Once he said, with a feeble passion--for he was still very weak--"I
tell you, Nathan, it isn't human!" and then added, under his breath,
"but God knows whether that's not in its fa-vor."
When he was quite well again he was plainly preoccupied.
He pored over the Prophecies with a concentration that made
him blind even to Athalia's tired looks. Once, when some one
said in his presence, "Sister 'Thalia is working too hard,"
he blinked at her in an absent way before the old,
anxious attention awoke in his eyes.
Athalia tossed her head and said, "Brother Lewis has his own
affairs to think of, I guess!"
And he said, eagerly: "Yes, 'Thalia; I have been thinking--
Some day I'll tell you. But not yet."
"Oh, I haven't time to pry into other people's thoughts,"
she said, acidly. And, indeed, just then her time was very full.
She was enormously useful to the community that second winter;
her young power and strength shone out against the growing
weariness of the old sisters. "Athalia's capable,"
Eldress Hannah said, and the other sisters said "Yee,"
and smiled at one another.
"She IS useful," Sister Jane declared; "do you know, she got through
the churning before nine? I'd 'a' been at it until eleven!"
"Athalia is like one of those candles that have a streak of soft
wax in 'em," Eldress Hannah murmured; "but she's useful,
as you say, Jane."
In January, when the Eldress fell ill, Athalia was especially useful.
She nursed her with a passion of faithfulness that made
the other sisters remonstrate.
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