enin' meetin'; but I
felt tired after getting home, an' so I wasn't out. We feel very much
favored to have such a man amon'st us. He's building up the parish
very considerable. I understand the pew-rents come to thirty-six
dollars more this quarter than they did last."

"We also feel grateful in Woodville for our pastor's efforts," said
Miss Pickett; but Mrs. Timms turned her head away sharply, as if the
speech had been untimely, and trembling Miss Pickett had interrupted.

"They're thinking here of raisin' Mr. Barlow's salary another year,"
the hostess added; "a good many of the old parishioners have died off,
but every one feels to do what they can. Is there much interest among
the young people in Woodville, Mis' Flagg?"

"Considerable at this time, ma'am," answered Mrs. Flagg, without
enthusiasm, and she listened with unusual silence to the subsequent
fluent remarks of Mrs. Timms.

The parlor seemed to be undergoing the slow processes of a winter
dawn. After a while the three women could begin to see one another's
faces, which aided them somewhat in carrying on a serious and
impersonal conversation. There were a good many subjects to be touched
upon, and Mrs. Timms said everything that she should have said, except
to invite her visitors to walk upstairs and take off their bonnets.
Mrs. Flagg sat her parlor-chair as if it were a throne, and carried
her banner of self-possession as high as she knew how, but toward the
end of the call even she began to feel hurried.

"Won't you ladies take a glass of wine an' a piece of cake after your
ride?" inquired Mrs. Timms, with an air of hospitality that almost
concealed the fact that neither cake nor wine was anywhere to be seen;
but the ladies bowed and declined with particular elegance. Altogether
it was a visit of extreme propriety on both sides, and Mrs. Timms was
very pressing in her invitation that her guests should stay longer.

"Thank you, but we ought to be going," answered Mrs. Flagg, with a
little show of ostentation, and looking over her shoulder to be sure
that Miss Pickett had risen too. "We've got some little ways to go,"
she added with dignity. "We should be pleased to have you call an' see
us in case you have occasion to come to Woodville," and Miss Pickett
faintly seconded the invitation. It was in her heart to add, "Come any
day next week," but her courage did not rise so high as to make the
words audible. She looked as if she were ready to cry; her usua