enched, my faculty onusable, a
living monument to the hate and revenge and onjestice of God!" She
spoke with growing passion, but checked herself, and began more
calmly.

"And if it were just, Dalmanuthy Holt would be the last to speak
ag'in' it. I allus prided myself on being a reasoning woman. But
just it is not, and never were, and never will be. I have seed a
sight of trouble in my day, women, and bore up under it patient and
courageous. Besides the man of my love, and the payrents that begot
me, seven sons of my body have I laid in the grave, three in infancy
of summer-complaint, two with the choking-disease, two with typhoid;
and in all this I never once lifted up my voice ag'in' God, but bore
it still and patient, even when I were reduced down to just John, my
sorriest son, and little Evy, my onliest daughter and the child of
my prayer. But, women,"--and again strong passion thrilled in her
voice,--"when I seed that one little tender yoe lamb that I
cherished with deathless love begin for to pale and cough and pine,
then and thar the sword entered my soul, my heart turnt over in my
breast, and I cried out wild and desperate: 'Not this! not this!
Take all else I got, but not her! It is cruel, it is onjust. I
rebel ag'in' it, I will never endure it.' And I kep' a-crying it as
I seed her fade and thin; I cried it when the last breath flickered
from her pore little body; I cried it when I laid her in the cold
ground; I cried it when the preachers come to see me atterward,
threatening judgment; I cried it when I felt the curse a-falling and
the sight of my-eyes a-going; I cried it loud and fierce at her
funeral occasion; and cry it I will to the end of my darkened days!
It were cruel, it were onjust, it were horrible, it were wicked, of
God to treat me that way, and never will I say it wa' n't!"

Miss Shippen waited a full minute before answering quietly and
slowly: "It was cruel, it was unjust, it was horrible, it was
wicked, that you should have been made to suffer so; above all, Aunt
Dalmanutha, it was unnecessary. With a little knowledge, and proper
food and fresh air, your daughter's life could have been saved; with
knowledge and proper treatment your sons need not have died of
dysentery or typhoid or even diphtheria; with knowledge your
blindness itself, which is no curse, but would as surely have come
upon you had you never lost Evy and never rebelled in your heart,
need have lasted only a few mon