p of one who brings good tidings, but slowly and deliberately, with a quiet gravity of demeanor
he delicacy to forbear intruding upon him questions to
Aunt
n tryin'. The times is awful dull, and, mark my words, they'll be wuss before they're better. We mayn't live to
tarving till the time comes. Anyhow," glancing at the table on which was spread a good plai
me flour," rep
?" asked t
r a few pounds," said Mrs. Crump,
o was puzzled, as his wife anticipated. "I
arned it himself, holding
er, cheerfully, "We ain't so bad o
her head with the
eturned, and the fami
husband's cheerfulness in a measure restored, "what
hy. "He isn't at all sure how soon it will be b
" commented Rachel, wi
could not hel
you haven't formed
me. I must try to get
for ins
it's only sawing wood. We shall have to get along as eco
e can live very plain," said Mrs. Crump, aff
sooner," was the comfor
umoredly. "Perhaps we might have lived a leetle more e
father," said Jack, hopefully.
said Mrs. Cr
tly fearing that the family might become too cheerful, when,
o discourage people," sa
stant umbrage
hing to be cheerful about when you're on the verge of starvation, I hope you'll enjoy you
hness," said Uncle Tim. "You do
If it hadn't been for me, I know you'd have been able to lay up money, and have something to carry you t
great help to me in many ways. That pair of stockings now you're knittin
ose the use of 'em soon, and be as useless as old Mrs. Sprague, who for the last ten years of her life had to sit with her hands folded in her lap. But I wouldn't stay
sed this storm, winced under the word
don't you try to look pleasant and cheerful?
en their house is a burnin' down before their eyes, and I've heard of one young man that laughed at his aunt's funeral," di
's a time to laugh, a
d Aunt Rachel; "but human nature ain't to be forced. I can't
o attempt a confutation of t
to knit in grim silence, while Jack seated himself on a three-legged stool near his aunt, and began to whit
his nose. He then took down from the mantel-piece one of the few books belonging to his library,-"Captain Cook's
of peaceful tranquillity, but it proved
n the world. That, I think, no one can doubt who has any practical acquaintance with them. Jack was working quite vigorously, the block from which the boat was to be fashioned being held firmly between his knees. His knife having got wedged in the wood, he made an unusual effort
ifting her foot, clung to it convulsively, whil
g "Captain Cook" fall to the floor, started up in great dismay-Mrs.
long to see ho
, Rachel?" in
ly, "you careless, wicked, ungrateful boy, that I've been wearin' myself out knittin' for. I'm almost sure you did it a purpose. You won't be satisfied
nt, who was rocking to and fro in her chair. "Besides, I hurt myself
said his aunt, sti
ou to put on it?" asked Mrs. C
s, (sic) indicating a great amount of anguish, limped out