The Road to Providence

darns them a spell and then I take a hand at it. Just look, Elinory, did you ever see a worser hole than this?" As Mother Mayberry spoke she held up for Miss Wingate's interested insp

such awful ones?" asked M

mother as she slipped a small gourd into the top

a habit most mothers have got in common, I reckon. When he's away from me I dream him often at all ages, but it's mostly from six to eleven I s

to have given him up to any serious extent." And she smiled as she turned her head in the dire

so now I felt like the time had come for a Lovell and a Mayberry to go out and be something to the rest of the world, and Tom were the one to carry the flag. I seen that the call were on him since he helped me through a spell of May pips with over two hundred little chickens before he were five years old, and he cut a knot out of the Deacon's roan horse by the direction of a book when he weren

singer lady interestedly. "Where

e them days. Tom did his part too and he run the plow deep and straight when he wasn't much taller than the handles. I had done talked it over with him and asked him would he, and he looked right in my eyes in his dependable way and said yes he would. That finished it

the girl, and she moved her chair nearer to Mother's and picked up the ma

he turned around to smile back; but I stood it out at the gate until they turned the bend, then I come on back to the house quick like some kind of hurted animal. But, dearie me, I never got a single tear shed, for there were Mis' Pea

ou had to let him go," Miss W

me to buy no stylish clothes to wear. I set here a-worrying over it, not that I minded, but it was hard on the boy to have to make his step-off in life and his mother not be there to see. And somehow I felt as if it would hurt Pa Lovell and Doctor Mayberry for me not to be with him. Then with thinking of Pa Lovell a sudden idea popped into my head. There was Seliny Lue Lovell right down to the Bluff, on the road to town, and with Aunt Lovell's fine

ght by and get it!" exclaimed Miss Wingate, her eyes as bright as Mother Mayberry's

tiff black silk, as anybody would be proud of, cut liberal with real lace collar and cuffs. Seliny Lue said I looked fine in it. I wisht she cou

coming?" asked the singer lady, hur

sked me if I wasn't Mr. Thomas Mayberry's mother. He had knew me by the favor. I told him yes and he took me up to the very front just as the singing begun. I soon got me and the silk dress settled, with the bokay all Providence had sent Tom on my knee, and looked around me. There next to me was the sweetest young-lady girl I have 'most ever saw, and she smil

listened very carefully," adm

nothing in particular on nobody. I woulder read 'em a line of scripture and then talked honest dealing by one another, the measuring out of work according to the pay and always a little over, the putting of a shoulder under another man's pressing b

answered Miss Wi

I felt a big tear roll down and splash right on the lace collar. Then he sat down and they was a to-do of hollering and clapping, but I just sat there too happy to take in the rest of what was did. Sometim

he saw you?" asked

didn't take me hardly two seconds to think a mortgage on the house and fifty acres, the cows and all, so I answered right up on time that go he should. While I was a-talking Tom had gave the bokay from Providence to the girl, what he had been knowing all the time at her father's house. And she had her nose buried in one of Mis' Peavey's pink peonys, a-blushing as pretty as you please over it at that country bumpkin of mine with all his fine manners. That Miss Alford

interest anybody, and my voice, when I speak-I-I-Will it be soon?" Her questio

's with a bad cold. I'll tell Tom about it, he'll be so pleased. Her

-after his graduation?" asked Miss Wi

next morning. We made a good crop that year and the mortgage wasn't but a few hundred dollars, what we soon paid. We've be

t raising her eyes from her work. She had commenced operations on the blu

man to raise the hymn tune. I take it that after a mother have builded up a man, she oughter see to it that he's capped off fine

mured Miss Wingate with her eyes still on the sock, which she was in

g used on him. Tom's so say-nothing and shy with women folks that he won't be no hard proposition for nobody. But with that

ate, as she raised very large and frankly questioning eyes to Moth

ffection preserved, only he don't know where she keeps the jar at. As I say, I don't want Tom Mayberry spoiled.

