as a feather. She thought she would go and see how all
went on at home, and then come back to the kitchen and drink a cup of good
tea, for the family had just got through with theirs.

What a disappointment, then, to find any thing going wrong. It was not that
Bacchus's society was so entirely necessary to her, but the idea of his
having started on another spree. The fear of his being brought home
sometime to her dead, came over her with unusual force, and she actually
burst into tears. She had been so very happy a few minutes before, that she
could not, with her usual calmness, make the best of every thing. She
forgot all about the pleasant day she had passed; lost her wish for a cup
of tea; and passing even her pipe by, with a full heart she took her seat
to rest at the door. For some time every thing seemed to go wrong with her.
All at once she found out how tired she was. Her limbs ached, and her arm
hurt her, where she had carried the basket. She had a great many troubles.
She had to work hard. She had more children than anybody else to bother
her; and when she thought of Bacchus she felt very angry. He might as well
kill himself drinking, at once, for he was nothing but a care and disgrace
to her--had always been so, and most likely would be so until they were
both under the ground.

But this state of mind could not last long. A little quiet, rest, and
thought had a good effect. She soon began again to look at the bright side
of things, and to be ashamed of her murmuring spirit. "Sure enough he has
kept very sober of late, and I can't expect him to give it up entirely, all
of a sudden. I must be patient, and go on praying for him." She thought
with great pity of him, and her heart being thus subdued, her mind
gradually turned to other things.

She looked at Aunt Peggy's house, and wondered if the old woman was better
off in another world than she was in this; but she checked the forbidden
speculation. And next she thought of Jupiter, and with this recollection
came another remembrance of Bacchus and his antipathy both to the mistress
and her cat. All at once she recalled Bacchus's determination to kill
Jupiter, and the strange ferocity the animal evinced whenever Bacchus went
near him; and she got up to take the key and survey the state of things at
the deserted house. There was no key to be found; and concluding some one
had been after Jupiter, she no longer delayed her intention of finding out
what had occurre