The Exeter Times, 1890-12-18, Page 10A CIIRIST;',IA.,S STORY.
"I never heard of a woman's bein'sexton."
" I dun'no' what difference that makes ; Ifiborn strong within it. last it was better. The village people said
don'. see why theyshouldn't have womento each other that a new baud was ringing.
t 3 Presently she -venue to a large cottage.
sextons as well as men sextons, for my part, house on the right of the read ; there she Only a few knew that Hefty was in the
l meetinghouse. When the congregation had
•'e,hz
; theasters were in their
zn "brown
vas turning
t
g
prime, blue and white. ones. ; here and there
were rows of thistles with white tops. The
dust was thick ; Hefty when she emerged'
from Caleb's house, trotted along in a cloud
of it. She did not look to the right or left,
she kept her small, eager face fixed straight
ahead, and moved forward like, some little
animal with the purpose to which it was
plying the dead sexton's place came and
shook the door, Hetty was prompt on the
other side. "Deacon Gale said for you to
let me hi so I could ring the bell," called the
boy.Go away," responded Hefty, "I'm goin'
to ring the bell ; 1 m sexton.,,
Hetty rang the bell with -vigor, but she
made a wild irregular jangle at first ; at the
nor nobody else neither. They'd keep dust- stopped, The front yard was full of furni.
edheenghsight cleaner. I've seen the dust lay -
in' on tiny pew thick enough to write niy
name in a good many times, an' 'aint said
nothin' about it. Au' I ain't goin' to say
nothin' now again Joe Bowen, now he's dead
nu' gone. He did jest as well as most men
do. lien git iu a good many places where
they don't belong, an where they set as awk-
ward ,use
ota hen -roost, jest because
ase v on n
wcow ,
1
t,-
t.,ey push in ahead of women. 1 ;isn't biahu
dn' ens ; I s'pose if I could push in I should
jest the same way. But there ain't uo reason
Haat I can see, nor nobody else neither, why
n woman shouldn't be sexton."
Hefty Titield stood in the rowen hey.field
before Caleb Gale. He was a deacon, the
e �iairnan of the selectmen, and the rieh and
influential meta of the village. One looking
atiaimz would not have guessed it. There
vies nothing imposing about his lumbering
t: Jure in his calico shirt and baggy trousers,
owever, his large face, red and moist with see anything like it." Betty's vale, was la., `" it hat was I goon' to do if 1 u.tla't?
1 rzz(m. yy „ '
ltersphrataauy .scanned tine distant to scrritable, .the ether woman looked slier 13 � How's a woman as old as rue goin to sleep
t notp an' ,,,
e i •he tic
with a stili t reserved air d� a tea
end tiin a eve, o without . t of
at her,Pg P
6
tare, tables and chairs standing. among the assembled, azul saw that gaudy tent patched
h 'as and dumps o£ marigolds. 'Jett in the house of the Lord, and the resolute
leaned over the fence at one°corner of the little pilgrim at the door of it, there was a
econnmotline The farmers and their wives
yard, and inspected a little knot of house.were stirred out of their Sabbath decorum.
hold goods set aside from the others. Here
eras a small cooking stove, a hair trunk, a• After the service was over, Hetty, sitting in
yellow bedstead stacked upagainst the fence, a pew corner of the gallery, her little face
a to a din . Soule children in the dark and watchful against the flaming back-
yard
a
ileafb dd n
p
g
below
thepeople
ro of her quilt,saw
yard stood in a �•roap, and eyed Hefty. A groundP P
woman appeared in the door—she was small, gathering in group -I, whispering, and leek.
there was a black smutch on her 1ace,which nig at her,
Presently the minister, Caleb Gale, and
the other deacon came up the gallery stairs.
}Jetty sat stiffly erect. Caleb Gale went up
to the sunflower quilt, slipped it aside, and
"Yes I guess so," relied Hetty. ° looked in. Returned to Hefty with a frown.
