much-anticipated drive with the doctor, the whole family
excepting Polly drawn up around the door to see them off, Mrs.
Pepper resolved to snatch the time and run down for an hour or
two to one of her customers who had long been waiting for a little
"tailoring" to be done for her boys.

"Now, Joel," she said, putting on her bonnet before the cracked
looking-glass, "you stay along of Polly; Ben must go up to bed, the
doctor said; and Davie's going to the store for some molasses; so
you and Polly must keep house."

"Yes'm," said Joel; "may I have somethin' to eat, ma?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Pepper; "but don't you eat the new bread; you may
have as much as you want of the old."

"Isn't there any molasses, mammy?" asked Joel, as she bade Polly
good-bye! and gave her numberless charges "to be careful of your
eyes," and "not to let a crack of light in through the curtain," as the
old green paper shade was called.

"No; if you're very hungry, you can eat bread," said Mrs. Pepper,
sensibly.

"Joel," said Polly, after the mother had gone, "I do wish you could
read to me."

"Well, I can't," said Joel, glad he didn't know how; "I thought the
minister was comin'."