things. My name isn't Polly. It's Mrs. Mary Grundy, and somehow folks
have got to nicknaming me Polly, but it'll look more mannerly in you
to call me Mrs. Grundy; but what am I thinking of? The folks must have
their supper. So you'd better come down now."

"If you please," said Mary, who knew she could not eat a mouthful, "If
you please, I'd rather stay here and rest me if I can have some milk
for Alice by and by."

"Mercy sakes, ain't that child weaned?" asked Mrs. Grundy.

"Ma'am?" said Mary, not exactly understanding her.

"Ain't Ellis weaned, or must we break into the cream a dozen times a
day for her?"

"She has never eaten any thing but milk," said Mary, weeping to think
how different Mrs. Grundy's manner was from her own dear mother's.

"Wall, there's no use blubberin' so. If she must have milk, why she
must, and that's the end on't. But what I want to know is, how folks
as poor as yourn, could afford to buy milk for so big a child."

Mary could have told of many hungry nights which she and Frank had
passed in order that Ella and Alice might be fed, but she made no
remark, and Mrs. Grundy soon left the room saying, "Come down when
you get ready for the milk I s'pose _skim_ will do."

Half an hour after Alice began to cry; and Mary, knowing she was
hungry, laid her upon the bed and started for the milk. She trembled