Juliet liked to play in Mrs. Tomkins' garden, where the hens, each
anxious to be not the first, but the second, ran after each other as
though to say, "You go and see, and I'll come and look."

Now she sat on the steps of Mrs. Tomkins' porch with her doll Sara,
while her mother, Mrs. Wicket, watched at the bedside of Mrs. Grumble,
who was very ill. Juliet did not realize how ill she was; she thought
Mrs. Grumble might have croup. But Mrs. Ploughman, who sat on the
porch with Mrs. Tomkins, knew that Mrs. Grumble had pneumonia. "Got,"
she explained, "by setting up that night, when Mr. Jeminy never came
home."

"No," said Mrs. Tomkins, "he never came home. If it had been me, in
Mrs. Grumble's place, I'd have gone to bed, instead of parading around
with a lantern all night, catching my death."

"Mr. Jeminy," said Mrs. Ploughman, "was a queer man, and no mistake. I
remember the day he stepped in to pay me a call. Mrs. Crabbe was with
me. 'Mrs. Ploughman,' he said, 'and you, Mrs. Crabbe, we're leaving a
lot of trouble behind us.' Fancy that, Mrs. Tomkins--as though I'd up
and go any minute. 'Mr. Jeminy,' I said, 'I'm not afraid to die. When
my time comes, I'll go joyfully.'"

"No doubt you will," said Mrs. Tomkins comfortably.

"Well," said Mrs. Ploughman, "it's a good thing, in my opinion, he was
made to give up teaching school. It's a wonder the children know
anything at all, Mrs. Tomkins. I declare, it used to mix me up
something terrible, just to listen to him."