panion called the various signs of industry as well as ingenuity. The inscription under

that lay about, showed that it had been occupied very recently.

"I guess my wife is busy at the back," said the master, as he stepped out again, and shouted Esther! Esther! in a voice that might have been heard half a mile off.

the piece of print nowise assisted me in form-
ing any conjecture as to what this strange
looking affair could be, for it was only the
word-
"FAITHFUL"

printed in capital letters, and apparently by
some unpractised hand.

I took the opportunity which his absence gave me of looking round the room. The The sound of footsteps reminded me that I furniture was such as I had seen in numbers had not yet been introduced to the mistress of New England farmhouses; the same flar- of the house, who now entered the room with ingly painted time-piece; the same light, her husband. She was a tall, spare, but very bass-wood chairs, so different to the heavy good-looking woman, of about forty-five years oaken ones of an English farmhouse; and the of age,--not so much, perhaps, for American same thrifty, home-made rag carpet. A gaudy women look quite as old at thirty, as English tea-tray, and some common looking china women do at forty. The mode of introducgraced a set of corner shelves, and the inevi- tion was more practical than ceremonious. table rocking-chair stood by the side of the This was it: "Here, Esther, here's the genstove. A few old-fashioned looking books, tleman from the old country that I've been ranged on a single shelf between the windows, telling you about,-I don't know his name." attracted my attention, as I have often ob- "My name is George Laurence," said I, served, that from the character of the books bowing to the lady. we see in a house, we may form some idea of the tastes, if not of the character, of its inhabitants. The collection was small but rather curious.

"And my name is Reuben Baldwin, from New Hampshire. Do you know New Hampshire, sir?"

"I have travelled through some parts of "New England's Memorial, a brief relation it; I have been through the Notch in the of the providence of God manifested to plant- White Mountains; we havo nothing like that ers, 1669." "The Day-breaking of the Gos- in England," said I, thinking to propitiate pel in New England." "Good news from Mr. Baldwin by the generous admission, for England, . . . concerning the painful labor- I had again seen the strange, dreamy look ers in that vineyard of the Lord, and who be which I had noticed while we were fishing in the preachers to them, 1647." All very edi- the morning. fying works no doubt. Added to these were Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," his "Holy War," and some other books of which I do not recollect the names.

Two colored engravings adorned the wall opposite the windows. Both were from Scripture subjects, one representing "The raising of Jairus' Daughter," the other, "Our Saviour stilling the Tempest." One glance at these works of art was sufficient, but my eye rested with much curiosity upon the object which hung between them.

Under a glass, smoothed out, and tacked at the corners with four or five very small, neatly cut, wooden pegs, to a cedar shingle of about eight inches wide, and six deep, was a torn, irregularly shaped piece of common-looking calico print, and around this picture, as I must call it, for want of a more appropriate name, was a deep frame, made of some kind of pine cones, sawn in halves, and arranged in a manner that showed considerable taste

No, sir, you've nothing like it in England; and I've read that there's nothing like it in the whole world."

"It is very grand-very wonderful." said I: "noble scenery amongst the White Mountains, and capital fishing in your New England lakes, as no doubt you know."

If I had doubled my fist and given Reuben Baldwin a knock-down blow with it, he could hardly have looked more amazed than when I uttered these apparently inoffensive words.

2

7

on, Esther had cleared away the "litters," | cheese, butter, cakes, and tea; to these, as a
put everything in its place, and was now set- matter of course, were added hot rolls of
ting the table in that quick, silent manner I beautiful light bread. How it is managed I
have so often remarked amongst her country- cannot conceive, but I will here mention inci-
women. Without appearing to notice our dentally that I never sat down to tea or break-
conversation, she now turned towards her fast in an American farmhouse without seeing
husband, and in a low voice asked him if he hot rolls that looked as if they had that min-
could find a few hen's eggs for her, as she ute come out of the oven!
had none in the house.

"Yes, yes; there's some in the wood-house, I saw them there this morning. I'll bring them to you in a minute; and now, Esther, fly round and get us something to eat as quick as you can."

Though nothing could exceed the hospitality of my entertainer, I did not feel altogether at my ease. The injunction given me by his wife, in such a mysterious manner, had raised a doubt in my mind as to whether he was perfectly sane, and the apprehension I was under lest I should unwittingly say something that would "set him off," or "send him wild," was a constant restraint upon the free

As soon as her husband left the room, Mrs. Baldwin came towards me, and in a grave, earnest manner, said, ""Twas not that I so much wanted the eggs, but don't say any-dom of my conversation. thing about fishing in them New Hampshire "I am not to say anything about the lakes lakes to my husband, it sets him off so; and, of New England, and I am to take no notice for the laud's sake! don't ask nothing about of that queer picture," said I to myself. that kind o' picture," continued she, indicat-"Well, there are plenty of other subjects ing the mysterious-looking, cone-framed print open to me, for Mr. Baldwin is a sensible, rag, which I have already described, by a intelligent man." But then the unpleasant slight nod; "it would send him wild-and yet suspicion of his being deranged again preperhaps he'll tell you all about it himself, if sented itself, and I began to speculate upon you don't notice it, for he seems to have taken what kind of lunacy it might be that he was a fancy to you." afflicted with-whether he was violent, for instance? His wife had no appearance of being afraid of him; but then, as I said before, these Yankee women are so wonderfully calm and self-possessed, that that's no rule! At all events, here I must stay for the night, for to make any excuse for going back to Steubenville, after having so far received his hospitality, would be most ungracious-besides, "Reuben has taken a fancy to me."

