The Meredith children were given to `` sitting all over the church '' in this fashion and a great many people thought it very improper . The gallery especially , where irresponsible lads congregated and were known to whisper and suspected of chewing tobacco during service , was no place , for a son of the manse . But Jerry hated the manse pew at the very top of the church , under the eyes of Elder Clow and his family . He escaped from it whenever he could . Carl , absorbed in watching a spider spinning its web at the window , did not notice Faith 's legs . She walked home with her father after church and he never noticed them . She got on the hated striped stockings before Jerry and Una arrived , so that for the time being none of the occupants of the manse knew what she had done . But nobody else in Glen St. Mary was ignorant of it . The few who had not seen soon heard . Nothing else was talked of on the way home from church . Mrs. Alec Davis said it was only what she expected , and the next thing you would see some of those young ones coming to church with no clothes on at all . The president of the Ladies ' Aid decided that she would bring the matter up at the next Aid meeting , and suggest that they wait in a body on the minister and protest . Miss Cornelia said that she , for her part , gave up . There was no use worrying over the manse fry any longer . Even Mrs. Dr. Blythe felt a little shocked , though she attributed the occurrence solely to Faith 's forgetfulness . Susan could not immediately begin knitting stockings for Faith because it was Sunday , but she had one set up before any one else was out of bed at Ingleside the next morning . `` You need not tell me anything but that it was old Martha 's fault , Mrs. Dr. dear . '' she told Anne . `` I suppose that poor little child had no decent stockings to wear . I suppose every stocking she had was in holes , as you know very well they generally are .
And I think , Mrs. Dr. dear , that the Ladies ' Aid would be better employed in knitting some XXXXX them than in fighting over the new carpet for the pulpit platform .
after as before for from of on that to under