pepper-pot? Does it need fillin'?"

And so began the reign of peace in the Old Ladies' Home.




VI

INDIAN SUMMER


Miss Abigail had not banked in vain on the "foresightedness of the
Lord." At the end of six months, instead of there being a shortage in
her accounts because of Abe's presence, she was able to show the
directors such a balance-sheet as excelled all her previous commendable
records.

"How do you explain it?" they asked her.

"We cast our bread on the waters," she answered, "an' Providence jest
kept a-handin' out the loaves." Again she said, "'T was grinnin' that
done it. Brother Abe he kept the gardener good-natured, an' the gardener
he jest grinned at the garden sass until it was ashamed not ter
flourish; an' Brother Abe kept the gals good-natured an' they wa'n't so
_niasy_ about what they eat; an' he kept the visitors a-laughin' jest
ter see him here, an' when yew make folks laugh they want ter turn
around an' dew somethin' fer yew. I tell yew, ef yew kin only keep grit
ernough ter grin, yew kin drive away a drought."