instead of a dingy red, was now a pure white, with green blinds, but she
soon (as she said) talked him over to her side, and the first time
Deacon Martin's wife passed the homestead after the improvements were
completed, she remarked to a friend, that she almost felt it her duty,
to call and ask Uncle Nathan if he were not evincing too much love of
display, by expending so much money on mere outward adornings. Somehow
or other it came to Aunt Lucinda's ears that the good Deacon's wife
thought they had better give their money to the cause of, "Foreign
Missions" than spend it in so needless a manner. My uncle's family did
give liberally when called upon, in this way, and, more than this, they
were not inclined to make remarks upon the short-comings of others; but,
upon this occasion my aunt replied with much warmth: "If the Deacon's
wife has any thing to say to me upon the subject let her come and say
it, the sooner the better, and I'll ask her if she remembers the year
I was appointed as one of the collectors for the Foreign Missionary
Society, and when I called upon her, after she had complained for some
time of hard times and the numerous calls for money, put down her name
for twenty-five cents, and did not even pay that down, and I had to go
a second time for it; if she knows what's for the best she won't give
herself any further trouble as to how we spend our money." On the whole
I presume it was all the better that the Deacon's wife never called to
censure Aunt Lucinda for extravagance in spending money.




CHAPTER XIX.


The second year which I spent at Uncle Nathan's was one which I often