“We’re not all so blind as that.  I’m going now to tell him.”

“Mr. Bowen, you’ll think it never rains but it pours.  I’ve another surprise for you.”

“What is it?” He turned his face in the direction of her voice.

“Miss Selwyn got you the finest piece of cloth I’ve sot eyes on this many a day, to make you a new suit of clothes.  Just feel of that, now.”

He stroked it softly for a moment, and then turned his flushed face to me.  “You will bankrupt us with your generosity, Miss Selwyn.  But God will pay you.  He is rich and wise.”

“You are paying me, too, Mr. Bowen.  Prayers are better than gold.”

He said nothing, but took up a fold of the cloth and stroked it, I thought, lovingly.

“I need no longer envy the swallows who build their nests in the eaves of the Lord’s house.  How my soul will rejoice to meet once more with His people!  ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.’”

For a moment he seemed to forget our presence.  Mrs. Blake, always practical, brought us all down to earth again by suggesting that we get the suit made as soon as possible.

“If the tailor will cut it for us, a few of us women folk will come in and make it right off, so’s he can get to meeting.  Dan’el’ll be glad to come and take him there every Sunday.”

“I could lead grandfather,” little Fred stoutly asserted.  “I’ve been past there lots of times.”

“Are women as good tailors as men?” I asked, doubtfully.

“I reckon not; but they’re enough sight cheaper, especially when they work for nothing.  Tailors is awful dear.”

“I want the clothes to look nicely.  I will pay the tailor.”

“We can make the vest and pants well enough if he cuts ’em and makes the coat.  S’pose we call and see him on our way home?”

I complied with her request, and found the tailor’s establishment a very humble affair on the Mill Road.  Mrs. Blake negotiated with him entirely, but he always directed his remarks to me.

“If I hadn’t a family of my own to support these hard times, I’d do it for nothing,” he assured me, over and over; “but I’ll do it for half price.  My time, you know, is all the money I have, and one must look out first for their own.”

I found he was a prosy, weak-minded creature, who, although time was so precious, would have stood talking to me of its great value by the hour, if I had patience to listen.  I thanked him for his offer, but assured him I would pay his usual price for the work.  Mrs. Blake, however, stipulated that she and her neighbors would relieve him of all but the coat, and I could see he was not pleased with her interference.  This matter settled, I hastened home, very uncertain how Mr. Winthrop would regard so much of my time being spent on the Mill Road, if he should discover I had been there twice that day.  When I got home Mrs. Flaxman told me he had asked for me each time that I was there, but he did not say anything to me.