hot pancakes upon his plate, "is it true that the sun always
shines on Saturday in honor of the Blessed Virgin?"

"It is a pious and poetic saying," replied Mrs. Clayton. "But a
legendary sentiment of this kind often hides a deeper meaning. For
those who are devoted to the Blessed Virgin, there is never a day so
dark but that the love of Our Lady shines through the gloom like a
sunbeam, changing to the rosy and golden tints of hope the leaden
clouds that shadowed their happiness; and blessing the closing day of
life, which, to look back upon, seems but as the ending of a week."

Mrs. Clayton had hardly finished speaking, when a long ray of yellow
light fell upon the tablecloth.

"There! the sun's out now, anyway! Crickey, I'm so glad!" exclaimed
Larry.

"The clouds were only blown up by the wind," said his father. "I do
not think we shall have rain to-day."

"Mother, may I put on a white dress and go to buy my May wreath?" asked
Abby.

"The air is too cold for you to change your warm gown for a summer one,
dear," returned Mrs. Clayton. "You may get the wreath, though; but be
sure that you wear it over your hat."

Abby seemed to think it was now her turn to grumble.

"Oh, dear!" she murmured. "All the girls wear white dresses, and go
without hats on May Day. I don't see why I can't!"

Her complaint made no impression, however; so she flounced out of the
room.

"My mother is the most exaggerating person!" exclaimed the little girl,
as she prepared for her shopping excursion. She meant aggravating;
but, like most people who attempt to use large words the meaning of
which they do not understand, she made droll mistakes sometimes.

Abby had fifteen cents, which her grandma had given her the day before.

"I'll hurry down to the Little Women's before the best wreaths are
gone," she said to herself.

The place was a fancy store, kept by two prim but pleasant spinster
sisters. Besides newspapers, stationery, thread and needles, and so
forth, they kept a stock of toys, candies, and pickled limes, which
insured them a run of custom among the young folk, who always spoke of
them as the Little Women. Not to disappoint the confidence placed in
them by their youthful patrons, they had secured an excellent
assortment of the crowns of tissue-paper flowers which, in those days,
every little girl considered essential to the proper observance of May
Day.

Abby selected one which she and the Little Women made up