ily. "I-darned it." And she handed her handiwork over to

toad after he'd done got it on. You have drawn it bad. I don't know no better time to learn you how to darn your husband's socks than right now on this one of Tom's. You see you must begin with long

bring him. Eliza Pike headed the party with Teether hitched high up en her arm and Martin Luther clinging to her short blue calico skirt. They all drew up in a semicircle in front of Mother Mayberry and Miss Wingate an

ver and everybody is a-going over to watch it pass-and we can't-we can't!" Her voice broke into a wail, which was echoed by a sob and a howl from across the street just ins

you?" deman

and I won't let Billy and Ez go either." By this time the whole group was in different stages of grief, for the viewing of a circus without the company of Eliza Pike had the flavor of dead sea fruit in all

ith compassion and irritation striving in her vo

w said she would have to stay in the yard until she learned to be kind and respectful to Paw's sister, She

the wails, and they all fixed large and expectant eyes upon this friend who never failed them. By this time the Deacon had joined th

r cut all my finger-nails and wash my ears and never said a

with the Deacon. They can't no little girl do better than that, and your Maw just told

uld just stay front ways to folks until she come home, and they shouldn't nobody mend 'em for me." Bud choked wit

al eye, "you can't take them britches off."

" reiterated the loyal Eliza, and th

could see that his distress at the plight of yo

said I couldn't wrap you up in one of my kitchen aprons. That wouldn't be the same as changing the britches. She didn't know about this circus and if she was here you all

a twinkle in their corners, "your decision involves the interpretation of both t

in the dealing with children. If they're stuffed full of food and kindness they will mostly forget to be bad, and oughtent to be made to remember they CAN be by being p

Bettie by the other. Over by the store they could see Mrs. Pratt waiting to marshal the forces on down the Road and Mr. Hoover stood ready as outstandin

ed out her arms to Teether. Teether was looking worn with the excitement of the day and his sympathetic friend

ked Eliza doubtfully, her loyalty to Teether warring with the r

come back. Now run along and have a good time," and Miss Wingate s

em reaching up to it. What that good man have been to me only my Heavenly Father can know and Tom Mayberry suspicion. I tell you what I think I'll do; I'll take one of them little pans of rolls what Cindy have baked for supper, with a jar of peach preserves, and go down and set with Mis' Bostick while the Deacon are gone. We can run the pan of rolls in to get hot for him when he comes home and I know h

r lady with a shade of resentment in her voice. The little Pikes had established themselves firm

e has a mind to. I wish Miss Prissy had a little more understanding of the children, 'cause the rub all comes on Mis' Pike, and she's fair wore out with it. But I must be a-going so as to be the sooner a-coming. I wisht you would tell Tom Mayberry to go and let you he

vision framed itself in his office door against the background of Harpeth Hill, which was composed of the slim singer girl with the baby n

kens to bed for Mrs. Mayberry? She says we are to try, and if we don't do it the right way she is never going to compliment us with her confidence again.

sted upon is apt to incite in any man thus challenged. "Will you take command? I'm many times proved incompetent on such occasio

we are afraid of them. Let's just take their going under the coops as a m

meal, with his eye on Fuss-and-Feathers. Spangles hesitated, stood on one foot, clucked in an affected tone of voice to her huddling babies and coquettishly turned her head from one side to the other as if enthusing over his artistic service before accepting his hospitality. Then, just as she was poising one dainty foot ready

her Pike gurgled and the Doctor lo

ll the coops." And in accordance with his threat the Doctor disposed of the rest of the food and stood with the empty pan in his hand. And, like the well-trained flock of biddies that they were, all the rest of the hen mothers cl

r her shoulder and giggled with ungrateful delight The poor little chicks peeped sleepily, but still Spangles held her ground. The truth of the matter was that Domin

ndee, and, grasping her fluffy skirts in her free hand, she shook them out with a pleading "Shoo!" Instantly a perfect whirlwind of spangled feathers veered around and faced the cascade of frills, and a

t told of their rapid approach. The situation was desperate, and the loss of Mother Mayberry's faith in her seemed inevitable to the nonplussed singer lady as she leaned against the fence with Teether over her shoulder. Then the instinct t

r, get her

e exciting half-minute grab and shove to accomplish, at the end of which a ruffled but chastened S

one in and settled and Fuss-and-Feathers in that end coop where I have been wanting her to be for a week, seeing Dominick have got so many more chickens and needs that larger barrel. I didn't depend on Tom Ma