ve. But Miranda is a meek and obedient daughter whose
days should be long in the land.

"I couldn't get anyone else to take the part, because nobody liked it,
so finally I had to take it myself. Olive Kirk is on the concert
committee and goes against me in every single thing. But I got my way
in asking Mrs. Channing to come out from town and sing for us, anyhow.
She is a beautiful singer and will draw such a crowd that we will make
more than we will have to pay her. Olive Kirk thought our local talent
good enough and Minnie Clow won't sing at all now in the choruses
because she would be so nervous before Mrs. Channing. And Minnie is the
only good alto we have! There are times when I am so exasperated that I
feel tempted to wash my hands of the whole affair; but after I dance
round my room a few times in sheer rage I cool down and have another
whack at it. Just at present I am racked with worry for fear the Isaac
Reeses are taking whooping-cough. They have all got a dreadful cold and
there are five of them who have important parts in the programme and if
they go and develop whooping-cough what shall I do? Dick Reese's violin
solo is to be one of our titbits and Kit Reese is in every tableau and
the three small girls have the cutest flag-drill. I've been toiling for
weeks to train them in it, and now it seems likely that all my trouble
will go for nothing.

"Jims cut his first tooth today. I am very glad, for he is nearly nine
months old and Mary Vance has been insinuating that he is awfully
backward about cutting his teeth. He has begun to creep but doesn't
crawl as most babies do. He trots about on all fours and carries things
in his mouth like a little dog. Nobody can say he isn't up to schedule
time in the matter of creeping anyway--away ahead of it indeed, since
ten months is Morgan's average for creeping. He is so cute, it will be
a shame if his dad never sees him. His hair is coming on nicely too,
and I am not without hope that it will be curly.

"Just for a few minutes, while I've been writing of Jims and the
concert, I've forgotten Ypres and the poison gas and the casualty
lists. Now it all rushes back, worse than ever. Oh, if we could just
know that Jem is all right! I used to be so furious with Jem when he
called me Spider. And now, if he would just come whistling through the
hall and call out, 'Hello, Spider,' as he used to do, I would think it
the loveliest name in the world."

Rilla put away her diary an