" Yes,
in the world 13 can have To -day his dignity was suppoortedby import-
I d howant witnesses. "Did ou bringthat stove
you. All the beds will be foil,—1 expect Lis ' " y
mother home to night, an' Pin dreadful , as bedstead here' -
stirred up anyhow." ; Hetty nodded.
was haggard with fatigue, and she scowled
in the sun as she looked over at Hetty.
"Well, got a place to stay in?" said she, in
in an unexpectedly deep voice
Everybody's havin' company ; I never' " What made you do such a thing:':
look at Betty,
How'd von gots work to ring, the hell?"
Maid tae. " It would have to be tolled, too,
if anybody died."
I'd jest as lief ring that little.ieetin'•house
bell as to stan' out here anti jingle a cow-
bell," said Hefty. " an' as for tollin', I jest
as soon toll the bell for Methusaleh, if bewas
livisz' here ! I'd laugh if I ain't got strength
him; It for that."
"You've got a place, :ain't you?"she asked, ' The men looked at each other. They with-
doahbtfnily, drew to another corner of the gallery and I
"Yes, I have." ! conferred in low tones; then they went
At the left of thishouse,quite backfrom the Vd downstairs and out of the church; IIetty
road was a little unpainted eottage, hardly smiled when she heard the door shut. When
more than a hut. There wasmike corrin one is hard pressed, one, however simple,
out of the chimney, and a tall youth lounged gets wisdom as to vantage -points. Hetty
in the door. Hetty, with the women and couipreheuded hers perfectly. She was the
children staring after her, struck. tut across ' propounder of a problem ; as long as it was .l
„ the ti aid in the little foot -path towards the' unguesced she was ante of her foothold as''.
"' It. tapes a kind of a knack. c itt.e a "1 SF.enttrr if she's out to staypropounder. This little s illatw is vwla►ch
."If I ain't _ got as much kneel; as old Joe v' mattered, meditating. do hail lived all her life had iemoved the
there, the woman m t , o
The youth did not seelfetty until she was
quite near hint, end thenlze aroused sudden-
ly as if from sleep, aud tried to slink off
around the cottage. But Hetty was after,
sting, People did not want a tongue like
their homes.
h
that in
Hetty as a ohurchsexton was directly op-
posed to all their ideas of church decorum
and propriety in general her pitching her
tent m the Lord's house was almost sacri-
lege, but what could they do ? Hefty jangled
the Sabbath bells for the three mouths; once
she tolled the bell for an old man, and it
seemed by the sound of the bell as if his
long, tired years lea swung by in a weak
delirium ; but people bore M. She swept
and dusted the little meeting -house, and
she garnished the walls with her treasures
of worsted -work. The neatness of the gar-
niture went far to quiet the dissatisfaction
of the people. They had a crude taste.
Betty's skill in fancy -work was quite cele-
brated. Her wool flowers were much talked
of and young girls tried to copy then. So
these wreaths inlclusters of red
and blue
hung yellow wool roses andllliies hu i g a S ac-
ceptably between the meeting -Louse win -
doves as pictures of saints in a. cathedral,
}Jetty hunga worsted motto over the pul-
pit; ou it she set her ebietest treasure of
art, a white wax cross with enjoy vine trail-
ing over it, all covered with silver frost
work. Irony always surveyed this cross
with aspeeies of awe, she felt the irrespon.
.,
senility and amazement of a genius at his
own work.
When she set it on the pulpit, no queen
casting her rich robes and her jewels upon a
shrine could have surpassed her in generous
enthusiasm, " I guess when they see that
they won't say no more," elm said.
But the people, although they shared
}Jetty's admiration for the cross, were
doubtful. They, looking at it, bad a double
vision of a little wax Virgin upon an altar.
They wondered if it savored of popery, J3ut
the cross remained, and the minister was
mindful not to jostle it in his gestures.
