Now, she seized eagerly at the opportunity of improving her style of living.  The old Wales house was quite a pretentious edifice for those times.  All the drawback to her delight was, that Grandma should have the southwest fire-room.  She wanted to set up her high-posted bedstead, with its enormous feather-bed in that, and have it for her fore-room.  Properly, it was the fore-room, being right across the entry from the family sitting-room.  There was a tall chest of drawers that would fit in so nicely between the windows, too.  Take it altogether, she was chagrined at having to give up the southwest room; but there was no help for it—­there it was in Deacon Wales’s will.

Mrs. Dorcas was the youngest of all the sons’ wives, as her husband was the latest born.  She was quite a girl to some of them.  Grandma had never more than half approved of her.  Dorcas was high-strung and flighty, she said.  She had her doubts about living happily with her.  But Atherton was anxious for this division of the property, and he was her youngest darling, so she gave in.  She felt lonely, and out of her element, when everything was arranged, she established in the southwest fire-room, and Atherton’s family keeping house in the others, though things started pleasantly and peaceably enough.

It occurred to her that her son Samuel might have her own “help,” a stout woman, who had worked in her kitchen for many years, and she take in exchange his little bound girl, Ann Ginnins.  She had always taken a great fancy to the child.  There was a large closet out of the southwest room, where she could sleep, and she could be made very useful, taking steps, and running “arrants” for her.

Mr. Samuel and his wife hesitated a little when this plan was proposed.  In spite of the trouble she gave them, they were attached to Ann, and did not like to part with her, and Mrs. Polly was just getting her “larnt” her own ways, as she put it.  Privately, she feared Grandma would undo all the good she had done, in teaching Ann to be smart and capable.  Finally they gave in, with the understanding that it was not to be considered necessarily a permanent arrangement, and Ann went to live with the old lady.

Mrs. Dorcas did not relish this any more than she did the appropriation of the southwest fire-room.  She had never liked Ann very well.  Besides she had two little girls of her own, and she fancied Ann rivaled them in Grandma’s affection.  So, soon after the girl was established in the house, she began to show out in various little ways.

Thirsey, her youngest child, was a mere baby, a round fat dumpling of a thing.  She was sweet, and good-natured, and the pet of the whole family.  Ann was very fond of playing with her, and tending her, and Mrs. Dorcas began to take advantage of it.  The minute Ann was at liberty she was called upon to take care of Thirsey.  The constant carrying about such a heavy child soon began to make her shoulders stoop