Wheeler, piously. "Your Diantha is one woman in
a thousand. If she cared as much for fine clothes as
some women, I don't know where we should all be.
It would spoil poor little Amelia."

"Yes, it would," assented Grandmother Stark.
"Nothing spoils a little girl more than always to be
thinking about her clothes."

"Yes, I was looking at Amelia the other day, and
thinking how much more sensible she appeared in
her plain gingham than Lily Jennings in all her
ruffles and ribbons. Even if people were all notic-
ing Lily, and praising her, thinks I to myself, 'How
little difference such things really make. Even if
our dear Amelia does stand to one side, and nobody
notices her, what real matter is it?'" Grandmother
Wheeler was inwardly chuckling as she spoke.

Grandmother Stark was at once alert. "Do you
mean to say that Amelia is really not taken so much
notice of because she dresses plainly?" said she.

"You don't mean that you don't know it, as ob-
servant as you are?" replied Grandmother Wheeler.

"Diantha ought not to let it go as far as that," said
Grandmother Stark. Grandmother Wheeler looked
at her queerly. "Why do you look at me like that?"