You ask Jem or Mrs. Blythe and see what they say . I 'll abide by their opinion . I 'm going for the paper now and I 'll bring out the lantern and we 'll all sign . '' Fifteen minutes later the document was solemnly signed on Hezekiah Pollock 's tombstone , on the centre of which stood the smoky manse lantern , while the children knelt around it . Mrs. Elder Clow was going past at the moment and next day all the Glen heard that the manse children had been having another praying competition and had wound it up by chasing each other all over the graves with a lantern . This piece of embroidery was probably suggested by the fact that , after the signing and sealing was completed , Carl had taken the lantern and had walked circumspectly to the little hollow to examine his ant-hill . The others had gone quietly into the manse and to bed . `` Do you think it is true that father is going to marry Miss West ? '' Una had tremulously asked of Faith , after their prayers had been said . `` I do n't know , but I 'd like it , '' said Faith . `` Oh , I would n't , '' said Una , chokingly . `` She is nice the way she is . But Mary Vance says it changes people ALTOGETHER to be made stepmothers . They get horrid cross and mean and hateful then , and turn your father against you . She says they 're sure to do that . She never knew it to fail in a single case . '' `` I do n't believe Miss West would EVER try to do that , '' cried Faith . `` Mary says ANYBODY would . She knows ALL about stepmothers , Faith -- she says she 's seen hundreds of them -- and you 've never seen one . Oh , Mary has told me blood-curdling things about them .
She says she knew of one who whipped her husband 's little girls XXXXX their bare shoulders till they bled , and then shut them up in a cold , dark coal cellar all night .
about at by into on over that to while with