nuine Howe tenacity, she clung to her tenets even though she was without
data to back them up.

Eliza, on the other hand, had in her girlhood been the recipient of
certain vague attentions from an up-State farmer, and these had bared to
her virgin imagination a new world. True, the inconstant swain had
betaken himself to the next county and there wed another. But although the
affair had come to this ignominious end and its radiance had been dimmed
by the realities of a quarter of a century of prosaic life, Eliza had
never allowed time to obscure entirely the beauty of that early dream, nor
the door thus opened into the fairy realms of romance to be wholly closed.
Though she knew herself to be old, silver-haired, and worn, yet within the
fastnesses of her soul she was still young and waited the coming of her
lover. The illusion was only an illusion--a foolish, empty fantasy.
However, it helped her to be content with the present and harmed no one.
That Eliza had never quite "quit struggling" was borne out by the ripples
into which she coaxed her hair and by the knot of bright ribbon she never
failed to fasten beneath her ample chin.

Of the trio, Jane was the best balanced. Although the youngest of the
sisters, it was to her judgment they were wont to appeal in times of
stress. She was more fearless, more outspoken; and any mission she
undertook was more certain of success. Therefore, when it became necessary
to present some cause to Martin, it always fell to Jane's lot to act as
spokesman. Once when a controversy concerning Ellen Webster had arisen,
Jane had actually had the temerity to denounce her brother's attitude to
his face, declaring that should the old woman fall ill she would certainly
go and take care of her. Martin had met her defiance with rage. The
Websters and all their kindred might die before he would cross their
threshold or allow any of his family to do so. Before the violence of his
wrath, Mary and Eliza, who within their souls agreed with Jane, quailed in
terror; but Jane was undaunted.

This lack of what Martin termed _proper pride_ in his sisters was a source
of great disgust to him. He was quite conscious that although they did not
openly combat his opinions, they did not agree with him, and not only
regretted being at odds with their neighbors but also condemned his
perpetuation of the old feud as unchristian. Hence it was a cause for much
rejoicing to his mind to reflect that one male Howe at le