p the German army."

Mrs. Hutton is a little lady who bolsters up self-respect and makes
light of trying situations, so she "shooed" us in and I sneaked into
my room and waited until Clyde could run down to the store and
purchase me a dress. I feel quite clean and respectable now, sitting
up here in my room writing this to you. I will soon be at home now.
Until then good-bye.

E. R. S.

XIV

THE MEMORY-BED

October 25.

DEAR, DEAR FRIEND,--

Can you guess how happy I am? Be it _ever_ so humble there is no place
like home.

It is so good to sit in my creaky old rocker, to hold Junior, to
feel his dear weight; to look at my brave little mother. I do not
like the "in-law." She is _mother_ to me. Under the east window
of our dining-room we have a flower-bed. We call it our memory-bed
because Clyde's first wife had it made and kept pansies growing
there. We poured the water of my little lost boy's last bath onto the
memory-bed. I keep pansies growing in one side of the bed in memory of
her who loved them. In the other end I plant sweet alyssum in memory
of my baby. A few pansies and a tuft of sweet alyssum smiled a
welcome, though all the rest of my flowers were dead. We have a
hop-vine at the window and it has protected the flowers in the
memory-bed. How happy I have been, looking over the place! Some young
calves have come while we were gone; a whole squirming nest full of
little pigs. My chickens have outgrown my knowledge. There is no snow
here at all. Our experiences on our trip seem almost unreal, but the
wagon-load of meat to be attended to is a reminder of realities. I
have had a fine trip; I have experienced about all the human emotions.
I had not expected to encounter so many people or to get the little
inside glimpses that I've had, but wherever there are human beings
there are the little histories. I have come home realizing anew how
happy I am, how much I have been spared, and how many of life's
blessings are mine. Poor Mrs. Louderer, childless and alone, openly
envying Mrs. O'Shaughnessy her babies! In my bedroom there is a row of
four little brown heads asleep on their pillows. Four precious
kiddies all my own. And not the least of my blessings, _you_ to tell
my happiness to. Has my trip interested you, dear friend? I _hope_ you
liked it. It will lose a little of its charm for me if you find it
uninteresting.

I will write you ag