I have never been more good than since I have been rewarding
myself steady, even to asking Aunt Miranda kindly to offer me a
company jelly tart, not because I was hungry, but for an
experement I was trying, and would explain to her sometime.

She said she never thought it was wise to experement with your
stomach, and I said, with a queer thrilling look, it was not my
stomach but my soul, that was being tried. Then she gave me the
tart and walked away all puzzled and nervous.

The new minister has asked me to come and see him any Saturday
afternoon as he writes poetry himself, but I would rather not ask
him about this composition.

Ministers never believe in rewards, and it is useless to hope
that they will. We had the wrath of God four times in sermons
this last summer, but God cannot be angry all the time,--nobody
could, especially in summer; Mr. Baxter is different and calls
his wife dear which is lovely and the first time I ever heard it
in Riverboro. Mrs. Baxter is another kind of people too, from
those that live in Temperance. I like to watch her in meeting and
see her listen to her husband who is young and handsome for a
minister; it gives me very queer and uncommon feelings, when they
look at each other, which they always do when not otherwise
engaged.

She has different clothes from anybody else. Aunt Miranda says
you must think only of two things: will your dress keep you warm
and will it wear well and there is nobody in the world to know
how I love pink and red and how I hate drab and green and how I