The Road to Providence

d Mrs. Peavey as she glanced with provoked remonstrance at Mother Mayberry, who went calmly on attending to the needs of a fresh hatching of young chickens. Mrs. Peavey l

p the fagots of human events that came in her way. She was the fly that kicked perpetually in Mother Mayberr

ing no cook in my kitchen, 'count of waiting for Cindy to get well and come back to me and nobody easy to pick up to do the work, but she hadn't been here a week before she w

in my house every day. It's just like you, Mis' Mayberry, to take her in. And I can't sense the why of you're being so close-mouthed about her. N

at the give and take of advice from friends is the greatest comfort in the worl

you thought it was me," answered her friend with the injured note in her voice beco

. All her young life when most girls ain't got a thought above a beau or a bonnet, she have been a-training of her voice to sing great 'cause it were in her to do it. And she done it, too. Then all to onct when she had got done singing in a great big town hall they call Convent Garden or something up in New York, she made the mistake to dr

Mayberry as that, do you?" asked Mrs. Peave

wasn't nothing but serving his term in the hospital. He wrote a paper about it that made all the doctors take notice of him and he have done it twice since, though throats are just a side issue from skins with him. Yes, I'm expecting of him to cure this child and give her back more'n just her voice, her wor

t," answered Mrs. Peavey with a vindictive look across

undays fer the color of they collars," Mother hastened to say with pride in the glance that followed Mrs. Peavey's across the wall. "Ain't Tom alwa

Mrs. Peavey in a tone of voice that refuse

o hatch. I feel they are a-going to be a credit to me and I'm glad I gave 'em to Ruffle Neck to set on. She's such a good hoverer and can be depended on to run from the

any faith in and not much in them. With strange chickens and girls around your house something misfor

w's that pain in your side?" she hastened to ask, to change the subject from a d

er," answered Mrs

o beam with pride. "I told you Tom could help it with that n

soon as I unrolled it. I just rubbed myself heavy with that mixture of kerosine, vine

rry, "I wish you had tried

u maybe he'll get some doctoring sense, but I wouldn't trust him for ten years at the shortest. But have y

o small amount of anxiety, for she was accustomed to the kind

even months ago. It'll be a scandal to this town and had oughter be took notice of by Deacon Bostick and the Elder. She's got four Turner children and six Pratts and he

er child-raiser than Bettie Pratt and I'll be mighty glad to see them poor, forlorn little Hoovers turned over to her. They've been on

m coming in from the field last night. But you can't do nothing about it-she have got the marrying habit. They are other widows in this town that have mourned respectable to say nothing of

her, "and seventeen is a good lot of children

got to go home and put on Buck's and Mr. Peavey's supper and sprinkle down some of my wash." And without further parley Mrs. Peavey marched home t

pised little Hoosier under her soft gray breast. "Some folks act like they had dyspepsy of the mind. Dearie me, I must go and take a glass of cream t

he front porch, where, under the purple wistaria vine, she found the singer lady absorbed in the construction of

ause I want her to have a beau," besought the small mot

h the scissors suspended over the bit of pink mus

s all winter and now she's got foot-

iled down into the eager little face. "Do y

th an expression of one bestowing a confidence, "When I'm let down to my f

ngate hastened to exclaim with a rising color. "I would

that time for me. But he couldn't make you take oil, could he?" she asked doubtfully, the me

rth fairly dancing over her face, "Yes," s

we are a half hour late with this cream, and both of us under promise sol

owed up onct this morning," answered

had up to this time been the Doctor's prize patient. "I

Aunt Prissy, and Bud for saying fool," answered Eliza, not at

said Mother with real concern at

t made Bud mad 'cause he fights 'Lias Hoover and he called her a fool. He hadn't oughter done i

snow-crowned, with bright old eyes that rested in a benediction on the group on the porch that his fine old smile confirmed. By the hand he led a tiny boy who was clad in a long non

who was left at my house this morning by the Circuit Rider, as he came through from Springfield on his way

to go up to Chicagy to study some more about some heathen matter, and couldn't quite make it with two children. My cousin Seliny Lue down to the Bluff have took the little girl and we sent five dollar

under a huge yellow curl that fell over his forehead, straight into Mother's gray ones for a moment, and

on. His little mother tongue had evidently suffered a slight twist by his birth and sojourn in

removed the fez and ruffled up the damp curls. "Run fetch the tea-cake b

ed to draw forward into a sunny but sheltered corner of the porch, "I'm on my way to take tea with Sister Pratt. I'm to mee

ngate, answering both question and smile.

