shining and gave her light enough to see.

When the old clock struck nine, Mr. Manning came through the hall and
stood in the doorway.

"Be you goin' to sit up all night, mother?" he inquired.

"Dear, no. And I expect you're all tired. We're up so early in the
morning here that we go to bed early. And I was thinking--Ruth needn't
have gone upstairs, and Doris could have slept with Elizabeth----"

"I'll go upstairs with Doris, and 'Lecty may have the room to herself,"
exclaimed Betty.

Grandmother Manning had a room downstairs, back of the parlor, and one
of the large rooms upstairs, that the family had the privilege of using,
though it was stored nearly full with a motley collection of articles
and furniture. This was her right in the house left by her husband. But
she spent most of her time between her daughter at Danvers and another
in the heart of the town, where there were neighbors to look at, if
nothing else.

Doris peered in the corners of the room by the dim candlelight.

"It's very queer," she said with a half-smile at Betty, glancing
around. For there were lines across on which hung clothes and bags of
dried herbs that gave the room an aromatic fragrance, and parcels in one
corner piled almost up to the wall. But the space to the bed was clear,
and there were a stand for the candle and two chairs.

"The children are in the next room, and the boys and men sleep at the
back. The other rooms have sloping roofs. And then there's a queer
little garret. Grandmother Manning is real old, and some time Mary will
have all the house to herself. Josiah bought out his sisters' share, and
Mrs. Manning's runs only as long as she lives."

"I shouldn't want to sleep with Elizabeth. I love you, Betty."

Betty laughed wholesomely. "You will get acquainted with her to-morrow,"
she said.

Doris laid awake some time, wondering if she really liked visiting, and
recalling the delightful Christmas visit at Uncle Winthrop's. The
indefinable something that she came to understand was not only leisure
and refinement, but the certain harmonious satisfactions that make up
the keynote of life from whence melody diffuses itself, were wanting
here.

They had their breakfast by themselves the next morning. Friday was a
busy day, but all the household except the baby were astir at five, and
often earlier. There were churning and the working of butter and packing
it down for customers. Of course, June butter had the royal mark, bu