no more experience
than Warren.

Betty said Aunt Priscilla must have something to worry about, which was
true enough. She had come to the Leveretts' to see how she could stand
"being without a home," as she phrased it. But she found herself quite
feeble, and with a cough, and she admitted she never had quite gotten
over the winter's cold which she took going to church that bitter
Sunday. As just the right person to keep her house had not come to hand,
and as it really was cheaper to live this way, and gave one a secure
feeling in case of illness, she thought it best to go on. Elizabeth
Leverett made her feel very much at home. She could go down in the
kitchen and do a bit of work when she wanted to, she could weed a little
out in the garden, she could mend and knit and pass away the time, and
it was a pleasure to have someone to converse with, to argue with.

She had been in great trouble at first about black Polly. That she had
really entertained the thought of getting rid of her in a helpless old
age seemed a great sin now.

"And the poor old thing had been so faithful until she began to lose her
memory. How could I have resolved to do such a thing!" she would
exclaim.

"You never did resolve to do it, Aunt Priscilla," Mr. Leverett said one
day. "I am quite sure you could not have done it when it came to the
pinch. It was one of the temptations only."

"But I never struggled against it. That is what troubles me."

"God knew just how it would end. He did not mean the poor creature to
become a trouble to anyone. If he had wanted to try you further, no
doubt he would have done it. Now, why can't you accept the release as
he sent it? It seems almost as if you couldn't resign yourself to his
wisdom."

"You make religion so comfortable, Foster Leverett, that I hardly know
whether to take it that way. It isn't the old-fashioned way in which I
was brought up."

"There was just one Doubting Thomas among the Twelve," he replied
smilingly.

There was little need of people going away for a summering then, though
they did try to visit their relatives in the country places about.
People came up from the more southern States for the cool breezes and
the pleasant excursions everywhere. There were delightful parties going
out almost every day, to the islands lying off the city, to the little
towns farther away, to some places where it was necessary to remain all
night. Madam Royall insisted upon taking Doris with the girl