Annie Kilburn

In pursuance of the subject of children, Mrs. Gerrish said that she

sometimes had a notion to offer to take Mr. Peck's little girl herself till

he could get fixed somehow, but Mr. Gerrish would not let her. Mr. Gerrish

said Mr. Peck had better get married himself if he wanted a step-mother for

his little girl. Mr. Gerrish was peculiar about keeping a family to itself.

"Well, you'll think _we've_ come to board with you _too_," said

Mrs. Putney, in reference to Mr. Peck.

The ladies all rose, and having got upon their feet, began to shout and

laugh again--like girls, they implied.

They stayed and talked a long time after rising, with the same note of

unsparing personality in their talk. Where there are few public interests

and few events, as in such places, there can be no small-talk, nothing of

the careless touch-and-go of larger societies. Every one knows all the

others, and knows the worst of them. People are not unkind; they are

mutually and freely helpful; but they have only themselves to occupy their

minds. Annie's friends had also to distinguish themselves to her from the

rest of the villagers, and it was easiest to do this by an attitude of

criticism mingled with large allowance. They ended a dissection of the

community by saying that they believed there was no place like Hatboro',

after all.

In the contagion of their perfunctory gaiety Annie began to scream and

laugh too, as she followed them to the door, and stood talking to them

while they got into Mrs. Wilmington's extension-top carry-all. She answered

with deafening promises, when they put their bonnets out of the carry-all

and called back to her to be sure to come soon to see them soon.