ess.
When the violin was laid away, she would sit in the twilight, by Davy's
sofa, his thin hand in hers, and talk with Anthony about books and
flowers and music, and about the meaning of life, too,--its burdens and
mistakes, and joys and sorrows; groping with him in the darkness to find
a clue to God's purposes.

Davy had long afternoons at Lyddy's house as the autumn grew into
winter. He read to her while she sewed rags for a new sitting-room
carpet, and they played dominoes and checkers together in the twilight
before supper time,--suppers that were a feast to the boy, after Mrs.
Buck's cookery. Anthony brought his violin sometimes of an evening, and
Almira Berry, the next neighbor on the road to the Mills, would drop
in and join the little party. Almira used to sing Auld Robin Gray, What
Will You Do, Love, and Robin Adair, to the great enjoyment of everybody;
and she persuaded Lyddy to buy the old church melodeon, and learn to
sing alto in Oh, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast, Gently, Gently Sighs the
Breeze, and I know a Bank. Nobody sighed for the gayeties and advantages
of a great city when, these concerts being over, Lyddy would pass crisp
seedcakes and raspberry shrub, doughnuts and cider, or hot popped corn
and molasses candy.

"But there, she can afford to," said aunt Hitty Tarbox; "she's pretty
middlin' wealthy for Edgewood. And it's lucky she is, for she 'bout
feeds that boy o' Croft's. No wonder he wants her to fill him up, after
six years of the Widder Buck's victuals. Aurelia Buck can take good
flour and sugar, sweet butter and fresh eggs, and in ten strokes of her
hand she can make 'em into something the very hogs 'll turn away from. I
declare, it brings the tears to my eyes sometimes when I see her coming
out of Croft's Saturday afternoons, and think of the stone crocks full
of nasty messes she's left behind her for that innocent man and boy to
eat up.... Anthony goes to see Miss Butterfield consid'able often.
Of course it's awstensibly to walk home with Davy, or do an errand or
something, but everybody knows better. She went down to Croft's pretty
nearly every day when his cousin from Bridgton come to house-clean.
She suspicioned something, I guess. Anyhow, she asked me if Miss
Butterfield's two hundred a year was in gov'ment bonds. Anthony's
eyesight ain't good, but I guess he could make out to cut cowpons
off.... It would be strange if them two left-overs should take an'
marry each other; though, come