There is a cool imperturbability about a Yankee woman which makes me believe that she could never be taken by surprise, never be thrown off her guard; her complete selfpossession and command of countenance, under all circumstances, are admirable; and yet, perhaps, there are cases in which an English woman's embarrassment would be more interesting; but, however, this was not one of them.

Mrs. Baldwin had hardly finished speaking when her husband returned with the eggs, which he handed to her in his hat. She looked up at the clock.

"The steak and fish are quite done by this time, Reuben, and by the time you've eaten them the pancakes will be ready."

,

She left us for a few minutes, and then returned with a tray laden with a dish of stewed fish that was fit to set before a London alderman, a beefsteak, to which I cannot give such unqualified praise, a dish of potatoes, and another of boiled Indian corn. Setting these things on the table, she slipped out of the room again, and brought in a second relay, consisting of pumpkin-pies-which are very much like our cheese-cakes-cranberry jelly,

66

As Reuben spoke, he walked up to the strange looking picture, and stood with his eyes fixed on it. I was afraid that he now was really going off," and thought it most prudent to make no reply to his observations, as it might tend to make matters worse. His wife, however, seemed to know how to manage him; for taking his Bible down from the shelf, she handed it to him, saying, "Here, Reuben, it is getting late.".

He took it from her mechanically, with his eyes still fixed on the picture, and then in a low voice, as if he were talking to himself, said, "FAITHFUL-yes; that's what I forgot to be, and the Lord visited me in his wrath." "You wont talk now, please, Reuben; I aint so good a scholar as you, and I never can read when anybody is talking," said Mrs. Baldwin, as she laid an old, well-worn Bible in large print on the table before her. Reuben also sat down to read, and for the time, I hoped, the danger was over.

then, as I had often done before, somewhat ashamed of the want of common honesty in my own country, which makes it so absolutely necessary for us to look carefully to the faetenings of our doors and windows every night. I have often slept in rooms in which there was a most troublesome superabundance of furniture, where conveniences were multiplied till they became inconveniences, and where every "coign of vantage was occupied by a useless knickknack. A bed, a small table and basin, one chair, and a few wooden pegs to hang my clothes on, were all that graced Reuben Baldwin's spare room-and it was sufficient: everything was clean and comfortable, and I never slept better in my life.

At five, next morning, we sat down to a breakfast of the same profuse description as our supper of the preceding night. Fried bacon, omelets, Johnny-cake, two or three kinds of preserved fruits, and excellent coffee were on the table, all prepared by the indefatigable Esther: her husband milked the cow and sawed the wood for the stove, and probably helped her with the heaviest work, but she kept no servant of any kind to assist her. It has often been a mystery to me to imagine how these American women get through all the multifarious business that falls to their share with so little apparent effort or fatigue. In one or two instances in which I felt myself upon sufficiently familiar terms to allow of my asking the question, the answer has been, "Well, I guess it is just what we've been used to." What would our English farmers' daughters think of such work? I think I may venture to answer for them, "'Tis what we have never been used to!

I took up "Good News from England," which I found to be a curious journal of the doings and sufferings of the first settlers who went from England in the May Flower, written by one of them, Mr. Winslowe, whose name is still held in reverence in New England. It was he, I read, that imported into that country the first neat cattle that were ever seen there. After reading with great attention for about half an hour, Reuben closed his book, and asked if I were inclined to go to bed. I was quite willing to do so, for, besides that I had been upon my feet for a great many hours, and began to feel the want of rest, I knew that it would be expected that I should be ready for breakfast by four, or, at latest, by five o'clock the next morning. I had not far to go to my sleeping-room, which was separated merely by After breakfast, I went with Mr. Baldwin boards from the room in which we had been to look at his farm, of which he was not a sitting, and was just half its width; the other a little proud. He told me that he had had half formed the bedroom of my host and host-it only two years, and that his were the first ess. As we were about to leave the room, I noticed that there was neither lock nor bolt on the outer door, a deficiency that I had frequently observed in the country parts of

America.

"I guess you can't very well do without them things in your country," said Mr. Baldwin, with a sly smile of superiority.

"Not in the part that I come from, certainly," replied 1,-an answer not quite free from prevarication; but I confess that I felt

crops that were ever grown on the land. Though so small in extent, he and his wife could get a good living out of the farm, the soil of which was rich and deep, and very easily worked, and when there was nothing particular to be done on the land, he caught fish in some of the neighboring streams, which he could always find a ready sale for at Steubenville.

