letter.

Whether they would have liked their new neighbours or not, if they could
have talked to them, made little difference to Mrs. Underhill. Margaret
was to be married in the early autumn. Dr. Hoffman had bought a house
not very far from Stephen's, in a new row that was just being finished.
He wouldn't like it to stand empty, and he did not want to rent it for a
year, and perhaps have the pretty fresh aspect spoiled. And then it was
better for a doctor to be married and settled.

Father Underhill sighed. Mrs. Underhill said sharply that she couldn't
get ready; but for all that, pieces of muslin came into the house for
sheets and pillow-cases, and Margaret was busy as a bee.

Another trouble loomed up before the anxious housekeeper. A sprightly
widower belonging to the same church as Martha, came home with her every
Sunday night, and class-meeting night, which was Thursday.

"You ought to consider well," counseled Mrs. Underhill. "A stepmother is
a sort of thankless office. And two big boys!"

"Well--I'm used to boys. They're not so bad when you know how to take
them, and they'll soon be grown up. Then he's quite forehanded. He owns
a house in Stanton Street, and has a good business, carting leather in
the Swamp."

The Swamp was the centre for tanneries and leather importers and
dealers, and it still keeps its name and location.

"I don't know what I shall do!" with a heavy sigh.

"You'll have good long warning. I wouldn't be mean enough to go off and
leave you with all this fuss and worry on your hands. And, land sakes!
his wife hasn't been dead a year yet. I told him I couldn't think of
such a thing before Christmas, anyhow. But he has such a hard time with
both grandmothers. One comes and fixes things her way, and gets tired
and goes off, and then the other one comes and upsets them. It's just
dreadful! I do believe a man needs a second wife more than he did the
first. They're poor sticks to get along alone when they've had some one
to look after things. And when this affair is over, you'll kind of
settle down, and the family seem smaller. Just don't fret a bit, for the
whole thing may fall through."

"I shouldn't want you to give up the prospect of a good home," rather
reluctantly.

"Well, that's what I've thought about. And I ain't a young girl with
years of chances before me. But I'm not going to be caught too easy,"
and Martha tossed her head.

Ben was very much interested in the war that was goi