n see the 'angels' now and then--just
you, in fact."

He handed her out of the boat and walked home with her. At the edge of
the alders they stood. They could see the light in her father's house.

"When, Vesty?" he repeated.

"O Note, I love you!" she sobbed; "but I must have a little time to
think. Every girl has that."

"Very well. You must _keep your mind on me_, however."

"Hark! hear the poplars tremble. You know what always makes them sigh
and shiver that way, Note?"

"I've forgotten."

"They made the cross for Christ out of the poplars; they never got over
it--see them shiver!--hush!"

"O my beautiful one!" He took her hands. "What was it you 'told them'
back there this morning, Vesty, before we started?"

"You are cruel! O Note!"

He drew her to him. Her lips would not tell. Her Basin eyes, that he
was gazing mercilessly into, betrayed her.

"Good child! sweet child! with my strong right arm, and a willingness
for all toil and patience and endeavor, and all my soul's love, I thee
endow." He kissed her solemnly.

"Love, love, love," chanted in ecstasy a thrush from the dim recesses
of the wood.

V

COLUMBUS AND THE EGG, AND LOT'S WIFE

"I often thinks o' Columbus and the egg. All them big folks in Spain
was settin' areound, ye know, ta'ntin' of him, and sayin' as how an egg
couldn't be made to sot.

"So Columbus, he took one up and give her a tunk, pretty solid, deown
onto the table. 'There!' says he; 'you stay sot,' says he, 'and keep
moderate a spall,' says he. 'Forced-to-go never gits far,' says he.

"Then there was Lot's wife.

"I don't remember jest the partickelers, nor what she was turnin'
areound to look for; whether she was goin' to a sewin'-circle and
lookin' back to see what Lot was dewin' to home, or whether she was
jest strokin' deown her polonaise a little, the way women does; but
anyway, she was one o' this 'ere kind that needed moderatin'.

"So she got turned into a pillar o' salt, and there she sot. But I've
heerd lately that she 's got up and went?"

"I don't know," I murmured.

"Yes; Nason was tellin' me how 't, the last time he went cruisin', he
met a man 't 'd jest come from Jaffy, 't told him how 't Lot's wife had
got up and went.

"Wal, I was glad to hear on't. Moderation 's a virtu', even in all
things. She must 'a' sot there some three or four hunderd pretty
consid'rable number o' years, 's it was. Don't want to ride a free
hoss to de