“‘I see, I see,’ said he. ‘I heard that the Tiverton folks were about
to make thee a present,’ said he, ‘and I hoped it would be such an
one as would make thy heart better. It is only the present that makes
the heart better that the Lord desires thee to have, Sister Susan.’
“‘Elder Almy,’ said I, ‘I am a plain-spoken woman, and I am going
to ask you one question, if you are a Quaker. Why should not a poor
woman like me have a camlet cloak?’
“‘Thee shouldst, if it would make thee better, Susan. What hast thou
to go with thy camlet cloak? Look at thy shoes, Susan. How is thy
meal-chest, Susan? How wouldst thee look in thy green calash and thy
camlet cloak, Susan?’
“‘But I’m goin’ to get a whole lot of new things to wear with my
camlet cloak,’ said I.
“‘How about thy purse, Susan? Hast thou means to live after the
pattern of thy royal garment? And would it be good for thy heart if
thou hadst? Simple living is a duty, Susan. I dress as simply as my
work-folks, Susan. If I did otherwise, I would encourage extravagance
in them. Thy camlet cloak begetteth pride, Susan, and pride resisteth
the Spirit, Susan. It is better for thee, Susan, far better, to be
poor in spirit.’
“Then I up and fell from grace, the Lord forgive me!
“‘Elder Almy,’ said I, ‘I am just as good as any of the people that
wear camlet cloaks. There was no different blood in the veins of
Queen Anne than that in my own. Small people make small presents. The
Governor has sent forth his proclamation for all people to assemble
in the churches on the 20th day of the 11th month, and I am going to
assemble.’
“‘_All_ of you, Susan?’
“‘Yes, _all_ of me, and the camlet cloak. It doesn’t make one feel
happy to be given pewter spoons. There!’
“‘Nor a gold crown, Susan?’
“I was sorry afterwards that I said these things, for Elder Almy and
all the Quakers were the most feeling and generous people, and as for
Mrs. Almy, why, she would have given away her bonnet off her own head.
“I had some money that I had hidden away in an old Spanish money-jar,
against sickness. I resolved to take that and go to Newport and buy
me some silk for a hood, an alpaca dress, and a string of beads,
which Elder Almy would have classed among the vanities. I went to
Newport, and I found there that I needed so many things to go with
the camlet cloak that I spent all the money that I had. ‘The Lord who
sent the camlet cloak will provide,’ said I.
“I shall never forget that bright Thanksgiving morning that I was
to set out from Quaker Hill, and for Tiverton, in my silk hood and
camlet cloak. It was a cold morning, but clear. I could hear the surf
roaring at Newport, and the bells ringing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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