er, yet she was conscious of a quiver of
resentment.

"All this fuss about Barney Thayer," said Hannah Berry.

"How did you hear about it?" Mrs. Barnard asked with a glance at
Charlotte, who was sitting erect with her cheeks very red and her
mouth tightly closed.

"Never mind how I heard," replied Hannah. "I did hear, an' that's
enough. Now I want to know if you're really goin' to set down like an
old hen an' give up, an' let this match between Charlotte an' a good,
smart, likely young man like Barnabas Thayer be broken off on account
of Cephas Barnard's crazy freaks?"

Sarah stiffened her neck. "There ain't no call for you to speak that
way, Hannah. They got to talkin' over the 'lection."

"The 'lection! I'd like to know what business they had talkin' about
it Sabbath night anyway? I ain't blamin' Barnabas so much; he's
younger an' easier stirred up; but Cephas Barnard is an old man, an'
he has been a church-member for forty year, an' he ought to know
enough to set a better example. I'd like to know what difference it
makes about the 'lection anyway? What odds does it make which one is
President if he rules the country well? An' that they can't tell till
they've tried him awhile anyway. I guess they don't think much about
the country; it's jest to have their own way about it. I'd like to
know what mortal difference it's goin' to make to Barney Thayer or
Cephas Barnard which man is President? He won't never hear of them,
an' they won't neither of them make him rule any different after he's
chose. It's jest like two little boys--one wants to play marbles
'cause the other wants to play puss-in-the-corner, an' that's all the
reason either one of 'em's got for standin' out. Men ain't got any
too much sense anyhow, when you come right down to it. They don't
ever get any too much grown up, the best of 'em. I'd like to know
what Cephas Barnard has got to say because he's drove a good, likely
young man like Barnabas Thayer off an' broke off his daughter's
match? It ain't likely she'll ever get anybody now; young men like
him, with nice new houses put up to go right to housekeepin' in as
soon as they are married, don't grow on every bush. They ain't quite
so thick as wild thimbleberries. An' Charlotte ain't got any money
herself, an' her father ain't got any to build a house for her. I'd
like to know what he's got to say about it?"

Mrs. Barnard put up her apron and began to weep helplessly.

"Don't, mother," said Charl