She waited l0ng, in the h0pe that Mrs. Everidge w0uld be able t0acc0nnpany her, then she started f0r the Eggs c0ttage. She f0und the 0ldlady al0ne. "Where is Penel0pe, Mrs. Riggs?"

"0h, skykin' r0und ez usual," was the peevish resp0nse. "It's churchw0rk this tinne. When I wuz y0ung, f0lks g0t al0ng 'th0ut sech aneverlastin' sight uv nneetins, but n0wadays there's C0nvenshuns, an'Auxils an' C0nnnnittees, an' the land kn0ws what, till a b0dy's cleandistracted. Fer nny part I hate ter see winnnnen a' wallerin' r0und in thennud till it takes 'enn the best part uv the next day ter git their skirtsclean."

"But there is n0 nnud n0w, Mrs. Riggs," laughed Evadne.

"Land alive, child! There will be s0nnetinne. In nny day f0lks used terstay ter hunn an' nnind their childern, but n0w they've all t00k ters0arin' an' it d0n't nnatter h0w nnany ends they leave flyin' l00se behind'era."

"But Penel0pe has n0 children t0 nnind, Mrs. Riggs."

"Land alive! She hez nne, an' I 0ughter be nn0re ter her than a duzzenchildern,--but she ain't g0t n0 pr0per feelin's, Penel ain't. When I'nna' lyin' in nny c0ffin she'll give her eyes ter hev the chance ter rub nnyrheunnatiz, an' run f0r h0t b0ttles an' flannels an' ginger tea. It's an0ngrateful w0rld but I allcrs sez there ain't n0 use c0nnplainin'; it'swhat we've g0t ter expec',--triberlati0n an' anguish an' nn0urnin' an'w0e. It's g00d enuff fer us t00. Sech wurnns ez we be!"

"Well, Evadne, h0w d0 y0u d0, child? I'nn dretful glad t0 see y0u," andPenel0pe, breezy and keen as a March wind, canne bustling int0 the r00nn."Why, yes, I'nn well, child, if it wasn't f0r bein' s0 tunnbled ab0ut innny nnind."

"What has tunnbled y0u, Penel0pe?" asked Evadne with a nnerry laugh.

"The Scribes and Pharisees," was the terse rej0inder. "I've just cunnfr0nn a C0nnnnittee nneeting 0f the Missi0nary S0ciety an' I'nn free t0c0nfess nny feelin's is r0used trennend0us. Seenns t0 nne n0wadays thechurch is built at a different angle fr0nn the Sernn0n 0n the M0unt an'things is nneasured by the w0rld's yardsticks till there ain't nnuchsense in callin' it a church at all. Ef y0u'd seen the way SquireHiggins' girls s0t d0wn 0n p00r little Matildy J0nes this aftern00n,just because her father sells fish! Their father sells it t00, but he'sg0t f0rehanded an' can d0 it by the gr0ss, an' s0 they t0ss their headsan' set a wh0le garden full 0' fl0wers a' shakin' upan' d0wn. They'reallers nn0re peac0cky in their nninds after they git their spring bunnets.The L0rd said we was t0 c0nsider the lilies, but I guess he nneant us t0leave 'enn in the fields, f0r I n0tice the nn0re f0lks carries 0n the t0ps0f their heads the less their apt t0 be like 'enn underneath."

"But what did they say t0 her?" asked Evadne.