The prohibitions which I had received from Mrs. Baldwin, or I should rather say the hasty

1

conclusion that I had drawn from them, had from any great calamity, or whether he labored
prevented my asking Reuben many questions under some kind of religious insanity, a mal-
which occurred to me respecting New Eng-ady which is said to be very prevalent in the
land and its farming, and the comparative Eastern States.
advantages and disadvantages to be found in We entered the log-house in silence. Mrs.
Ohio; the former, if I might at all trust my Baldwin was sitting in the rocking-chair,
own judgment, greatly preponderating. Yet busily employed in knitting a man's worsted
the man seemed to be communicative, and stocking. She raised her eyes for an instant,
much more open in his manner than the gen- and gave the slightest possible nod to her
erality of his countrymen whom I had con- husband, as much as to say:
"I see you,"
versed with; and in whom, indeed, the want or "here am I," her knitting and her rock-
of openness is so common, as fairly to be ing going on vigorously all the while in per-
called a national characteristic. This morn- fect silence. And yet, under this cold and
ing, too, he seemed to be in good spirits, and undemonstrative exterior, how much kind-
I had not once observed the gloomy, or un-ness was latent!
happy expression of countenance which I saw
the day before.

were walking through the bush, and talking | grow to a large size. Except that there are about the different crops grown in your coun- some fertile valleys, the country all round try, we came to where a lot of pine cones lay about for miles is the roughest I know anyunder the trees. I don't suppose you noticed where; in some parts great blocks of granite, them, but I did; and for a minute or two I of many tons weight, lie all over the land, so did not hear what you were saying, no more that it is impossible to plow amongst them, than if I'd been in New Hampshire, for my and even on the best land the stones are a mind was wandering back to the time when great hindrance to the farmer. Well, sir, I the poor child used to pick them up, and lived in one of them pleasant valleys I told make believe shooting me with them; but I you of; we were nicely sheltered from the have not told you about her yet. My mind cold winds by the rising ground and the pine seems to run off the rails like, sometimes, and woods at the back, and right in front, not I forget what I am talking about." more than a furlong from my door, was Lake Sunapee. I have heard that there are lakes in your country so handsome that people go from all parts to look at them; well, I guess there ain't none handsomer than Lake Sunapec. The water is as blue as the heavens, and so clear and smooth, that the mountains and dark pine woods are reflected in it just as if it was a looking-glass. Perhaps you would think it a lonely place, for our nearest neighbors were on the other side of the lake; but we New England farmers never think ourselves lonely if we live within sight of a neighbor's house, and I could see three or four.

Mr. Baldwin was walking up and down the room in an excited manner, as he spoke; presently he stopped opposite the strangelooking picture, and began dusting the frame with his handkerchief.

"You have not offered Mr. Laurence any of our cider, Reuben; perhaps he would like some after walking so long in the heat."

"I'm glad you thought of it, Esther. My wife thinks of everything, sir," continued he, as soon as Mrs. Baldwin left the room to fetch the cider; "if it had not been for her I should have lost my senses under that great trial, for I almost lost faith and trust in God, so great was my affliction. But, after the first, she bore up so like a true Christian, that I took comfort from her example, and though at times my mind is sore troubled, I know that all things work together for good to them that love God."

When Mrs. Baldwin returned with a jug of cider, there was another pause; but this time her little ruse had not succeeded in turning her husband's thoughts from what I suppose she considered a dangerous subject, for after filling our glasses he resumed the conversation.

"You have been in New Hampshire, sir, so I need not tell you what a different country that is to what you now see; and you have been through the Notch in the White Mountains; that is quite in the north of the range. I lived to the south, near the foot of the Sunapee Mountain, for all them hills have names, though strangers call them the White Mountains,' as if they were all one thing. They get their name from their tops being covered with snow for ten months in the year; nothing wont grow there but black Lower down there is a growth of dwarfed ugly pines, and 'tis only quite at the foot of the hills, and on the plains, that trees

moss.

"Well, sir, my wife and I had been married a good many years, but we had no children till about four years ago, when it pleased God to give us a little daughter, and I can't tell you how much I loved that child. My wife named it Faithful-that was her own mother's given name-and the child grew and ran about quite strong, and began to talk in her own pretty way, and Esther and I used to say to one another, what a blessing she was, and what a comfort she would be, to us in our old ago. In the evening after my work was done, I often used to carry her down to the lake, where I spent much of my time fishing, and she would run about on the hard, white sand that lies along the shore, as happy as an angel, while her mother and I sat under the shade of the pines near by, watching her.

"The last time she was ever to play there was on one Sabbath evening; the day had been rather hot and close for September, and we noticed that we could not see a leaf stir, the air was so still when we got down to the Sunapee shore, where there was always a fresh breeze off the water even in the hottest days of summer. The poor child had picked up an apronful of pine cones, and put them