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didn’t want to gossip. I was mighty disturbed, I don’t mind telling you. That woman has some odd notions in her head.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œWell, she seemed quite put out when she dropped into the Sisters’ Shop and saw us all doing what she called ‘female tasks.’ She wondered why there weren’t any brethren in here weaving and sewing, and she was nasty about it. Sarah tried to explain it to her—Sarah’s so gentle, you know—that we work and eat and live separately from the brethren, so we divide up tasks in a reasonable way, but Celia just laughed. I pointed out that we do help the brethren in the fields during the harvest, and she said, ‘Oh, so you do men’s work, but they refuse to help with your work!’ Honestly. I wanted to ask her to leave, but that would have been rude.” Isabel jumped up to check on her soaking yarn, gave it a stir with a long stick, and sat down again.
    â€œAll that was irritating, but there was even more. That’s when I began to worry.” Isabel’s smooth forehead creased. “I suppose I could be making too much of it, but . . .”
    â€œTell me,” Rose said.
    â€œShe started talking about her own group, those New-Owenites, or whatever they call themselves. I wasn’t sure Iwas understanding her right, but it sounded like they marry, but they don’t really believe in marriage, or something like that. But they believe in having children and educating them very carefully so the boys and the girls are equal. I said that we believe boys and girls are equal, too, but she said we obviously didn’t, and that our not marrying was unnatural and would kill us!”
    â€œWe’ve heard these things before,” Rose said. “Somehow we always survive.”
    â€œTrue, but then Celia started going around to each of the sisters, one by one, spending a lot more time with the younger sisters and the older girls, asking why they weren’t still in school, learning to do important work, like science.”
    â€œYou’re afraid she was swaying some of the sisters away from the Society?”
    â€œI’ve seen it happen,” Isabel said. “The younger ones fall in love and want families; they lose their way, listen to all sorts of nonsense. I was susceptible myself, when I was young.” Isabel was no more than thirty, but responsibility had given her purpose and self-assurance.
    â€œDo you believe she succeeded in convincing any of the sisters?”
    â€œI have my doubts about Lottie and Frieda. They seemed to listen intently, and they didn’t question. Afterward, I noticed them whispering together. The other sisters were polite but went about their work as though Celia did not trouble them. Among the young girls, Hannah seemed most taken with Celia’s arguments.”
    Rose shrugged. “I’ve seen signs in Hannah of longing to be in the world, so I’m not surprised. She’d make a good Shaker, if she made up her mind to, but her strong will may be leading her in a different direction. As for the other girls, they so rarely sign the Covenant these days, and we can’t blame Celia for that. I’ll try to keep watch on Lottie and Frieda, though. Did Celia say anything else I should know about?”
    Isabel squirmed on her chair. She swept over to the cauldron and gave her yarn a quick stir again. Finally she turned backto Rose and said, “She had two more things to say, but they were so outrageous that I’m sure no one took them seriously in the least. I suppose you should know about them, though. I heard a couple of the things she said to Frieda and Lottie. I was worried, and I’m not ashamed to say I followed behind when I saw Celia go after the sisters as they went to do some weaving. I stood outside the door a bit and listened, and if Mother Ann had been there, she’d’ve done the same!”
    Isabel squared her