into something better, like--like your wife, maybe."

"Well, your doctrine would put an end to the world,"
Lewis said, smiling.

"I guess," said Brother Nathan, dryly, "there ain't any immediate
danger of the world coming to an end."

"I'd like to see that book," Lewis said, when they parted
at the pasture-bars where a foot-path led down the hill
to his own house.

And that night Brother Nathan had an eager word for the family.
"He's asked for a book!" he said. The Eldress smiled doubtfully,
but Athalia, with a rapturous upward look, said,

"May the Lord guide him!" then added, practically, "It won't
amount to anything. He thinks Shakerism isn't human."

"That's not against it, that's not against it!"
Nathan declared, smiling; "I've told him so a dozen times!"

But Athalia was so happy that first year, and so important,
that she did not often concern herself with the welfare of the man
who had been her husband. Instead--it was early in April--
he concerned himself with hers; he tried, tentatively, to see
if it wasn't almost time for Athalia "to get through with it."
Of course, afterward, Sister Athalia realized, with chagrin,
that this attempt was only a forerunner of the fever that
was developing, which in a few days was to make him a very sick man.