g.

"What a sleepy old place!" said Mrs. King. "It would drive me to
distraction."

CHAPTER XVII

ANOTHER GIRL

Saturday afternoon the work was finished up and the children washed. The
supper was eaten early, and at sundown the Sabbath had begun. The parlor
was opened, but the children were allowed out on the porch. Ruth sprang
up a time or two rather impatiently.

"Sit still," said Elizabeth, "or you will have to go to bed at once."

"Couldn't I take her a little walk?" asked Doris.

"A walk! Why it is part of Sunday!"

"But I walk on Sunday with Uncle Winthrop."

"It's very wicked. We _do_ walk to church, but that isn't anything for
pleasure."

"But uncle thinks one ought to be happy and joyous on Sunday. It is the
day the Lord rose from the dead."

"It's the Sabbath. And you are to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy."

"What is the difference between Sabbath and Sunday?"

"There aint any," said James. "There's six days to work, and I wish
there was two Sundays--one in the middle of the week. The best time of
all is Sunday night. You don't have to keep so very still, and you don't
have to work neither."

Elizabeth sighed. Then she said severely, "Do you know your catechism,
James?"

"Well--I always have to study it Sunday morning," was the rather sullen
reply.

"Maybe you had better go in and look it over."

"You never do want a fellow to take any comfort. Yes, I know it."

"Ruth, if you are getting sleepy go to bed."

Ruth had leaned her head down on Doris' shoulder.

"She's wide awake," and Doris gave her a little squeeze that made her
smile. She would have laughed outright but for fear.

Elizabeth leaned her head against the door jamb.

"You look so tired," said Doris pityingly.

"I am tired through and through. I am always glad to have Saturday night
come and no knitting or anything. Don't you knit when you are home?"

"I haven't knit--much." Doris flushed up to the roots of her fair hair,
remembering her unfortunate attempts at achieving a stocking.

"What do you do?"

"Study, and read to Uncle Winthrop, and go to school and to writing
school, and walk and take little journeys and drives and do drawing.
Next year I shall learn to paint flowers."

"But you do some kind of work?"

"I keep my room in order and Uncle Win trusts me to dust his books. And
I sew a little and make lace. But, you see, there is Miss Recompense and
Dinah and Cato."

"Oh, what a lot of help! W