id Mary. "What does he like? This?" And
with her hands spread upon the child, she moved her knees backwards and
forwards, clicking her heels on the floor.

"I could soon do it," she said, with a satisfied chuckle.

"I'm sure you could," said Anne.

"It was Peter Molesworth that told me you was here," said Mary, "so I
thought I'd come too."

"Whatever _do_ you think that Peter Molesworth came out with in the
class the other day?" said Mrs Hankworth. "We was having as nice a
meeting as you could wish, and then Peter gets up to give his
experience. He says, 'I thank the Lord I've got peace in my home and a
praying mother' (she's not much o' that, I thought to myself); and then
he went on, 'You know, when I think of the troubles of others in serving
Christ, I cannot bear. There's a poor woman I know,' he says, 'that's
trying to serve Christ, and whenever she kneels down to say her prayers,
her husband begins to tickle her feet.' Did you ever hear of anybody
coming out with such a thing before? 'I think this door wants oiling,
Mrs Hankworth,' he says to me as we was going out. 'Nay, Peter,' I says,
'it's _thee_ that wants oiling.' 'Why, Mrs Hankworth, what's the
matter?' he says. 'Whatever made you come out with such a thing in the
meeting,' I says. 'Why, what was wrong with it?' he says. 'Oh, well!' I
says, 'if you don't know yourself, _I_ can't tell you,' I says. He's a
bright one is Peter Molesworth."

"Are you ready, Mother?" shouted Mr Hankworth, putting his head in the
door. "John Unsworth thinks the sows belongs to Mr Phillipson. He saw
him bringing some home last night. We can take him on the way home."

"I'm coming," said Mrs Hankworth, rising slowly. "If there's anything
you need, any advice or that, I'll be very pleased to give it you. Let
me give him a kiss." "You're a beauty, that's what you are," she said,
kissing the baby and giving it back to Mary.

"I must go too," said Mrs Crowther. "I'll send down some old flannel
to-morrow, Anne. One of my girls'll come in and help you sometimes. It's
well they should get used to a baby."

"She'll not be able to stop away herself," said Mrs Hankworth, shrewdly,
and laughing together, both women went out, disputing amiably as to
whether Mrs Crowther would take a seat in the trap and be driven as far
as the cross roads.

The blind woman was feeling carefully the downy head of the baby.

"He's as soft as a kitten," she said. "I could spare several eggs a week
out