It was three months from the time Hetty
took up herabode in the church, and a week
befuee Christmas, \then the problem Was
solved. Ratty herself preeipitatedthe ;John
tion. She prepared a boiled dish in the
meeting -house, upon a Saturday, and the
next day tbe odors of turnip and cabbage
were strong in the senses of the worshipers.
Bowen ever had, I"lt give up tine ship..
"You couldn't tend the fires."
"Couldn't tend tine fres-.-when I've cut
aa' carried in all the wood I've burned for
forty year : Couldn't keels the tares agoin'
fn them two Tattle wood stoves 1"
" conei,ier'ble work to sweep the
rneetiat'-ltouse."
"I guess.I've.' done 'bout as much wark as
^o sweep that little aue^etin'-house, I ruther
execs /lave."
" There's tzue thing yon 'ain't thou;at
"• ivla:tt's that?"
ivhero"d yoah liver 11.11 old Sowell got
for bele' eeston wag tween dollar a. year,
an. ue eoubin't pay a woman so naueh
:s that. Y.ia stia:dn t have; enough
o
pay for :our Itr is anywlteres."
.'" Where ani I goin" to live whether I'm
v„ttcaai or not
Celel' bale was silent.
Them was a wind terming, the;
rowers hay drifted roundHetty like a.
icer. seas teethed with ripples of blue and
'lei by the asters and golden -rod. She stood;
:n the midst of it like a May weed that had.
;ethereal a blender eou fitness through tate
tong mime er ; he • hemen cotton gown clung
about her like a w itiu_ leaf, outlining her
Harsh little form he wes as sallow as a
• anal she tared pretty Black eyes ; they
were aright atlthitii.lt she Was old. She kept
them fixed upon Caleb. S.uddenly she raiecd
herself up in her toes ; the wind caught her
reisand nettle it blow that ; her eyes flashed.
"PR tell you whete I'm goin to lire." said
site, "1 nt!iaita'ta!i,•s- itc ala an"°+'tai,'-lmtxc."
.Caleb looked at her. e, elan' to lira iia Che
z reEtiaa' i me I"
" Yes, I be."
44 Live in the tneetiit'-house?"
I'd like to know why not." '
" Whir—you couldn't—live in the meetiu'-',
Blouse. 'You're crazy."
Caleb dung out the rake which he was
holding, and drew it in full of rowen. Hetty
moved -around in front of hint, he rakedinh-
perturiiably, she moved again right in the
path of the rage, then he stopped. "There
ain't no sense in such talk."•
" All want is jest the east cornor of the
back gail'ry, where the claimbiy goes up. I'll
set up tr.y cookin' stove there, an' my bed,
and I'll curtain it off with my suniiower
quilt, to keep off the wind.
"A cookin'stove an' a bed in the meetin'-
house?"
" Mis' Grout she give me that cookin'
stove, an' that iced I've alters slept on,before
. she died. She gave 'ens to me before ble.ry •
Anne Thomas, au' I moved 'em out. They
air settin' out in tine yard now, an' if it rains,
that stove an' that bed will be spoilt. It'.
looks some like rain now. I guess you'd
better give me rho meetiu'-house key right;
oft"
house— ain't gain' to stop to hear such
You don't think you can move that!
cookin' stove an' that bed into the ineetinE =— '- �- -,—' .'�-_1a.�.G_- `�=--�=-;-. �`�--,=' - _ ,,,.•�—_-.�_ �----��_`_� r'�"` -_.
r
talk.' - _
shelter front her head ; she was penniless, it
was beholden to provide her another; she
asked it what. ii hen the old woman with
whom site had lived died, the town prompt-
" -t ain't very convenient for you to do
your cookie here, I guess."
" It's jest as con ceuient as I went. I don't
find no fault."
" I guess its raythorlonesome here nights,
ain't it ?"
" I'd 'nough sight ruttier be alone than
have comp'ny, any day,"
" It ain t tit for an old woman Ince you to
be livia' alone acre this way."
