The Road to Providence

n Providence, up and stirring at an unusually early hour, for in the mid-week came Sewing Circle day and the usual routine of work m

handed across the fence fifteen minutes agone. Down the road Mr. Petway was energetically taking down the store shutters and Mr. Mosbey was building the blacksmith shop fire. Cindy had milked and started breakfa

at the Nob possessed her, for the arrival of the sun upon the scene of action was a sight that held the decided charm of novelty. And on this particular morning she found it more than worth while. Providence lay at her feet like a great bouquet of lilacs, locust and fruit blossoms. The early mist was shot through with long spears of gold and the pale smoke curled up from the brick chimneys and ming

room, "what did you get up so soon for? It's Wednesday and the Sewing Circle meets with me, so Cindy and us must be a-stirring,

Doctor, who was busy consuming muffins and chicken gravy. "Can't I ha

nner and some of the Sewing Party refreshments, to say nothing of supper-and

nswered him. "I want to show off my teaching to the Providence folks. Give the child so

bedient frame of mind, he lingered at the table to watch

oing around. There cames the Deacon! I wonder what the matter is!" And Mother Mayberry hurried

unusually early hour. Your lamp is always burning to meet emergencies. Mrs. Bostick is not well this morning and I came up to see if you could find a moment to step do

Deacon! What did she eat last night for supper?

young sister, Eliza Pike. I recall I pleaded for some of the peaches, still in the jar you gave Mrs. Bostick, but was

cher in one hand and a covered dish in the other. Ez followed her with a plate wrapped in a napkin, and

reakfast with Mother Mayberry, when I told you about Maw making

either Mrs. Bostick nor I would think of breakfasting without your superintendence. I was just starting over to tell

oing to watch for Doctor Tom and ask him in anyway. Please come on home, Deacon, 'fore the rolls get cold and th

face of the ministering child with a peculiar tenderness tinged with respect. "And, 'Liza, honey, stop

e found that she was not to be supplanted in her attendance on her charges. "I was a-coming to see you this

he table by this time and now trotted along at the Deacon's heels like a replete and contented puppy. Ez held the plate carefully and Billy seemed about s

ur or two later to hold serious consultation

tle for which the child waited eagerly, "you are a-doing the right thing to take nice things to Mis' Bostick an

if I just took things from Maw to 'em and slighted they cooking. I pick out the best things everybody makes. Maw's light rolls, Mis' Pratt's sunshine cake and cream potatoes, Cindy's chicken and M

her small confrere close against her side and wiped away a tear with a quick gesture. "Now you can go fix

p, Mother Mayberry with feather duster and cloth, Miss Wingate threw her energies with abandon into the accomplishing of a most artistic scheme of decoration. She set tall jars of white locus

parties before. I wonder if some of the meek folks, that our dear Lord told about being invited in from the byways and hedges, mightn't a-brought some of the hedge blooms along into the feast with 'em. Thank you, child, the prettiness will feed everybody's eye, I know,

the Providence matrons grouped along the Road and up Mother Mayberr

all are on time, for I have got the best of things to tell, as I have been saving by the hardest for three da

lode in a mine in Delyware; a terrible flood in Louisianny and the man that killed his wife and six children in Kansas? I don't know what we're a-coming to. I told Mr. Peavey and Buck this morning,

had been collected from all over the house for the occasion. Gay sewing bags had been produced and the armor of thimbles and scissors h

ously, though a smile quirked at the corners of the Widow Pratt's pretty mouth and young Mrs. Nath Mosbey bent over to hunt in her bag for an unne

me calico for me in," answered Mrs. Peavey, continuing her lamentations over conditions in general, which they all kne

orld that don't seem to be able to hitch up together, without letting folks already geared roam loose again. But what's

house Sewing Circle a good big sewing order from the United States Gover

d Mrs. Peavey with her usual fear-the-worst manner. "What earthly use

and stop it from spreading everywhere. While he's a-working with 'em he has to see that they are provided for; and they condition are shameful. He wants outfits for the women and children and Mr. Petway have the order to buy the men's things down in the City for him. He's a-going to pay us good prices for the work

heartily. "When can we begin? I'll cut 'em all out at home, so as to save time, if you'll give me th

for seventeen might be a set-back to any kind of co'ting, but seeing as you likes it so, why, ma

love we have got for each other's orphant children have mixed itself up into a wedding cake for the family. I had laid off to tell you all about it this after

f inquiry went around with the box of

e fronts of the two houses to connect 'em up," answered Mrs. Pra

ay and he'll look after them if need be, though 'Lias Hoover and my Henny Turner are getting big, dependable boys already. I'm so glad the children match out in pairs. I always did w

in you," said Mother Mayberry as she beamed across the little sleeve she was basting in an apron. "And this brings me to the mention of another lit

