the corner.

"It's someone else's turn to run, it seems to me," he said; "Lilac's
been at it all day. You go, Agnetta." And as Agnetta left the room
with an injured shrug, he continued:

"Seems too as if Lilac had all the work and none of the fun. You'd like
an outing as well as any of 'em--wouldn't you, my maid?"

Lilac did not know what to make of such unexpected kindness. As a rule
her uncle seemed hardly to know that she was in the house. She did not
answer, for she was very much afraid of him, but she looked appealingly
at her aunt.

"I'm sure, Greenways," said the latter in an offended tone, "you needn't
talk as if the child was put upon. And your own niece, and an orphan
besides. I know my duty better. And as for holidays and fetes and
such, 'tisn't nateral to suppose as how Lilac would want to go to 'em
after the judgment as happened to her directly after the last one.
Leastways, not yet awhile. There'd be something ondacent in it, to my
thinking."

"Well, there! it doesn't need so much talking," replied the farmer.
"I'm not wanting her to go to fetes. But there's Mr Snell--he was
asking for her yesterday when I met him. Let her go tomorrow and spend
the day with him."

"If there is a busier day than another, it's Thursday," said Mrs
Greenways fretfully.

"Why, as to that, she's only a child, and makes no differ in the house,
as you always say," remarked the farmer; "anyhow, I mean her to go
to-morrow, and that's all about it."

Lilac went to bed that night with a heart full of gratitude for her
uncle's kindness, and delight at the promised visit; but her last
thought before she slept was: "I'm sorry as how None-so-pretty has got
to be sold."

CHAPTER NINE.

COMMON THINGS.

"...Find out men's wants and will
And meet them there, all earthly joys grow less
To the one joy of doing kindnesses."
_George Herbert_.

Lilac could hardly believe her own good fortune when nothing happened
the next morning to prevent her visit, not even a cross word nor a
complaint from her aunt, who seemed to have forgotten her objections of
last night and to be quite pleased that she should go. Mrs Greenways
put a small basket into her hand before she started, into which she had
packed a chicken, a pot of honey, and a pat of fresh butter.

"There," she said, "that's a little something from Orchards Farm, tell
him. The chick's our own rearing, and the honey's from Peter's bees,
and the butter's