LOOM AND SPINDLE OR Life Among the Early Mill Girls WITH A ...

with the ballot in her hand! And to any reader who has an interest in the final result of my
religious experience, I may add, that, as late as 1898, I became a communicant of the
Episcopal Church.
When the time came for me to become engaged to the man of my choice, having always
believed in the old-fashioned idea that there should be no secrets between persons about
to marry, I told him, among my other shortcomings, as the most serious of all, the story
of my excommunication. To my great surprise, he laughed heartily, derided the whole
affair, and wondered at the serious view I had always taken of it; and later he enjoyed
saying to some of his gentlemen friends, as if it were a good joke, "Did you know my
wife had been excommunicated from the church?"
And I too, long since have learned, that no creed–
"Can fix our doom,
Nor stay the eternal Love from His intent,
While Hope remaining bears her verdant bloom."