uct 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.
Some had ought to be eat in the fall an' winter, an' some in the
spring an' summer. Accordin' to my reasonin', if we all lived this
way we should be a good deal better off; our spiritual natures would
be strengthened, an' we should have more power over other animals,
an' better dispositions ourselves."

"I've seen horses terribly ugly, an' they don't eat a mite of meat,"
said Sarah, with tremulous boldness. Her right hand kept moving
forward to clutch the rolling-pin, then she would draw it back.

"'Ain't I told ye once horses were the exceptions?" said Cephas,
severely. "There has to be exceptions. If there wa'n't any exceptions
there couldn't be any rule, an' there bein' exceptions shows there is
a rule. Women can't ever get hold of things straight. Their minds
slant off sideways, the way their arms do when they fling a stone."

Cephas brought the rolling-pin down upon the paste again with fierce
impetus. "You'll break it," Sarah murmured, feebly. Cephas brought it
down again, his mouth set hard; his face showed a red flush through
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
restrain herself no longer. She went into the pantry and got a dish
of flour, and spooned out some suddenly over the board and Cephas's
hands. "You've got to have some more flour," she said, in a desperate
tone.

Cephas's black eyes flashed at her. "I wish you would attend to your
own work, an' leave me alone," said he. But at last he succeeded in
moving the rolling-pin over the dough as he had seen his wife move
it.

"He ain't greasin' the pie-plates," said Sarah, as Cephas brought a
piece of dough with a dexterous jerk over a plate; "there ain't much
animal in the little mite of lard it takes to grease a plate."

Cephas spread handfuls of sorrel leaves over the dough; then he
brought the molasses-jug from the pantry, raised it, and poured
molasses over the sorrel with an imperturbable air.

Sarah watched him; then she turned to Charlotte. "To think of eatin'
it!" she groaned, quite openly; "it looks l