In paragraph 13, how does the phrase "the meanest of them

sparkled" contribute to the meaning of the text?

It means that God's presence could be felt even within the meanest or worst things on earth.

Explanation:

The phrase "meanest of them sparkled" means that God's presence could be felt even within the meanest or worst things on earth. Though we know that the fate of the family did not end well in the story, the grandmother had firm faith till her last breath that Misfit would have a change of heart. She chose to believe that even the meanest of them would sparkle. Likewise, the phrase "the meanest of them sparkled" contributes to the meaning of the text which is the grandmother's hope that Misfit would have a change of heart.