ncis, and Mrs. Bates went to the station with
Mr. Burrell to meet her, and were quite surprised to see a large,
handsome, auburn-haired woman, carrying two valises, alight from the
train and greet their minister with these words: "Well, John Burrell,
I declare if you aren't out this raw day without your overcoat, and
you know how easily you take a cough, too. I guess it is high time
for me to come. Now, please do keep your mouth closed."

* * *

The first time Pearl was in Millford she called at the Methodist
parsonage to see Mr. Burrell. The question of having service in the
schoolhouse was bothering Pearl.

It was a dull brown house, with, a row of tall maples in front of it,
and a pansy bed, made by filling the earth into old binder-wheels, on
each side of the walk. Pearl at once though of the old binder-wheel
in the scrub at home, and in her quick fancy she saw the purple faces
of prospective pansies looking up from it as it lay in front of the
east window.

Mrs. Burrell came to the door in answer to Pearl's ring, but did not
recognize her at the first glance. She told Pearl to have a seat in
the parlour.

When Mr. Burrell came in he was pleased to see Pearl, who said, in
response to his friendly greeting: "We're doin' fine, Mr. Burrell.
We're goin' to have a crop and potatoes and lots of things. There's
seven of us goin' to school and learning. Jimmy's at long division.
I'm just finishing 'The Lady of the Lake.' Danny's doing digits,
that's another name for figgers. Patsey's readin' at the Sweet Pea
lesson, with ten of the hardest words for meanings. That's all right,
but there's no church or Sunday-school. We left town to get a better
chance to bring up the boys right, and the farm is fine only for what
I'm tellin' ye. Every Sunday the other children trap gophers and the
people sleep or visit. I do be hearin' them tellin' about it at
school, and last Sunday, mind ye, wee Patsey and Bugsey wanted to
make a kite, and of course ma wouldn't let them, but Jimmy up and
says--he was in it, too, do you mind--he says: 'Let's make it out of
an Onward, and that will be all right; sure that's a Sunday paper.'"

Mr. Burrell laughed sympathetically, but shook his head, too, so
Pearl knew he was with her on the proper observance of the Sabbath.

"And Mr. Burrell," she went on, "I am worried
about Danny--he's that artful and deep--if ever a child should be
learnin' verses he's the wan. Yesterday he hit his thumb when he