y
neared Bates Corners, the way became more familiar each mile. Kate
forgot the children, forgot her mother, forgot ten years of
disappointment and failure, and began a struggle to realize what was
happening to her now. The lines slipped down, the horse walked slowly,
the first thing she knew, big hot tears splashed on her hand. She
gathered up the lines, drew a deep breath, and glanced at her mother,
meeting her eye fairly. Kate tried to smile, but her lips were
quivering.

"Glad, Katie?" asked Mrs. Bates.

Kate nodded.

"Me, too!" said Mrs. Bates.

They passed the orchard.

"There's the house, there, Polly!" cried Adam.

"Why, Adam, how did you know the place?" asked Kate, turning.

Adam hesitated a second. "Ain't you told us times a-plenty about the
house and the lilac, and the snowball bush--" "Yes, and the cabbage
roses," added Polly.

"So I have," said Kate. "Mostly last winter when we were knitting.
Yes, this will be home for all the rest of our lives. Isn't it grand?
How will we ever thank Grandmother? How will we ever be good enough to
pay her?"

Both children thought this a hint, so with one accord they arose and
fell on Mrs. Bates' back, and began to pay at once in coin of childhood.

"There, there," said Kate, drawing them away as she stopped the horse
at the gate. "There, there, you will choke Grandmother."

Mrs. Bates pushed Kate's arm down.

"Mind your own business, will you?" she said. "I ain't so feeble that
I can't speak for myself awhile yet."

In a daze Kate climbed down, and ran to bring a chair to help her
mother. The children were boisterously half eating Mrs. Bates up; she
had both of them in her arms, with every outward evidence of enjoying
the performance immensely. That was a very busy evening, for the wagon
was to be unpacked; all of them were hungry, while the stock was to be
fed, and the milking done. Mrs. Bates and Polly attempted supper; Kate
and Adam went to the barn; but they worked very hurriedly, for Kate
could see how feeble her mother had grown.

When at last the children were bathed and in bed, Kate and her mother
sat on the little front porch to smell spring a few minutes before
going to rest. Kate reached over and took her mother's hand.

"There's no word I know in any language big enough to thank you for
this, Mother," she said. "The best I can do is make each day as nearly
a perfect expression of what I feel as possible."

Mrs. Bates drew awa