People will always think you just did it for mischief , and they 'll blame father for not stopping it . We can never explain it to everybody . '' This aspect of the case weighed on Faith 's mind . Her own condemnation she could bear , but it tortured her that her father should be blamed . If people knew the true facts of the case they would not blame him . But how could she make them known to all the world ? Getting up in church , as she had once done , and explaining the matter was out of the question . Faith had heard from Mary Vance how the congregation had looked upon that performance and realized that she must not repeat it . Faith worried over the problem for half a week . Then she had an inspiration and promptly acted upon it . She spent that evening in the garret , with a lamp and an exercise book , writing busily , with flushed cheeks and shining eyes . It was the very thing ! How clever she was to have thought of it ! It would put everything right and explain everything and yet cause no scandal . It was eleven o'clock when she had finished to her satisfaction and crept down to bed , dreadfully tired , but perfectly happy . In a few days the little weekly published in the Glen under the name of The Journal came out as usual , and the Glen had another sensation . A letter signed `` Faith Meredith '' occupied a prominent place on the front page and ran as follows : -- `` TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN : I want to explain to everybody how it was I came to go to church without stockings on , so that everybody will know that father was not to blame one bit for it , and the old gossips need not say he is , because it is not true . I gave my only pair of black stockings to Lida Marsh , because she had n't any and her poor little feet were awful cold and I was so sorry for her . No child ought to have to go without shoes and stockings in a Christian community before the snow is all gone , and I think the W. F. M. S. ought to have given her stockings . Of course , I know they are sending things to the little heathen children , and that is all right and a kind thing to do .
But the little heathen children have lots more warm weather than we have , and I think the women XXXXX our church ought to look after Lida and not leave it all to me .
If because for from of on over that under upon