n' women-folks once ye get 'em started; they don't keer
whether it's heaven or the other place, so long as they get where they
want to go!"

Elder Daniel Gray had heard Brother Ansel state his religious theories
more than once when he was first "gathered in," and secretly lamented
the lack of spirituality in the new convert. The Elder was an instrument
more finely attuned; sober, humble, pure-minded, zealous, consecrated to
the truth as he saw it, he labored in and out of season for the faith
he held so dear; yet as the years went on, he noted that Ansel,
notwithstanding his eccentric views, lived an honest, temperate,
Godfearing life, talking no scandal, dwelling in unity with his brethren
and sisters, and upholding the banner of Shakerism in his own peculiar
way.

As Susanna approached him, Ansel called out, "The yairbs are all ready
for ye, Susanna; the weeds have been on the rampage sence yesterday's
rain. Seems like the more uselesser a thing is, the more it flourishes.
The yairbs grow; oh, yes, they make out to _grow_; but you don't see 'em
come leapin' an' tearin' out o' the airth like weeds. Then there's the
birds! I've jest been stoppin' my grindin' to look at 'em carry on.
Take 'em all in all, there ain't nothin' so lazy an' aimless an'
busy 'bout nothin' as birds. They go kitin' 'roun' from tree to tree,
hoppin' an' chirpin', flyin' here an' there 'thout no airthly objeck
'ceptin' to fly back ag'in. There's a heap o' useless critters in
the univarse, but I guess birds are 'bout the uselessest, 'less it's
grasshoppers, mebbe."

"I don't care what you say about the grasshoppers, Ansel, but you shan't
abuse the birds," said Susanna, stooping over the beds of tansy and
sage, thyme and summer savory. "Weeds or no weeds, we're going to have a
great crop of herbs this year, Ansel!"

"Yee, so we be! We sowed more'n usual so's to keep the two jiners at
work long's we could.--Take that scythe over to the barn, Jacob, an'
fetch me another, an' step spry."

"What's a 'jiner,' Ansel?"

"Winter Shakers, I call 'em. They're reg'lar constitooshanal
dyed-in-the-wool jiners, jinin' most anything an' hookin' on most
anywheres. They jine when it comes on too cold to sleep outdoors, an'
they onjine when it comes on spring. Elder Gray's always hopin' to
gather in new souls, so he gives the best of 'em a few months' trial.
How are ye, Hannah?" he called to a Sister passing through the orchard
to search for any possible gree