ng into years,
and the care of two children is a good deal for her, with her cooking
and her rheumatiz. I don't deny she did neglect 'em for a spell, but
she does well by 'em now, and I wouldn't wish to see better-appearing
children."

"You've no idee how improved Molly is. She came in to see my girls, and
brought her sewing-work, shirts for the boy, and done it as neat and
capable as you'd wish to see. She always was a smart child, but dreadful
careless," said the other old lady, evidently much impressed by the
change in harum-scarum Molly Loo.

"Being over to Mis Minot's so much has been good for her, and up to Mis
Grant's. Girls catch neat ways as quick as they do untidy ones, and them
wild little tykes often turn out smart women."

"Sister Dawes _has_ done well by them children, and I hope Mr. Bemis
sees it. He ought to give her something comfortable to live on when she
can't do for him any longer. He can well afford it."

"I haven't a doubt he will. He's a lavish man when he starts to do a
thing, but dreadful unobserving, else he'd have seen to matters long
ago. Them children was town-talk last fall, and I used to feel as if it
was my bounden duty to speak to Miss Dawes. But I never did, fearing I
might speak too plain, and hurt her feelings."

"You've spoken plain enough now, and I'm beholden to you, though you'll
never know it," said Miss Bat to herself, as she slipped into her own
gate, while the gossips trudged on quite unconscious of the listener
behind them.

Miss Bat was a worthy old soul in the main, only, like so many of us,
she needed rousing up to her duty. She had got the rousing now, and
it did her good, for she could not bear to be praised when she had not
deserved it. She had watched Molly's efforts with lazy interest, and
when the girl gave up meddling with her affairs, as she called the
housekeeping, Miss Bat ceased to oppose her, and let her scrub Boo, mend
clothes, and brush her hair as much as she liked. So Molly had worked
along without any help from her, running in to Mrs. Pecq for advice, to
Merry for comfort, or Mrs. Minot for the higher kind of help one often
needs so much. Now Miss Bat found that she was getting the credit and
the praise belonging to other people, and it stirred her up to try and
deserve a part at least.

"Molly don't want any help about her work or the boy: it's too late for
that; but if this house don't get a spring cleaning that will make it
shine, my name ain'