Well, I dun'no' of anything that's any
fitter, mebbe you do."
Caleb looked appealingly at his compan-
ions ; they stood stiff and irreepousive. Het-
ty's eyes.wero sharp and watchful upon thein
all.
Well, Hetty," said Caleb, " we've found
a nice comfortable piece for yeas, lush' ! gess
yyou'd better pack up your things, an'I'l
carry you right o rer there." Caleb stepped
back elittle door the other men. He
ttY
,
1 d. tr a bi before
1 and na l ng and helpless be re
them, looked vicious. She was like a little
animal driven froze its cover, for whom there
is nothing left but desperate warfare and
death.
"Where to?" asked Hetty. Her voice
shrilled up into a squeak.
Caleb hesitated. Ile looked again at tbe
other selectmen. There was a solem f
The two selectmen shook their heads,
hiswife
Caleb kept the horse quiet while
got heavily and quickly out of the buggy,
She went up the meetiug-house steps, and
reached out confidently to open the door,
Then she drew back and looked around.
" Why," said. she, '" the door'sloeked ; she's
locked the door. I call this pretty work 1"
She turned again quite fiercely, and began
beating on the door, "Hetty I" she called,
"Hefty, Hefty Eiield 1 Let zee in, What
have you locked this door for 1"
She' stopped and turned to hor husband.
"Don't you s'pose the barn key would
unlock it ?-' she arked.
"I don't b'lieve 'twould,"
"" well, you'd better eohome and fetch it."
Caleb again drove down the hill, and the
other men searched their pockets for keys.
One had the key of his corn -pause and pro,
diced it hopefully ; but it would not unlock
theet n tion e
me i s door
A crowd seldom gathered in the little-edit,
la e for anything short of a fire; but to -day
in a short tinzeq quite a number of peole
stood on the meeting-bouse hill, and more
kept comiog, When Caleb Gale returned
with the barn key his daughter, a tall, pret-
ty young girl sat beside Jinn, her little face
away expression upon °' ‘‘.403r- i alert and smiting in her red hood. The other
xp , P selectanen's wives toiled eagerly up the hill,
said he, Mis Radway wants to get some- with a young daughter of one of thein speed-
bed3 an'—" ing on ahead. Then thetwo two girls stood
You ain't goin" totake enc to thatwo- close to each other and watched the proceed=
minfer
"You'd be real comfortable—"
"I ain't goin'."
"Now, why not, I'd like to know ?"
I dan'tlike Susan Railway, hasn't never
liked her, au' I ,ain't goin' to live with her."
" Mis' Railway's a good Christian woman.
You hadn't ought to speak that way about
Iter.
" You know what Susan Reelway is, jest
as well its I do ; an' everybody else does too.
I ain't goain'a Ftep, en' you might jest .as well
snake up .your mind to it."
Then Mott ' seated herself in the corner of } • a wit, an I ,toss
3 she's bolted it ifslhe s got any t, d
the pew nearest her tent, and folded leer she's got moat as much as some of you ashen
hands in her lap. She looked over at the who have been brie in keys. Try the win-
as if she were liatenin to reachin bring
p
ulpit g P g• ' dviws. }}
She panted, and her eyes glittered, but she Ilut the windows were fast, Hefty lead
Lad an unmovable air, -_" made her sacred castle impregnable except
to violence. Either the door would have to
be forced, or a window broken, to gain stn
t entrance.
1 The people conferred with one another.
7 Some were for retiring and leaving Hetty itt
peaceful possession until time drove her to
I capitulate, "She'll open it to -morrow,"
t they Bald. Othera were for extreme mea -
1 tures, and their impetuosity gave them the
" lead. The project of forcing the door was
urged ; one man started for a crow -bar.
