she's
shown so much sense. You sit down and get your tea, Lilac, and let's be
comfortable and no more about it."

Lilac slipped into the empty place between the cobbler and Agnetta,
rather abashed at so much notice. Agnetta pushed the pot of jam towards
her.

"I'm glad you're going to stop," she said. "Have some jam."

Joshua had not spoken since Lilac's entrance, but Mrs Greenways, eyeing
him nervously, felt sure he was preparing to "preachify." She went on
talking very fast and loud in the hope of checking this eloquence, but
in vain; Joshua, after a few short coughs, stood upright and looked
round the table.

"Friends," he said, "I knew Lilac's mother well, and I call to mind this
evening what she often said to me: `I want my child to grow up
self-respecting and independent. I want to teach her to stand alone and
not to be a burden on anyone.' And then, poor soul, she died sudden,
and the child was left on your hands. And she couldn't but be a burden
at first, seeing how young she was and how little she knew. And now
look at it! How it's all changed. 'Tain't long ago, and she isn't much
bigger to speak of, and yet she's got to be something as you value and
don't want to part with. She's made her own place, and she stands firm
in it on her own feet, and no one would fill it as well. It's wonderful
that is, how small things may help big ones. Look at it!" said Joshua,
spreading out the palms of his hands. "You take a little weak child
into your house and think she's of no count at all, either to help or to
hinder; she's so small and the place is so big you hardly know she's
there. And then one day you wake up to find that she's gone quietly on
doing her best, and learning to do better, until she's come to be one of
the most useful people on the farm. Because for why? It's her mother's
toil and trouble finding their fruit; we oughtn't to forget that. When
folks are dead and gone it's hard on 'em not to call to mind what we owe
'em. They sowed and we reap. Lilac's come to be what she is because
her mother was what she was, and I expect Mary White's proud and pleased
enough to see how her child's valued this day. And so I wish the farm
luck, and all of you luck, and we'll all be glad to think as we're not
going to lose our little bit of White Lilac as is growing up amongst
us."

Lilac's eyes had been fixed shyly on her plate. It was like being Queen
a second time to have everyone looking at he