As soon as they arrived, Aunt Linda rushed up to Iola, folded her in her arms, and joyfully exclaimed:  “How’dy, honey!  I’se so glad you’s come.  I seed it in a vision dat somebody fair war comin’ to help us.  An’ wen I yered it war you, I larffed and jist rolled ober, and larffed and jist gib up.”

“But, Aunt Linda, I am not very fair,” replied Mrs. Latimer.

“Well, chile, you’s fair to me.  How’s all yore folks in de up kentry?”

“All well.  I expect them down soon to live here.”

“What, Har’yet, and Robby, an’ yer ma?  Oh, dat is too good.  I allers said Robby had san’ in his craw, and war born for good luck.  He war a mighty nice boy.  Har’yet’s in clover now.  Well, ebery dorg has its day, and de cat has Sunday.  I allers tole Har’yet ter keep a stiff upper lip; dat it war a long road dat had no turn.”

Dr. Latimer was much gratified by the tender care Aunt Linda bestowed on Iola.

“I ain’t goin’ to let her do nuffin till she gits seasoned.  She looks as sweet as a peach.  I allers wanted some nice lady to come down yere and larn our gals some sense.  I can’t read myself, but I likes ter yere dem dat can.”

“Well, Aunt Linda, I am going to teach in the Sunday-school, help in the church, hold mothers’ meetings to help these boys and girls to grow up to be good men and women.  Won’t you get a pair of spectacles and learn to read?”

“Oh, yer can’t git dat book froo my head, no way you fix it.  I knows nuff to git to hebben, and dat’s all I wants to know.”  Aunt Linda was kind and obliging, but there was one place where she drew the line, and that was at learning to read.

Harry and Miss Delany accompanied Iola as far as her new home, and remained several days.  The evening before their departure, Harry took Miss Delany a drive of several miles through the pine barrens.

“This thing is getting very monotonous,” Harry broke out, when they had gone some distance.

“Oh, I enjoy it!” replied Miss Delany.  “These stately pines look so grand and solemn, they remind me of a procession of hooded monks.”

“What in the world are you talking about, Lucille?” asked Harry, looking puzzled.

“About those pine-trees,” replied Miss Delany, in a tone of surprise.

“Pshaw, I wasn’t thinking about them.  I’m thinking about Iola and Frank.”

“What about them?” asked Lucille.

“Why, when I was in P——­, Dr. Latimer used to be first-rate company, but now it is nothing but what Iola wants, and what Iola says, and what Iola likes.  I don’t believe that there is a subject I could name to him, from spinning a top to circumnavigating the globe, that he wouldn’t somehow contrive to bring Iola in.  And I don’t believe you could talk ten minutes to Iola on any subject, from dressing a doll to the latest discovery in science, that she wouldn’t manage to lug in Frank.”

“Oh, you absurd creature!” responded Lucille, “this is their honeymoon, and they are deeply in love with each other.  Wait till you get in love with some one.”