“Massy, no, we’re all poor, feeble worms, and the best meanin’ of us fails too often,” sighed Mrs. Wilkins, as she tenderly adjusted the sleepy head of the young worm in her lap.  “After that scrape I done my best; Lisha was as meek as a whole flock of sheep, and we give Mis Bascum a wide berth.  Things went lovely for ever so long, and though, after a spell, we had our ups and downs, as is but natural to human creeters, we never come to such a pass agin.  Both on us tried real hard; whenever I felt my temper risin’ or discontent comin’ on I remembered them days and kep’ a taut rein; and as for Lisha he never said a raspin’ word, or got sulky, but what he’d bust out laughin’ after it and say:  ’Bless you, Cynthy, it warn’t me, it was the pig.’”

Mrs. Wilkins’ hearty laugh fired a long train of lesser ones, for the children recognized a household word.  Christie enjoyed the joke, and even the tea-kettle boiled over as if carried away by the fun.

“Tell some more, please,” said Christie, when the merriment subsided, for she felt her spirits rising.

“There’s nothin’ more to tell, except one thing that prevented my ever forgittin’ the lesson I got then.  My little Almiry took cold that week and pined away rapid.  She’d always been so ailin’ I never expected to raise her, and more ’n once in them sinful tempers of mine I’d thought it would be a mercy ef she was took out of her pain.  But when I laid away that patient, sufferin’ little creeter I found she was the dearest of ’em all.  I most broke my heart to hev her back, and never, never forgive myself for leavin’ her that time.”  With trembling lips and full eyes Mrs. Wilkins stopped to wipe her features generally on Andrew Jackson’s pinafore, and heave a remorseful sigh.

“And this is how you came to be the cheerful, contented woman you are?” said Christie, hoping to divert the mother’s mind from that too tender memory.

“Yes,” she answered, thoughtfully, “I told you Lisha was a smart man; he give me a good lesson, and it set me to thinkin’ serious.  ‘Pears to me trouble is a kind of mellerin’ process, and ef you take it kindly it doos you good, and you learn to be glad of it.  I’m sure Lisha and me is twice as fond of one another, twice as willin’ to work, and twice as patient with our trials sense dear little Almiry died, and times was hard.  I ain’t what I ought to be, not by a long chalk, but I try to live up to my light, do my duty cheerful, love my neighbors, and fetch up my family in the fear of God.  Ef I do this the best way I know how, I’m sure I’ll get my rest some day, and the good Lord won’t forgit Cynthy Wilkins.  He ain’t so fur, for I keep my health wonderfle, Lisha is kind and stiddy, the children flourishin’, and I’m a happy woman though I be a humly one.”

There she was mistaken, for as her eye roved round the narrow room from the old hat on the wall to the curly heads bobbing here and there, contentment, piety, and mother-love made her plain face beautiful.