ou
will know before night what it means, and before to-morrow people will
be coming to you to learn the way to God.'

"Soon after, a flock of these shy little birds alighted on Joseph
Pelham's house, and the Elders were glad, and thought it signified the
flock of Believers that would gather in that place; for the Shakers see
more in signs than other people. Just at night a young girl of twelve or
thirteen knocked at the door and told Elder Calvin that she wanted to
become a Shaker, and that her father and mother were willing.

"'Here is the little quail!' cried the Elder, and indeed she was the
first who flocked to the meetings and joined the new Community.

"On their return to their old home across the state the Elders took the
little quail girl with them. It was November then, and the canals
through which they traveled were clogged with ice. One night, having
been ferried across the Mohawk River, they took their baggage and walked
for miles before they could find shelter. Finally, when they were within
three miles of their home, Elder Calvin shortened the way by going
across the open fields through the snow, up and down the hills and
through the gullies and over fences, till they reached the house at
midnight, safe and sound, the brave little quail girl having trudged
beside them the whole distance, carrying her tin pail."

Sue was transported with interest, her lips parted, her eyes shining,
her hands clasped.

"Oh, I wish I could be a brave little quail girl, Mardie! What became of
her?"

"Her name was Polly Reed, and when she grew up, she became a teacher of
the Shaker school, then an Eldress, and even a preacher. I don't know
what kind of a little quail girl you would make, Sue; do you think you
could walk for miles through the ice and snow uncomplainingly?"

"I don' know's I could," sighed Sue; "but," she added hopefully,
"perhaps I could teach or preach, and then I could gropeanwag as much as
ever I liked." Then, after a lengthy pause, in which her mind worked
feverishly, she said, "Mardie, I was just groping a little bit, but I
won't do it any more to-night. If the old quail birds in the woods where
Elder Calvin prayed, if those old birds had been Shaker birds, there
wouldn't have been any little quail birds, would there, because Shakers
don't have children, and then perhaps there wouldn't have been any
little Polly Reed."

Susanna rose hurriedly from the list-bottomed chair and folded her work.
"I'll