There was no reason why Mary should blush at the mention of George Moreland, still she did do so, while Jenny slyly stepped upon her toes.  But her embarrassment was unobserved, for what did she, a pauper girl, know or care about one whose future destiny, and wife too, were even then the subject of more than one scheming mother’s speculations.  Mrs. Mason smiled, and said she thought it very much like child’s play, for if she remembered rightly Ida couldn’t be more than thirteen or fourteen.

“About that,” returned Mrs. Lincoln; “but the young man is older,—­eighteen or nineteen, I think.”

“No, mother,” interrupted Jenny, who was as good at keeping ages as some old women, “he isn’t but seventeen.”

“Really,” rejoined Mrs. Campbell, “I wouldn’t wonder if our little Jenny had some designs on him herself, she is so anxious to make him out young.”

“Oh, fy,” returned Jenny.  “He can’t begin with Billy Bender!”

Mrs. Lincoln frowned, and turning to her daughter, said ’I have repeatedly requested, and now I command you not to bring up Billy Bender in comparison with every thing and every body.”

“And pray, who is Billy Bender?” asked Mrs. Mason, and Mrs. Lincoln replied, “Why, he’s a great rough, over grown country boy, who used to work for Mr. Lincoln, and now he’s on the town farm, I believe.”

“But he’s working there,” said Jenny, “and he’s going to get money enough to go to school next fall at Wilbraham; and I heard father say he deserved a great deal of credit for it and that men that made themselves, or else men that didn’t, I’ve forgot which, were always the smartest.”

Here the older portion of the company laughed, and Mrs. Lincoln, bidding her daughter not to try to tell any thing unless she could get it straight, again resumed the subject of the silver forks, saying to Mrs. Mason, “I should think you’d be so glad.  For my part I’m perfectly wedded to a silver fork, and positively I could not eat without one.”

“But, mother,” interrupted Jenny, “Grandma Howland hasn’t any, and I don’t believe she ever had, for once when we were there and you carried yours to eat with, don’t you remember she showed you a little two tined one, and asked if the victuals didn’t taste just as good when you lived at home and worked in the,—­that great big noisy building,—­I forget the name of it?”

It was fortunate for Jenny’s after happiness that Mrs. Campbell was just then listening intently for something which Ella was whispering in her ear, consequently she did not hear the remark, which possibly might have enlightened her a little with regard to her friend’s early days.  Tea being over, the ladies announced their intention of leaving, and Mrs. Mason, recollecting Mrs. Lincoln’s request for flowers, invited them into the garden, where she bade them help themselves.  It required, however, almost a martyr’s patience for her to stand quietly by, while her choicest flowers were torn from their stalks, and it was with a sigh of relief that she finally listened to the roll of the wheels which bore her guests away.