The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-04-15

Younger generation, and especially with
the children, than did those of all the
other speakers put together. 1t was
chiefly through her influence that 1t
grew customary for the first day school
to attend the morning meeting in
| body, and any tendency to restlessness
or levity on the part of the youngsters
was afterward impressed upon them by
Friend Priscilla as a matter for deep
and lasting sorrow. The boy who on
one occasion made rabbit with his
handkerchief will remember to his
dying day the look of grieved surprise
which shone upon him from Friend
Priscilla's face.
And to think grieved the old lady,
that now I am myself responsible for
their levity. How can l ever 60 into
the meeting house agaln7 And I'm
sure can never preach after this
That same morning a concern of the
biggest kind had been laid upon Miss
Priscilla's gentle and reverent spirit. In
the midweek meeting, at which the
members of the day school, carried on
as an adjunct of the Friends organiza-
ton were present she had seen un-
seemly smiles exchanged between some
of the children. The longer she
thought about it the more the circum-
stance weighed upon her and on first
day morning Friend Priscilla rose to
deliver the message that had come to
her.
Strange 10 say, she was slightly
nervous for the first time in her preach
ing experience. She surreptitiously
felt in her pocket for the customary
handkerchief and finding it in its place
against time of need went on with
her sermon. Fate was against her.
Just as she was fairly under way there
were hssty steps on the pavement out
side the door opened with crash and
squeak, squeak, squeak came strange
man up the aisle to front seat almost
under the speakers nose. Such an
entry would have made sensation in
any Quaker meeting but imagine the
feelings of the assembled Friends at
finding that the bold invader had
settled himself comfortably on the
womens side of the house
The sermon was forgotten every
woman on one side and every man on
the other and every youngster in every
part of the house craned his or her
individual neck to get good view of
the newcomer who so rashlY de6ed
traditions. Friend Priscilla herself lost
the thread of her discourse and stood
there helpless in the general amaze
ment. The stranger startled by the
silence and by the fxedness of the
numerous gazes fastened upon him,
reused himself to the situation, survey
ed the two divisions of the house and
proceeded to act. Squeak, squeak,
down the aisle he went again squeak,
squeak, along the stones outside and
squeak, squeak, up the other aisle to
front seat in the Quaker synagogue.
The elders breathed again; the
children Uttered. and Friend Priscilla
endeavored to gather up the broken
threads of her interrupted discourse.
But the inspiration had fed. After
one or two Intellectual struggles to
enunciate proper sentence the little
lady sank into her seat placed her gray
bonnet precipltately on her head re.
gardless of the white face ruffle pulled
her carefully ironed and folded handker-
chief from her pocket held it before
her face and gave herself up to agit-
alton.
Friend Priscilla's pocket handker-
chiefs, like the rest of her belongings
were fine and beautifully kept, and the
ones devoted to use for state occasions
were religiously laid away in box by
themselves. As she sat there rejecting
on the untowardness OF the immediate
occurrence Friend Priscilla's one
consolation was the recollection that
the handkerchief now decorously
dropping before her face in long half
fold had been taken that morning from
the sacred box in which her best were
preserved.
Rudely breaking in upon her medit-
ations came an audible snicker from
one co.ner of the room, followed by
a giggle from another quarter. She
was astonisned to find the meeting
breaking up and friend at her elbow
saying demurely, though with laugh
in her eyes: "Priscilla, hasn't thee
made mistake in thy kerchief9 That
hardly looks like the ones thee usually
carries" One hasty glance at the
article mentioned, another at the
smiling looks directed toward her by
the entire audience, an awakening to
the conviction that it had been neces-
sary to close the meeting on account
of the incongruity of her attire, and
Friend Priscilla hurried out and home
by the back way.
First day school had no charms for
her that day. Her dinner was a
WEAKNESS to the flesh. The cat con-
cluded a blizzard had swept the heart
of his mistress, and retired to seek con-
ISOLATION in the light of the fire and the
warmth of the rug. Afternoon ran on
toward twilight, and twilight deepened
into evening, and still Friend Priscilla
Gibbons sat there gloomily, wondering
how it had ever happen ed, and be-
moaning that she of all people should
have brought discredit upon the sacred
ness of Friends meeting, for it had
taken no second glance to show that