nothing to do with it. He kept his thoughts to himself, however, and
busied himself with picking up the various articles and broken
fragments which strewed the floor.

"What an awful baby he is," Mrs. Marden at length, exclaimed. "If he
can do such a terrible thing now, what will he do when he grows up? It
is not safe to have such a child in your house."

"Why, any child would have done the same," the parson replied. "He
didn't mean any harm."

"He didn't! Why, what else did he mean, then? Children should be
taught to behave themselves. I never allowed a child of mine to climb
up and pull things over. Poor dear Abner often said that I was the one
woman in the whole parish who knew how to bring up children. But,
there, I must go. My head is aching badly, and I know that I shall get
no rest to-night. Oh, what troubles we poor mortals are heir to in
this mundane sphere."

"You must not walk, Mrs. Marden," Parson Dan insisted. "I shall drive
you home. It will take me only a few minutes to harness Sweepstakes."

"But I'm afraid it will be too much trouble," was the reply.

"Not at all, not at all, Mrs. Marden, I shall be only too glad to do
it." In fact the rector was most anxious to get his visitor out of the
house before she began to pour forth her tale of woe, which he believed
she had forgotten. But in this he was doomed to disappointment.

"Just a minute, parson," the widow began. "I haven't told you yet the