There could be no two people more unlike than the sisters.  Sedalia is really handsome, and she is thin.  But she is vain, selfish, shallow, and conceited.  Gale is not even pretty, but she is clean and she is honest.  She does many little things that are not exactly polite, but she is good and true.  They both went to the barn with me to milk.  Gale tucked up her skirts and helped me.  She said, “I just love a stable, with its hay and comfortable, contented cattle.  I never go into one without thinking of the little baby Christ.  I almost expect to see a little red baby in the straw every time I peek into a manger.”

Sedalia answered, “Well, for Heaven’s sake, get out of the stable to preach.  Who wants to stand among these smelly cows all day?”

They stayed with us almost a week, and one day when Gale and I were milking she asked me to invite her to stay with me a month.  She said to ask her mother, and left her mother and myself much together.  But Sedalia stuck to her mother like a plaster and I just could not stand Sedalia a whole month.  However, I was spared all embarrassment, for “Mis’ Lane” asked me if I could not find work enough to keep Gale busy for a month or two.  She went on to explain that Sedalia was expecting to be married and that Gale was so “common” she would really spoil the match.  I was surprised and indignant, especially as Sedalia sat and listened so brazenly, so I said I thought Sedalia would need all the help she could get to get married and that I should be glad to have Gale visit me as long as she liked.

So Gale stayed on with me.  One afternoon she had gone to the post-office when I saw Mr. Patterson ride up.  He went into the bunk-house to wait until the men should come.  Now, from something Gale had said I fancied that Bob Patterson must be the right man.  I am afraid I am not very delicate about that kind of meddling, and while I had been given to understand that Patterson was the man Sedalia expected to marry, I didn’t think any man would choose her if he could get Gale, so I called him.  We had a long chat and he told me frankly he wanted Gale, but that she didn’t care for him, and that they kept throwing “that danged Sedalia” at him.  Then he begged my pardon for saying “danged,” but I told him I approved of the word when applied to Sedalia, and broke the news to him that Gale was staying with me.  He fairly beamed.  So that night I left Gale to wash dishes and Bob to help her while I held Mr. Stewart a prisoner in the stable and questioned him regarding Patterson’s prospects and habits.  I found both all that need be, and told Mr. Stewart about my talk with Patterson, and he said, “Wooman, some day ye’ll gang ploom daft.”  But he admitted he was glad it was the “bonny lassie, instead of the bony one.”  When we went to the house Mr. Stewart said, “Weel, when are you douchy bairns gangin’ to the kirk?”