s they had been--they were not bad
yet, but the thought of them was not altogether agreeable to Jem.
However nice the boots, the being reminded of the gift by Master Smith,
and that before all the boys at school, and more than once, was not at
all nice; and Jem had to look back with mingled shame and triumph on a
slight passage of arms that had been intended to put an end to that sort
of thing on Master Smith's part. There was no danger, he thought, of
getting any more boots from Mrs Smith, and all the people were not like
her and her son.

Out of this trouble about the boots had arisen in Jem's mind some
serious misgivings as to the entire desirableness of donation visits.
David and Violet had had them before, but they were not so ready to
speak of these things as Jem was; or rather as Jem would have been if
his conscience had been quite clear as regarded the matter of Master
Smith.

"There would be no good in troubling mamma with it," said Jem, and so
there had been no exciting of one another by foolish talking; and,
indeed, their misgivings had neither been of a depth nor of a nature to
spoil the prospect of the visit to them. Great fun was anticipated as
usual. Debby, though her sister was by no means well yet, came back to
assist in the general confusion.

"There shall be no talk of `allowances' this time," said Debby; and
cellar and garret, pantry, cupboard, and closet, were all put through
such a process of purifying and arranging, that not the neatest
house-keeper in Gourlay could have the least chance or excuse for
hinting that any "allowances" were needed. Debby's honour as a
house-keeper was at stake, to say nothing of the honour of Mrs Inglis.

"It seems as natural as possible to get back to the old spot," said
Debby; "and I wish to goodness sister Serepta would get well, or do
something else. I mean, I wish she would go and stay to Uncle Jason's,
or have Aunt Myra come and stay with her. I'm thankful your ma's got
along so far, without any of those shiftless Simmses or Martins in to
help her. But she's looking a kind of used up, ain't she? And it beats
all how your pa's cold hangs on, don't it?"

"Oh! papa is much better," said David, eagerly, "and mamma is quite
well. She is tired, but now you are here, she just lets things go, and
rests. She knows it will be all right."

"That's so," said Debby, "and she can't do better."

And, indeed, she could not. Her affairs were in good hands. Deb