"Jabe explained it all out to him after supper. It beats all how he gets
on with children."

"I'd ruther hear how he explained it," answered Samantha sarcastically.
"He's great on expoundin' the Scripters jest now. Well, I hope it'll
last. Land sakes! you'd think nobody ever experienced religion afore,
he's so set up 'bout it. You'd s'pose he kep' the latch-key o' the
heavenly mansions right in his vest pocket, to hear him go on. He
couldn't be no more stuck up 'bout it if he'd ben one o' the two
brothers that come over in three ships!"

"There goes Elder Nichols," said Miss Vilda. "Now there's a plan we
hadn't thought of. We might take the children over to Purity Village. I
think likely the Shakers would take 'em. They like to get young folks
and break 'em into their doctrines."

"Tim 'd make a tiptop Shaker," laughed Samantha. "He'd be an Elder afore
he was twenty-one. I can seem to see him now, with his hair danglin'
long in his neck, a blue coat buttoned up to his chin, and his hands
see-sawin' up 'n' down, prancin' round in them solemn dances."

"Tim would do well enough, but I ain't so sure of Gay. They'd have their
hands full, I guess!"

"I guess they would. Anybody that wanted to make a Shaker out o' her
would 'a' had to begin with her grandmother; and that wouldn't 'a' done
nuther, for they don't b'lieve in marryin', and the thing would 'a'
stopped right there, and Gray wouldn't never 'a' been born int' the
world."