under his direction.  If there is anything the Deacon takes a pride in, next to his horse, it is his garden, and he said that the parson should have a chance for the best garden in town.  Great piles of weeds stood in the walk.  Two boys were spading up; another was planting; a fourth was wheeling away the weeds; and still another was bringing manure from the Deacon’s stable.  Miss Moore was setting out some rose-bushes before the door; and the Deacon himself, with his coat off, was trimming and tying up a rather dilapidated looking grape-vine over a still more dilapidated grape arbor.

The next morning, about eleven o’clock, little Miss Flidgett came running into our house, without ever knocking, in the greatest possible excitement.

“Mrs. Laicus,” said she, “the painters have come.”

“The painters!” said I.  “What painters?”

“Why didn’t you order them?” said she.

“They are painting the parsonage.  I supposed of course you ordered them.”

It was very evident that she did not suppose anything of the kind, but was dying of curiosity to know who did.  I confess I had some curiosity to know myself.  So I put on my bonnet and shawl, and ran over with her to find out about it.  Sure enough the painters were there, three or four of them, with their ladders up against the side of the house, and the parsonage already beginning to change color under their hands.  Some of the ladies were in the kitchen supervising the repairs of the sink, and the putting up of some shelves in the pantry, but they knew nothing about the painters.  I asked one of the hands, at work on the front door, who sent him.

“The boss, ma’am,” he replied, very promptly.

“And who is the boss?” said I.

“Mr. Glazier, ma’am.”

Mr. Glazier is the painter himself, the head-man.  So I was no better off than before.  I was afraid Mrs. Wheaton had ordered them, and I knew our funds were getting low, for we had overrun our estimate for carpets; and I have the greatest horror of running in debt.  So I resolved to go right over to Mrs. Wheaton’s and get at the bottom of the mystery.  But Mrs. Wheaton knew nothing of the matter.  We were both sure Miss Moore would not have ordered them, and I was returning as wise as I started, when, as I passed the parsonage, I saw Mr. Glazier and Mr. Quirk in the yard, talking together.  So I turned in to ask Mr. Glazier about it.  As I passed up the walk Mr. Quirk called out to me.

“You ladies are in possession, I see,” said he.  “You mean to make the parson comfortable and contented if you can.”

“Yes, Sir,” said I, “though we are not responsible for the greatest improvement, the painting.  I think Mr. Glazier must be responsible for that himself.  I can’t find any one that ordered it done.”

I thought that would bring the information, and it did.

“Oh! that’s Mr. Quirk’s orders,” said he.

“Yours?” said I turning to the crusty old landlord who wouldn’t do anything.