to you for making my little girl's life less lonely. I feel much
happier about her now, and so does my sister." And then, as dinner
was announced, he turned away and offered his arm to Mrs. Smedley.

Mr. Smedley took me in and sat by me, but after a few cursory
observations he left me to my own devices and talked to Miss Ruth. I
was a little disappointed at this, for I preferred him infinitely to
his wife, and I had always found his sermons very helpful; but I
heard afterward that he never liked talking to young ladies, and did
not know what to say to them. Carrie was an exception. She was too
great a favorite with them both ever to be neglected. Mr. Lucas'
attention was fully occupied by his voluble neighbor. Now and then he
addressed a word to me, that I might not feel myself slighted, but
Mrs. Smedley never seconded his efforts.

Ever since I had refused to teach in the Sunday school she had
regarded me with much head-shaking and severity. To her I was simply
a frivolous, uninteresting young person, too headstrong to be guided.
She always spoke pityingly of "your poor sister Esther" to Carrie, as
though I were in a lamentable condition. I know she had heard of
Flurry's doll, her look was so utterly contemptuous.

To my dismay she commenced talking to Mr. Lucas about Carrie. It was
very bad taste, I thought, with her sister sitting opposite to her;
but Carrie was Mrs. Smedley's present hobby, and she always rode her
hobby to death. No one else heard her, for they were all engaged with
Miss Ruth.

"Such an admirable creature," she was saying, when my attention was
attracted to the conversation; "a most lovely person and mind, and