ions and
suffering, and never did she hear of one of these cases that a thankful
glow did not warm the heart of Mrs. Cliff as she thought that she was
able to relieve it.

But Mrs. Cliff knew, and if she had not known she would have soon found
out, that it was often very difficult to relieve distress of body
without causing distress of mind, but she and Willy and the Misses
Thorpedyke had known all phases of the evil which has its root in the
want of money, and they always considered people's sensibilities when
they held charitable councils. There was one case in which Mrs. Cliff
felt that she must be very careful indeed.

Old Nancy Shott was not standing the winter well. She had a bad cold,
and was confined to her bed, and one day Miss Inchman mentioned, during
a call on Mrs. Cliff, that she did not believe the poor old thing was
able to keep herself warm. She had been to see her, and the coverings on
her bed were very insufficient she thought.

The Shotts never did keep a warm house, nor did they care to spend their
money upon warm clothes; but although that sort of thing might do very
well while they were in health and were constantly on the move, it did
not do when they were sick in bed. When Miss Inchman had gone, Mrs.
Cliff called Willy.

"Where are we using those California blankets which I brought home with
me?" she asked.

"Using them!" exclaimed Willy. "We aren't using them anywhere! I'm sure
nobody would think of using such blankets as those, except when some
extra company might happen to come. It ought to be a long time before
those blankets would have to go into the wash, and I've kept them
covered up on the top shelf of the linen closet!"

"Well, I wish you would go and get them," said Mrs. Cliff, "and then
wrap them up and take them to Miss Shott as a present from me."

"Take them to Nancy Shott!" cried Willy. "I never heard of such a thing
in my life! She's able to buy blankets, dozens of them if she wants
them, and to take to her such blankets as the ones you brought from
California,--why it takes my breath away to think of it!"

"But you must take them to her," said Mrs. Cliff. "She may be stingy,
but she is suffering, and I want her to have those blankets because they
are the very best that I could possibly send her. You can get Andrew
Marks to drive you there, but stop two or three doors from the house.
She will think you are putting on airs if you drive up to the door. And
I wish you would