e.

"Polly," said Mrs. Pepper, running to the bedroom door, "it's Mrs.
Henderson!"

"Is it?" said Polly, from the darkened room, "oh! I'm so glad! is Miss
Jerushy with her?" she asked, fearfully.

"No," said Mrs. Pepper, going back to ascertain; "why, it's the parson
himself! Deary! how we look!"

"Never mind, mammy," called back Polly, longing to spring out of bed and
fix up a bit.

"I'm sorry to hear the children are sick," said Mrs. Henderson, coming
in, in her sweet, gentle way.

"We didn't know it," said the minister, "until this morning--can we see
them?"

"Oh yes, sir," said Mrs. Pepper; "Ben's upstairs; and Polly and Phronsie
are in here."

"Poor little things!" said Mrs. Henderson, compassionately; "hadn't you
better," turning to the minister, "go up and see Ben first, while I will
visit the little girls?"

So the minister mounted the crooked stairs; and Mrs. Henderson went
straight up to Polly's side; and the first thing Polly knew, a cool,
gentle hand was laid on her hot head, and a voice said, "I've come to
see my little chicken now!"

"Oh, ma'am," said Polly, bursting into a sob, "I don't care about my
eyes--only mammy--" and she broke right down.

"I know," said the minister's wife, soothingly; "but it's for you to
bear patiently, Polly--what do you suppose the chicks were doing when I
came away?" And Mrs. Henderson, while she held Polly's hand, smiled and
nodded encouragingly to Phronsie, who was staring at her from the other
side of the bed.

"I don't know, ma'am," said Polly; "please tell us."

"Well, they were all fighting over a grasshopper--yes, ten of them."

"Which one got it?" asked Polly in intense interest; "oh! I hope the
white one did!"

"Well, he looked as much like winning as any of them," said the lady,
laughing.

"Bless her!" thought Mrs. Pepper to herself out in the kitchen,
finishing the sack Polly had left; "she's a parson's wife, I say!"

And then the minister came down from Ben's room, and went into the
bedroom; and Mrs. Henderson went up-stairs into the loft.

"So," he said kindly, as after patting Phronsie's head he came over and
sat down by Polly, "this is the little girl who came to see me when I
was sick."

"Oh, sir," said Polly, "I'm so glad you wasn't!"

"Well, when I come again," said Mr. Henderson, rising after a merry
chat, "I see I shall have to slip a book into my pocket, and read for
those poor eyes."

"Oh, thank you!" cried Polly; and then s