"Well mother, how do you like it?" said Hugh whose eyes gave tender witness to his liking for it.

"It is pretty," said Mrs. Rossitur.

Hugh exclaimed, and Fleda laughing took it out of her hand. "Why mother !" said Hugh, "it is Fleda's."

"Fleda's!" exclaimed Mrs. Rossitur, snatching the magazine again. "My dear child, I was not thinking in the least of what I was reading. Fleda's!"

She read it over anew, with swimming eyes this time, and then clasped Fleda in her arms and gave her, not words, but the better reward of kisses and tears. They remained so a long time, even till Hugh left them; and then Fleda released from her aunt's embrace still crouched by her side with one arm in her lap.

They both sat thoughtfully looking into the fire till it had burnt itself out, and nothing but a glowing bed of coals remained.

"That is an excellent young man ?" said Mrs. Rossitur.

"Who?"

"Mr. Olmney. He sat with me some time after you had gone."

"So you said before," said Fleda, wondering at the troubled expression of her aunt's face.

"He made me wish," said Mrs. Rossitur hesitating, "that I could be something different from what I am, I believe I should be a great deal happier.

The last word was hardly spoken. Fleda rose to her kness and putting both arms about her aunt pressed face to face, with a clinging sympathy that told how very near her spirit was; while tears from the eyes of both fell without measure.

"Dear aunt Lucy, dear aunt Lucy, I wish you would? I am sure you would be a great deal happier.”

But the mixture of feelings was too much for Fleda; her head sank lower on her aunt's bosom and she wept aloud.

"But I don't know anything about it!" said Mrs. Rossitur, as well as she could speak, "I am as ignorant as a child!"

"Dear aunty! that is nothing, God will teach you if you ask him; he has promised. Oh ask him, aunt Lucy! I know you would be happier! I know it is better, a million times! to be a child of God than to have everything in the world. If they only brought us that, I would be very glad of all our troubles! indeed I would!"

"But I don't think I ever did anything right in my life!" said poor Mrs. Rossitur.

"Dear aunt Lucy!" said Fleda, straining her closer and with her very heart gushing out at these words, "dear aunty, Christ came for just such sinners! for just such as you and I.”

"You," said Mrs. Rossitur, but speech failed utterly, and with a muttered prayer that Fleda would help her, she sank her head upon her shoulder and sobbed herself into quietness, or into exhaustion. The glow of the firelight faded away till only a faint sparkle was left in the chimney.

There was not another word spoken, but when they rose up, with such kisses as gave and took unuttered affection, counsel and sympathy, they bade each other good-night.

Fleda went to her window, for the moon rode high and her childish habit had never been forgotten. But surely the face that looked out that night was as the face of an angel. In all the pouring moonbeams that filled the air, she could see nothing but the flood of God's goodness on a dark world.

And her heart that night had nothing but an unbounded and unqualified thanksgiving for all the "gentle discipline" they had felt; for every sorrow and weariness and disappointment; except besides the prayer, almost too deep to be put into words, that its due and hoped-for fruit might be brought forth unto perfection.

CHAPTER XXVII.

If I become not a cart as well as another man, a plague on my bringing up.—Shakspeare.

could not the last,

pitch-pine knots. They blazed indeed, many a time, but the blaze shone upon faces that it could not sometimes light up. gradually within a smaller and smaller compass.

Matters drew Another five dollars

came from uncle Orrin, and the hope of more; but these were carefully laid by to pay Philetus; and for all other wants of the household, excepting those the farm supplied, the family were dependent on mere driblets of sums. None came from Mr. Rossitur. Hugh managed to collect a very little. That kept them from absolute distress; that, and Fleda's delicate instrumentality. Regular dinners were given up, fresh meat being now unheard-of, unless when a kind neighbour made them a present; and appetite would have lagged sadly but for Fleda's untiring care. She thought no time nor pains ill-bestowed which could prevent her aunt and Hugh from feeling the want of old comforts; and her nicest skill was displayed in varying the combinations of their very few and simple stores. The diversity and deliciousness of her bread-stuffs, Barby said, was "beyond everything!" and a cup of rich coffee was found to cover all deficiencies of removes and entremêts; and this was always served, Barby said further, as if the President of the United States was expected. Fleda never permitted the least slackness in the manner of doing this or anything else that she could control.

Mr. Plumfield had sent down an opportune present of a fine porker. One cold day in the beginning of February Fleda was busy in the kitchen making something for dinner, and Hugh at another table was vigorously chopping sausage-meat.

"I should like to have some cake again," said Fleda.

"Well, why don't you?" said Hugh, chopping away.

