Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-11-10


sad state. 1t is painful to me to keep
speaking to you about your careless hab-
Its. You are very remiss. The youth
of this house do not find you good ex-
ample. Nothing that you do is well
done." She paused and then added, 81
fear that it will be my duty, unless you
ilend your ways, to reprimand you pub
! ely before the assembled family"
Huldah looked amiably remorseful.
81 know amt worthy of my high calm
as a follower of Ann" she said.
"No, Huldah, you are not, :" agreed the
other, little nettled at this easy contri-
ton. Ordinary reproof does not reach
you. But if it is necessary l shall resort
TO other means." She regarded with level
eyes the figure before her. Il shall send
you away" she said. 81 shall send you
permanently to northern community"
There was no particular menace in Lu-
cia's voice. She stood with her hands
folded, looking far away toward the
Gardening horizon. 81 shall feel it my
Suty," she resumed, and then very sud-
denly she stopped.
A look of vague horror had flashed
into old Huldah's eyes. She stared
blankly at the slight, stern figure in the
doorway. You'd might as we'll kill
me-" she painted, stretching out shak-
ing hand. "Td as lief die as go out'n
Kentucky. | was born and raised here.
l run barefoot through its grass and
waded in it, creeks and climbed around
its hills. II couldn't dror breath no
other place. My folks is moliering on
der Kentucky sod, and my own bones'd
never lay still with any other sile atop
of 'em. Oh, elderess! You-you amt
no human nature in you! You're hard
as the fints in them hills yonder."
Lucia drew herself up. She was a lit
tie amazed at Huldah's heat of utter
ence, for in the elderess' three months
of ministration in West House the old
sister had never before exhibited any
thing like so much feeling. Lucia, after
her first sense of SURPRISE was conscious
of being rather pleased to have struck
thus by chance upon a means of holding
her thriftless sister in check.
81 have the welfare of the family at
heart" she said. UNLESS l see some
change in you, Huldah, l shall send you
next week to Ohio with Deacon Henry
when he returns to his village"
Huldah gave strange little laugh.
"Change!' she cried out kin them
critters as hes hoofs larn to fly? I'd quit
being lazy and trihin if l knowed how.
But l came of easy goin stock l got
shif'less blood in me, reckon. But
ruther die in Kentucky than live in
Ohio" She numbered heavily up the
steps, and the young elderess watched
her pass the house.
Lucia had feeling of uncertainty.
She had come to this village from well
ordered settlement in another region,
and she cherished praiseworthy design
of lifting the Kentucky community to
level with more austerely conducted set
Elements Her predecessor, Elderess
Jane, had tempered justice with more
mercy than Lucia believed well, and I'M
der her rule West House had worn
cheerful air of home and creature com
forts.
There were red curtains in the sitting
room windows and crochet tides on the
sitting room chairs. These worldly deco
rations Lucia at once removed as abom-
nations conducive to low, feshly ideals.
She had a rigorous conception of the
millennial idea, had Elderess Lucia, and
the mild old Shakers of West House
found themselves suddenly and violently
elevated to higher and sadder life.
eve will proceed with our doctrinal
talk" said Lucia, entering the sitting
room after her rebuke to Huldah. Sis
ter Huldah has gone to her room. We
will excuse her tonight"
The next morning, however, she re-
pented of this leniency, for when the
family filed in to breakfast at o'clock
Huldah was not in line, and the elderess
had vision of her lying comfortably
abed, forgetful of precepts and warm
ings. She prepared to be very stern
with the irresponsible old soul, but when
she went up stairs to pour incensed ad-
monition upon Huldah's head, she dis
covered the surprising fact that Huldah
was not in her little room. The place
looked tidy with its high bed, scrap of a
stove and dimity sash shade. But HUI
dab seemed to have gone, and when the
elderess looked she found that Huldah's
two print frocks and linsey petticoats
and long Shaker bonnet were also gone
Lucia had a sensation of unpleasant
ness 1t did not sit well with her con-
science to think that she had driven the
} old sister away. She sought to convey
some assurance to Huldah, but no one
seemed able to suggest, as to her where
J abouts. anything more definite than that
she had likely gone to "her kin down
/, yender in Lincoln" Lucia accepted
: with a sense of self reproof the theory
that Huldah had gone out into the world
in a mood of resentment. Others had
, left the community in various moods of
revolt against the new elderess' high
handed methods. Commonly they came
back properly subdued Oy the GOODNESS
= of the world. No doubt Huldah would
> also return, and when she did so, Lucia
determined upon treating her a little less
sternly.
But thouph she fixed upon this consid-