Kit is very conflicted about what to do regarding Judith, Mercy, and John Holbrook. Should she have intervened?

The conflict lies in the fact that Kit sees Mercy, in an unguarded moment, looking at John Holbrook with love in her eyes as John reads the Bible to the Wood family on a Saturday evening. When she sees Mercy's look of adoration, she realizes how "utterly right" Mercy and John are for each other.

Then, when John Holbrook tells her that he is going to stay with Mercy instead of going to the husking...

The conflict lies in the fact that Kit sees Mercy, in an unguarded moment, looking at John Holbrook with love in her eyes as John reads the Bible to the Wood family on a Saturday evening. When she sees Mercy's look of adoration, she realizes how "utterly right" Mercy and John are for each other.

Then, when John Holbrook tells her that he is going to stay with Mercy instead of going to the husking bee, Kit is overjoyed. John intends to ask Matthew for permission to marry Mercy. However, Judith, arrogantly thinking John is smitten with her (instead of her sister), asks Matthew to just "say yes" immediately so that they can still go to the husking bee together.

Kit, knowing that John had intended to ask for Mercy's hand, is torn. Yet, Kit and John know that if they say something to correct Judith in her presumption, and in doing so hurt Judith, Mercy would never forgive them.

Although it is difficult for Kit to watch the two true lovers torn apart unintentionally by Judith, it works out well that she did not intervene. In the end, everyone ends up with the partner that they should. After a near-death experience, John develops the courage to go to Mercy and fixes the mistake of not speaking up sooner. Judith ends up with William Ashby, her original and appropriate suitor.