young and tender graces of spirit. Her father sought to confine her to that
sort of diet--at home, at church, everywhere; for his only hope of rescuing
her from Methodism seemed to center in a thorough course of Calvinian
instruction, excluding with rigid surveillance everything Arminian.

But she longed for the food her soul had fed upon with such relish and
profit; and, after a while, hearing that the little Methodist society of
Middletown held noon class meetings, not far from the church which she
was required to attend, she often managed to slip out during part of the
intermission and go and commune with that humble few in class meeting. This
fellowship, with a diligent attention to closet devotions and Scripture
study, and conducting family worship, kept up a subdued but living piety.

But at length her clandestine attendance of class meetings was discovered,
and father and parson were highly indignant, for they saw their cherished
hopes blasted, and, in their mortification, severer discipline was decided
upon. "She must be closely watched and confined at home; her favorite horse
taken from her; her conducting of family worship suspended; her familiarity
with her sisters" (who somewhat sympathized with her) "much abridged." The
kitchen maid was dismissed, and the tall, delicate Elizabeth was driven to
the drudgery of kitchen and washroom, and ordered to "be quiet and diligent
as a servant," under charge of having proved herself "unworthy of a
daughter's place in the family!" To this servile toil Elizabeth submitted
without a murmur, and patiently plodded on, her strong constitution and
heroic courage and steady faith bearing her up. But the accusation of
"ingratitude and disobedience" was so false and severe as to be very
depressing to her spirits. And, never having been inured to hard labor or
parental censure, these double tribulations were almost crushing; and to
help her courage she kept up the low, almost inaudible hum of the sweet
tunes she had so loved to sing among her chosen people, and, thus