The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-05-17

Meadowvllle was small place. anu
since the Ladies' Missionary society
and the Children's Missionary band hau
been organized the two or three poor
families had found II a sinecure TO keep
their poverty before the pubic Even
the most liberal Of the work lovers
were forced TO admit that their pro-
tcres were becoming more ana more
shlftless and lazy.
Keturnh loved charity work ana
hated knitting, and It was this same
hate that made her cling to II SO as
siduousiy. II she had lived In the rigi.
sre her sensitlve conscience would
have provided her with sackcloih ana
asiies,
n was in the lush Of middle June ana
tho osors OF honeysuckles ana roses
we're mingled with those Of ripenine
strawbeTries and pungent garden herbs
pollen dnsted bees and iridescent but
/ teraIes 6if1ed about In the sunshine
end among the tendrils OF the grape
vine above her head was the hali con
eeaIed nest of yellow warbler No'n-
,rx was afraid OF Keturah. Even now
cne of the wanblers was twitterihg a
~vniemplative inferlude not three iee'
awar from her clicking needles.
But Keturah WAS In disturpeo
frame Of mind this morning and was
not cvra conscious Of her tiny friends
presepcr. She could hear the conqueror
hus,llns about In the kitchen--her
kftebcn ssw-rattiing dishes. opening
and shutting oven doors, vbistling-
ves actually whistling-to the canary
lara and now and then indulgins In
\ snatch OF high pitched. breezy song
1aurah listened with mingled ems
r,ops The conqneror was splendid
bouseheeper--she was glad to admi'
chat both for her trother and her con
>r,enee's sake--but she was so ener
xrric and 80 strongminded and 30 capa
1 h,., She did all her housework ahf
lootrd after the poultry and noWel
garden. She was president OF the MIS-
Sspsyy society and found plenty O
.,ns "a visit and receive calls. he
, turah admired her vastly ana ever
IKEA her in rebuffed sort OF way
In, somehow, even from her vantae'
ground OF inside spectator, she couh
.eyer ouite understand how one wa
man coull accomplish so much. Ever!
moro,as her conscience made her one
10 he,p Wit, the work, and every morn
ing the eesaneror looked at her with
D calmly suy<s1cg air and said that slos
8 help was bcfter
And that Is why Keturah's morning
were spent In this grapevine nrbor o
ont making poor calls. She wanted I
tl,ke the corNueror and tried to with a.
: the strength Of her tesder. shrinkin
: heart Was she not her b~other's VIII
and her own slster-in-iaw, sDd was sh
NO, the best housekecper and fhe mos
tupable manager in Meadowri''ef bs
: even with all these attractions M
4ursh could not force her sensitive. =
rnel nerves TO ignore this new orde
~ lr,stle and energy and self asse'
tior.
Il And there was another thing. RI
IN fhree and twenty years keturah ha
A~~n fhe undlsputed mistress OF u
i est. biishment. doing the work In be
auirf. r<im. ladylike way ana neV'
dreaming that the years would brin
s,hrr change than what righ'fnlly b
longed 10 them. She had been bous
J reeper for her father until he died an
Il f,,en for her brother. and, although "
had once thought hoped--that o.
4 brother might marry. such rossio
i,y had gradually been lost sight 9
Ne had lust passed bis fortieth blrt
day and she her sor,y-third when q
conqneror came.
III Ketnrah was no, combatre. and u
honestly tried to tnks the new order
,h,nvv scc,-aing 10 the light Der co
II ,r,ence dictated. but her resoluuo
ser. 40, ss strong ~ the nature bAn
"A sowu is half a dozen gene.auo
~ ancestors. AZ the end OF mon
II sl,e Rad gone to her brother and ask
Il for her share OF the property. - =
II s,e might 20 Oh and live BY hsrse
4, srs, n. had been iDercduious. iii
sarcas,ie. Their father had express
tore dat The property woald moi
divided. be Lad told hsr. and. besii
he could NOT let her hase her shi
without scllsnx tie homestead, and
,o,ld 80; 10 lllat And. fuFtberino
he hnd advanced The unnecessary
rumeu, sisat she was too old 70 live
herself She had WINGED little al
"A fhrust II sounded % Ike ihs brisu
s.srytsons os the conquerw that