rs. Hall, "you've stood there long enough, Matilda Ann. I
never did see such an amazin' amount of vanity as there is nowadays."

"Oh, mother, I dare say you were just as silly when you were young,"
said Jane.

"No," said the mother, severely, "I never was given to fineries; my
heart was set on higher things."

"I don't see, then, how father ever got the chance to do any courting."

"Jane," said Mrs. Hall, "Jedediah Hall would never have married me if I
had been like the girls of the present day, who scorn to churn, and to
wash, and to do housework of any sort. He respected a woman who could
make her family comfortable."

"But the courting--did he ever talk nonsense, mother?"

"The courting was over in short meter, I can tell you. Nonsense?--no,
there was no nonsense about him. Well, well, it's a long time ago." And
she arose, and went out into the kitchen. The table was set for tea, and
the biscuits were ready for the oven. She went to the cellar to skim the
cream, and found a large bowl of custard had been left over from the
dinner. There was more than would be eaten on their own table. What
would she do with it? Pretty soon Hetty heard her mother calling her:
"Hetty! Hetty!"

She ran in quickly from the garden.

"How would you like to take some of this custard to Miss Martin?"

"Splendid!" said Hetty. "But, mother," she said, hesitating, "I thought
you didn't like her?"

"Pshaw, child, I didn't say so. I said I didn't approve of too much
dress. Get your hat and a tin pail. Here;" and she poured out the
custard. "Now go, and mind you come home in time for tea."

[Illustration: HETTY AND JIM--DRAWN BY T. ROBINSON.]

It was a level road, and the afternoon a pleasant one late in the fall.
Hetty could not chase the squirrels, for fear of upsetting her pail;
neither could she pick berries, for they were all gone. And so she
trudged on silently, wishing she were as old as Matilda Ann, so that she
might go to the concert. As she passed a lot which was covered with
stubble, a boy appeared, leaning over the fence. He was a big fellow,
and the son of an old neighbor, and Hetty liked him, but there were
people who said he was mischievous, and told tales of him, which perhaps
made him somewhat shy. He nodded pleasantly enough to her, however, and
asked her where she was going.

"Down to Miss Martin's," was Hetty's reply.

"I say, Hetty," said Jim, "do you think Miss Martin thought it was me
who tried to frighten h