to me since she came to my house and she is a GREAT help--for
when all is said and done, Anne dearie, I am not so young as I
once was, and there is no sense denying it. I was fifty-nine my
last birthday. I don't FEEL it, but there is no gainsaying the
Family Bible."



CHAPTER XXVII. A SACRED CONCERT

In spite of Miss Cornelia's new point of view she could not help
feeling a little disturbed over the next performance of the manse
children. In public she carried off the situation splendidly,
saying to all the gossips the substance of what Anne had said in
daffodil time, and saying it so pointedly and forcibly that her
hearers found themselves feeling rather foolish and began to
think that, after all, they were making too much of a childish
prank. But in private Miss Cornelia allowed herself the relief of
bemoaning it to Anne.

"Anne dearie, they had a CONCERT IN THE GRAVEYARD last Thursday
evening, while the Methodist prayer meeting was going on. There
they sat, on Hezekiah Pollock's tombstone, and sang for a solid
hour. Of course, I understand it was mostly hymns they sang, and
it wouldn't have been quite so bad if they'd done nothing else.
But I'm told they finished up with _Polly Wolly Doodle_ at full
length--and that just when Deacon Baxter was praying."

"I was there that night," said Susan," and, although I did not
say anything about it to you, Mrs. Dr. dear, I could not help