he threw down his pen and came and stood leaning against
the casement.

"Well," she said with a long breath of contentment, "well, I do feel
about ready to get ready to rest. The Pikeses is all in, I heard Bettie
Pratt calling in the Turners and Pratts and Hoovers, Buck have come
home to supper on time, as I know will relieve Hettie Ann's mind,
Squire Tutt just went in the front gate as I come up the walk and I
seen Mis' Bostick light the lamp in the Deacon's study from my kitchen
window a minute ago. They ain't nothing in the world that makes me so
contented as to know that all Providence is a-setting down to meals at
the same time and a-feeding together as one family, though in different
houses. The good Lord will get all the rendered thanks at the same time
and I feel it will please Him--ours is late on account of Elinory
deciding at the last minute to beat up some clabber cheese with fresh
cream for your supper, like she says they fix it up over in Europe
somewhere she lived while she was a-studying to sing. I come on out so
she could have a swing to herself and not think anybody was a-hurrying
of her. It's a riled woman as generally answers the call of hurry and I
never gives it, lessen it's life or death or a chicken-hawk."

"But, Mother," remonstrated the Doctor with a very real distress in his
voice, "ought you to let her--Miss Wingate--do such things--so many
things? Are you sure she enjoys it and is not just doing it to help or
because she thinks she ought? Or do you--?"

"Well," interrupted Mother decidedly, "it's my opinion they ain't
nothing in the world so heavy as empty hands. She have had to lay down
a music book and I don't know nothing better to offer than a
butter-paddle and a bread-bowl. It's the feeding of folks that counts
in a woman's life, whether it be songs or just bread and butter. If
Elinory's tunes was as much of a success as her riz biscuits have come
to be, I wisht I could have heard her just onct."

"I did, Mother, the first night she sang in America--and it was very
wonderful. When I think of the great opera house, the lights and the
flowers, the audience mad with joy and the applause and--I--I--wonder
how she stands it!"

"Yes," answered Mother, "I reckon wondering how Eve stood things muster
took Adam's mind offen hisself to a very comforting degree. Courage was
the ingredient the good Lord took to start making a woman with and it's
been a-witnessing his spirit in her ever since.