"But he is brave, isn't he, grandmother?"

"Very," said grandmother, "and he shall have a saucer of cream in the
morning. But come now, chicken; I've put out the fire, and covered the
other, so I think we can sleep in peace."

So they both went to sleep, and Johnny Bear from that time on wept no
more.

The next morning, Ethelwyn joyfully told Hannah and Peter all about it.
Their praise was unstinted enough to suit even her swelling heart, and
she proudly took the saucer of cream to Johnny, saying, "There,
darling, everybody loves you now, even Peter and Hannah and Nancy,
because you did your duty so nobly. I knew you would, so I loved you all
the time."

"Miss Ethelwyn," said Nancy, appearing, "there are callers in the
drawing-room, and your grandmother wishes you to come in."

Ethelwyn went in, and was presented to several of the ladies of the
church, who had come to see about a reception to be given to the
clergyman and his new young wife. It was, Ethelwyn found with joy, to be
given at Grandmother Van Stark's.

"O may I stay up?" she begged, and grandmother, who always found it hard
to deny her grandchildren anything, said she might. When evening came,
Ethelwyn dressed in her best white frock, a little later than the hour
when she usually went to bed, came down the staircase with grandmother,
who was more stately and lovely than ever? In her black velvet gown,
with the great portrait brooch of Grandfather Van Stark, surrounded by
diamonds, in the beautiful old lace around her neck.

Grandmother was permitted to sit while receiving the guests. Between her
chair and where the clergyman and his wife stood, Ethelwyn slipped her
own little rocker, and sat there, highly interested in the streams of
people that came by.

"It's like a funeral," she announced during a slight lull.

Grandmother and the clergyman looked around startled.

"Why, child, what do you know about funerals?" asked grandmother, while
the clergyman, of course, laughed.

"'Vada took me and Beth once to a big mercession, and we went into a big
church and the folks all went up and looked at somebody, just like
to-night. 'Vada said it was a big gun's funeral, just like you and your
wife, you know," she concluded cheerfully, nodding to the clergyman.

"Well of all things--" began grandmother, but a new lot of people coming
in demanded her attention.

The clergyman and his wife, laughing heartily, shook hands with the new
people, and Ethelw