Chapter 10: A Timely Visit

“The love of praise, howe’er concealed by art,
Reigns more or less, and glows in ev’ry heart.”
Weeks and months slipped by, and the Cabbage Patch ate breakfast and supper by lamplight. Those who could afford it were laying in their winter coal, and those who could not were providently pasting brown paper over broken window-panes, and preparing to keep Jack Frost at bay as long as possible.

One Saturday, as Lovey Mary came home from the factory, she saw a well-dressed figure disappearing in the distance.

“Who is that lady?” she demanded suspiciously of Europena Wiggs, who was swinging violently on the gate.

“‘T ain’t no lady,” said Europena. “It’s my Sunday-school teacher.”

“Mrs. Redding?”

“Uh-huh. She wants Asia to come over to her house this evenin’.”

“Wisht I could go,” said Lovey Mary.

“Why can’t you?” asked Mrs. Wiggs, coming to the open door. “Asia would jes love to show Mrs. Reddin’ how stylish you look in that red dress. I’ll curl yer hair on the poker if you want me to.”

Any diversion from the routine of work was acceptable, so late that afternoon the two girls, arrayed in their best garments, started forth to call on the Reddings.

“I wisht I had some gloves,” said Lovey Mary, rubbing her blue fingers.

“If I’d ‘a’ thought about it I’d ‘a’ made you some before we started. It don’t take no time.” Asia held out her hands, which were covered with warm red mitts. “I make ‘em outen Billy’s old socks after the feet’s wore off.”

“I don’t see how you know how to do so many things!” said Lovey Mary, admiringly.

“‘T ain’t nothin’,” disclaimed Asia, modestly. “It’s jes the way maw brought us up. Whenever we started out to do a thing she made us finish it someway or ‘nother. Oncet when we was all little we lived in the country. She sent Billy out on the hoss to git two watermelon, an’ told him fer him not to come home without ‘em. When Billy got out to the field he found all the watermelon so big he couldn’t carry one, let alone two. What do you think he done?”