by way of explanation, or he would never have
got to the deacon's off-lot Tuesday morning.

Wednesday morning, Mrs. Dyer sat by the front window, with her darning.
She had persuaded Mr. Dyer to wait till Wednesday; for as for having all
the people tramping through the yard when the clean clothes were out,
she couldn't think of it; and she might as well get through the ironing,
then she could have an eye on them. And how provoked they'd all be to
come down all that way to Cranberry Hollow, to find only a bin of
potatoes to divide among them all.

The little shed was full of potatoes, Mr. Dyer answered. And he had no
idea many people would come, just the poorer ones; and as long as he had
any potatoes to spare, he was willing they should take them.

But, sure enough, as Mrs. Dyer said, what a procession came! Poor Mrs.
Jones's little girl, with a bag; Tom Scraggs, with two baskets; the
minister's son, with a wheelbarrow; and even rich Mr. Jones, the
selectman, with a horse and cart. Boys and girls, and old women, and
middle-sized men, and every kind of a vehicle, from a tin tipcart to
Mrs. Stubbs's carry-all.

Well, let them come, thought Mrs. Dyer. It would just show Mr. Dyer she
was right, and he didn't often find that out. She should be disturbed by
them soon enough when they found out that there was not more than half a
potato apiece, and like enough, not that. Pretty business of Mr. Dyer,
to take to giving away, when he had not more than enough to put into his
own mouth, to say nothing of Jedidiah's! So she went on darning and
thinking. What was her surprise, all of a sudden, to hear only shouts
of joy as the people returned round the corner of the house! Poor Mrs.
Jones's little girl gave a scream of delight as she held up her bag full
of potatoes; the minister's son had hard work to push along his full
wheelbarrow; rich Mr. Jones was laughing from the top of his piled-up
cart; Tom Scraggs was trying to get help in carrying his baskets. Such
a laughing, such fun, was never heard in Spinville, which is a sober
place. And they all nodded to Mrs. Dyer, and gave shouts for Mr. Dyer,
and offered Jedidiah rides in all their carts, those that had them, and
asked Mrs. Dyer what they could do for her in Spinville. And Jedidiah
tried to tell his mother, through the open window, how the more they
took the potatoes out of the bin, the more there were left in it; and
how everybody had enough, and went away satisfied, and had