"At the quilting Madame de Frontignac would have her seat, and soon
won the respect of the party by the dexterity with which she used her
needle; though, when it was whispered that she learned to quilt among
the nuns, some of the elderly ladies exhibited a slight uneasiness, as
being rather doubtful whether they might not be encouraging papistical
opinions by allowing her an equal share in the work of getting up
their minister's bed quilt; but the younger part of the company was
quite captivated by her foreign air and the pretty manner in which she
lisped her English; and Cerinthy Ann even went so far as to horrify
her mother by saying that she wished she'd been educated in a convent
herself, a declaration which arose less from native depravity than
from a certain vigorous disposition, which often shows itself in young
people, to shock the current opinions of their elders and betters. Of
course, the conversation took a general turn, somewhat in unison with
the spirit of the occasion; and whenever it flagged, some allusion to
a forthcoming wedding, or some sly hint at the future young Madame of
the parish was sufficient to awaken the dormant animation of the
company.

[Illustration: MORNING GLORY

It must be "early to bed and early to rise" for the
child who would see the sweet morning glory in all its
loveliness, as it must be found before all the dew is
gone]

"Cerinthy Ann contrived to produce an agreeable electric shock by
declaring that for her part she never could see into it how any girl
could marry a minister; that she should as soon think of setting up
housekeeping in a meeting-house.

"'Oh, Cerinthy Ann!' exclaimed her mother, 'how can you go on so?'

"'It's a fact,' said the adventurous damsel; 'now other men let you
have some peace, but a minister's always round under your feet.'

"'So you think the less you see of a husband, the better?' said one of
the ladies.

"'Just my views!' said Cerinthy, giving a decided snip to her thread
with her scissors. 'I like the Nantucketers, that go off on four
years' voyages, and leave their wives a clear field. If ever I get
married, I'm going up to have one of those fellows.'

"It is to be remarked, in passing, that Miss Cerinthy Ann was at this
very time receiving surreptitious visits from a consumptive-looking,
conscientious young theological candidate, who came occasionally to
preach in the vicinity, and put up at the house of the deacon, h