ly subdued Morton and Molly, heard her name called with a purity of pronu

r side. Then she followed the path to the door, as usual near the rear of the cottage, but here prettily shaded by a neat latticed porch, over which some vines, now bare of leaves

n a minute, child. I haven'

elderly face, around which

ing the nets and father's clothes ready;

it! I've been watching them from the skyli

getting old for such hardships. I dre

ld Reuben Olmstead? He can put many of the young men to shame, thanks to his temperate life! Yo

eting in the centre, with edges of fine India matting; a large cabinet of seashells and other marine curiosities occupied one end; a parrot was chained to a high perch near an open Franklin stove at

ook her own, one of those straight-backed, calico-cushioned wooden

n all, a good man. His Father will look after him more tenderly than you can," giv

my dear, how much that creature knows. She thinks when I nod my head I'm

gain, determined to get up an

at which the creature gave such an odd, g

rattled off, looking, through all these merry outbursts, so un

hile I think of it, I must tell you how I've enjoyed your 'Studies in Russi

tures, these close shaves from shipwreck, fire, frost, and robbery, are much pleasanter to read about than to realize, I imagine. Do

eyes

nd another for you, because you

It's doubtless better thanks than I deserve, but I won't refuse

out one,-'A Trip throu

, y

red curtain, thus displaying several book-shelves thickly packed, from which she sele

line between your eyes; it looks li

flu

g of both

has learned patience; now is your time to cultivate your own. Did you ev

n top at all, Miss Pru

r woman

ure you will see one some day, if it is only the Delectable

ays, by this cheery old maid, whose lover had lain over twenty years beneath the wav

er patience at once, for the baby was cryin

"you've come at last, hev you? An' another book, I'll be bound! Pity you c

ldn't we?" trying to speak lightly. "Gi

ld, who went to her at once, growing more

git a minute to myself.

ir

poor little fellow!" and Sara held up the bent bit of torture, then threw it into the

llus makes me ready to fly when he yells so. What did Miss Prue hev to say?" "Oh, not much; her parrot kept interru

ence they was pirates, I guess. And she's rich too; she must hev as much a

ith emphasis, as if nothi

d. Ole Cap'n Plunkett was the same, and my! his wife,-Mis' Pettibone thet was,-she was thet high an' mighty ye couldn't come anigh her with a ten-

and her mollified mot

good time a-readin' while I'm gone. I s'pose you kain't help t

the tone than the words, and the little domesti

mother's narrower, more fretful one; but at times her whole soul rose up in rebellion, and she flashed out some fiercely sarcasti

es and practicalities of life. Mrs. Olmstead loved gossip, and Sara loathed it. The woman delighted in going to tea-drinkings, and afterward relating in detail every dish se

ps; for the early and life- long friendship these families had extended to Sara's own mother was not so freely bestowed upon her successor. "But, Sairay, think! You say Mis' Jedge Pete

hink, mother. You see, she was telling about the work in the hospitals,-the Flower

ris use her rale chany that the cap'n brung over, or only the gold-banded? And did she

re, and he got to 'reeling off a yarn,' as he said, about the mutiny at Benares in '57, when he was

ringing up, each time, every former delinquency, till Sara either turned under the weight of t

se the irresistible oncoming of the summer, along towards the beginning of May there was a cold storm of wind and sleet, lasting three

tood looking from the window one af

low's cheek against her own. "I felt those last two sultry days were we

lieve she did;

as a bird, ran and peeped into

She took her other, 'cause it's newer. She'll

ied look. "Put another stick on the fire, Morton, and shut the

attend the funeral of a friend in the next village, and must retu

me in shaking her wet clothes, and trying to make l

the eager, crowing baby to Morton, and hurrying

, her teeth chattering so that she could

ly brought warm, dry clothing, and chafed her

y. "I feel lots better now. This fire's rale comforti

ook him from Morton's arms to her own, hugging him close, and

leepily. "I hope your pa's safe at anchor t

sked the latter, as she hurried about prepar

ces, an' it cut like a knife; but 'twas jest as fur back as 'twas forwards, an' Mis' Ruttger w

oon as you've eaten this; and I'll undress b

in't got any such wind out to the Banks! Yo

mother; were t

ssor Page of the seminary was there, an' he asked after you; he said you was a fine scholard. Th

e horses did you see?" broke in Molly. "If you saw seven in a row

ome, mother, your voice sounds very hoarse a

kain't a-bear to be hurried! An' I'm tryin' to thi

pite of her drowsy and fretful resistance. She had scarcely touched the pillow, however, when she dropped into a heavy slumber; and the girl, filled with vague for

n depths of nothingness; and, after one bewildered glance about the room, she

omfortable position, and at last, fully aware of her surroundings,

the pillow, from which the dark eyes seemed starting with an expr

strange voice, "I'm sic

pressed it more closely, and

? your lungs? You've

he doctor, then heated the flannels her mother asked for, an

in,-a pudgy little man, with an expression of u

he freshly kindled blaze, "caught cold, has she? Lungs so

he turned away. He gave her careful directions about the medicines, and said he should look in again after bre

ul of the sweeping gusts of wind, and his admo

ut just a momen

umon

is she ve

willing, we'll pull her through. Now go in and dry yo

the door behind her wit

something, without success. Work as she would, day and night, assisted by the kindly neighbors and the frightened children, she could not stay the progr

ve-allus-been good! Don't leave-the baby. There's-the- money;" and, unable to finish, her voice ceased, her tired lids closed for their last, long sleep. Sh

ient," she moaned as they led her away; "but I w

n us an' the dead, but it oughter make us better to the livin'. Not thet I blame you, Sairay; some folk

ose-fisted, hard-headed, and sharp-tongued with each other when well and prosperous; but let poverty, wreck, illness, or death

, gazing bewilderedly about, and asking softly, "Where am I?" took her vigorously in hand, and soon had her in bed, where, exhausted as she was, she slep

nexpressibly for her father, b

ewhere on the broad highway of the ocean. Yet, even then, he could only return in case of some lucky opportunity; for the fleet would not

s were strangely quiet

cent events, helped her about the house, the short wint

the lengthening, softening days went by in a quie

eapot had been almost exhausted by the simple funeral requirements, she put on her sunbonnet one afternoon, and leaving the baby, w

of colonial architecture, and was entered by means of a glass doo

he glanced up to scowl inquiringly at her over his glasse

n, come in! Here's a seat.

I came to get some m

borrow a little, eh? Well, I guess

re; but I've had extra expenses, as you know; a

and looked at her so queerly

all just before he sailed, and took it home; said his wife wanted

lanation; and Sara, in her new tenderness

," she said warmly, "and f

verybody; he's born that way. But didn't she

sure. She began something about the money

l the old stockings and sugar-bowls,- there's where these people generally stow away their savings,-a

feeling sore and resentful, rose, sa

or to her father's innate trust in human nature; but now, for some reason, they rankled,