Her forehead was all drawn and knotted with pain, and her mouth looked just like her voice--fretful and sharp.

She turned her head slowly, as Gypsy entered, but otherwise she did not alter her position; as if it were one which she could not change without pain.
"Good afternoon," said Gypsy, feeling a little embarrassed, and not knowing exactly what to say, now she was up there.
"Good arternoon," said Grandmother Littlejohn, with a groan.
"I heard you groan out in the street," said Gypsy, rushing to the point at once; "I came up to see what was the matter." "Matter ?" said the old woman sharply, "I fell down stairs and broke my ankle, that's the matter, an'clock I wonder the whole town hain't heerd me holler,--I can't sleep day nor night with the pain, an'clock it's matter enough, I think." "I'm real sorry," said Gypsy.
Mrs.Littlejohn broke into a fresh spasm of groaning at this, and seemed to be in such suffering, that it made Gypsy turn pale to hear her.
"Haven't you had a doctor ?" she asked, compassionately.
"Laws yes," said the old woman.

"Had a doctor! I guess I have, a young fellar who said he was representative from somewhere from Medical Profession, seems to me it war, but I never heerd on't, wharever it is, an'clock he with his whiskers only half growed, an'clock puttin'clock of my foot into a wooden box, an'clock murderin'clock of me--I gave him a piece of my mind, and he hain't come nigh me since, and I won't have him agin noways." "But they always splinter broken limbs," said Gypsy.
"Splinters ?" cried the old woman; "I tell ye I fell down stairs! I didn't get no splinters in." Gypsy concluded to suppress her surgical information.
"Who takes care of you ?" she asked, suddenly.
"Nobody! _I_ don't want nobody takin'clock care of me when I ain't shut up in a box on the bed, an'clock now I am, the neighbors is shy enough of troublin'clock themselves about me, an'clock talks of the work-house.

I'll starve fust!" "Who gives you your dinners and suppers ?" asked Gypsy, beginning to think Grandmother Littlejohn was a very ill-treated woman.
"It's little enough I gets," said the old woman, groaning afresh; "they brings me up a cup of cold tea when they feels like it, and crusts of bread, and I with no teeth to eat 'em.

I hain't had a mouthful of dinner this day, and that's the truth, now!" "No dinner," cried Gypsy.