morning, she's tired out, I s'pose."

"And her face is dreadfully red," continued Polly, tying on her
bonnet; "now, what'll I say, mammy?"

"Well, I should think 'twould be," said Mrs. Pepper, replying to the
first half of Polly's speech; "she cried so. Well, you just tell Mrs.
Henderson your ma wants to know how Mr. Flenderson is this
morning, and if 'twas a chill he had yesterday, and how he slept
last night, and"-- "Oh, ma," said Polly, "I can't ever remember all
that."

"Oh, yes, you can," said Mrs. Pepper, encouragingly; "just put your
mind on it, Polly; 'tisn't anything to what I used to have to
remember--when I was a little girl, no bigger than you are.

Polly sighed, and feeling sure that something must be the matter
with her mind, gave her whole attention to the errand; till at last
after a multiplicity of messages and charges not to forget any one
of them, Mrs. Pepper let her depart.

Up to the old-fashioned green door, with its brass knocker, Polly
went, running over in her mind just which of the messages she
ought to give first. She couldn't for her life think whether "if 'twas
a chill he had yesterday?" ought to come before "how he slept?"
She knocked timidly, hoping Mrs. Henderson would help her out
of her difficulty by telling her without the asking. All other front
doors in Badgertown were ornaments, only opened on grand
occasions, like a wedding or a funeral. But the minister's was
accessible alike to all. So Polly let fall the knocker, and awaited