was, Uncle Moses says, one of the splendidest
boys ever grew up in Marsden. Only he didn't like to stay at home, and
that got him into trouble. That took away his chance of ever being
President. But you can be if you want to. Any boy who stays at home and
cures his own stuttering by just taking care and practising and going
slow--and being dreadful nice to his grandmother--or mothers and
fathers, like Ned's and Bob's--they can grow up to be Presidents or
constables, 'ary' one. Let's give them, the cheers! Three for Montgomery
Sturtevant, who's never going to do a wrong thing again, because he's
found a father to talk about and love, just as I do 'Johnny,' who was
mine! Three cheers for Nate Pettijohn, who brought the good news home!
Three cheers for the brass bound box, that tried to be a gold mine, but
turned out something ever and ever so much better! And three times three
cheers for Uncle Moses Jones, who is going to be constable, after all,
and looks this minute as if he wanted to arrest me, the first one,
because I don't fetch him his supper, and who knows as well as I do that
all that ice-cream is melting lickety-cut, while I stand here talking!
Hip! Hip! Hurr-a-ah! And a tiger! Hip--hip--hurrah!"

How the rafters rang! and how surprised was every one to hear a girl, a
mere little girl, deliver such an oration, and with such an entire
forgetfulness of self. Not knowing then how great her heart was nor how
she longed to make glad every single person in the world, even though
most of her schemes went so wide of the mark that her own father had
dubbed her his little "Quixote."

This brought all the company safely back from the realm of sentiment and
deep emotion to the commonplace level of hunger and good cheer awaiting
it. So Eunice Maitland herself led the way to table with Nathan
Pettijohn close beside her, and, since there were no chairs to sit upon,
took her stand at the end, and, bowing her graceful old head, gave
silent thanks to the Giver of a feast so glorious as this had proved.

Even Madam, who could not be persuaded to leave her lofty isolation upon
the oat-bin, nor to loose her hold of her brass bound box with its
precious enclosure--so much more valuable than the diamonds which had
once sparkled within it--even she did consent to taste of that rare
delicacy which had come to Marsden in ugly wooden tubs. Her portion,
though, was brought upon a china dish, because Susanna feared the
gentlewoman's fasti