lls for a lifetime and
Doctor Mayberry had gave all his young-man life to answering the call,
a-carrying the grace of God as his main remedy, so now I felt like the
time had come for a Lovell and a Mayberry to go out and be something to
the rest of the world, and Tom were the one to carry the flag. I seen
that the call were on him since he helped me through a spell of May
pips with over two hundred little chickens before he were five years
old, and he cut a knot out of the Deacon's roan horse by the direction
of a book when he weren't but eleven, as saved its life. That kinder
settled it with me and the Deacon both, though we talked it back and
forth for two more years. Then Deacon took to teaching of him regular
and I set in to save all I could from the thin peeling of potatoes to
worser darnings and patches than this. Would you think they could be
any worser?" And she smiled up over her glasses at the girl opposite
her.

"Tell me about it," demanded the singer lady interestedly. "Where did
you send him to school first?"

"Right down here to the City. You see Doctor Mayberry left me this
home, fifty acres and a small life insurance, so they was a little
something to inch and pinch on. You can't save by trying to peel
nothing, but the smallest potatoes have got a skin, and I peeled close
them days. Tom did his part too and he run the plow deep and straight
when he wasn't much taller than the handles. I had done talked it over
with him and asked him would he, and he looked right in my eyes in his
dependable way and said yes he would. That finished it and he wasn't
but eleven; but I don't want to brag on him to you. If you listen to
mothers' talk the world are full of heroes and none-suches." Again Miss
Wingate received the smile from over Mother Mayberry's glasses and this
time it was tinged with a whimsical pride.

"Please, Mrs. Mayberry, tell me about it; you know I want to hear,"
begged the girl, and she moved her chair nearer to Mother's and picked
up the mate of the blue sock off her knee. "How old was he when he went
to college?"

"Just sixteen, big and hearty and with enough in his head to get
through the examinations. I packed him up, and him and the Deacon
started down Providence Road at sun-up in the Deacon's old buggy. He
looked both man and baby to me as he turned around to smile back; but I
stood it out at the gate until they turned the bend, then I come on
back to the house quick like some kind of hurt