nna's life. She had really never loved
the parrot and now she hardly thought to ask for him, even when she
visited the Drehtens.

Mrs. Drehten was the friend Anna always went to, for her Sundays. She
did not get advice from Mrs. Drehten as she used to from the widow,
Mrs. Lehntman, for Mrs. Drehten was a mild, worn, unaggressive
nature that never cared to influence or to lead. But they could mourn
together for the world these two worn, working german women, for its
sadness and its wicked ways of doing. Mrs. Drehten knew so well what
one could suffer.

Things did not go well in these days with the Drehtens. The children
were all good, but the father with his temper and his spending kept
everything from being what it should.

Poor Mrs. Drehten still had trouble with her tumor. She could hardly
do any work now any more. Mrs. Drehten was a large, worn, patient
german woman, with a soft face, lined, yellow brown in color and the
look that comes from a german husband to obey, and many solid girls
and boys to bear and rear, and from being always on one's feet and
never having any troubles cured.

Mrs. Drehten was always getting worse, and now the doctor thought it
would be best to take the tumor out.

It was no longer Dr. Shonjen who treated Mrs. Drehten. They all went
now to a good old german doctor they all knew.

"You see, Miss Mathilda," Anna said, "All the old german patients
don't go no more now to Doctor. I stayed with him just so long as
I could stand it, but now he is moved away up town too far for poor
people, and his wife, she holds her head up so and always is spending
so much money just for show, and so he can't take right care of us
poor people any more. Poor man, he has got always to be thinking about
making money now. I am awful sorry about Doctor, Miss Mathilda, but
he neglected Mrs. Drehten shameful when she had her trouble, so now I
never see him any more. Doctor Herman is a good, plain, german doctor
and he would never do things so, and Miss Mathilda, Mrs. Drehten is
coming in to-morrow to see you before she goes to the hospital for her
operation. She could not go comfortable till she had seen you first to
see what you would say."

All Anna's friends reverenced the good Anna's cherished Miss Mathilda.
How could they not do so and still remain friends with the good Anna?
Miss Mathilda rarely really saw them but they were always sending
flowers and words of admiration through her Anna. Every now and