The hard fresh butter looked inviting to her eyes, and she stooped over and smelled it half involuntarily.
"I believe you are right, Mrs.Grubb," she said.

"You may give me a couple of cents' worth of this nice butter." An ounce of butter was carefully weighed out, and given to the customer.
"Isn't there something else, now, that you want ?" said the smiling shopkeeper, leaning her elbows upon the counter, and looking encouragingly into the face of Mrs.Gaston.
"I've indulged myself, and I shall not feel right, unless I indulge the children a little also," was the reply; "so weigh me two cents' worth of your smoked beef.

They all like it very much." The smoked beef was soon ready, and then the mother hurried home to her children.
After the morning meal had been prepared, Mrs.Gaston sat down and ate her bread and butter, tasting a little of the children's meat, and drinking her coffee with a keen relish.

She felt braced up on rising from the table, and, but for the illness of Ella, would have felt an unusual degree of cheerfulness.
Henry attended the common school of the district, and, soon after breakfast, prepared himself to go.

As he was leaving, his mother told him to call at Doctor R--'s, and ask him if he would be kind enough to stop and see Ella.