Think about how the description of Miss Lottie’s house is a reflection of her social standing. Is she better ow worse off than Lizabeth and her brother?

From the behavior of the children, as well as the description of Miss Lottie's home, the reader can infer that Miss Lottie's circumstances make her "worse off" than the children's. Miss Lottie's home is described as "the most ramshackle of all our ramshackle homes."

The boards themselves seemed to remain upright not from being nailed together but rather from leaning together, like a house that a child might have constructed from cards. A brisk wind might have blown it down, and the fact that it was still standing implied a kind of enchantment that was stronger than the elements.

Miss Lottie’s marigolds were perhaps the strangest part of the picture. Certainly they did not fit in with the crumbling decay of the rest of her yard.