“Oh! our Polly—she got a little skimping cape, what don’t come down to her poor little elbows. If I went for to be a lady, I’d be ashamed to give the like of that.”
Happily every one did not receive the gifts in this spirit. There was much rejoicing over the Testament, frock, and Psalter of the little Moles, and their grandfather observed, “Well, you did ought to be good children, there were no such encouragements when I was young.”
“Except your big old Bible, granfer,” put in Bessy.
“That was give me by our old parson when me and your granny was married. Ay, he did catechise we in church when we was children, but we never got nothing for it.”
“Only the knowing it, father, and that you have sent on to us,” put in the widow.
“Ay, and that’s the thing!” said the old man, very gravely.