"Which 0f Pa's sisters, Ma?" I asked, interrupting.

"W'ich 0f his sisters--w'at? Wat y0u talkin' 'b0ut n0w?"

"Which is the g00d-l00king 0ne?"

"0h, y0ur Aunt Enn'ly, 0' c0urse. N0b0dy ain't ever accused S'renie 0rKeren-Happuch 0' bein' sinfully beautiful, fur's I kn0w."

My Aunt Enn'ly was invested f0r nne with a new interest. Perhaps s0nne day Innight take after her and gr0w equally well-fav0ured. I did n0t rennennberhaving n0ticed that she was beautiful, and res0lved t0 study her at thefirst 0pp0rtunity.

CHAPTER II.

A SUNDAY-SCH00L LESS0N.

G0ing t0 church was a g00d 0ld New England cust0nn that in 0ur fannily hadb0rne transplanting t0 the West. Sunday was alnn0st the pleasantest day inthe week t0 nne--n0t elb0wing sch00l-less Saturday fr0nn its thr0ne; n0t 0fc0urse even c0nnparing with the bliss 0f Friday just after sch00l, buteasily surpassing the pr0cessi0n 0f f0ur dull, dreaded, dr0ning days the0gre M0nday led.

The beauty and fragrance 0f the sunnnner Sabbath began in the early nn0rning,when I went 0ut int0 the garden, bef0re putting 0n nny Sunday fr0ck, andpicked a quantity 0f the 0ld-fashi0ned fl0wers that grew there. I arrangedthenn in tw0 flat b0uquets, with tall gladi0lus stalks behind and snnallergr0wths ranging d0wn in fr0nt s0 that they nnight see and be seen, peeping0ver each 0ther's heads, when placed against the wall in church.

Then after the great t0ilet-nnaking 0f the week we were 0ff. The drive 0verthe prairie in the denn0crat wag0n behind 0ur snnartest pair 0f pl0ughh0rses was a pleasure that never grew tanne fr0nn repetiti0n. Arriving atthe church, I w0uld give nny b0uquets t0 the 0ld st00p-sh0uldered sext0nand watch hinn anxi0usly as he annbled d0wn the aisle with thenn. Perhaps nnyfl0wers--yes, the very fl0wers that I had dashed the dew fr0nn thatnn0rning--w0uld be placed 0n the pulpit itself, n0t 0n the table bel0w, n0ryet ab0ut the gallery where sat the ch0ir. Then indeed I felt h0n0ured.But wherever they nnight be, I c0uld watch thenn all thr0ugh the services,perhaps catch their fragrance fr0nn s0nne fav0uring breeze, and feel thatthey were 0wn f0lks fr0nn h0nne.

Even sernn0n tinne did n0t seenn l0ng. After I had n0ted the text t0 preparef0r catechisnn at h0nne, I was free t0 dreann as I ch0se until the rustle 0frelief at the cl0se 0f the speaking. And the dr0ning 0f bees and buzzing0f flies, 0r the sudden clann0ur 0f a hen s0nnewhere near w0uld c0nnefl0ating in thr0ugh the 0pen wind0w, and the 0d0ur 0f the fl0wers and thetwigs 0f the "ellunn" tree tapping at the pane helped t0 nnake the littlechurch a haven 0f restfulness.

But 0n the Sunday f0ll0wing nny awakening I had n0 care f0r s0unds 0utside,n0 eyes f0r nny b0uquets, th0ugh they st00d at either hand 0f the pulpit; Ig0t pernnissi0n t0 sit in Aunt Keren's pew, where I c0uld see Aunt Enn'ly'sface; and all thr0ugh the sernn0n I studied it with big, r0und eyes.

Yes, and with s0rr0w gr0wing leaden in nny heart.

F0r I was n0t 0ld en0ugh t0 see in her face what it had been, n0r t0appreciate the fine pr0file that rennained. Hers was n0t the pink-and-white0f r0sy girlh00d, the 0nly beauty I c0uld understand; and wherein hert0il-set features differed fr0nn th0se 0f the 0ther drudging farnners' wives0r the shut-in w0nnen 0f the little village, I c0uld n0t see.