And I've just caught on to her doings, and thankful I am to he

and uneasiness in her tone, for Eliza, as is the way of all geniuses, especially those of a phi

aps in her offering to the Lord, and she have gave a lesson to grown-ups. We all love the old folks and was ready to do, but 'Liza have proved that love must be mixed with a little gumption to make wheels go round. And ain't she cute about it? She told the Deacon that she had to bring something from everybody's kitchen or hurt

yesterday I didn't brown my hoe-cake enough on both sid

er mother hastened to say as they all laughed, even the misanthrope, who was mu

ted we are to be let give to the Deacon and she'll manage him, pride and all, in a sorter game. We'll make it a race with her which pleases him most. And now," Mother paused and looked from the face of one hearty country woman to another with a wealth of affection for each and every one, "let's don't none of us forget to take the child up to the th

y at the compliments handed her in return for her offer of the various viands she had prepared for their delectation, and Miss Wingate blushed and beamed upon them all with the most raptur

"it were hard enough to ask Doctor Tom in to pot-luck with my chicken dumplins, that he carries on over, a-knowing about what yo

s is the next place he has promised to take me to

country women more than the parties that Doctor Tom had been improvising for the amusement of the singer girl. Before each visit he openly a

wife. I'll have to take little Bettie to raise and teach her how to bit and brid

ual that of his younger and feminine opponent. Teether and little Hoover sat in the Pike wheelbarrow which was drawn up beside the Pike gate, and attached thereto by long gingham strings were Martin Luther and little Bettie. They champed the gingham bits drawn through their mouths and pranced with their little bare feet in the dust, as Eliza found

e. A mother who has many calls in the life-complicated to take her out of reach of the children is different from a mother who is alway

ractised eye over her group and detected not a loose end. Eliza a

Bible tales, and my side have beat Henny's five catches and one loose. But Henny

a good passel of children when the meeting was over," said Mother Mayberry

Say, 'Liza, let's all go down and set on the pump and eat '

ately scampered after the rest. She handed little Hoover to Mrs. Pratt and was prepari

for you. They wasn't enough to give some to all t

quire Tutt, 'cause he do love peppermint so. He wouldn't take the medicine Mother Mayberry fixes for him if she didn't put peppermint in it. He says so. He's porely and have got his h

ssented Mrs. Pratt heartily. "Now run along, f

till I get there. It wouldn't be fair." And she hurried down the Road

other Mayberry, as she looked down the Road at

of the pride in her own rich voice, "and to thin

rs put to bed, when the soft-toned Meeting-house bell droned out its call for the weekly prayer meeting. Very soon the Road was in a gentle hum of conversation as the congregation issued from their house doors and wended their way slowly toward the little church, which, back from the Road in an old cedar glade, brooded over its peaceful yard o

fortified with a huge palm-leaf fan. "It's my duty to make you both come with Cindy and me to prayer meeting, but I don't hold with a body using they own duty as a stick to

the singer lady as she rose from the steps upon which Doctor Tom kept

him stay to keep care of you. Put that lace fascination around your throat if a breeze blows up! Tom, try to make out, with Elinor

r," called the D

ck from the gate. "Better keep i

ke her?" asked Miss Wingate, as she s

e has to get across a continent from Harpeth Hills to appreciate. She's the result of the men and women who blazed the w

ow what this soft moonlight aspect of Providence reminds me of, with those tall poplars down the R

ter a moment. His face was in the shadow and

showed black against the fragrant wistaria vines and her eyes were deep and velvety in the soft light. "Yes, it was the summer I was eighteen and I had gone over with my father for a month or two of recuperation for him after

is voice was perfectly steady, though his heart po

ill he left me to Monsieur LaTour and Madame, his wife. She is an American and her father had been in the Senate with father for years. Monsieur is a very great teacher, perhaps the greatest living. Madame wante

d the breast of a giant. In this world no record is kept of the great moments when a

f fate. I was preparing for confidences," he manag

e voice! And-and once or twice it has seemed worth while. My debut night in Paris when I sang the Juliette waltz-song-just the moment when I realized I could use it as I would and always more volume-and the

it comes back?" demanded the very young Doctor with a quick n

s wild about my humming it, and dances with his absurd, chubby little legs at the first note. What will he do if I can really sing it? And I'll sing Beulah Land for Cindy, and I'm sitting on the

e lit his cigar and again began to puff rings out into the m

stretched out her hand to him and, as he took it into hi

answered her just as quietly,

would have done credit to little Bettie Pratt. "Let's hurry and ge