es those qualities.

Her influence upon both her daughter and her husband was marked. They
deferred to her, made much of her, shielded her in every way possible
from all that was rude or unpleasant.

Yet Mrs. Sherwood was a perfectly capable and practical housekeeper, and
when her health would allow it she did all the work of the little family
herself. Just now she was having what she smilingly called "one of her
lazy spells," and old Mrs. Joyce came in to do the washing and cleaning
each week.

It was one of Mrs. Sherwood's many virtues that she bore with a smile
recurrent bodily ills that had made her a semi-invalid since Nan was a
very little girl. But in seeking medical aid for these ills, much of the
earnings of the head of the household had been spent.

The teakettle was singing when Nan entered the "dwelling in amity", and
her mother's low rocker was drawn close to the side-table on which the
lamp stood beside the basket of mending.

Although Mrs. Sherwood could not at present do her own laundry-work, she
insisted upon darning and patching and mending as only she could darn
and patch and mend.

Mr. Sherwood insisted that a sock always felt more comfortable on his
foot after "Momsey" had darned it than when it was new. And surely she
was a very excellent needlewoman.

This evening, however, her work had fallen into her lap with an idle
needle sticking in it. She had been resting her head upon her hand and
her elbow on the table when Nan came in. But she spoke in her usual
bright way to the girl as the latter first of all kissed her and then
put away her books and outer clothing.

"What is the good word from out of doors, honey?" she asked.

Nan's face was rather serious and she could not coax her usual
smile into being. Her last words with Bess Harley had savored of a
misunderstanding, and Nan was not of a quarrelsome disposition.

"I'm afraid there isn't any real good word to be brought from outside
tonight, Momsey," she confessed, coming back to stand by her mother's
chair.

"Can that be possible, Daughter!" said Mrs. Sherwood, with her low,
caressing laugh. "Has the whole world gone wrong?"

"Well, I missed in two recitations and have extras to make up, in the
first place," rejoined Nan ruefully.

"And what else?"

"Well, Bess and I didn't have exactly a falling out; but I couldn't help
offending her in one thing. That's the second trouble."

"And is there a 'thirdly,' my dear?" queried littl