t of
which he had not been slow to avail himself lately--to engage in a little
old-time, secular conversation. His voice, however, as it sounded from
the south doorway, was impressive enough for any subject.

"Grists on 'em, this year!" he said.

"Heaps!" Aunt Patty responded, readily. "I don't see how ever the
children could be speered to go to school now, anyway. Randal had all
eight o' hisn out yesterday, with a four-quart pail apiece, and him and
Lucindy pickin' into the half-bushel besides; and Rodney told Bede, for
the livin' truth, he'd seen a lantern movin' around last night right in
the dead o' night, and he looked out and it was the Dean and Abbie Ann
out tater-buggin', and everybody knows they wasn't out in the daytime, it
was so dreadful hot. I'm sure we never had such queer weather afore. But
them bugs are the hardest critturs to kill. It's almost impossible to
dispose on 'em; and it does seem enough, what with ploughin' and plantin'
and harrowin' and hoein' to git a few potatoes, and like enough, wet
weather to rot 'em, without havin' to fight over 'em, for the last chance,
with a whole army of varmint. I'm sure this 'ere way o' gittin' a livin',
as old Grandther Skewer used to say, 'It costs more than it's wuth.'"

Led by the screams of the little Keelers in Madeline's apartment, Grandma
had left the room for a moment, and Grandpa cleared his throat and began,
hopefully:--

"Talkin' about tater-bugs," he said, and he glanced at me with a
preliminary gleam in his eye; "Bachelder Lot was tellin' me the other
mornin,--he said he was eddicatin' a couple on 'em. He said thar' wa'n't
no other way to get rid on 'em, but to appeal to their moral natur', and
he said when he'd got 'em eddicated up to the highest p'int o' morality,
he was a goin' to send 'em out as missionaries ter convart the rest.
Bachelder said he'd got 'em fur enough along, now, so't they'd pass
examination along o' average folks that wa'n't admitted church
members----"

"Bijonah Keeler!"

Grandma, unexpectedly returning, had caught the last word only of
Grandpa's discourse, but taking this in connection with the bright and
mirthful expression of his countenance, she judged that his sentiments
had been of an unusually reprehensible nature.

"Wall, wall, ma," said Grandpa, with an evident notion of continuing his
narration; "what now, ma?"

"I hope, pa," said Grandma, giving one the impression that she felt she
couldn't put the case too