exposed to in his journey through this vale of tears.

"Women-folks makes splendid Shakers," he was wont to say. "They're all
right as Sisters, 'cause their belief makes 'em safe. It kind o' shears
'em o' their strength; tames their sperits; takes the sting out of 'em
an' keeps 'em from bein' sassy an' domineerin'. Jest as long as they
think marriage is _right_, they'll marry ye spite of anything ye can do
or say--four of 'em married my father one after another, though he fit
'em off as hard as he knew how. But if ye can once get the faith o'
Mother Ann into 'em, they're as good afterwards as they was wicked
afore. There's no stoppin' 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,
God-fearing 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'boutnothin' 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 uselyest, '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!"

"