done patched two men, and I know what I'm talking about."

"It is a trial," answered Mother Mayberry, "and Mis' Bostick's life
have been a patched one at the best, a-moving in the Methodist wagon
from one station to another and a-trying every time to cut herself
out by a new style to suit each congregation, Anyway, I reckon all
women's lives have wored thin and had to be darned in some places,
but patches on her garment of life ain't going to make no difference
to a woman when she puts it on to meet her Lord, just so it's cut on
the charity mantle pattern. And Mis' Bostick's was hung to cover the
multitude. But a-talking here have made me sprout a idea: 'Liza Pike
have blazed the trail for us, bless her little heart! Her mother
don't never cook a single thing that 'Liza haven't got a dish handy
to beg some for the Deacon and Mis' Bostick. And she don't stop at
her own cook stove, but she's always here looking into what Cindy
cooks with an eye to the old folk's sweet-tooths or chicken-hankers.
I know, too, she gets what she wants from you for them, so there is
our leading. The Deacon loves 'Liza, and she is such a entertainment
to him that he'd eat ten meals a day at her dictation and no
questions asked. And she do beat all with her mothering ways with
them old folks. Last Wednesday night she had Deacon a-leading prayer
meeting with a red flannel band around his throat for his croaks,
and just yesterday she made Mis' Bostick stay in bed half the day,
covered up head and ears, to sweat off a little nose-dripping cold.
She's always a-consulting Tom and leaving me out. I think she's got
her eye on my practice. They never was such a master-hand of a child
in Providence before."

"There you are right," laughed the widow. "It's getting so that they
ain't a child on the Road as will let its own mother look at a cut