ke the running away of
Nathan and Hetty. If they had been new converts, we should have thought
the good seed hadn't got fairly rooted, but those children were brought
to us when Nathan was eleven and Hetty nine."

"I well remember, for the boy's father and the girl's mother came on the
same train; a most unusual occurrence to receive two children in one
day."

"I have cause to remember Hetty in her first month, for she was as wild
as a young hawk. She laughed in meeting the first Sunday, and when she
came back, I told her to sit behind me in silence for half an hour while
I was reading my Bible. 'Be still now, Hetty, and labor to repent,' I
said. When the time was up, she said in a meek little mite of a voice,
'I think I'm least in the Kingdom now. Eldress Abby!' 'Then run
outdoors,' I said. She kicked up her heels like a colt and was through
the door in a second. Not long afterwards I put my hands behind me to
tie my apron tighter, and if that child hadn't taken my small scissors
lying on the table and cut buttonholes all up and down my strings,
hundreds of them, while she was 'laboring to repent.'"

Elder Gray smiled reminiscently, though he had often heard the story
before. "Neither of the children came from godly families," he said,
"but at least the parents never interfered with us nor came here putting
false ideas into their children's heads."

"That's what I say," continued Abby; "and now, after ten years' training
and discipline in the angelic life, Hetty being especially promising, to
think of their going away together, and worse yet, being married in
Albion village right at our very doors; I don't hardly dare to go to bed
nights for fear of hearing in the morning that some of the other young
folks have been led astray by this foolish performance of Hetty's; I
know it was Hetty's fault; Nathan never had ingenuity enough to think
and plan it all out."

"Nay, nay, Abby, don't be too hard on the girl; I've watched Nathan
closely, and he has been in a dangerous and unstable state, even as long
ago as his last confession; but this piece of backsliding, grievous as
it is, doesn't cause me as much sorrow as the fall of Brother Ephraim.
To all appearance he had conquered his appetite, and for five years he
has led a sober life. I had even great hopes of him for the ministry,
and suddenly, like a great cloud in the blue sky, has come this terrible
visitation, this reappearance of the old Adam. 'Ephraim has returned