• o brought
'd inn
ings, tiny after key was arse , .
all the largo keys they could find, running
importantly up the hill, but none would un-
lock the meeting -house door. After t%aleb
had tried the last available key, stooping
and screwing it anxiousiy,lie turned around,
"• There ain't no use init, anyway," saidhe;
most likely the door's bolted,"
" You don't mean there's a bolt on that
door ?" cried his wife,
" Yes, there is."
" Then your might just es well have tore
'round for hens feathers as keys. of course
eadee
r
"My worsted -work, all my mottoes I've
done, an' my wool flowers, air out there in
the yard."
Caleb raked. Hefty kept standing her-
self about until he was forced to stop or she called, "Samm come 1 seized the estate for taxes—none had been
gather her in with the rowen hay. He look- him. "" Sammy," y' I' paid for years. Hetty had not laid up a
cent ; indeed for the most of the time she
had received no wages. There had been no
money in the house, all she had gotten for
her labor for a si.kly, impecunious, old
woman was a fru al board. When the old
,
ee•
�..: •� 'mss-_^,-..
" I'M GOIN' TO LIVE IN THE MEETIN' HOUSE."
ed straight at her, and scowled ; the per- back here, I want you.
spiration trickled down bis cheeks. "If II " What d'ye want ?"
no up to the house can Mis' Gale get me the' ""Come back here 1"
key to the meetiu -house . said Hetty. The youth lounged back sulkily, and a tall
"No, she can't." woman came to the door. She bent out of
" Be you goin' up before long?" it azhtious1y to hear Hefty.
" No, I ain't. Suddenly Caleb's voice "I wantou to come an' help me move woman died, etty gathered in the few
changed ; it had been full of stubborn vex- my stove an' things," said Hetty, household articles for which she had stipu-
ation, now it was blandly' argumentative. " Whereto?" dated, and made no complaint. She walked
"Don't you see it ain't no use talkie' such
nonsense, Hetty? You'd better go right
along, and make up your mind it ain't to be
thought of."��
Where be 1 gout to -night, then.
"To-ni>rht
"Into the meetin'-house.']
" The meetiu'-house?"
Yes, the meetiu'-house." - •
The woman in the doorhad sodden hands;
behind her arose the steam of Ga wash -tub.
She and the youth stared atIetty, but sur -
" Yes ; where be I a-goin'?" prise was too strop ane emotion for them to
"'Ain't you got any place to go to ?" ? rasp firmly. g
iVhere.do you s pose I ve got any pla"" I want Sammy to come right over and
Them folks air movie into Miss Grout's help me," said. Hetty,
house, an they as good as told me to clear "Be eine; strong enough to move a stove,
out. I'ain't got no folks to take me in. I said the woman,
dun'no where I'm goin'; mebbe I can go to " Ain't strong enough 1"
"He's apt to get lame." •
"Most folks are. Guess I've got lame.
Come right along, Sammy 1"
'."He ain't able to lift much.",
"I •s'nose he's able to be lifted, ain't he ?
"I d-un'no' what you mean."
' "The stove don't weigh nothin'," said
it were a hoe, then he leaned on it and Hefty. " I could carry it myself if I could
stared at the horizon, There was a fringe of git hold of it. Come, Sammy !"
yellow birches on the edge of the hay -field ; Betty turned down the path, and the
beyond them was a low range of misty bine youth moved a little 'way after her, as if
hills. You 'ain'tgot no plaeeto go to,then . perforce. Then he stopped and cast an ap •
"1hno .
dniz'no of any. There 'ain't poor - pealing glance back. at his mother.. Her face
house here, an I 'ain't got no folks.�� was distressed. " Oh, Se. nmy, I'm afraid.
' Caleb stood like a statue. Some crows. yoia'].l git sick," said she.
flew cawing over. the field. Hetty waited. "le o, he ain't oin'to get sick," saidHetty,
"`d s'pose the key is where leis' Gale cans., ag!", And. Samm . followed
find it?" she said, finally,Com , Sammy3
• � her down the path.
