But
there was a great keyhole in the door, and James Whittaker, a boy of nineteen,
who loved Mother Ann and believed in her, put the stem of a clay pipe in the
hole and poured a mixture of wine and milk through it. He managed to do this
day after day, so that when the jailer opened the cell door, expecting to find
Mother Ann dying for lack of food, she walked out looking almost as strong and
well as when she entered. You can play it all out, and afterwards you can make
the ship that brought Mother Ann and the other Shakers from Liverpool to New
York. The clothes-pins can be who will they be, Jane?"
"William Lee, Nancy Lee, James Whittaker, and I forget the others," recited
Jane, like an obedient parrot.
"And it will be splendid to have James Whittaker, for he really came to
Albion," said Mary.
"Perhaps he stood on this very spot more than once," mused Abby. "It was
Mother Ann's vision that brought them to this land, a vision of a large tree
with outstretching branches, every leaf of which shone with the brightness of
a burning torch! Oh! if the vision would only come true! If Believers would
only come to us as many as the leaves on the tree," she sighed, as she and
Susanna moved away from the group of chattering children, all as eager to play
the history of Shakerism as they had been to dramatize the family life of Adam
and Eve.
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