Lady of the Aroostook Chapter V

In which a round of considerate yet quietly uneasy reflection takes place over Lydia’s impending voyage, as her family and the minister deliberate her solitary position among strangers and her admirable self-reliance. The conversation, marked by the homely shelling of peas and gentle moral encouragement, reveals a community seeking to reconcile affectionate anxiety with faith in Lydia’s strength of character.