too, which rendered one half of the community infinitely hotter yet.
As the burden of the minister's vacation fell upon the same half that
the washing did, one might have looked for very little friendly
exchanging of personal trials on the evening that followed such a
trying day. Susan felt such to be the case and concluded not to try
and go down town. Mrs. Lathrop took two or three wilted clovers, and
sat on her steps and chewed submissively after tea,--too much overcome
even to waft a questioning glance across the interim of parched grass
which stretched between her kitchen stoop and that of her friend; but
the latter saw her sitting there and felt a keen, remorseful stab.

"I guess I 'll go down in the square f'r jus' five minutes," she
called to the dejected figure, and forthwith sallied out to the
conflict.

The five minutes stretched to an hour, and Mrs. Lathrop was frankly
asleep when her vigil was terminated by her neighbor's return. The
latter came up and sat down on the steps, heaving a mighty sigh as she
did so.

"Well, I see Mrs. Brown," she began in a tone of reminiscent sympathy,
"'n' I can tell you 't Mrs. Brown is in a situation not to be lightly
sneezed over."

"What did--" remarked Mrs. Lathrop, rubbing her eyes.

"What did Henry Ward Beecher do? Well, he jus' up 'n' did the same 's
the night afore. Ate the Sons o' Veterans' pudding 's Mrs. Brown had
all ready for the Lodge meetin', 'n' all the baked beans 's was for
to-day's luncheon too. She says she never dreamed as no human bein'