l says,
Let's open the meeting by singing, "How Firm a Foundation" but Mrs.
Ducker says, Oh, don't take that, it's in sharps; take "Nearer, Still
Nearer"--it's in flats, and Maudie can handle the flats better. Then
they sang, and Mrs. Burrell and Mrs. Ducker prayed. Mrs. Ducker
prayed longest, but Mrs. Burrell prayed loudest, and for most things.
Mrs. Bates read the last report, and they said it was better than
usual, she'd only left out one or two things. Then they collected the
money. Nearly every one paid; only Mrs. Burrell couldn't find hers,
she was sure she had it in her glove when she came in, and she
couldn't see how it ever fell out. Mrs. Ducker will get it when she
sweeps if it's in the house at all. Mrs. Williams had her ten cents
in a tea-cup all ready, but when she went to get it it was gone, and
she's afraid she gave that cup to one of the boarders by mistake.
Mrs. Williams says that's the worst of keeping boarders, your home is
never your own. Mrs. Forrest says if she only knew which one got it,
she should charge it up to him. Mrs. Williams wouldn't ever think of
doing that. Total receipts of evening, $2.20.

Then Mrs. Burrell asked what about the new stairs carpet. She's
ashamed every time she takes any one upstairs, it's going something
awful. Mrs. White hasn't had time to think anything about it, she's
been doing up rhubarb; it's so nice and tender in the spring. None of
Mrs. Bates's folks will eat rhubarb, and so she never does any up,
though she really is very fond of it herself, done with pineapple,
the shredded pineapple--half and half. Mrs. Ducker is doing rhubarb,
too, it's nice in the spring when everything else goes flat on you.
Mrs. Burrell says, What about the stairs carpet, now if you're done
with the rhubarb?

Mrs. Forrest said linoleum is better than carpet. Mrs. Ducker said
it's too cold on the feet. Mrs. Grieves said, Land sakes, let them
wear their boots--they don't need to go canterin' up and down the
stairs in their bare feet, do they? Mrs. Burrell said linoleum would
do all right if they couldn't afford carpet; but there wasn't any
decent linoleum in town, and even if there was you have to pay two
prices for it, but she saw in the Free Press that there was going to
be a linoleum sale in Winnipeg on Saturday. Mrs. Ducker does not like
sales. Mr. Ducker got a horse at a sale one time, and the very first
time they hitched it up it took blind staggers. Mrs. Forrest thinks
there would