"Why, Grandma?" and, "O Grandma, tell us what you see!" and, "Grandma, show us the picture, won't you?" this was the chorus which greeted her laugh.
"Dear me! It isn't much of a story, but I remember it as well as though it happened yesterday. I was a little thing, not much over four, I should think. It was a warm Sunday, and first I see myself in church. I was in my best dress, a lovely white slip with blue stars all over it."
"Grandma, who ever heard of blue stars?" This from Marion.
"I did, child, many a time when I was of your age, and younger; it used to be the favorite print. Mine was very pretty and was made in the latest fashion—a yoke in the neck, and a long full skirt. I had slippers, too, with straps which went around my ankle and buttoned at the side; those slippers had just come in, and I felt very fine in them. I had a shirred hat of white mull, with a puffing of pink ribbon around the edge, and a pink bow exactly on the top. I went to church with father and mother; the high, old-fashioned pew was rather an uncomfortable seat; the only relief I had was to kick my heels softly against the back. I remember it seemed to take the ache out of them wonderfully. Generally I was a pretty good girl in church, but on this day I don't know what was the matter with me—I had the fidgets. Mother shook her head, and grandma gave me a caraway seed to suck, and father looked at me over his spectacles, but it all did no good, I could not seem to sit still. I plaited folds in my nicely-starched calico until mother took my hand and held it for awhile; then I took off my hat and tried to hang it on the button which fastened the door, until father took it away; then I turned the leaves of the psalm book until it scared me by dropping on the floor with a thud. Oh! I couldn't begin to tell you all the naughty things I did; but the last and most dreadful was to fumble in my brother Ralph's pocket until I found a little wooden comb which he always carried, then I softly tore a fly leaf from the psalm book, and before I knew it I went 'toot, toot, toot!' right out there in the meeting.
"I tell you, that was a dreadful minute!" said Grandma, looking sober, while her audience giggled. "I hadn't the least idea of making such a noise. It had never gone very well for me before, and I was as much astonished as any one could be to hear it sound out like that. The minister stopped in the middle of his sentence and looked at me with a solemn face. Father set me down hard on the seat, and mother's face turned the color of the red roses which were looking in at the side window. Of course they took the comb and the psalm leaf away, and it frightened me to think they went in my father's pocket. I knew I should hear more of it. After that I sat pretty still, but I did not dare to raise my eyes to the minister's face.
"I always used to like Sunday afternoon, because mother told us a story, and grandfather took us a walk through our own home fields and had always something sweet and interesting to tell us. First, though, we went to grandfather's room right after dinner, and each told all we could remember about the church service. I generally had my little story to tell, young as I was. Sometimes it was only a line of a hymn, or a little piece of the text, or maybe one sentence in the prayer. On this Sunday I had not a word to tell; try as I would, I could not recall a line or word. The only thing I could seem to think of, was that noise I made on the comb. Father asked the questions instead of grandfather, and that frightened me, because I knew father was displeased with me. 'What was the matter, Ruth?' he asked at last. 'Don't you think the minister spoke distinctly?' I thought a minute, then I said I didn't believe he did; for if he had, I should have remembered a little bit about it.
"'What do you think the sermon was about?' he asked. And I said, 'It was about Ahab.' I don't know what made me say that; only I had heard a story of Ahab only the Sabbath before, and he was in my mind. I thought from father's face that I had guessed right, so when he asked me for any words in the text, I thought I would guess again; and I said it was about Ahab's doing worse than all the rest of the kings. Then father turned to your uncle Ben, and said, 'Benjamin, you may repeat the text; do it slowly, that Ruth may see what part she has left out.' Just think how I felt when Ben repeated, 'So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.' I cannot tell you how ashamed I felt!
"What do you suppose I did! I wanted to hide my face in mother's lap, and tell her how sorry I was; if I had done so, it would have been better for me. Instead, I slipped behind her chair and ran out of the side door. There stood the old well with the bucket full of water and the dipper hanging beside it. I felt very hot, and I thought I would take a drink of water to cool me; then if father asked why I run away, I could say I went for a drink of water. It was an unlucky day for me all around; what ailed that dipper I never could understand. Perhaps it was because I had my hat on; I was swinging that by its elastic when father was questioning me, so finding I had it in my hand when I slipped away, I put it on my head, and I think maybe the dipper hit against its edge; anyway, what did that water do but stream down over my starched Sunday dress, and my white dimity collar; and I never knew it until I drank my fill!
