Year: 1867

Ithad been showing all day, and when
father came in at dark he said that the
wind was rising, and the storm gather
ing every moment, and that before
morning all the roads would be fast
locked.


Grandmother is a gentle, sweet old
lady, whom | remember always with
the same serene face, bearing all earth
ly troubles with such holy patience as
lifts this common life to heaven; she
sits for hours in unbroken silence, while
her face wears the rapt, mystical look
Of one who talks with angels, and then
we move softly about her, and not one
of us would by words of our own call
her down from the mount of vision.
Within year or two she has grown
quite deaf, and since this her life seems
yet more isolated; sometimes, however,
like most deaf persons, she hears words
spoken in low tones that are not meant
for her, perhaps because at times the
spirit is wildly awake, and more than
usually quick to catch at and interpret
what else might beat in vain upon the
dull, corporeal sense,


She put by her knitting at fathers
words, and rose and walked feebly to
the window, where she stood long
time looking out at the death white
waste, shut in by the morose, ominous
sky Then, turning slowly, her face
alight and beautiful with that beauty
which is fairer than youth, she said, "lt
puts me in mind of the Great Snow,
Ephraim,-it puts me in mind ofa good
many things"


Then she came back to the fire, and
sat down again in her corner. Memory
was stirring, the Past unfolding its
scroll. The knitting work fell llunheed-
ed from the old, trembling fingers. She
was a girl again, and the story of that
far-off girlhood fell softly upon the even
ing silence.


II was only eighteen years old
Ephraim, when your grandfather moved
down from the new State. had lived
up there in the wilderness all my life;
and l was as shy as a wild rabbit, and,
in my own fashion, proud. Father was
poor in those days, for there were six
of us children 10 feed and clothe,
and mother was delicate and often ILL
so we moved into.a low, onestory
house, that was old too, as well as small;
but as we had always lived in log
house, and this was frame one, we
were more than satisfied. We did not
mind if the snow blew in at the cracks
in the roof, and nestled in little drifts on
the counterpane, for we were used to it.
| remember that one bright star always
peeped down at me in the winter
through the open spaces between the
boards, and shone so calm and clear that
l used to fancy it was Gods home, and
somehow my prayers seemed surer OF
getting to him when | said them in the
pure light of this star. But that was
while we were in the new State. When
we moved down country, / was a
grown-up girl, able to turn my hand to
any chore about the house; and went
to meeting in the Westinghouse at the
Corner, and had got over my childish
notions. hf


"Elder Crane was a very pious man,
and he always preached long sermons
and made long prayers, The sermons
we're easier to bear than the prayers,
for the people sat through the sermon,
but If you had sat down during the
prayer, you would have been thought
dreadfully wicked, and the Elder might
have called your name right out the next
Sabbath, and prayed for you as poor
sinner whom Satan was tempting. And
so you stood up, of course, though the
children sometimes got asleep and fell
down, and often the girls used to faint
away and be carried out. Semantha
| Lee did, at one time, almost as regular
" as the Sabbath came round, until at
last a church committee was sent to la
Dor with her. But Samantha was q
very free-spoken girl, and she said some
hard things against Elder Cranes pray
ers. always thought thatit was more
her corsets than the length. Of the
prayers.


IL never fainted for up in the new
State had run wild in the woods, and,
though l was a frail thing To- look at,
had deal of strength in me. But my
thoughts rambled great deal too often
and sometimes I doubted if l was al
near God in Elder Cranes church as
used to be lying on my bed'in the cham
Der of the log house, and saying nay
prayers to the bright star that looked
down SO friendly. 1 asked mother
about it one day, and she said 'tha'
suralv Cad waa ahhut evarvwhePe: but