"She's a Doane, and this home was give by a Doane most sixty years
ago. And the Committee felt they couldn't let Drusilla die in the
poor house because of her name. It might reflect on the home, and
they'd lose some subscriptions. So they took her in."

"What'd she do before she was took in?"

"She sewed for folks and nursed and done odd jobs for the people in
the village. Everything she could git to do, I guess. And then she
got old and folks wanted stylisher dresses, and she wa'n't strong
enough to nurse much, so she had to be took in somewhere. First they
thought of sending her to the county house, and then as I told you
they was afraid it would look bad to have the Doane home for old
ladies right here and a Doane in the county house, so she was brought
here. It most broke her heart, but they've worked her well. She's
paid fer her keep and more, which is more than many I know of, what
with their appetite."

"You're talkin' at me now, Frances Smith, don't you make no remarks
about my appetite. I'm not strong and must eat well to keep up."

"Humph, it makes you feeble to carry round. I don't know what would
happen to you if you had a chance to set down once to a square meal
of vittles. I guess you'd bust."

"I want you to understand, Mis' Frances Smith, that I've et better
vittles than you've ever seen. When I had my home my table was the
talk of the countryside."

"Yes, and if you hadn't et up everything, perhaps you wouldn't now