well-being, but in spite of
her best endeavors there were times when she despaired of the
tremendous task she had undertaken. Phoebe's spirit tingled with the
divine, poetic appreciation of all things beautiful. A vivid imagination
carried the child into realms where the stolid aunt could not follow,
realms of whose existence the older woman never dreamed.

But what troubled Maria Metz most was the child's frank avowal of
vanity. Every new dress was a source of intense joy to Phoebe. Every new
ribbon for her hair, no matter how narrow and dull of color, sent her
face smiling. The golden hair, which sprang into long curls as Aunt
Maria combed it, was invariably braided into two thick, tight braids,
but there were always little wisps that curled about the ears and
forehead. These wisps were at once the woman's despair and the child's
freely expressed delight. However, through all the rigid discipline the
little girl retained her natural buoyancy of childhood, the spontaneous
interestedness, the cheerfulness and animation, which were a part of her
goodly heritage.

That June morning the world was changed suddenly from a dismal vale of
patchwork to a glorious garden of delight. She was still a child and the
promised walk to Greenwald changed the entire world for her.

She paused once in her sewing to look about the sitting-room. "Ach, I
vonder now why this room is so ugly to me to-day. I guess it's because
it's so pretty out. Why, mostly always I think this is a vonderful nice
room."

The sitting-room of the Metz farm was attractive in its old-fashioned
furnishing. It was large and well lighted. The gray rag carpet--woven
from rags sewed by Aunt Maria and Phoebe--was decorated with wide
stripes of green. Upon the carpet were spread numerous rugs, some made
of braided rags coiled into large circles, others were hooked rugs gaily
ornamented with birds and flowers and graceful scroll designs. The
low-backed chairs were painted dull green and each bore upon the four
inch panel of its back a hand-painted floral design. On the haircloth
sofa were several crazy-work cushions. Two deep rocking-chairs matched
the antique low-backed chairs. A spindle-legged cherry table bore an old
vase filled with pink and red straw flowers. The large square table,
covered with a red and green cloth, held a glass lamp, the old Metz
Bible, several hymn-books and the papers read in that home,--a weekly
religious paper, the weekly town paper, and a