three days, alive and
kicking, no matter who says so.'

"She then marched out of the class and has not returned these two
succeeding Sabbaths. It was to talk over the matter I called on Mrs.
Carruthers this afternoon, and I have never had my sympathies so
stirred. We must help her, my dear friend!"

I never enjoyed anything more in my life than the hour I spent helping
that dear, good, funny man plan first aids to the rearing of Sallie's
children. Besides my cooeperation he has planned to enlist that of Aunt
Augusta, and I was wicked enough to let him do it. In a small village
where the inhabitants have no chance at diversions like Wagnerian operas
and collapsing skyscrapers I felt that I had no right to avert the
spectacle of Aunt Augusta's disciplining Henrietta.

I'll write you all about it, Jane, in a special delivery letter.

Jasper whipped Petunia with great apparent severity day before
yesterday, and we have been having the most heavenly waffles and broiled
chicken ever since. I dismissed Jasper for doing it, but Petunia came
into my room and cried about it a half-hour, so I had to go out where he
was rubbing the silver and forgive him and hire him over.

"When a woman gits her mouth stuck out at a man and the world in general
three days hand running they ain't nothing to cure it but a stick," he
answered with lofty scorn.

"Yes'm, dat's so," answered Petunia. "I never come outen a spell so easy
before." And her yellow face had a pink glow of happiness all over it as
she smiled lovably on the black brute.

I went off into a corner and sat down for a quiet hour to think. Nobody
in the world knows everything.

"Supper's on the table," Jasper announced, after having seen Mr. Haley
go down the front walk to-night. Jasper has such great respect for the
cloth that never in the world would he have asked Mr. Haley in to supper
without having at least a day to prepare for him. Any of my other
friends he would have asked, regardless of whether or not I wanted them.

I somehow didn't feel that I could eat alone to-night, but it was too
late to go for Sallie or Cousin Jasmine, and besides it is weak-minded
to feel that way. Why shouldn't I want to eat by myself?

This is a great big house for just one woman, and I don't see why I have
to be that one! I never was intended to be single. I seem to even think
double. Way down in me there is a place that all my life I have been
laying things aside in to tell some day t