Year: 1867

follow Elder Crane closely, and try tc
make my heart feel the words / die
try, but there was so much about the
Israelites in the house of bondage, and
Moses, and the sacrifices, that, do what
l would, / always lost myselfin the Red
Sea, and the chosen people entered the
Promised land without me- At such
times, when my thoughts went wander.
ing, my eyes followed them, and most
frequently they went right over Mr.
Jacob Aliens pew. / could not well
help it, indeed, for his was a small pew,
directly opposite oursr Mr.. Allen sci.
dom came to meeting, being old and
rheumatic, but his wife and girls came,
and his son, Ephraim.


"At first noticed Ephraim Allen
just as / did the cobwebs upon the
walls, and the yellow streaks in the
wainscoting; afterward began to see
what fine figure he had,--a whole
head above his companions, and how
broad shouldered and erect and manly
he was; the narrow backed, short waist
ed coat that made the resi- look so pinch.
ed anduucomfortable sat gracefully and
easily upon him. He had wide, white
forehead, though | did not notice this
for long time and short curly hair,
that looked very black beside the fair
skin Then his cheeks were as bright
as a rose, and his eyes-but ! seldom
got so faras his eyes, because by some
chance they always met mine, and then
was much confused and ashamed.
But always, in going out of meeting, he
used to bow to me in passing, and say,
Good morning, Mercy; and then I saw
that his eyes were a clear, dark blue,
and thought they were very honest,
tender ones. They said that Samantha
Lee had been setting her cap at him a
good while, and wondered if he liked
her.


"This was all the acquaintance we
had for two years and more. There
was not much chance for young people
to meet in those days, especially where
they were strictly brought up, as l was
for father and mother were both very
pious, aud at that time church members
thought it was sinful to join in the pro-
fame amusements of the world. So
when an invitation came for me to a
husking- -frolic, or a paring-bee, or a
dance, | was not allowed to 60. was
shy, as | told you, but | had a girls
natural longing for company; and many
were the bitter tears | shed up in M
garret because l could not go with the
rest. Mother used to look at me as
though she pitied me, and once she
ventured to speak up in favor of my 60
ing; but father said sternly that these
sports were the means Satan used to
win away souls from God,-and father
was good deal set in his way, and
mother gave up to him, ai she always
did


"Once or twice Ephraim Allen came
to our house, but somehow my shyness
came over me when l heard his voice
at the door, and l hid myself in the
pantry, and pretended to be very busy
turning the cheesesi and so was, for
! | turned them over and over again, till
mother came and said | must Mt waste
any more butter. Ephraim stayed and
stayed, and kept talking about the OK
bow he had come to see about great
deal longer than l thought there was
any need Of and could not get cour.
age enough to go out, though / wai
sore ashamed and vexed at my shyness.


80 the whole two years slipped
away, and good morning was all we
had ever said to each other. About
this time | began to notice that Deacon
Lee got in the way of looking at me in
meeting, and his face was very sober
as if something displeased him. Sc.
mantha, too, would push past me in go
ing in and out, and didn't speak to me
as she used to do before she went dowr
to Boston to make that long visit to hel
relations. Deacon Lee had a brother
living in Boston who was said to be {
very rich man. Father was at his house
once when he went down to sell the
butter and wool,--as he did every win.
ter, and he said we could imagine how
beautiful it was,-carpets on all the
floors, and even iu the entry, which
mother thought must make great deaI
Of work with people comingin and out
especially in wet weather. But ther
father said the Lees had negro servants
to do the work, and Mrs. Lee and hel
daughters had nothing to do but sit il
the parlor all day long. When Sc
mantha came back from her long visit
she brought great many fine things
that her cousins had given her. Sh'
used to come into meeting, her high
heeIed slippers gathering, and her clock
ed stockings showing clear down to tht
peaked toe; she wore a pink Grape
gown and over that white muslin CAPT
that came just down to the waist in th'
back, and crossed over in front and wal
pinned to her gown at the corners; i
was bound around with blue lutestring
and her bonnet had a blue bow on it
\ 1t was Navarino bonnet, and cost al
extravsgant price, seeing that j
couldn't be done over.


"None of us had ever seen such fin
things before; and when Semanth
came in, Elder Crane might as we'll hav,
- i 1o,,,v, co., avarvhodu looknd Of Go