"Good afternoon, Mrs. Hall," said one of the old lady's neighbors; "here is the book you lent me. I am much obliged to you for it. I like it better than any book I have read for a long while. You said truly that if I once began it, I should not lay it down till I had finished it." "Yes," said the old lady, "I don't often read a book now-a-days; my eyes are not very strong, (blue eyes seldom are, I believe," said she, fearing lest her visitor should suspect old Time had been blurring them;) "but that book, now, just suits me; there is common-sense in it. Whoever wrote that book is a good writer, and hope she will give us another just like it. 'Floy' is a queer name; I don't recollect ever hearing it before. I wonder who she is." "So do I," said the visitor; "and what is more, I mean to find out. Oh, here comes Squire Dana's son; he knows everything. I'll ask _him_. Yes, there he comes into the gate; fine young man Mr. Dana. They _do_ say he's making up to Sarah Jilson, the lawyer's daughter; good match, too." "Good afternoon," said both the ladies in a breath; "glad to see you, Mr. Dana; folks well? That's right. We have just been saying that you could tell us who 'Floy,' the author of that charming book, 'Life Sketches,' really is." "You are inclined to quiz me," said Mr. Dana. "I think it should be _you_ who should give _me_ that information." "Us?" exclaimed both the old ladies; "us? we have not the slightest idea who she is; we only admire her book." "Well, then, I have an unexpected pleasure to bestow," said Mr. Dana, rubbing his hands in great glee. "Allow me to inform you, Mrs. Hall, that 'Floy' is no more, nor less, than your daughter-in-law,--Ruth." "_Im_possible!" screamed the old lady, growing very red in the face, and clearing her throat most vigorously. "I assure you it is true. My informant is quite reliable. I am glad you admire your daughter-in-law's book, Mrs. Hall; I quite share the feeling with you." "But I don't admire it," said the old lady, growing every moment more confused; "there are several things in it, now I think of them, which I consider highly immoral. I think I mentioned them to you, Mrs. Spear," said she, (trusting to that lady's defective memory,) "at the time I lent it to you." "Oh no, you didn't," replied Mrs. Spear; "you said it was one of the best and most interesting books you ever read, else I should not have borrowed it. I am very particular what I put in my children's way." "Well, I couldn't have been thinking of what I was saying," said the old lady; "the book is very silly, a great part of it, beside being very bold, for a woman, and as I said before, really immoral." "It is highly recommended by the religious press," said Mr. Dana, infinitely amused at the old lady's sudden change of opinion. "You can't tell," said the old lady; "I have no doubt she wrote those notices herself."