live"
81 like his looks best of all, !" reflect
ed Nora.
He was SO unlike the young men in
town, who wore narrow shoes and
had watch chains draped across their
vests, and were co1lared and cravat-
ted within an inch of their lives.
Brother Boone had broad shoulders
squarely outlined under his blue cot
ton coat, and his dust colored hair
curled up under the trimmed hat
he wore.
He looked strong and wholesome
and happy, and yet he was Shaker,
and had lived always in the quiet up
lands where nothing ever happened.
ssShakers!'' wondered Nora; "peo
pie who don't love or marry or have
anything in their lives but work and
prayer. o, I couldn't!"
She vaguely conjectured what these
strange beings thought of when spring
came about, and fields were fringed
with wild flowers. Did the moon
light arouse no strange imagery in
them? Could they look unmoved on
the sky when stars stole dimly out
one by one, scattering the night with
dust? She shuddered. Better this
weary life, with the four little cousins
forever tugging at ones skirts and
all the work to do, than share in the
emptiness over yonder where Centre
House was.
She began to wonder if Brother
Boone really enjoyed his life, if he
never yearned to live in town, where
you had neighbors handy and every
thing was cheerful.
A week after, as Brother Boone was
laying the grass low in the yard of
the unlet cottage, he was taken aback
to hear himself addressed in an un-
usual may, after the hollow formula
of the evil world.
ssOh, Mr.. Hinson!" The toll gate
girl stood at the fence, blue apron
over her head, her sleeves rolled up.
Brother Boone turned in an atti-
red hair, though held by many as
mean infection of nature, is not alto
gether ugly when the sun smiles
through it. And Mrs. Meek's niece,
though one of Adams evil brood, had
a kind of gentleness in her eyes-a
look SO warm and compelling that
Brother Boone caught himself short
in wondering if perhaps Mother Ann
Lee might not have appeared thus
when she drew mems hearts to the
truth. The truth! That meant the
abjuration of anything like a kindly
feeling for blue eyes ringed darkly.
"What do you want?' demanded
Brother Boone, coldly, feeling that
attack is often the best mode of de-
fence.
The girl looked scared, "Oh-why-
was going to ask you if you'd al
ways lived here, seeing you pass
every day. I kind of wondered if you
had ever lived in town. Pm from
Cincinnati myself. Have you ever
been there? We lived on the side of
Mount Adams. 1t was realgay there.
You could hear the band play in the
Highland House up on top" She
rushed on; "Crowds go there on
summer nights. They drink beer and
ginger ale, and sit around listening to
the music. But may be you've been?''
'Nay," confuted Brother Boone in
a terrible voice. sTo a junketing
place where wine bibers congrerate?
Nay.'
'Nice people go there" faltered
Nora; mot Shakers, of course, but
you know"
ssI know little of the world" Broth
er Boone cOndeScended to explain.
81 have been to several Kentucky
towns, and nowhere eIse.''
"Don't you get lonesome some
times over there, where it's SO quiet?"
ventured the girl.
"Lonesome!" frowned he, dropping
the scythe, "among SO many holy
people-the worlds elect? I esteem it
blessed privilege to be one of them,
should be indeed wretched to live in
the utter darkness.''
"Should you?'' said Nora. stNow [
would rather work my fingers to the