Caleb turned and threw out s rake with It was four o'clock then, At dusk Hefty
"She a jerk. knows where -'tis ;its pan in curtaining off
5g � had her gaysunflower quilt cur a g
up behind the settin'-room door. 1 s'pose;the chime -corner of the church gallery ;
you can stay there "to -night, -as long" as you her stove and little bedstead were seta and
,p
am #got no otitic, plane.,, We. shall have to she had entered upon a life which endured
see what can be done."a '
successfully for see months. Allthat time
"" 7
Y
Betty sctitfled off across the field, i.ou a storm brewed • then. it broke.; anal Hefty
mustn't take no stove nor becl into the meat- sailed in. hor own course for the three
in' house,"Caleb called after, her, " we cant mouths.
h ave'that nohow." It was on a Saturday that she took up her
on as if. the did not hoot. }Tatty. wenthabntai'inn in tile meeting -house. The next
The golden -rod at the ;ides of the road merle, , t;uee 1i,,.' , ,lzo,luad lir ,ensul,-
our house?
Caleb gave a start. " We've got company
to home," said he, hastily, "I'm fraid Mis'
Gale wouldn't think -it was convenient."
Hetty laughed. " Most everybody in
the town has got company," said she.
Caleb dug his rake into the ground as if
out of the house when the new tenants came
in; all she asked was, " Whatareyou going
to do with me?" This little settlement of
narrow-minded, prosperous farmers, how-
ever hard a task charity might be to them,
could not turn an old woman out into the
fields and highways to seek for food as they
would a Jersey cow. They had their Puri-
tan consciences, and her note of distress
would sound louder in their ears than the
Jersey's bell echoing down the valley in the.
stillest eight. Bat the question as to Hefty
Fifieid's disposal was a hard one to answer.
'!'.here was no almshouse in the village, and
no private family was willing to Vika her
in. Hetty was strong and capable ; al-
though she was old, she could have paid for
her food and shelter by her labor ; but this
could not secure her an entrance even among
this hard-working and thrifty people, who
would ordinarily grasp quickly enough at
service without wage in dollars and cents.
Hefty had somehow gotten for herself an
unfortunate name in the village. She was
held in the light of a long -thorned brier
among the bean -poles, or a fierce little ani-
mal with claws and teeth bared. People
were afraid to take her into their families ;
she had the reputation of always taking her
own way, and never heeding the voice of
authority. "I'd take her in an' have her
give me a lift with the work," said one sick-
ly farmer's wife ; " but, near's I can find. out,
1 couldn't never be sure that I'd get molas-
ses in the beans, nor saleretus in my sour-.
milk cakes,,if she took a notion to put it in.
I don't dare to risk it."'
Stories were aboutcoueerning }Jetty's au-
thority aver 'the old woman with whom she
bad lived. " Old Mis' Grout Bever dared to
say her soul was her own," peopte said,
Then }lefty's sharp, sarcastic sayings were
repeated. ; the justice of them' made them
They sniffed and. loosed at one another.
This superseding the legitimate savor of the
sanctuary, the fragrance of peppermint loz-
enges and wintergreen, the breath of Sun-
day clothes, by the homely, week -day odors
of kitchen vegetables, was too much for the
sensibilities of the people. They looked in-
diguautly around at Betty, sitting there be-
fore her sunflower hanging, comfortable for
her good dinner of the day before, radiant
with the consciousness of a great plateful of
cold vegetables in her tent for her Sabbath
dinner.
