It was amusing to see Mr. Knight’s look of astonishment, when the widow made her application.  Lydia, who chanced to be present, hastily retreated behind the pantry door, where with her apron over her mouth, she laughed heartily as she thought of a note, which the candidate for teaching had once sent them, and in which “i’s” figured conspicuously, while her mother was “polightly thanked for those yeast?”

Possibly Mr. Knight thought of the note, too, for he gave the widow no encouragement, and when on her way home she called for a moment at Mrs. Mason’s, she “thanked her stars that Sally Ann wasn’t obliged to keep school for a livin’, for down below where she came from, teachers warn’t fust cut!”

One morning about a week after Mary’s return, she announced her intention of visiting her mother’s grave.  “I am accustomed to so much exercise,” said she, “that I can easily walk three miles, and perhaps on my way home I shall get a ride.”

Mrs Mason made no objection, and Mary was soon on her way.  She was a rapid walker, and almost before she was aware of it, reached the village.  As she came near Mrs. Campbell’s, the wish naturally arose that Ella should accompany her.  Looking up she saw her sister in the garden and called to her.

“Wha-a-t?” was the very loud and uncivil answer which came back to her, and in a moment Ella appeared round the corner of the house, carelessly swinging her straw flat, and humming a fashionable song.  On seeing her sister she drew back the corners of her mouth into something which she intended for a smile, and said, “Why, I thought it was Bridget calling me, you looked so much like her in that gingham sun-bonnet.  Won’t you come in?”

“Thank you,” returned Mary, “I was going to mother’s grave, and thought perhaps you would like to accompany me.”

“Oh, no,” said Ella, in her usual drawling tone, “I don’t know as I want to go.  I was there last week and saw the monument.”

“What monument?” asked Mary, and Ella replied “Why, didn’t you know that Mrs. Mason, or the town, or somebody, had bought a monument, with mother’s and father’s, and Franky’s, and Allie’s name on it?”

Mary waited for no more, but turned to leave, while Ella, who was anxious to inquire about Ida Selden, and who could afford to be gracious, now that neither Miss Porter, nor the city girls were there, called after her to stop and rest, when she came back.  Mary promised to do so, and then hurrying on, soon reached the graveyard, where, as Ella had said, there stood by her parents’ graves a large handsome monument.