Annie Kilburn

Bolton came in from feeding the horse and cow in the barn, with a mealy tin

pan in his hand, from which came a mild, subdued radiance like that of his

countenance. He was not sensible of arriving upon a dramatic moment, and he

said, without noticing the attitude of either lady: "I see you walkin' home

with Mr. Putney, Miss Kilburn. What'd _he_ say?"

"You mean about Mr. Gerrish? He thinks as we all do; that it was a

challenge to Mr. Peck's friends, and that we must take it up."

A light of melancholy satisfaction shone from Bolton's deeply shaded eyes.

"Well, he ain't one to lose time, not a great deal. I presume he's goin' to

work?"

"At once," said Annie. "He says Mr. Gerrish will be sure to bring his

grievance up at the next Society meeting, and we must be ready to meet

him, and out-talk him and out-vote him." She reported these phrases from

Putney's lips.

"Well, I guess if it was out-talkin', Mr. Putney wouldn't have much trouble

about it. And as far forth as votin' goes, I don't believe but what we can

carry the day."

"We couldn't," said Mrs. Bolton from the pantry, where she had gone to

put the bread away in its stone jar, "if it was left to the church."

She accented the last word with the click of the jar lid, and came out.

"Well, it ain't a church question. It's a Society question."

Mrs. Bolton replied, on her passage to the dining-room with the plate of

sliced bread: "I can't make it seem right to have the minister a Society

question. Seems to me that the church members'd ought have the say."

"Well, you can't make the discipline over to suit everybody," said Bolton.

"I presume it was ordered for a wise purpose."

"Why, land alive, Oliver Bolton," his wife shouted back from the remoteness

to which his words had followed her, "the statute provisions and rules of

the Society wa'n't ordered by Providence."

"Well, not directly, as you may say," said Bolton, beginning high, and

lowering his voice as she rejoined them, "but I presume the hearts of them

that made them was moved."

Mrs. Bolton could not combat a position of such unimpregnable piety in

words, but she permitted herself a contemptuous sniff, and went on getting

the things into the dining-room.

"And I guess it's all goin' to work together for good. I ain't afraid

any but what it's goin' to come out all right. But we got to be up and

doin', as they say about 'lection times. The Lord helps them that helps

themselves," said Bolton, and then, as if he felt the weakness of this

position as compared with that of entire trust in Providence, he winked his

mild eyes, and added, "if they're on the right side, and put their faith in

His promises."