That suited Christie, and she thought hopefully within herself: “This woman has got the sort of religion I want, if it makes her what she is. Some day I’ll get her to tell me where she found it.” Then aloud she said: “But it’s so hard to be patient and contented when nothing happens as you want it to, and you don’t get your share of happiness, no matter how much you try to deserve it.” “It ain’t easy to bear, I know, but having tried my own way and made a dreadful mess on ’t, I concluded that the Lord knows what’s best for us, and things go better when He manages than when we go scratchin’ round and can’t wait.” “Tried your own way? How do you mean?” asked Christie, curiously; for she liked to hear her hostess talk, and found something besides amusement in the conversation, which seemed to possess a fresh country flavor as well as country phrases. Mrs. Wilkins smiled all over her plump face, as if she liked to tell her experience, and having hunched sleepy little Andy more comfortably into her lap, and given a preparatory hem or two, she began with great good-will. “It happened a number a years ago and ain’t much of a story any way. But you’re welcome to it, as some of it is rather humorsome, the laugh may do you good ef the story don’t. We was livin’ down to the east’ard at the time. It was a real pretty place; the house stood under a couple of maples and a gret brook come foamin’ down the rayvine and away through the medders to the river. Dear sakes, seems as ef I see it now, jest as I used to settin’ on the doorsteps with the lay-locks all in blow, the squirrels jabberin’ on the wall, and the saw-mill screekin’ way off by the dam.” Pausing a moment, Mrs. Wilkins looked musingly at the steam of the tea-kettle, as if through its silvery haze she saw her early home again. Wash promptly roused her from this reverie by tumbling off the boiler with a crash. His mother picked him up and placidly went on, falling more and more into the country dialect which city life had not yet polished. “I oushter hev been the contentedest woman alive, but I warn’t, for you see I’d worked at millineryin’ before I was married, and had an easy time on’t, Afterwards the children come along pretty fast, there was sights of work to do, and no time for pleasuring so I got wore out, and used to hanker after old times in a dreadful wicked way. “Finally I got acquainted with a Mis Bascum, and she done me a sight of harm. You see, havin’ few pies of her own to bake, she was fond of puttin’ her fingers into her neighborses, but she done it so neat that no one mistrusted she was takin’ all the sarce and leavin’ all the crust to them, as you may say. Wal, I told her my werryments and she sympathized real hearty, and said I didn’t ought to stan’ it, but have things to suit me, and enjoy myself, as other folks did. So when she put it into my head I thought it amazin’ good advice, and jest went and done as she told me.