oman's own husband
called me a meddlesome old busy-body, after I had solemnly warned him of
his wife's unfaithfulness, and I was made the laughing stock of the town
where I was born, and have lived a long and useful life. Nobody can tell
me anything to convince me that my suspicions wasn't correct, and it
went to my heart to have them say that I did it all out of spite,
because I wanted to secure the school-master for my daughter. But I've
lived it down, though, and have shown some people about here, that I
consider them as far beneath me, as the heavens are _above_ the earth."

Clemence found the Swan's a little homespun couple, but, on the whole,
much more endurable than Mrs. Wynn and Rose.

"I suppose you have heard all about Kate's outrageous proceedings from
our elderly friend?" laughed Mr. Swan, at the tea-table. "Poor Mrs.
Wynn. She laid me under infinite obligations, by her efforts on my
behalf, so much so, that sometimes the load of gratitude fairly
oppresses me. In case matters had turned out as she feared, though, I
might eventually have consoled myself with the fair Miss Rose's
agreeable society."

"There, there, Harry!" said his wife, "don't say anything to prejudice
Miss Graystone against them. I have forgiven her long ago, and I only
hope that Rose may succeed in obtaining half as good a husband as
somebody I know of."

"Well," he said, bestowing a fond glance upon the bright face beside
him, "we won't say anything against them. By the way, Kitty, I received
a letter to-day from Sweet, and he announces the advent of another
juvenile Sweet-ness, to be named in honor of your ladyship. You see,
Miss Graystone, he is a relative, having married a cousin of my wife's.
There was some trouble about the match, for Uncle Eben objected to the
young man, on account of his being a schoolteacher, He used to come to
Kate for advice, and being rather a favorite with uncle, she finally
succeeded in reconciling him to the marriage. The young couple naturally
think her 'but little lower than the angels,' since her efforts in their
behalf, and I never saw Sweet so indignant at anybody in my life as he
was at the Wynns, for starting that infamous story. But I told him not
to mind, it would blow over, and it did. Mrs. Wynn is pretty well known
here, and like the rest of us, I suppose, has her good traits and her
bad ones."

"How do you like our little village?" asked Mrs. Swan, to turn the
conversation, a few moments aft