As for dress, we dress as others of our friends do." "And maybe a little better, if you can, hey ?" "If we can--yes.

I presume--" with crushing irony--"dress in South Denboro counts but little." "You wouldn't say that if you ever went to sewin' circle," with a chuckle.

"Still, compared to the folks at your meetin'-house this morning, our congregation would look like a flock of blackbirds alongside of a cage full of Birds of Paradise.

But most of us--the women folks especial--dress as well as we can." "As well as you can!" triumphantly.

"There! you see?
And you live as well as you can, don't you ?" "If you mean style, why, we don't set as much store by it as you do." "Nonsense! We are obliged to be," with a slight shudder at the vulgarism, "_stylish_.