beaming with enthusiasm. "Your cure will be only a matter of time, a mat

m Mayberry all in one minute!" exclaimed Mother with a delighted lau

he crisp discs. Eliza spread the end of her short blue calico skirt over Martin Luther's chubby knees, and they both proceeded to eat into the improvised napkin with the utmost comradeshi

k your Maw to send me a pair of Billy's britches and a shirt. No, maybe young Ez's 'll be better, and bring 'em and Martin Lut

he Road and around the corner of the Pike cottage, while the Deacon still lingered talking to Miss Wingate at the gate. Eliza had taken upon herself, with

she found in which to let the horrible dread creep close and clutch at her throat. Helping along in the construction of a bucket of tea-cakes, the printing of four cakes of butter, the simmering of a large pan of horehound syrup and the excitement of pouring it into the family bottles that Mother was filling against a sudden night call from some crouper down or across the Road, to say nothing of a most exciting pie, that had been concocted entirely by herself from a jar of peaches and frilled around with the utmost regard for its artistic appeara

gate. He had come from up the Road while she had been looking down in the other direction, and in his hand he held a spray of purple lilacs which he

d and laid the purple flowers against the white ones she held in her hand.

ene gray eyes, and his very evident air of a man of affairs had much of the charm of Mother Mayberry's rustic dignity. His serge coat, blue shirt and soft gray tie had a decided cut of sophistication and were worn with a most worldly grace that was yet strangely harmonious with his surroundings. For with all of his disti

aused and raised her eyes to his with a hint

lied with a smile that

o the edges aren't jagged-to be all consumed within the hour," she answered with spirit, rising to the sli

crowned by a straw hat, which was circled by a brand new shoestring, though it gaped across the crown to let out a peeping curl. Young Ez's garments even had proved a size too large and the faded blue jeans "britches" were rolled up over his round little knees and hitched up high under his arms by an improvised pair of calico "galluses" which were stretched tight over a clean but much patched gingham shirt. His

most gratifying interest in his big voice, while M

za, and as she spoke she settled the hat an inch farther down over the curls with a motherly gesture. She had failed to grasp with exactness the situation

Billy while the "galluses" were in process of construction a few minutes ago. "Thank ma'am, please," he hastened to add wit

r, in instant sympathy with his pride in t

im and the baby in to Mother Mayberry to see if his other top-tooth have come up enough for Maw to rub it through with her thimble." Th

ve arms. The day had been a long and weary one for Teether Pike and he dropped his tired little he

etween the pink lips, he rendered unnecessary the agony of the maternal thimble. It had been done so quickly that Teether himself only nestled a bit closer with a faint moan

ut it?" sh

d the Doctor n

If it was me, I'd let you cut me wide open and sew me up again if you wanted to," and Eliza beamed upon the Doctor with an affection that was the acme of idealization. She had fo

oover have got two warts he can cut off, if he gives him a piece of catgut string to tie on fish hooks." And Billy lo

side. When they reached the front steps she seated herself on the top one and slowly lowered the drowsy little chap, until his head rested on her breast and her arms held him cradlewise. She began a low husky humming as she rocked herself to and fro, watching

een obliged to send out two Press bulletins as to her condition within the week-and she sat on the steps in the twilight humming Teether Pike to sleep, shut in by the Harpeth Hills with only him to fight her fight for her. He almost groaned aloud with the pain of it, when into his consciousness came Mother Mayberry's placid voice shooing the Pike children home with promises and admonitions. A line from Doctor Stein's letter flashed into his mind: "And first and above all I want your mother to put heart and hope in

e for just before the summons to supper. She seated herself by the open window, through which the

study from my kitchen window a minute ago. They ain't nothing in the world that makes me so contented as to know that all Providence is a-setting down to meals at the same time and a-feeding together as one family, though in different houses. The good Lord will get all the rendered thanks at the same time and I feel it will please Him-ours is late on account of Elinory deciding at the last

ht you to let her-Miss Wingate-do such things-so many things? Are you sure she enjo

d I don't know nothing better to offer than a butter-paddle and a bread-bowl. It's the feeding of folks that counts in a woman's life, whether it be son

ful. When I think of the great opera house, the lights and the flowers, th

lf to a very comforting degree. Courage was the ingredient the good Lord took to start making a woma

spoke as I did about Miss Wingate because you see she is-well, what we would cal

hing up of the supper, "but I ain't a-letting no foolish pride hold my heart back from my honey-bird. Love's my brea