But that last speech of Grandmother Wheeler's
undid all the previous good. Mrs. Diantha had an
unacknowledged -- even to herself -- disapproval of
Mrs. Jennings which dated far back in the past, for
a reason which was quite unworthy of her and of her
strong mind. When she and Lily's mother had been
girls, she had seen Mrs. Jennings look like a picture,
and had been perfectly well aware that she herself
fell far short of an artist's ideal. Perhaps if Mrs.
Stark had believed in ruffles and ribbons, her daugh-
ter might have had a different mind when Grand-
mother Wheeler had finished her little speech.

As it was, Mrs. Diantha surveyed her small, pretty
mother-in-law with dignified serenity, which savored
only delicately of a snub. "I do not myself approve
of the way in which Mrs. Jennings dresses her daugh-
ter," said she, "and I do not consider that the child
presents to a practical observer as good an appear-
ance as my Amelia."

Grandmother Wheeler had a temper. It was a
childish temper and soon over -- still, a temper.
"Lord," said she, "if you mean to say that you
think your poor little snipe of a daughter, dressed
like a little maid-of-all-work, can compare with that
lovely little Lily Jennings, who is dressed like a
doll! --"

"I do not wish that my daughter should be dressed