Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-25

make them dissatisfied with their de-
nomination He read the Bible and
gave different versions to which they
had been accustomed.
He told them about Shiloh, what a
fine place it was, etc, and by the fol-
lowing September ne had convinced
not only this family but others that
the faith of the Holy Ghost and Us
Society was the religion for them.
They packed up their goods out
there in Kansas and with this
stranger came East and to Shiloh. In
this girls family We're the father and
mother and seven children. The father
and mother and daughter, now q
years old, are still loyal to Sanford
according to the girls story. All the
rest of the children are dissatisfied.
unhappy. and want to get away.
How did you happen to leaVe2' was
asked this 1S-year- who is an attrac-
tive, intelligent gin with mind of her
own.
II didn't believe what they preached
| didn't approve of their schools, and l
didn't like the food"
Did you run away?'
MY father was away that day. | told
my mother l wasn't going to school. Sne
asked me why not, and l told her | was
going away. She didn't like it and begged
me to stay, but that didn't make any dit
ferenee-I had made up my mind to
lease,"
did you know anyone around here?"
No, but through my brother I knew
of in tel I -
them. l staid there few weeks and
then came here"
Now that she has made the break and
knows that better things are outside the
Hilltop, she is anxious that her brothers
and sisters be gotten away from the
place. 'They all want to come except
the oldest sister," she says. My broth
er was going to run away with me and
they heard of it and took him on the
boat. He was on the Coronet but they
tell my father that he is WELL
Since she has been away from Shiloh
she has had two or three of her small
brothers and sisters with her for few
days-two children have been born on the
Hilltop. ut would break your heart to
see them" interrupted the kindly woman
in whose home the girl is staying. Their
little bodies are just like skeletons. The
little six-year-old girl would cling 10 me
and say. 4 want to stay here till l die. F."
What about the food at Shiloh?" was
inquired.
I'VE had quite good food when he first
came" she answered, but after six
months we didn't get any white bread"
What would you have for break
fast?"
Corn meal mush cooked in water
and once in great while we could
lave sugar on it-that's everything we
would have"
What for dinner"
tPotatoes-nothing else. Sometimes,
if we didn't have potatoes we would
have carrots or turnips or beets, things
that came out of the gardens
How about supper"
Either mush or potatoes
Tell how long you went without
eating, one time" was suggested by
the woman, who is befriending her.
"Oh, I can't remember just exactly,
but it was over is hours. They had
cow-beets and l couldn't eat them.
was sick. They wouldn't give me any
thing else. Finally, they did bring
some beans and they had to be cooked
and, when | finally got them, L was
too sick to eat
She tells how the little children get
so hungry that they cry for bread and
when they kneel at their beds at
night. they ask the Lord to send them
bread.
Sometimes she said, 1--WE wouldn't
have any lessons in school but the
children would be told to pray and
they would get worked up to such
pitch that they would be hysterical."
What would they pray for" was
asked.
ooh, they would pray for some of
the children whom they claimed
hadn't done right and they'd tell them
at if they didn't repent, they'd go to
He'll
What do the people over there think
about you and others who leave Shi-
loh?"
"They think the Lord is sitting out
the rebels and when they are all gone
only those who mean to do right will
he left and then everything will be
ha ppiness. They claim that because
Jesus suffered they, too, must suffer.
They call this suffering going through
the great tribulation and they claim
that after all the rebels are weeded
out and those left have happiness. the
world will then go through this great
| tribulation.'
.If something could only be done for
the children" urged this earnest young
woman, over and over.
Hers is a plea for the little ones, too
| individual members of the chorus and
young to help themselves. She feels
that it is nothing short of crime to al
| low children to be brought up under
such conditions. Why. she claims that
they are half starved. that their little
bodies are mere skeletons and that
they are frail and sickly.