son, fairly teetering with excitement; then the grandmother, a
little, tremulous old lady in an auburn wig.

The woman at the head carried a bucket, and what should she do but
form her family into a line toward the well at the north side of
the house where we were!

Of course, the family did not nearly reach to the well, and she
beckoned to us imperatively. "Come immediately!" said she; "if the
men of this village have no head in an emergency like this, let the
women arise! Come immediately."

So Mrs. Peter Jones, Mrs. Ketchum, Adeline, and I stepped into the
line, and the mother boarder filled the bucket at the well, and we
passed it back from hand to hand, and the boy at the end flung it
into Mrs. Liscom's front entry all over her nice carpet.

Then suddenly we saw Caroline Liscom appear. She snatched the bucket
out of the hands of the boy boarder and gave it a toss into the
lilac-bush beside the door; then she stood there, looking as I had
never seen her look before. Caroline Liscom has always had the
reputation of being a woman of a strong character; she is manifestly
the head of her family. It is always, "Mrs. Liscom's house," and
"Mrs. Liscom's property," instead of Mr. Liscom's.

It is always understood that, though Mr. Liscom is the nominal voter
in town matters, not a selectman goes into office with Mr. Liscom's
vote unless it is authorized by Mrs. Liscom. Mr. Liscom is, so to
speak, seldom taken without Mrs. Liscom's indorsement.