"I draw no blank nor miss the prize,
I see the work, the sacrifice,
And I'll be loyal, I'll be wise,
A faithful overcomer!"

The company rose and began again to march in a circle around the centre
of the room, the Brethren two abreast leading the column, the Sisters
following after. There was a waving movement of the hands by drawing
inward as if gathering in spiritual good and storing it up for future
need. In the marching and countermarching the worshipers frequently
changed their positions, ultimately forming into four circles,
symbolical of the four dispensations as expounded in Shakerism, the
first from Adam to Abraham; the second from Abraham to Jesus; the third
from Jesus to Mother Ann Lee; and the fourth the millennial era.

The marching grew livelier; the bodies of the singers swayed lightly
with emotion, the faces glowed with feeling.

Over and over the hymn was sung, gathering strength and fullness as the
Believers entered more and more into the spirit of their worship.
Whenever the refrain came in with its militant fervor, crude, but
sincere and effective, the singers seemed faith-intoxicated; and Sister
Martha in particular might have been treading the heavenly streets
instead of the meeting-house floor, so complete was her absorption. The
voices at length grew softer, and the movement slower, and after a few
moments' reverent silence the company filed out of the room solemnly and
without speech.

I am as sure that heav'n is mine As
though my vi-sion could de-fine Or
pen-cil draw the boun-da-ry line Where
love and truth shall con-quer.

"The Lord ain't shaken Susanna hard enough yet," thought Brother Ansel
shrewdly from his place in the rear. "She ain't altogether gathered in,
not by no manner o' means, because of that unregenerate son of Adam
she's left behind; but there's the makin's of a pow'ful good Shaker in
Susanna, if she finally takes holt!"

"What manner of life is my husband living, now that I have deserted him?
Who is being a mother to Jack?" These were the thoughts that troubled
Susanna Hathaway's soul as she crossed the grass to her own building.

VII

"THE LOWER PLANE"

[Illustration]

Brother Nathan Bennett was twenty years old and Sister Hetty Arnold was
eighteen. They had been left with the Shakers by their respective
parents ten years before, and, growing up in the faith, they formally
joined the Community when they reached the age of