III . The July Chapter The first day of July Sylvia found a little birch bark boat full of strawberries at the beech in the hollow . They were the earliest of the season ; the Old Lady had found them in one of her secret haunts . They would have been a toothsome addition to the Old Lady 's own slender bill of fare ; but she never thought of eating them . She got far more pleasure out of the thought of Sylvia 's enjoying them for her tea . Thereafter the strawberries alternated with the flowers as long as they lasted , and then came blueberries and raspberries . The blueberries grew far away and the Old Lady had many a tramp after them . Sometimes her bones ached at night because of it ; but what cared the Old Lady for that ? Bone ache is easier to endure than soul ache ; and the Old Lady 's soul had stopped aching for the first time in many year . It was being nourished with heavenly manna . One evening Crooked Jack came up to fix something that had gone wrong with the Old Lady 's well . The Old Lady wandered affably out to him ; for she knew he had been working at the Spencers ' all day , and there might be crumbs of information about Sylvia to be picked up . `` I reckon the music teacher 's feeling pretty blue this evening , '' Crooked Jack remarked , after straining the Old Lady 's patience to the last verge of human endurance by expatiating on William Spencer 's new pump , and Mrs. Spencer 's new washing-machine , and Amelia Spencer 's new young man . `` Why ? '' asked the Old Lady , turning very pale . Had anything happened to Sylvia ? `` Well , she 's been invited to a big party at Mrs. Moore 's brother 's in town , and she has n't got a dress to go in , '' said Crooked Jack . `` They 're great swells and everybody will be got up regardless . Mrs. Spencer was telling me about it . She says Miss Gray ca n't afford a new dress because she 's helping to pay her aunt 's doctor 's bills .
She says she 's sure Miss XXXXX feels awful disappointed over it , though she does n't let on .
Gray III Lady Moore Spencer Spencers Sylvia manna night raspberries