Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-02-04
PRISCILI1A'S ERROR.

1t was first day afternoon, and Friend
Priscilla Gibbons set in the rocker in her
co.y front room. The fire in the CRATE
was of the brightest and cheeriest; the
CIT on the fur rug in front of the chin
ney-riece purred in solemn and self
sa ;siied content; there were growing
plants and vines in the broad window,
and tho sunshine filtered in through
their fresh leaves, making flecks of light
ara shade on the gray carpet. 1t was
cold out of doors, but from that room
winter was shut out It looked Like a
Quaker room. Everything shaded to
gay and white. Friend Priscilla's
yearly meeting bonnet was not more
distinctly Friendly than was the pretty
room where she came with her knitting
OF with her book in all her spare
moments. and where, on first day even
in.,s. she had her tea in honor of the
special character of the day.
But no thought of tea was entertained
IN Friend Priscilla's brain just then, SIS
ID. : swung back and forth in her Wicker
rocker. Tie restful peace with which
tie day began had been scattered to the
fonr winds OF heaven. and it was with a
scul entirely out of harmony with the
serenity of her surroupdings-that the
Lie =. 4; -rr9;et there that afternoon.
However could it have happenedT
she inoancd to herself over and over
again. Jane is so careful and always
lock over the things and put them away
myself" Like the Widow Green, "she
searched the Scriptures to find q text
that would somewhat ease her mind per
picked, but nothing seemed to exactly
fit her case as she sighed to herself,
They dressed so differently in those
DAYS"
Friend Priscilla was the dearest old
Quaker lady who ever attended meeting
aud sat in the gallery" She had sat
facing the meeting" for more years than
most of those in attendance at that par
tiaular place of worship cared to count
no. Time had touched her lightly, and,
although her hair was little nearer
white and her small hands q trile more
withered. her eyes were as bright and
her checks as soft and peachy as they
had been thirty years before. Friend
Priscilla was distinctly pretty old lady.
Oae of tie younger and more irrcverent
members of the meeting had greatly
scandalized tho older Friends by heed
lessly remarking, 1--WE younger ones
have no chance in the matter Of good
looks; Priscilla Gibbons is the belle of
every yearly meeting"
Il might be shrewdly suspected, too,
that Friend Priscilla was privately aware
O: her claims to consideration in the line
@. appearance. Never was fashionable
ti.,ine more particular about her most
c.relnonious toilet than was this little
Qaakoress about her everyday apparel.
Gay it could not be, out of regard for
both her conscience and her taste, but
exauisitely fine and soft and even in
coioring it always was. As she sat fac
ing the meetings on first day mornings,
ana us she talked with her class in the
afternoon first day school, she was as
fair and dainty to look upon as o piece
OF Dresden china.
And Friend Priscilla seldom knew 3
ere. To al appearances her life flowed
GA in unruff1ed serenity. So it was q
matter for some surprise to the other
members of the meeting that the little
lady had taken to preaching of late. The
first day morning when she calmly I'M
ted her bonnet strings, laid the bit Of
p:.ia millinery on the cushion beside her,
arose and stood with her gray gloved
hands screnely clasped on the railing in
front of her whilo she preached clearly
and earnestly on the desirability of pre-
serving the Quaker traditions and Gus
toms. was memorable one in the COM
ncslity.
The burden of her little sermons was
always the preservation of the sacred
Character of the meetings, and her homi-
Ees carried more weight with the young
e.. generation, and especially with the
q .:laren, than did those Of all the other
< ,saisers put together. 1t was chiefly
t: rough her influence that it grew Gus
tt.:.ary for the first day school to attend
Tia .noruing meeting in body, and any
tt aGency to restlessness or levity on the
PIT of the youngsters was afterward
Impressed upon them by Friend Priscilla
a. Il matter for deep and lasting sorrow.
T!,e hoy who on one occasion made a
r;.bbit with his handkerchief will re-
member to his dying day the look of
ecieved surprise which shone upon him
from Friend Priscillas face.
And to think" grieved the old lady,
..t:.st now am myself responsible for
their levity. How can I ever go into the
meeting house again? And I'm sure ]
c;.n never preach after thisl"
That same morning a concern" of the
biggest kind had been laid upon Miss
Friscilla's gentle and reverent spirit In
the midweek meeting, atwhichthe mem
bers of the day school, carried on as an
adjunct of the Friends organization,
were present, she had seen unseemly
k:riles exchanged between some Of the
euldren. The longer she thought about
it tie more the circumstance weighed
upon her, and On first day morning
Friend Priscilla rose to deliver the mes
sage that had come to her.
Strange TO say, she was slightly nerv-
ols for the first time in her preaching
experience. She surreptitiously felt in
her pocket for the customary handker-
chief. and finding it in its place against
time OF need went on with her SER
Non Fate was against her. Just as
sic was fairly unGer way there were
hasty steps on the pavement outside, the
door opened with crash, and squeak,
sc;,eak, squeak, came strange man up
tn aisle to a front seat almost under the
sneaker's nose. Such an entry would
haze made u sensation in any Quaker
meeting. but imagine the feelings of the
cccnn11a6 Erianfc ot fpdino tbat tho