the country. The greatness of
their day's experience had left her far behind; the day had been
silent and lonely without them, and she had had their supper ready,
and been watching anxiously, ever since five o'clock. As for the
children themselves they had little to say at first they had eaten
their luncheon early on the way to Topham. Susan Ellen was childishly
cross, but Katy was pathetic and wan. They could hardly wait to show
the picture, and their mother was as much pleased as everybody had
expected.

"There, what did make you wear your shawls?" she exclaimed a moment
afterward, reproachfully. "You ain't been an' wore 'em all day long? I
wanted folks to see how pretty your new dresses was, if I did make
'em. Well, well! I wish more 'n ever now I'd gone an' seen to ye!"

"An' here's the pepper-box!" said Katy, in a pleased, unconscious
tone.

"That really is what I call beautiful," said Mrs. Hilton, after a long
and doubtful look. "Our other one was only tin. I never did look so
high as a chiny one with flowers, but I can get us another any time
for every day. That's a proper hat, as good as you could have got,
John. Where's your new hoe?" she asked as he came toward her from the
barn, smiling with satisfaction.

"I declare to Moses if I didn't forget all about it," meekly
acknowledged the leader of the great excursion. "That an' my yellow
turnip seed, too; they went clean out o' my head, there was so many
other things to think of. But 't ain't no sort o' matter; I can get a
hoe just as well to Ira Speed's."

His wife could not help laughing. "You an' the little girls have had a
great time. They was full o' wonder to me about everything, and I
expect they'll talk about it for a week. I guess we was right about
havin' 'em see somethin' more o' the world."

"Yes," answered John Hilton, with humility, "yes, we did have a
beautiful day. I didn't expect so much. They looked as nice as
anybody, and appeared so modest an' pretty. The little girls will
remember it perhaps by an' by. I guess they won't never forget this
day they had 'long o' father."

It was evening again, the frogs were piping in the lower meadows, and
in the woods, higher up the great hill, a little owl began to hoot.
The sea air, salt and heavy, was blowing in over the country at the
end of the hot bright day. A lamp was lighted in the house, the happy
children were talking together, and supper was waiting. The father and
mother lingered for a