Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-18

Eat the porridre." commanded Capt.
John Hopkins.
garments, even for her great-great-ereat-
grandfather, Capt. John Hopkins. She knit
ted yarn stockings. she secured brass and
pewter. and, more than all, she learned all
the catechiSm. Letitia had never before
known what work was. From long before
dawn until long after dark, she to:led; she
was not allowed to spend one idle moment
She had no chance to steal out and search
Tor the little green door, even had she rot
been so afraid of wild beasts and Indians
she never went out of the house except on
'Ss Sabbath day. Then, in fair or foul
Gs Their they all went to meeting. ten miles
u ough the dense forest. Capt John Hon
kins strobe ahead his gun over his Shout
der Goodwife Hopkins rode the gray horse
and the girls rode by turns, two at a time
clnslnS to the p,llipn at her back. Letitia
vas never allowed to wear her own pretty
Ilaid dress, with the velvet collar even to
meeting. 1T would create a scandal in the
sanctuary said Goodwife Hopkins So
Lett!a went always in the queer little
coarse and scanty gown, which seemed to
her more like a bag than anything else; and
for outside wraps she had of all things a
homespun blanket pinned over her head
Her grea t-great-gran Jlmother and her
sreat-Srea t-auntS were all fitted out in SIM
liar fashion. Goodwife Hopkins, however
mad great wadded hood and fine red
cloak
There was never any fire in the meeting
not Sc, and the services lasted all day
with short recess at nooIl-tluring which
they went into neignboring house sat
around the fire, warmed their half-frozen
feet, and ate Geld corn cakes and nan
cakes for luncheon There were no peWs
In the meeting house, nothing but hard
benches without backs. If Letitia fidgeted
or Tell asleep, the tithing man raped her
Letitia would never have been allowed to
stay away from meeting had she begged
to do so, but she never did. She was afraid
to stay alone in the house because of In
dams
Quite often there was a rumor Of hostile
Indians in the neighborhood, and twice
there We're attacks. Letitia learned to load
the guns and hand the powder and bullets
She grew more and more homaSick as the
days went on They We're all kind to her,
and she became fond of them, especially of
the Sreat-g- eat-Sran dmothGr of her own
age, and the little great-aunts, but they
mad seldom any girlish sports together.
Goodwife Hopkins kept them too busy AT
work. Once in while, as a great treat
they were allowed to play bean porridge
hot for fifteen minutes. They were not al
lowed to talk after they went to bed, and
there was also little opportunity for girlish
condolences.
However, there came day at last when
Capt. Hopkins and his wife were called
away to visit a sick neighbor, some twelve
miles distant and the four girls were left
IN charge of the house. AT I o'clock at
night the two youngest went to bed, and
Letitia and her MISUNDERSTANDING
remained up to wait for the return of their
elders, as they had been instructed Then
lit was that the little great-great-grand-
mother showed Lettia her treasure. She
had only one, and was not often allowed to
look at it, lest II wean her heart away from
more serious things. 1t was kept in a Sc
cret drawer of the great chest for safety,
and was nothing but a little silver snuff
box with picture on the top. 1t contained
a little fiat glass bottle, about an inch and
half long.
1.-The box belonged to my grandfather
md no hnffl 10 boz,
because l am the eldest, bat must not set
my heart on them unduly," said Letitias
Observation-Disclosures
Letitia tried to count how many greats
belonged to the ancestors who had first
owned these treasures, but 1t made her
dizzy. She had never told the story of the
little green door to any of them. She had
been afraid to, knowing how shocked they
would be at her disobedience Now, how
ever, when the treasure was replaced, she
was moved to confidence, and told her
great-grea t-grandmother the whole story.
That is very strange said her great
great-gran 1mother, when she had finished.
I'VE have a little green door, too; only
ours is on the outside of the house. in the
north wall. There's a spruce tree growing
up close against it, but it is there. Our pa
rents have forbidden us to open 1t, too, but
we have never disobeyed"
She said the last word with something of
an air of superior virtue. Letitia felt ter
ribly ashamed.
is there any key to your little green
door," she asked, meekly.
For answer, her great-great-grandmother
opened the secret drawer OF the chest
again, and pulled out a key, with green
ribbon in it, the very counterpart OF the
one in the satin-wood box. -
Letitia looked at it wistfully.
Il should never think oflfdisohcylng my
parents, and open the"little green door,
remarked her great great grandmother, as
she put back the key in the drawer
should think something dreadlul Woui3
happen to me. 1 have heard whispered
that the door opened into the future. IT
would be dreadful to be all alone In the
future without ones kinfolks.
There may not be any Indians or cata-
mounts there" ventured Letltia
There might be something great deal
worse" returned her, great-Sreat-grand-
mother, severely.
After that there was silence between the
two; and possibly little GOODNESS.
Letitia sat gazing forlornly into The fire,
thinking that it would be much more COM
Portable to be alive in the future than in
the past and her great-sreat- grandmother
sat stift1y on her Opposite STOOL knitting
with virtuous industry, until she began
to nod
Suddenly Letitia looked up, and she was
fast asleep. Then, In a flash, she thought
Of the key and the little green door. 1t
might be her only chance for Eobody
knew how long. She pulled off her shoes,
tiptoed in her thick, yarn-stocking feet up
to the loft, got her own clothes out of the
cHeSt anu put them on instead oI ner
homespun garb. The little sreat-aunts cid
not stir. Then she tiptoed down, got the
key out Of the secret drawer, gave a low
ing farewell look at her great-greas-grand-
mother, and was out of the house.
1t was broad moonlight outside. She ran
around to the north wall Of the house,
pressed in under the low branches of the
spruce tree, and there was little green
door, Letitia gave sob of joy and thank
fulness. She fitted the key in the lock,
turned 1t, opened the door, and there she
was, back in the cheese room.