Black was moving like the
central figure in some stately pageant.

"Fer pity sake!" whispered Mrs. Mixter, "what d' you s'pose she's got
under all that tissue paper?"

Mrs. Solomon Black set the great cake, still veiled, in the middle of
the table; then she straightened herself and looked from one to the
other of the eager, curious faces gathered around.

"There!" she said. "I feel now 's 'o' I could dror m' breath once
more. I ain't joggled it once, so's t' hurt, since I started from
home."

Then slowly she withdrew the shrouding tissue paper from the creation
she had thus triumphantly borne to its place of honor, and stood off,
a little to one side, her face one broad smile of satisfaction.

"Fer goodness' sake!"

"Did you ev--er!"

"Why, Mis' Black!"

"Ain't that just--"

"You never done that all yourself?"

Mrs. Black nodded slowly, almost solemnly. The huge cake which was
built up in successive steps, like a pyramid, was crowned on its
topmost disk by a bridal scene, a tiny man holding his tiny veiled
bride by the hand in the midst of an expanse of pink frosting. About
the side of the great cake, in brightly colored "mites," was
inscribed "Greetings to our Pastor and his Bride."

"I thought 'twould be kind of nice, seeing our minister was just
married, and so, in a way, this is a wedding reception. I don't know
what the rest of you ladies'll think."

Abby Daggett stood with clasped hands, her big soft bosom rising and
falling in a sort of ecstasy.

"Why, Phoebe," she said, "it's a real poem! It couldn't be no
han'somer if it had been done right up in heaven!"

She put her arms about Mrs. Solomon Black and kissed her.

"And this ain't all," said Mrs. Black. "Lois Daggett is going to
fetch over a chocolate cake and a batch of crullers for me when she
comes."

Applause greeted this statement.

"Time was," went on Mrs. Black, "and not so long ago, neither, when I
was afraid to spend a cent, for fear of a rainy day that's been long
coming. 'Tain't got here yet; but I can tell you ladies, I got a
lesson from _her_ in generosity I don't mean to forget. 'Spend and be
spent' is my motto from now on; so I didn't grudge the new-laid eggs
I put in that cake, nor yet the sugar, spice nor raisins. There's
three cakes in one--in token of the trinity (I do hope th' won't
nobody think it's wicked t' mention r'ligion in connection with a
cake); the bottom cake was baked in a milk-pan, an' it's a bride's
cak