enly against her authority
in the matter of marriage. Years ago, in the period of Abner's reaction
from a blighted romance, she had chosen, without compunction, a
mild-mannered, tame-spirited maiden for his wife. Without compunction,
when the wedding was over, she had proceeded, from the best possible
motives, to torment the tame-spirited maiden into her grave.

"He's layin' up misery for himself and for all concerned," she said
aloud, after a moment, "a girl like that with no name and precious
little religion--an idle, vain, silly hussy, with a cropped head!"

A small coloured servant, in a girl's pinafore and a boy's breeches,
came to the door, and whispered that the old people were demanding a
snack of bread and molasses.

"Tell 'em it ain't the day for sweets an' they ain't goin' to have meat
an' molasses the same day," she remarked as she entered the kitchen.
"If I didn't watch you every minute, you'd make yo'selves sick with
overeatin'."

"I reckon you're right, Sary," piped grandfather in angry tones, "but
I ain't so sure I wouldn't rather have the sickness than the watchin'.
It's hard on a man of my years an' experience that he shouldn't be
allowed to project with his own stomach."

"You'd have been dead long ago but for me, an' you ought to be ashamed
of yo'self for talkin' such foolishness. As if I hadn't wo' myself out
with waitin' on you, an' no blood relation."

"No blood relation!" chimed in grandmother maliciously, "no blood
relation!"

"Well, you hurry up an' get ready for dinner, for I'm goin' out
afterwards."

"Whar on earth are you goin', Sary? It ain't Sunday."

"It don't matter to you whar I'm goin'--you jest set right up an' eat
yo' soup."

When she had poured the contents of the pot into the two earthenware
bowls, she crumbled a piece of bread into each, and gave the dinner into
the trembling hands which were stretched out eagerly to receive it. Then
taking the red-and-white cloth from the cupboard, she set the table for
five, and brought the dish of turnips and boiled beef from the stove.
Every detail was carefully attended to as if her thoughts were not
on the hillside with Abel, but she herself could not eat so much as a
mouthful. A hard lump rose in her throat and prevented her swallowing.

The men did not appear, so leaving their dinner in the stove, she went
upstairs and put on the black poke bonnet and the alpaca mantle trimmed
with bugles which she wore on Sundays and on the