ight's before he gets off to his work."

It was amusing to see Mr. Knight's look of astonishment, when the
widow made her application. Lydia, who chanced to be present, hastily
retreated behind the pantry door, where with her apron over her mouth,
she laughed heartily as she thought of a note, which the candidate for
teaching had once sent them, and in which "i's" figured conspicuously,
while her mother was "_polightly_ thanked for those yeast?"

Possibly Mr. Knight thought of the note, too, for he gave the widow no
encouragement, and when on her way home she called for a moment at
Mrs. Mason's, she "thanked her stars that Sally Ann wasn't obliged to
keep school for a livin', for down below where she came from, teachers
warn't fust cut!"

One morning about a week after Mary's return, she announced her
intention of visiting her mother's grave. "I am accustomed to so much
exercise," said she, "that I can easily walk three miles, and perhaps
on my way home I shall get a ride."

Mrs Mason made no objection, and Mary was soon on her way. She was a
rapid walker, and almost before she was aware of it, reached the
village. As she came near Mrs. Campbell's, the wish naturally arose
that Ella should accompany her. Looking up she saw her sister in the
garden and called to her.

"Wha-a-t?" was the very loud and uncivil answer which came back to
her, and in a moment Ella appeared round the corner of the house,
carelessly swinging her straw flat, and humming a fashionable song. On
seeing her sister she drew back the corners of her mouth into
something which she intended for a smile, and said, "Why, I thought it
was Bridget calling me, you looked so much like her in that gingham
sun-bonnet. Won't you come in?"

"Thank you," returned Mary, "I was going to mother's grave, and
thought perhaps you would like to accompany me."

"Oh, no," said Ella, in her usual drawling tone, "I don't know as I
want to go. I was there last week and saw the monument."

"What monument?" asked Mary, and Ella replied "Why, didn't you know
that Mrs. Mason, or the town, or somebody, had bought a monument, with
mother's and father's, and Franky's, and Allie's name on it?"

Mary waited for no more, but turned to leave, while Ella, who was
anxious to inquire about Ida Selden, and who could afford to be
gracious, now that neither Miss Porter, nor the city girls were there,
called after her to stop and rest, when she came back. Mary promised
to do so, and