Ella Higginson

“ It just makes my heart ache to think o' her goin' to the poor-farm!"
Mrs. Bridges shut her lips tightly together; all the softness and irresolution went out of her face.
"Well, I'm sorry for her," she said, with an air of dismissing a disagreeable subject; "but the world's full o' troubles, an' if you cried over all o' them you'd be cryin' all the time. Isaphene, you go out an' blow that dinner-horn. I see the men folks ev got the horses about foddered."
"I'm thinkin' about buyin' a horse anbuggy," she announced, with sternly repressed triumph, when the girl had gone out. "An' an organ. ”

“ The men-folks get their shirt-sleeves so dirty out 'n the fields that you can't keep a white one clean no time."
"I used red ones myself most of the time," replied Mrs. Hanna, crocheting industriously. "It saves washin'. I guess poor old Mis' Lane 'll have to see the old place after all these years; they'll take her right past here to the poor-farm."
Mrs. Bridges set on the table a white plate holding a big square of yellow butter, and stood looking through the open door, down the path, with its tall hollyhocks and scarlet poppies on either side. ”

“ They ain't none of 'em takin' her very fast, be they?"
"No, they ain't," said Isaphene, facing her mother and looking at her steadily; "they ain't one of 'em but's got their hands full—no spare room, an' lots o' childern or their own folks to take care of."
"Hunh!" said Mrs. Bridges. She began chopping some cold boiled beef for hash.
"I don't believe I'll sleep to-night for thinkin' about it," she said, after a while. ”

“ Mrs, Bridges got up, very much surprised to find who her visitor was, and shook hands with exaggerated delight.
"Well, I'll declare! It's really you, is it? At last? Well, set right down an' take off your things. Isaphene, take Mis' Hanna's things. My! ain't it warm, walkin'?
"It is so." The visitor gave her bonnet to Isaphene, dropping her black mitts into it after rolling them carefully together. "But it's always nice an' cool in your kitchen." ”

“ Hanna cleared her throat and began to unroll her mitts.
"Well, I don't know just why," she said. helplessly. She drew the mitts on, smoothing them well up over her thin wrists. "I don't know why. I'd thought o' most everybody 'n town—but you never come into my head onct. I was 's innocent o' hintin' 's a baby unborn."
Mrs. Bridges drew a long breath noiselessly.
"Well," she said absent-mindedly, "come again, Mis' Hanna. An' be sure you always fetch your work an' stay the afternoon." ”

“ My! how pretty that hop-vine looks. 'T makes awful nice shade, too. I guess when Mis' Lane planted 't she thought she'd be settin' under it herself to-day—she took such pleasure in it."
The ladies were sitting on the front porch. It was cool and fragrant out there. The shadow of the house reached almost to the gate now. The bees had been drinking too many sweets—greedy fellows! and were lying in the red poppies, droning stupidly. A soft wind was blowing from Puget Sound and turning over the clover leaves, making here a billow of dark green and there one of light green ”

“ My opinion is she's been soured by all her troubles; an' that if somebody 'u'd only take her an' be kind to her, her temper'ment 'u'd emprove wonderful. She's always mighty grateful for every little chore you do her. ”

“ I can't see. I don't want to be caught peepin'. I can see it's a woman, though; she's just passin' the row of chrysyanthums. Can't you stoop down an' peep? She won't see you 'way over there by the table. ”