and splashes came from the back yard.

After an exchange of friendly good-bys Mrs. Pike entered her front
door and Mother and the singer lady returned to their own front
gate.

"Dearie me," said Mother in a tone of positive discouragement, "I
don't know what I will do if I have to undo another one of Tom
Mayberry's prescriptions to-day. But you couldn't expect a man to
untangle a children quirk like that; and oil woulder been the thing
for the cherry stones in children's stomachs, but not for ones
throwed on the back walk. I hope the Squire won't hear about it,"
she added with a laugh.

"I think," said Miss Wingate with her dark eyes fixed on Mother's
face with positive awe, "I think you are wonderful with everybody.
You know just what to do for them, and what to say to them and--"

"Well," interrupted Mother with a laugh, "it are gave to some women
to be called on the Lord's ease mission, and I reckon I'm of that
band. Don't you know I'm the daughter of a doctor, and the wife of a
doctor and the mother of one as good as either of the other two? I
can't remember the time when I didn't project with the healing of
ailments. When I married Doctor Mayberry and come down over the
Ridge from Warren County with him, he had his joke with me about my
herb-basket and a-setting up opposition to him. It's in our blood.
My own cousin Seliny Lue Lovell down at the Bluff follows the
calling just the same as I do. I say the Lord were good to me to
give me the love of it and a father and a husband and now a son to
practise with."