Year: 1867

, ''While Ephraim went around to put
up the horse, Mary took me into the
tore-room, where there was a fire and


helped me with many things, and was as


sociable as if she had known me all


her life.


"The room was a great deal nicer


than anything / had ever seen. was


almost afraid to step on the carpet at


first; but then | remembered that it


must have been meant to be stepped on,


or it would MT have been laid on the


floor.


"Pretty soon Mrs. Allen and Pru-


dence came in. Mrs. Allen was a very


notable woman, and when she had told


me hew she made her cheese, and that


she pnt down her butter in cedar fir


kins, she seemed to think that pine


ones were not fit for a Christian to use,


and that my mother must be a terribly


shittless person to put up with them


she said she must go and see to the pies


that were baking l don't think she


was still five minutes at a time while I


was there, but just driving about the


house from morning till night And
yet there We're her two girls to help
her, and mother and l did the work
for eight, and took in spinning all the
year round.


81 think Prudence did n'tlike house
work. She was very intimate with Se-
mantha Lee; and what Samantha said
and did and wore was pretty much all
her talk. All that week she was al work
on old gowns, altering them to be like
SemanthaS. Prudence did MT seem to
fancy me at the very first; and though
| don't want to speak evil of her, she
was certainly rather hard persen to
get along with.


"One day she would remark that |
would be quite good looking ifmy nose
was MT such pug. And another day
that it was pity l had red hair, for
really my other features were not so
bad; and she said that my gown was
just like one she had hung up in the
garret; and so in this way she picked
me to pieces, until it seemed as if she
could MT find a good thing in me. But
this was not as bad as the way in which
she talked to me about Samantha.


"Nobody was so handsome or so
good or SO smart as Samantha; and
Deacon Lee was the most forehanded
man in town. AS great secret, she
told me that Ephraim and Samantha
were once as good as engaged, and she
did MT doubt, if anything should hap
pen to break up the match between
Epbraim and me, that Ephraim would
go back to Samantha.


81 was terribly angry at this, and |
felt my lips stiffen, and it was as much |
as | could do TO say, what could hap
pen to break our engagement! Ephraim
is solemnly promised to me, and it is
just the same in Gods sight as if we
were married.


prudence looked at me minute,
and then said she had no idea | had
such temper, She had heard that I
talked of uniting with the church, but
after what she had seen, she should mt
think And here she stopped, and it
was as much what was not said as what
she did say that vexed me so: | was
heartily thankful that she was only
half-sister to Ephraim, for began to
fear | should hate her.


"With all this Mary did net seem to
dare to be her own pleasant self, and
even Ephraim acted as if he was MT
quite at his ease. | began to be sadly
homesick | almost hated the sight Of
the carpet on the floor, and the high
curtained bedstead, and the tall chin
and | longed for the love and
peace of my humble home.


81 had been at Mrs. Aliens three
days, when Samantha Lee came over to
spend the day. She came in the morn
ing, and sent back the hired man with
the sleigh, because she meant to stay all
night with Prudence.


''Semantha was dressed very elegant
y. She had a scarlet cloth cloak that
came down to the bottom of her gown,
and the gown itself was green silk, with
great bishop sleeves lined with buck
ram, SO that they stood cut, and ratified
ike "a drum when they hit against any
hing. Mary laughed at her because
'he could not go through our chamber
1oor without turning sidewise; but Se-
nantha said they were all the fashion
N Boston.


"Shs was very lively and full of fun
hat day, though she did MT take much
notice ofme, In the evening we had
popped corn and apples, and when we
pared the apples and threw down the
ong coils of peel, Semantha's took the
shape of a letter e. She laughed and
and pretended to be very much
gexed, but she was really as pleased as
,Re could be. Mary whispered to me
iot to mind, and said Prudence had
given the peel a sly push with her foot
. shape the u; but for all that I could
hardly help crying $500. (


"That night all of us girls slsptin the
q eat double-bedded room. Samantha
vas with Prudence; and'long after Mary
vas asleep | could hear them whisper
ng, and every minute or two L would I
,atch Ephrain's name. ,,a 4


tI did nnk Hlaan nnnnh. that nin.hA ,