"No eggs, Mr. Rossitur; and can't afford 'em at two shillings a dozen. I believe I am getting discontented. I have a great desire to do something to distinguish myself. I would make a plum pudding if I had raisins, but there is not one in the house."

"You can get 'em up to Mr. Hemps's for sixpence a pound," said Barby. But Fleda shook her head at the sixpence, and went on moulding out her biscuits diligently.

"I wish Philetus would make his appearance with the cows; it is a very odd thing that they should be gone since yesterday morning, and no news

of them."

"I only hope the snow ain't so bright it'll blind his eyes," said Barby. "There he is this minute," said Hugh. "It is impossible to tell from his countenance whether successful or not."

"Well, where are the cows, Mr. Skillcorn?" said Barby, as he came in. "I have went all over town," said the person addressed, "and they ain't no place.

"Have you asked news of them, Philetus?"

"I have asked the hull town, and I have went all over, 'til I was a'most beat out with the cold, and I han't seen the first sight of 'em yet!"

Fleda and Hugh exchanged looks, while Barby and Mr. Skillcorn entered into an animated discussion of probabilities and impossibilities.

"If we should be driven from our coffee dinners to tea with no milk in it!" said Hugh softly, in mock dismay.

"Wouldn't!" said Fleda. "We'd beat up an egg and put it in the

coffee."

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'We couldn't afford it," said Hugh, smiling.

"Could!-cheaper than to keep the cows. I'll have some sugar, at any rate; I'm determined. Philetus !"

"Marm!

"I wish, when you have got a good pile of wood chopped, you would make some troughs to put under the maple trees, you know how to make them, don't you?"

"I do!"

"I wish you would make some, you have pine logs out there large enough, haven't you?"

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They hadn't ought to want much of it, there's some gregious big ones!" "I don't know how many we shall want, but a hundred or two at any rate; and the sooner the better. Do you know how much sugar they make from one tree?"

"Wall I don't," said Mr. Skillcorn, with the air of a person who was at fault on no other point; "the big trees gives more than the little ones."

Fleda's eyes flashed at Hugh, who took to chopping in sheer desperation; and the muscles of both gave them full occupation for five minutes. Philetus stood comfortably warming himself at the fire, looking first at one and then at the other, as if they were a show and he had paid for it. Barby grew impatient. "I guess this cold weather makes lazy people of me!" she said bustling about her fire with an amount of energy that was significant. signify nothing to Philetus. He only moved a little out of the way. "Didenhover's cleared out," he burst forth at length abruptly.

It seemed to

"What!" said Fleda and Barby at once, the broom and the biscuits standing still.

"Mr. Didenhover."

"What of him?”

"He has tuk himself off out o' town."

"Where to?"

"I can't tell where teu, he ain't coming back, 'tain't likely."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause he's tuk all his traps and went, and he said farming didn't pay and he wa'n't a going to have nothin' more to deu with it; he telled Mis' Simpson so, he lived to Mis' Simpson's; and she telled Mr. Ten Eyck. "Are you sure, Philetus?"

"Sure as 'lection! he telled Miss Simpson so, and she telled Mr. Ten Eyck; and he's cleared out."

Fleda and Hugh again looked at each other. Mr. Skillcorn having now delivered himself of his news went out to the wood-yard.

"I hope he ha'nt carried off our cows along with him," said Barby, as she too went out to some other part of her premises.

"He was to have made us quite a payment on the first of March," said Fleda.

“Yes, and that was to have gone to uncle Orrin,” said Hugh.

"We shall not see a cent of it. And we wanted a little of it for ourselves. I have that money from the Excelsior, but I can't touch a penny of it for it must go to Philetus's wages. What Barby does without hers I do not know, she has had but one five dollars in six months. Why she stays I cannot imagine; unless it is for pure love."

"As soon as the spring opens I can go to the mill again," said Hugh after a little pause. Fleda looked at him sorrowfully, and shook her head as she withdrew her eyes.

"I wish father would give up the farm," Hugh went on under his breath. "I cannot bear to live upon uncle Orrin so.

Fleda's answer was to clasp her hands. Her only words were, "Don't say anything toɔ aunt Lucy.

"It is of no use to say anything to anybody," said Hugh. weighs me to the ground, Fleda!"

"But it

"If uncle Rolf doesn't come home by spring—I hope, I hope he will !— but if he does not, I will take desperate measures. I will try farming myself, Hugh. I have thought of it, and I certainly will. I will get Earl Douglass or somebody else to play second fiddle, but I will have but one head on the farm and I will try what mine is worth."

