nothing of supper-and are you going to make custards for us to eat
before seeking our downy couches?"

"The cup custards are going to be part of the Sewing Circle
refreshments," his mother answered him. "I want to show off my
teaching to the Providence folks. Give the child some chicken, Tom
Mayberry, and then you can go to your work. We don't want you
underfoot."

"Don't you need my help?" asked the Doctor, as, in a disobedient
frame of mind, he lingered at the table to watch the singer lady
begin operations on her dainty breakfast.

"Well, you can set here and see that Elinory gets all she wants and
more too, but I must be a-doing around. There cames the Deacon! I
wonder what the matter is!" And Mother Mayberry hurried out of the
house and down to the front gate to meet the Deacon who was coming
slowly up the Road.

"Good morning, Sister Mayberry," he said cheerily enough, though
there was an expression of anxiety on his gentle old face. "I
thought I would find you up, even at this unusually early hour. Your
lamp is always burning to meet emergencies. Mrs. Bostick is not well
this morning and I came up to see if you could find a moment to step
down to see her soon. I also wanted to ask Thomas to stop in for a
moment on his way over to Flat Rock. I am sure that she is not at
all ill, but I am just overly anxious."

"Why, of course, we will both come right away, Deacon! What did she
eat last night for supper? She oughter be careful about her night