Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-08-20
THE WILLOW
TEAPOT
A Mistake Of Twenty Years
Explained
BY cLARISsA MACdE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
BY cLARIssA MAcKIE

lived In the same house for forty
years, during twenty of those long
years they had not exchanged word.
No one IN Rosedale knew why ABB
gail had suddenly taken up her resi-
dence In the north wing of the old
house and Sophia had settled her be-
longings In the sunny south half. At
the time conjecture had been rife. but
the nine days wonder had settled into
a strong conviction that they had dis
agreed over the 'prop'ty," for It was
shortly after old Judge Horner's
death that the estrangement began.
Every Sunday morning the sisters
stepped primly down the graveled path
to the gate and In wordless silence
wendell their way TO church and up
the aisle to the Horner pew. In vain
had the pastor demonstrated with them
singly and together. While open to
reason and conviction on every other
point, they were dumb regarding the
cause Of their wordless srtife.
1t was June now. and Sophia was
digging among her pansies. She was
slight and pale. with a pleasant. mild
face that now and then startled one
by settling into firm lines around the
mouth. Abigail's features were cast
In a sterner mold, and the lines about
her mouth were deeper. and this char
acteristic feature In both sisters was
known as "Horner spunk." and 1t was
generally agreed that "Horner spunk"
was at the root of the trouble.
Abigail stood under the cedars with
copy of the county paper In her
hand She was slowly reading an ar
ticle for the fifth time:
The Rev. Paul weemers. pastor OF the
Park Methodist church. New York. will
preach In the First church at Rosedale
on Sunday evening next. It will be re-
membered that the First church of Rose
dale was Mr.. Weemers first charge, and
his return will be the occasion of much
pleasure to his old friends and parishion-
ers. Mr.. Weemers will be accompanied
by his wife.
She looked across the lockwood hedge
into Sophia's garden. The news would
Abigail thought of this as she stood
there looking at Sophia's STOPPING
form. There was a certain stern in
tegrity about Abigail that urged her
to break the long silence and to i'm
part the news she had read to her sis
ter. There was an underlying tender
ness. too. toward her younger sister
that the bitter resentment of years
could not destroy. She resolved that
Sophia should not be taken unawares.
She leaned over the hedge and drop
ped the newspaper under Sophia's
nose.
rad ravfa ha
paper ratified among the pansies, and
there was blank establishment in her
nearsighted eyes as she lifted them to
gaze upon the grim. uncompromising
face of her sister.
The latter pointed to the paper with
an old time gesture of command and
Sophia. adjusting her spectacles.
sought the wrong page with agitated
eagerness Then she turned the sheet,
and presently a nervous cluck and the
dull reddening Of her cheek announced
that she had found the item. In her
excitement the younger woman spoke.
HE will CALL" she said softly, as If to
herself.
The next day was Saturday. and all
day long Sophia's lavender muslin
hung on the clothesline. bending and
swaying In the soft west wind like a
misty wrath of Sophia herself. Abb
gail looked sternly upon the dress. She
had been on her way to the front
chamber to look over a well preserved
summer silk. but the sight of the dress
seemed to proclaim the boldness of
Sophia-a boldness that was unexpect-
ed and that seemed to rouse stern
maidenliness In the older woman. She
Redeemed darkly and went hastily
downstairs again.
In the solitude Of her own front
room she sat and thought. The stern
upbringing of the Horner girls had
discouraged the coming of suitors, and
1t was not until after their fathers
death that Paul Weemers came to
preach at the First church. He had
been equally attentive to both sisters.
and 1t was perhaps natural that each
should believe herself to be the pre-
ferred one and the other an interloper
When Paul received a call to a larger
parish he came to say goodby, and
when he asked old Hannah IL Miss
Horner was In the sisters appeared
simultaneously. Suddenly Abigail was
called away, and when she returned to
the parlor the young minister had gone
and Sophia was standing at the win
dow with bewildered look on her
pretty face
Then a white rage had taken pos
session of Abigail, and her tongue had
loosed upon the frightened Sophia, who
turned 6ercely with upbraiding contra
dictions. After that scene. which no
one witnessed. began the long silence.
1t was of these things that Abigail was
thinking.
The next day was Sunday. and So
phia stepped down the path alone. her
worn hymn book clasped in her NIT
tened hands. She east many anxious,
backward glances at the north wing
where Abigails stern profile was out
lined against the window pane; she
was bent over the pages of the Chris.
tian Work. and II was evident she did
not intend to go to church that morn.