"You could not do it, Fleda.”

"One can do anything! with a strong enough motive." "I'm afraid you'd soon be tired, Fleda."

"Not if I succeeded, not so tired as I am now."

"Poor Fleda! I dare say you are tired!

"It wasn't that I meant," said Fleda, slightly drawing her breath; "I meant this feeling of everything going wrong, and uncle Orrin, and all." "But you are weary,' said Hugh affectionately. "I see it in your face."

"Not so much body as mind after all. Oh Hugh! this is the worst part of being poor! the constant occupation of one's mind on a miserable succession of trifles. I am so weary sometimes! If I only had a nice book to rest myself for a while and forget all these things; I would give so much for it!"

"Dear Fleda! I wish you had!"

"That was one delight of being in New York-I forgot all about money from one end of it to the other-I put all that away and not having to think of meals till I came to eat them. You can't think how tired I get of ringing the changes on pork and flour and Indian meal and eggs and vegetables!"

Fleda looked tired, and pale ; and Hugh looked sadly conscious of it. "Don't tell aunt Lucy I have said all this," she exclaimed after a moment, rousing herself. "I don't always feel so-only once in a while I get such a fit. And now I have just troubled you by speaking of it!"

“You don't trouble anyone in that way very often, dear Fleda,” said Hugh kissing her.

"I ought not at all, you have enough else to think of, but it is a kind of relief sometimes. I like to do these things in general, only now and then I get tired, as I was just now, I suppose, and then one sees everything through a different medium.”

"I am afraid it would tire you more to have the charge of Earl Douglass and the farm upon your mind; and mother could be no help to you, nor I, if I am at the mill.'

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'But there's Seth Plumfield. Oh, I've thought of it all. You don't know what I am up to, Mr. Rossitur. You shall see how I will manage—

unless uncle Rolf comes home, in which case I will very gladly forego all my honours and responsibilities together." "I hope he will come !" said Hugh. But this hope was to be disappointed. Mr. Rossitur wrote again about the first of March, saying that he hoped to make something of his lands in Michigan, and that he had the prospect of being engaged in some land agencies which would make it worth his while to spend the summer there. He bade his wife let anybody take the farm that could manage it and would pay; and to remit to Dr. Gregory whatever she should receive and could spare. He hoped to do something where he was.

It was just then the beginning of the sugar season; and Mrs. Douglass having renewed and urged Earl's offer of help, Fleda sent Philetus down to ask him to come the next day with his team. Seth Plumfield's, which had drawn the wood in the winter, was now busy in his own sugar business. On Earl Douglass's ground there happened to be no maple trees. His lands

were of moderate extent and almost entirely cultivated as a sheep farm; and Mr. Douglass himself, though in very comfortable circumstances, was in the habit of assisting, on advantageous terms, all the farmers in the neighbourhood.

Philetus came back again in a remarkably short time; and announced that he had met Dr. Quackenboss on the way, who had offered to come with his team for the desired service.

"Then you have not been to Mr. Douglass's?"

"I have not," said Philetus; "I thought likely you wouldn't calculate to want him teu."

"How came the doctor to know what you were going for?"

"I told him."

"But how came you to tell him?"

"Wall, I guess he had a mind to know," said Philetus, "so I didn't keep it no closer than I had teu.

"Well," said Fleda biting her lips, "you will have to go down to Mr. Douglass's, nevertheless, Philetus, and tell him the doctor is coming tomorrow, but I should be very much obliged to him if he will be here next day. Will you?"

"Now dear Hugh, will you make me those little spouts for the trees! of some dry wood-you can get plenty out here, You want to split them up with a hollow chisel, about a quarter of an inch thick, and a little more than half an inch broad. Have you got a hollow chisel ?

"No, but I can get one up the hill. Why must it be hollow?"

"To make little spouts, you know, for the sap to run in. And then, my dear Hugh, they must be sharpened at one end so as to fit where the chisel goes in; I am afraid I have given you a day's work of it. How sorry I am you must go to-morrow to the mill! and yet I am glad too."

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Why need you go round yourself with these people ?" said Hugh. "I don't see the sense of it."

"They don't know where the trees are," said Fleda.

"I am sure I do not.

Do you?"

"Perfectly well. And besides," said Fleda laughing, "I should have great doubts of the discreetness of Philetus's auger if it were left to his simple direction. I have no notion the trees would yield their sap as kindly to him as to me. But I didn't bargain for Dr. Quackenboss."

Dr. Quackenboss arrived punctually the next morning with his oxen and sled; and by the time it was loaded with the sap-troughs, Fleda in her