is mother. "Rachel was just predictin
see me safe and well, Aunt Rachel," said Jack
than drowning," repl
as w
to be hanged is s
mean me. But, mother, I didn't tell you of my goo
get it?" aske
ke it, mother; I warrant
any. Before you take off your boots, Jack, I wish you'd run over to the grocery store, and
gotten us," she remarked, as
chel, gloomily. "Will it c
and perhaps Timothy will have work
step of one who brings good tidings, but slowly and deliberately, with a quiet gravity of demea
acy to forbear intruding upon him questions to wh
Aunt
in tryin'! The times is awful dull, and mark my words, they'll be wuss before they're better. We mayn't live to se
starving till the time comes. Anyhow," glancing at the table, on which was spread a good p
me flour," rep
?" asked t
for a few pounds," said Mrs. Hardi
o was puzzled, as his wife anticipated. "I
arned it himself, holding
er, cheerfully. "We ain't so bad o
" she said, with the air of
ng evil?" said Mrs. Harding. "You see you'
sat down
husband's cheerfulness in a measure restored, "what
thy. "He isn't at all sure when it will be saf
" commented Rachel, wi
ng couldn't 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
we can live very plain," said Mrs. Hardin
sooner," was the comfor
umoredly. "Perhaps we might have lived a leetle more e
father," said Jack, hopefully.
said his mot
ntly fearing that the family might become too cheerful, whe
courage people, Aunt Rachel,
stant umbrage
nything to be cheerful about when you're on the verge of starvation, I hope you'll enj
shness," said Timothy. "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 th
great help to me in many ways. That pair of stockings, now, you're knitt
o lose 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 on her lap. But I wouldn'
d this storm, winced under the last wor
don't you try to look pleasant and cheerful? W
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, too
d Aunt Rachel; "but human nater ain't to be forced. I can't s
to persuade Rachel to cheerfu
knit in grim silence, while Jack seated himself on a three-legged stool near his aunt, and began to whittl
to his nose. He then took down from the mantelpiece one of the few books belonging to his library-"Dr. Kane's
of graceful tranquillity, but it proved to
n the world. This, I think, no one will deny 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
ng "Dr. Kane" fall to the floor, started up in great dismay. Mrs. H
long to see ho
, Rachel?" in
ely: "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 satisfie
aunt, who was rocking to and fro in her chair. "You know I didn't.
said his aunt, sti
for you to put on it, Ra
ostures indicating a great amount of anguish, limped out