feel hard to our Zeph; don't they?"

"I believe the boys do, and you can hardly wonder at it, Mrs. Peakslow,"
said Vinnie; "their own dear sister! crippled for life, perhaps. But
Cecie won't allow that your son _meant_ to hurt her; she always takes
his part when the subject is brought up."

"Does she?" exclaimed Mrs. Peakslow, surprised into sudden tears. "I
wouldn't 'a' believed that! Must _be_ she's a good gal. Truth is, Zeph
hadn't no notion o' hurtin' on her. It's re'ly troubled me,--it's
troubled all on us, though I don't s'pose her folks'll believe it."

And Mrs. Peakslow, not finding it convenient to get at her apron, with
Bubby in her lap, wiped her eyes with a remnant of Vinnie's rags.

"Isn't it too sad that this quarrel is kept up?" said Vinnie.

"O dear me! nobody knows," said Mrs. Peakslow, in a quavering voice,
"what a life it is! Our folks is _some_ to blame, I s'pose. But the
Bettersons have been _so_ aggravatin'! Though I've nothin' ag'in the
gals. They're as perty gals as I'd ask to have play with my children. My
children is sufferin' for mates. I want society, too, for it's a dreffle
life,--a dreffle life!" And the quavering voice broke into sobs.

Vinnie was surprised and pained at this outburst, and hardly knew what
reply to make.

"Lyddy, wipe them dishes!" Mrs. Peakslow went on again, sopping her eyes
with the remnant of rags. "Lecty Ann! here, take Bubby. Scuse me, miss;
I d'n' know what sot me goin' this way; but my heart's been shet up so
long; I've _so_ wanted sympathy!" And now the apron did service in place
of the rags.

"Yes, I know," said Vinnie. "This is a lonesome country, unless you have
friends around you. There seem to be a few nice people here,--people
from the East; you are from the East, I suppose?"

"O yes; but _he_ ain't a very social man, an' he's dreffle sot in his
way. He don't go out nowheres, 'thout he has business, an' he don't
think there's any need of a woman's goin' out. So there it is. The
Wiggetts, our neighbors on one side, ain't our kind o' people; then
there's the Bettersons on t'other side. An' there's allus so many things
a wife has to put up with, an' hold her tongue. O dear! O dear! Keep to
your work, gals! hear?"

There was something almost comical in this sharp and shrill winding-up
of the good woman's pathetic discourse; but Vinnie never felt less like
laughing.

"I am glad you can speak freely to me," she said. "I'll come and see you
again, if