I told him I was n't in the habit of fertilizing my back yard with cream . But that 's the men for you . Come in . I 'll have tea ready in no time . I sot the table before I left . There 's lemon pie . Mrs. John Cantwell sent it over . I never make lemon pie myself . Ten years ago I took the prize for lemon pies at the county fair , and I 've never made any since for fear I 'd lose my reputation for them . '' * * * * * The first month of my stay passed not unpleasantly . The summer weather was delightful , and the sea air was certainly splendid . Aunt Philippa 's little farm ran right down to the shore , and I spent much of my time there . There were also several families of cousins to be visited in the farmhouses that dotted the pretty , seaward-sloping valley , and they came back to see me at `` Philippa 's Farm . '' I picked spruce gum and berries and ferns , and Aunt Philippa taught me to make butter . It was all very idyllic -- or would have been if Mark had written . But Mark did not write . I supposed he must be very angry because I had run off to Prince Edward Island without so much as a note of goodbye . But I had been so sure he would understand ! Aunt Philippa never made any further reference to the reason Father had sent me to her , but she allowed no day to pass without holding up to me some horrible example of matrimonial infelicity . The number of unhappy wives who walked or drove past `` Philippa 's Farm '' every afternoon , as we sat on the verandah , was truly pitiable .
We always sat on the verandah XXXXX the afternoon , when we were not visiting or being visited .
ago as at before for if in of to with