Poor Hetty heel not many comfortable
dinners. The selectmen doled out a small
weekly sum to her, which she took with dig-
nity as being her hire ; then she bad a mild
forage in the neighbors' cellars and kitchens,
of poor apples and' stale bread and pie, pay-
ing for it inteaching her art of worsted -work
to the daughters. Her Saturdays dinner
had been a banquet to her; she had actual-
ly bough -be, piece of pork to boil with the
vegetables ; somebody had. given her a nice
little cabbage and some turnips, without a
thoughtof the limitations of her house -keep-
ing Hefty herself heel not a thought. She
made the fires as usual that Sunday morn-
ing ; the meeting -house was very clean-;
there was not a speck of dust anywhere, the
wax cross on the pulpit glistened in a sun-
beam Slantingthrough the house. }Jetty,
sittingin the gallery, thought innocently
how ice it lookd.
After the meeting, Caleb Gale approached
the other deacon. " Somethin's got to he
done," said he. And. the other deacon nod-
ded. He had not smelled the cabbage until
his wife nuclged him and mentioned it;
neither had Caleb Gale.
In the afternoon of the nest Thursday,
Caleb and the other two selectmen waited on
Hetty in her tabernacle. They stsunped
up the gallery stairs, and Hetty emerged
from behind the quilt, and stood looking at
thent scared and defiant. The three . men
nodded stiffly; there was a pause; Caleb
Gale motioned xneanin y
ggi to one of tho orb-
who shookhs hoax, • , Email he himself
ers,
had to speak. " I'm 'fraid you find it
pretty cold here, don't you,Hetty?" said ho.
" thank ye, it's very comfortable,"
said Hetty, polite and wary.
" They are a piecel of fools to do such a
thing," said Caleb Gale's wife to another
woman. Spoil that good door! They'd
better leave the poor thing alone till to-unor-
4 row. I dun'no' what's goin' to be done with
I Iter when they git in. 1 ain't goin' to have
s father tltaggin' her over to ltis' Retivray's
r by the hair of her head,"
""That% jest what I say," returned the
other woman.
Mrs, (sale went up to Caleb and nudged
hien, "Don't let thembreak that door down,
father,:' said she.
" Well, well, we'll son." (,'aieb replied. Ile
moved away a little ; hie wife's voice had
been drowned ant lately by te tzeaseuzlizao
clamor, and he took advantage of;tt. '
All the people tallied at once; tnc wind
was keen, and all their garments flattered
the two young girls had their arms aroma"
cacti other undertlaoir shawls ; the man with
the crow -bar came stalking up the hill,
" Don't you let them break that doot
down. father," said Mrs. Gale.
" Well, well," grunted Caleb.
Regardless of remonstrances, the man set
the crow -bar against the door; suddenly
there was a cry, "Thera die is!" Everybody
looked up. There was Hetty looking outof'
a gallery window.
Everybody was still. Ratty began to
speak. "ler dark old face, peering out of the
wandaw, looked ghastly ; the wind blew her
poor gray locks over it. She extended her
little verankleti hands. ",Test let tine say
one word," said She, " jest one word." Her
voice shook. All her coolness was gone. The
magnitude of her hist act of delimits had
caused it to react upon herself like an over-
loaded gun.
Say all you wantto, Hetty, an" don'tbe
afraid," Mrs. Gale called out.
" I jest want to say one word," repeated
}Jetty.. " Can't I stay here nohow It
don't seem as if I could go to Mis' Radway's.
I 'ain't nothin' again' hero. I s'pose she's a
good woman, but sloe's used to Navin' her
awn way, an' I've beenlivin'all my life with
them that was, an' l've hed to fight to keep
a login' on the earth, an' now km gittiu'
too old for't. If I can jest stay here in the
meetin'-house, 1 won't ask for nothin' any
better. I sha'n't need much to keep me, I
wa'n't never a hefty eater ; an' I'll keep the
ineetin'-house jest as clean as I know how.
An' I'll make some more of them wool flow-
ers. Pll make a wreath to go the whole
length of the gallery, if I can get wool
'nough. Won't you let me stay ? I ain't
complainin', but I've always had a dretful
bard time ; seems as if now I might take a
little comfort the last of it, if I could stay
here. I can't go to Mis' Radway's nohow."
