It was dreadfully coarse yarn and all knots , and I never saw any of Mrs. Burr 's own children wearing things made of such yarn . But Mary Vance says Mrs. Burr gives the minister stuff that she ca n't use or eat herself , and thinks it ought to go as part of the salary her husband signed to pay , but never does . I just could n't bear to wear those hateful stockings . They were so ugly and rough and felt so scratchy . Everybody would have made fun of me . I thought at first I 'd pretend to be sick and not go to church next day , but I decided I could n't do that , because it would be acting a lie , and father told us after mother died that was something we must never , never do . It is just as bad to act a lie as to tell one , though I know some people , right here in the Glen , who act them , and never seem to feel a bit bad about it . I will not mention any names , but I know who they are and so does father . Then I tried my best to catch cold and really be sick by standing on the snowbank in the Methodist graveyard with my bare feet until Jerry pulled me off . But it did n't hurt me a bit and so I could n't get out of going to church . So I just decided I would put my boots on and go that way . I ca n't see why it was so wrong and I was so careful to wash my legs just as clean as my face , but , anyway , father was n't to blame for it . He was in the study thinking of his sermon and other heavenly things , and I kept out of his way before I went to Sunday School . Father does not look at people 's legs in church , so of course he did not notice mine , but all the gossips did and talked about it , and that is why I am writing this letter to the Journal to explain . I suppose I did very wrong , since everybody says so , and I am sorry and I am wearing those awful stockings to punish myself , although father bought me two nice new black pairs as soon as Mr. Flagg 's store opened on Monday morning . But it was all my fault , and if people blame father for it after they read this they are not Christians and so I do not mind what they say . There is another thing I want to explain about before I stop . Mary Vance told me that Mr. Evan Boyd is blaming the Lew Baxters for stealing potatoes out of his field last fall . They did not touch his potatoes . They are very poor , but they are honest .
It was us did it -- XXXXX and Carl and I. Una was not with us at the time .
Father Flagg Glen Jerry Methodist Vance first right snowbank stealing