Suppose she should suddenly suspect, and should cry out, "Is this woman here Esther Maxwell ?" But all Mrs.Maxwell's thoughts were on her absent daughter.

"I don't see where she is," said she.

"Here she's got to make cream-tarter biscuits for tea, an' it's 'most time for the folks to come." "I'm afraid we came too early," said Mrs.Field.
"Oh, no, you didn't," returned Mrs.Maxwell politely.

"It ain't half as pleasant goin' as late as they do here when they're asked out to tea.

You don't see anything of 'em; they begin to eat jest as soon as they come, an' it seems as if that was all they come for.