The Elder was an instrument more finely
attuned; sober, humble, pure-minded, zealous, consecrated to the truth as he
saw it, he labored in and out of season for the faith he held so dear; yet as
the years went on, he noted that Ansel, notwithstanding his eccentric views,
lived an honest, temperate, Godfearing life, talking no scandal, dwelling in
unity with his brethren and sisters, and upholding the banner of Shakerism in
his own peculiar way.
As Susanna approached him, Ansel called out, "The yairbs are all ready for ye,
Susanna; the weeds have been on the rampage sence yesterday's rain. Seems like
the more uselesser a thing is, the more it flourishes. The yairbs grow; oh,
yes, they make out to _grow_; but you don't see 'em come leapin' an' tearin'
out o' the airth like weeds. Then there's the birds! I've jest been stoppin'
my grindin' to look at 'em carry on. Take 'em all in all, there ain't nothin'
so lazy an' aimless an' busy'boutnothin' as birds. They go kitin' 'roun' from
tree to tree, hoppin' an' chirpin', flyin' here an' there 'thout no airthly
objeck 'ceptin' to fly back ag'in. There's a heap o' useless critters in the
univarse, but I guess birds are 'bout the uselessest, 'less it's grasshoppers,
mebbe.
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