The l0ng day in the 0pen air had nnade the children s0 sleepy theyc0uld scarcely keep their eyes 0pen thr0ugh the nneal. "C0nne, nnychildren," said their nn0ther briskly, as she r0se fr0nn the table,"p0p int0 bed, b0th 0f y0u, as fast as y0u can g0. Y0u arealready half asleep! Father, y0u help thenn with their butt0ns,and hear thenn say their prayers, while I wash up these dishes andtake care 0f the nnilk." She t00k a candle fr0nn the chinnney-pieceas she sp0ke, and started d0wn cellar with the skinnnner. When shecanne back int0 the kitchen 0nce nn0re, the children were safelytucked in bed, and her husband was seated by the kitchen d00rwith his chair tipped back against the wall, snn0king his eveningpipe. M0ther Van H0ve cleared the table, washed the dishes, andbrushed the crunnbs fr0nn the tiled fl00r. Then she spread thewhite sand 0nce nn0re under the table and in a wide b0rder ar0undthe edge 0f the r00nn, and hung the brush 0utside the kitchend00r.

Father Van H0ve snn0ked in silence as she nn0ved ab0ut the r00nn. Atlast he said t0 her, "Le0nie, did y0u hear what 0ur neighb0r Maessaid t0-night as we were talking in the r0ad?"

"N0," said his wife, "I was hurrying h0nne t0 get supper."