as pretty much what it had been before
she went to the expensive Wareham Female Seminary. She had acquired
a certain amount of information concerning the art of speech, but in
moments of strong feeling she lapsed into the vernacular. She grew
slowly in all directions, did Emma Jane, and, to use Rebecca's favorite
nautilus figure, she had left comparatively few outgrown shells on the
shores of "life's unresting sea."

"Moses wasn't born in the bulrushes, Emmy dear," corrected Rebecca
laughingly. "Pharaoh's daughter found him there. It wasn't quite as
romantic a scene--Squire Bean's wife taking little Abijah Flagg from the
poorhouse when his girl-mother died, but, oh, I think Abijah's splendid!
Mr. Ladd says Riverboro'll be proud of him yet, and I shouldn't wonder,
Emmy dear, if you had a three-story house with a cupola on it, some day;
and sitting down at your mahogany desk inlaid with garnets, you will
write notes stating that Mrs. Abijah Flagg requests the pleasure of Miss
Rebecca Randall's company to tea, and that the Hon. Abijah Flagg, M.C.,
will call for her on his way from the station with a span of horses and
the turquoise carryall!"

Emma Jane laughed at the ridiculous prophecy, and answered: "If I ever
write the invitation I shan't be addressing it to Miss Randall, I'm sure
of that; it'll be to Mrs.-----"

"Don't!" cried Rebecca impetuously, changing color and putting her hand
over Emma Jane's lips. "If you won't I'll stop teasing. I couldn't bear
a name put to anything, I couldn't, Emmy dear! I wouldn't tease you,
either, if it weren't something we've both known ever so long--something
that you have always consulted me about of your own accord, and Abijah
too."

"Don't get excited," replied Emma Jane, "I was only going to say you
were sure to be Mrs. Somebody in course of time."

"Oh," said Rebecca with a relieved sigh, her color coming back; "if
that's all you meant, just nonsense; but I thought, I thought--I don't
really know just what I thought!"

"I think you thought something you didn't want me to think you thought,"
said Emma Jane with unusual felicity.

"No, it's not that; but somehow, today, I have been remembering things.
Perhaps it was because at breakfast Aunt Jane and mother reminded me of
my coming birthday and said that Squire Bean would give me the deed of
the brick house. That made me feel very old and responsible; and when I
came out on the steps this afternoon it was just as if picture