Hefty covered her face with her hands ; her
words ended in a weak wail.
" Now, Betty, you ve got sense enough to
know you can't stay here," said Caleb.
"You'd better put on your bonnet, an'
come right along before dark. You'll have
a nice ride."
Hotty made no response.
The three men stood looking at her.
"Come, Hefty," said Caleb, feebly ; and
another selectman spoke. "Yes, you'd bet-
ter come," he said, in a mild voice.
Betty contained to stare at the pulpit.
The three men withdrew a little and con-
ferred. They did not know how to act. This
was a new emergency in their simple, even
lives. They were not 'constables ; these
three steady, sober old men did not want to
drag an old woman by main force out of the
meeting -house and thrust her into Caleb
Gale's buggy as if it were a police wagon.
Finally Caleb brightened. "I'll go over
an' git another," saiti he. He started with
a brisk air, and went down the gallery
stairs ; the others followed. They took u
their stand in the meeting -house yard, and
Caleb got into his buggy and gathered up the
reins. Thewincl blew cold. over the hill.
"Hadn't you better go insideand wait out
of the wind ?" said Caleb.
" I guess we'll wait out here," replied one;
and the other. nodded.
Weil,Isha'it't be gone long,"said Caleb.
"Mother'll know how to manage her." Tie
drove carefully down the hill ; his buggy
wings rattled in the wind. The other men
pulled op their coat collars, and met the
blast stubbornly.
"Pretty ticklish piece of business to
tackle, said one, in a low grunt.
That's so," 'assented the other. Then
they were silent,ancl waited for Caleb. Once
in a while they stamped their feet and slap-
ped their mittened hands. They did not
hear Heity slip the bolt and turn the key of
the meeting -house floor, nor see her peeping
at them from a gallery window.
Caleb returned in twenty minutes ;"he
had not far to go. His wife, stout ancl hend-
some and full of vigor, sat beside him m the
buggy Her face was red with the cold wind;
her thick caelmiere, shawl was pinned tightly
over her , broad bosom. PO Ilas' she come
down yet?" she called out in an imperious
way.
Mrs. Gale's voice rang out clear and strong
and irrepressible. " Of course you can stay
in the meetin'-house," said she; " I should
laugh if you couldn't. Don't you worry an-
other mite about it. You sha'nt go one step
to Mis' Radway's ; you couldn't live a day
with her. You can stay jest where you are ;
you've kept the meetin'-house enough sight
cleaner than I've ever seen it. Don't you
worry another mite, Hetty."
Mrs. Gale stood. majestically, and looked
defiantly around ; tears were in -her eyes.
Another woman edged up to her. " Why
couldn't she have that little room side of the
pulpit, where the minister hangs his hat?"
she whispered. "He could hang it some-
wheres else."
" Course she could," responded Mrs. Gale
with alacrity, "jest as well as not. The
minister can have a hook in the entry for his
hat. She can have her stove an' bed in there
an' be jest as comfortableas can be. I should
laugh if she couldn't. Don't you worry,
}Jetty. '
The crowd gradtally dispersed, sending.
out stragglers down the hill until it was all
gone. Mrs. Gale waited until the last, sit-
ting in the buggy in state. When her hue -
band gathered up the reins, she called back
to Hetty : " Donst you worry one mite about
it, Hetty; I'm comiu' up to see you in the
mornin' l"
It was almost dusk when Caleb drove
down the hill ; he was the last of the besieg-
ers, and the feeble garrison was left trium-
phant.
The next day but one was Christmas, the
next night; Clueetmas Eve. On Christmas
live Hefty had reached: what to her was the
flood -tide of peace and prosperity. Estab-
lished in ths:,t small, lofty roont, with her
bed and her stove, with gifts of a rocking
chair, ti table,. and a goodly.she store' of food
withno one to molest or 'disturb her,
hall t Oil' ;1) to Wish for eat eartlh. All her