Pembroke

e, not one of them appeared to even glance at it, yet they all saw at once that there were no workmen abo

er face was quite steady. "Hold your dress up a little higher; the grass is terrible wet,"

wedding wardrobe, and she had worn it in advance with some misgivings. "I dunno but you might jest as well wear it a few Sundays," her mother had said; "you're goin'

the day before; now it looked, as it hung in

altercation with her father. Sarah Barnard stood before her husband, her placid face all knitte

ey can," s

n't no use tryin'. It would j

they, I'd l

r make pies with

don't

in' sorrel pies. Mebbe the Injuns did; but I dunno as they ever made pies, anyway. Mebbe the sorrel, if it had some molasses on it for juice, wouldn't taste very bad;

ephas, and his black eyes looked like fli

er that pies can't be made fit to eat with

't, father,"

"He's been out in the field, an' picked all that sorrel," and she pointed to a pan heaped up with little green leaves on the table, "an' I

ou can," assented

de towards the pantry. "I'll m

ously at her daughter. "What you goi

e din. "I'm a-goin' to make them sorrel pies myself," he

has, you

d and rolling-pin like a shield and a clu

at down, took some lace edging from her pocket, and b

l?" her mother whispered, when C

of burrs," returned Charlotte, au

me better than burrs," said her mother, "but

sifted it," Mrs. Barnard whispered to Charlotte, as though Cephas were not ther

s, an' I don't need any help. I've picked the sorrel, an' I've got the bri

phas. Mebbe the sorrel will be real good. I ain't sayin' it won't, tho

imal food. We've ate a whole pig an' half a beef critter this winter, to say nothin' of eggs an' milk, that are jest as much animal as meat, accordin' to my way of thinkin'. I've reasoned it out all along that as long as we were animals ourselves, an' wanted to s

m if we eat that," said Mrs. Barnard, poi

as. He stirred some salt into the flour very caref

. Barnard argued further. She had never in her life argued with Cepha

are the exception," he returned, with dignified asperity. "There always are exceptions. What I was comin' at w

om the gourd into the bowl

s makin'-paste!" she gasped.

n't all animal. He's something else. He's spiritual. Man has command over all the other animals, an' all the beasts of the field; an' it ain't because he's any better an' stronger animal, because he ain't. What's a man to a horse, if the horse only knew it? but the horse don't know it, an' there's jest where Man gets the advantage. It's k

xing-board, and plunged his fists into it. Sarah made an invo

s. Now, it's the spiritual part of us we want to strengthen, because that is the biggest strength we can get, an' it's worth more. It's what gives us the rule over animals. It's better for us to eat some other kind of foo

od, the product of the earth. An' that's of two sorts: one gets ripe an' fit to eat in the fall of the year, an' the other comes earlier in the spring an' summer. Now, in order to carry out the plans of nature, we'd ought to eat these products of the earth jest as near as we can in the season of 'em.

t," said Sarah, with tremulous boldness. Her right hand kept movi

wa'n't any exceptions there couldn't be any rule, an' there bein' exceptions shows there is a rule. Women can't

h his white beard, the veins on his high forehead were swollen and his brows scowling. The paste adhered to the rolling-pin; he raised it with an effort; his hands were helplessly sticky. Sarah could restr

own work, an' leave me alone," said he. But at last he succeeded in m

a piece of dough with a dexterous jerk over a plate; "there ain't

n he brought the molasses-jug from the pantry, raised it, a

rlotte. "To think of eatin' it!" she groa

spun. Sarah sank down on a chair, and looked away from Cephas and his

sband's hobbies, but this galloped so ruthlessly over her own famil

ptly, and Mrs. Deborah Thayer entered. "Good-mornin'," s

ornin'," she responded, with nervous eagerness. "Good-

t down," responded D

stood there with a pose that might have answered for a statue of Judgment. She turned her green-hooded head slowly towards them all in tu

d Deborah Thayer, "to find

, except the thud of

Deborah. Cephas did

as full of that maternal supremacy which awakens the first instinct of obedience in man, and has more weight than t

want you to tell me in so many words. I ai

ed something

d-fearing one, if you have got your own ideas about some things. Barnabas is young, and apt to be headstrong. He ain't always been as mindful of obedience as he might be. I've tried to do my best by him, but he don't always carry out my teachi

. Thayer, he hasn't done anything wron

l last night. I don't know where he was. He won't speak a word this mornin' to tell me. I've been out in the field where he's to work ploughin', and I tried to make him tell me, but he wouldn't say a word. I sat up and waited all night, but he didn't come h

cried out again; "you ought to be ashamed of your

otte. She kept her eyes fixed upon Ce

ng," Mrs. Barnard murmured, feebly;

f perforce. "Well," he said,

' about

din' to my reasonin', that what we

ha

'em more garden-stuff to eat Barney wouldn't have been so u

at whatever my son has done wrong is due to what he's eat, and not to original sin. I knew you had queer ideas

in between her father and Mrs. Thayer; she conf

ou needn't feel obliged to deal with him. He and father got into a talk over the 'lection, and they had words about it. He didn't talk any worse than father, not

e!" shout

repeated, turning to Deborah; "he's been kind of grouty to Barney for some time. I don't know why; he took a notion to, I suppose. When they got to having words about the 'lection, father begun it. I heard him. Barney answ

ore nine o'clock?" demanded Debo

e nine; he had plenty of time

, then, I'd l

nd out. I am not afraid he was anywhere he hadn't

him back, and he wouldn't come, nor even tu

nd I don't blame him for not coming back and not tu

you that," said Deborah. "He won't never come back if he'

as long as I live

ain't ashame

am

te as if she would crush

rney because he's got you for a mother," Charlot

ourself on that account," retorted

do, Rose?" seemed to notice her. She sat down unobtrusively in a chair near the door and waited. Her blue eyes upon the others were

of the wall, but suddenly she stopped and cast a glance at Cephas. "What be you

ed ugly as he slapped another pie

She smelled of it; then she took a leaf and tasted it, cautiously. She made a wry face. "I

He shot a fiery glance at her, but said noth

' his duty, if he can be made to; but I must say if it wa'n't for that, I'd rather he'd gone into a family that was more like other folks. I'm goin' to do the best I can, whether

and shut the door