It was a very small meeting, aunt Miranda,"began Rebecca, "and the missionary and hiswife are lovely people, and they are cominghere to stay all night and to-morrow with you. Ihope you won't mind.""Coming here!" exclaimed Miranda, letting herknitting fall in her lap, and taking her spectaclesoff, as she always did in moments of extremeexcitement. "Did they invite themselves?""No," Rebecca answered. "I had to invite themfor you; but I thought you'd like to have suchinteresting company. It was this way"--"Stop your explainin', and tell me first whenthey'll be here. Right away?""No, not for two hours--about half past five.""Then you can explain, if you can, who gave youany authority to invite a passel of strangers to stophere over night, when you know we ain't had anycompany for twenty years, and don't intend to haveany for another twenty,--or at any rate while I'mthe head of the house.""Don't blame her, Miranda, till you've heardher story," said Jane. "It was in my mind rightalong, if we went to the meeting, some such thingmight happen, on account of Mr. Burch knowingfather.""The meeting was a small one," began Rebecca"I gave all your messages, and everybody wasdisappointed you couldn't come, for the presidentwasn't there, and Mrs. Matthews took the chair, whichwas a pity, for the seat wasn't nearly big enough forher, and she reminded me of a line in a hymn wesang, `Wide as the heathen nations are,' and shewore that kind of a beaver garden-hat that alwaysgets on one side. And Mr. Burch talked beautifullyabout the Syrian heathen, and the singing wentreal well, and there looked to be about forty centsin the basket that was passed on our side. Andthat wouldn't save even a heathen baby, would it?

　　Then Mr. Burch said, if any sister would offerentertainment, they would pass the night, and havea parlor meeting in Riverboro to-morrow, with Mrs.

　　Burch in Syrian costume, and lovely foreign thingsto show. Then he waited and waited, and nobodysaid a word. I was so mortified I didn't know whatto do. And then he repeated what he said, anexplained why he wanted to stay, and you could seehe thought it was his duty. Just then Mrs.

　　Robinson whispered to me and said the missionariesalways used to go to the brick house whengrandfather was alive, and that he never would let themsleep anywhere else. I didn't know you had stoppedhaving them. because no traveling ministers havebeen here, except just for a Sunday morning, sinceI came to Riverboro. So I thought I ought toinvite them, as you weren't there to do it for yourself,and you told me to represent the family.""What did you do--go up and introduceyourself as folks was goin' out?""No; I stood right up in meeting. I had to, forMr. Burch's feelings were getting hurt at nobody'sspeaking. So I said, `My aunts, Miss Miranda andMiss Jane Sawyer would be happy to have youvisit at the brick house, just as the missionariesalways did when their father was alive, and theysent their respects by me.' Then I sat down; andMr. Burch prayed for grandfather, and called him aman of God, and thanked our Heavenly Father thathis spirit was still alive in his descendants (that wasyou), and that the good old house where so manyof the brethren had been cheered and helped, andfrom which so many had gone out strengthened forthe fight, was still hospitably open for the strangerand wayfarer."Sometimes, when the heavenly bodies are injust the right conjunction, nature seems to be themost perfect art. The word or the deed comingstraight from the heart, without any thought ofeffect, seems inspired.

　　A certain gateway in Miranda Sawyer's soul hadbeen closed for years; not all at once had it beendone, but gradually, and without her full knowledge.

　　If Rebecca had plotted for days, and with the utmostcunning, she could not have effected an entranceinto that forbidden country, and now, unknown toboth of them, the gate swung on its stiff and rustyhinges, and the favoring wind of opportunity openedit wider and wider as time went on. All things hadworked together amazingly for good. The memoryof old days had been evoked, and the daily lifeof a pious and venerated father called to mind;the Sawyer name had been publicly dignified andpraised; Rebecca had comported herself as thegranddaughter of Deacon Israel Sawyer should, andshowed conclusively that she was not "all Randall,"as had been supposed. Miranda was rathermollified by and pleased with the turn of events,although she did not intend to show it, or give anybodyany reason to expect that this expression ofhospitality was to serve for a precedent on anysubsequent occasion.

　　"Well, I see you did only what you was obligedto do, Rebecca," she said, "and you worded yourinvitation as nice as anybody could have done. Iwish your aunt Jane and me wasn't both so worthlesswith these colds; but it only shows the goodof havin' a clean house, with every room in order,whether open or shut, and enough victuals cookedso 't you can't be surprised and belittled byanybody, whatever happens. There was half a dozenthere that might have entertained the Burches aseasy as not, if they hadn't 'a' been too meanor lazy. Why didn't your missionaries come rightalong with you?""They had to go to the station for their valiseand their children.""Are there children?" groaned Miranda.

　　"Yes, aunt Miranda, all born under Syrianskies.""Syrian grandmother!" ejaculated Miranda (andit was not a fact). "How many?""I didn't think to ask; but I will get two roomsready, and if there are any over I'll take 'em intomy bed," said Rebecca, secretly hoping that thiswould be the case. "Now, as you're both half sick,couldn't you trust me just once to get ready for thecompany? You can come up when I call. Willyou?""I believe I will," sighed Miranda reluctantly.

　　"I'll lay down side o' Jane in our bedroom and seeif I can get strength to cook supper. It's half pastthree--don't you let me lay a minute past five. Ikep' a good fire in the kitchen stove. I don't know,I'm sure, why I should have baked a pot o' beansin the middle of the week, but they'll come inhandy. Father used to say there was nothing thatwent right to the spot with returned missionarieslike pork 'n' beans 'n' brown bread. Fix up the twosouth chambers, ............