n part of your bitters."

It was very rude of Rachel to make sport of the Doctor, even though he
was only a quack; and her mother told her afterwards she was surprised
to see she was no more of a lady.

"Mark my words, Rachel," said Mrs. Lyman, "those who are careless about
other people's feelings will have very few friends."

Rachel blushed under her mother's glance, and secretly wished she were
as careful of her words as her sweet sister Dorcas.

But I was going to tell you that Dr. Hilton had been looking for
Priscilla, because he wished her to go and keep his house a few days
while his wife was gone on a visit. Siller told Mrs. Lyman she was
always very lonesome there, because there were no children in the house
and begged that "the two small girls" might go and stay with her till
she got a little used to it,--one night would do.

Mrs. Lyman very seldom allowed Mary or Patience to be gone over night;
but to oblige Priscilla, who was always such a good friend of the
children in all their little sicknesses, she consented.

"I shall take them with me to prayer meeting in the evening," said
Siller.

"Very well," replied Mrs. Lyman.

The little girls had never visited at Dr. Hilton's before, and were glad
to go, but Patty did not know how much it would cost her. The house was
very nice, and the white sand on the parlor floor was traced in patterns
of roses and buds as fine as a velvet carpet. On the door-stone, at the
east side of the house, stood an iron kettle, with flaming red flowers
growing in it, as bright as those on Mary's sampler. Mary said it seemed
as if the kettle had been taken off the stove and set out there to cool.

After a nice supper of hot biscuits, honey, cheese, and spice-cake, they
all started for prayer meeting, locking the house behind them; for Dr.
Hilton had business in the next town, and was to be gone all night.

Patty was not in the habit of sitting remarkably still, even at church
on the Sabbath; and as for a prayer meeting in a school-house, she had
never attended one before, and the very idea of it amused her to begin
with. It was so funny to see grown people in those seats where the
children sat in the daytime! Patty almost wondered if the minister would
not call them out in the floor to recite. The services were long, and
grew very dull. To pass away the time, she kept sliding off the back
seat, which was much too high for her, and bouncing back again, twisting
her head around