"RED HOUSE, _April 27th_.

"DEAR ROBERT,--Send Tom to Thankful Rest for a few days. Lucy will
get well twice as fast after she sees him.--Your affectionate sister,

"ALICE."

Next morning saw a very happy boy take his place in the train, which
would land him at Pendlepoint in the evening. It was a long, tiresome
journey, especially to an impatient being like Tom. But it came to an
end, as all things pleasant or unpleasant must, and he found himself
at the little old-fashioned depot towards seven o'clock at night.
There was no one to meet him, of course, because no one, not even
Miss Keane, expected him so soon. He ran all the way to the
parsonage, and knocked at the door, only to find Abbie in sole
possession.

"The parson he be down town, Master Tom," she said, "and Miss Carrie
she be at Thankful Rest. I guess she's there most days till night."

Tom thanked her and ran off again across the bridge and through the
meadow, not even pausing to look at the cattle, nor to see that Sally
was enjoying an unwonted holiday, and a dainty bite at the tender
young grass, which the mild weather had brought forward very fast. He
paused just a moment outside the orchard fence, and looked at the
house, not a little surprised to feel how glad he was to see it
again, and how dear it was to him after all. Then he pushed open the
gate, went up the path and over the garden fence, and saw Uncle Josh
digging the potato patch.

"Halloo, Uncle Josh!" he shouted, feeling quite jovial and free
towards him; and Uncle Josh started up and let his spade fall from
his hands.

"Marcy, younker, whar did ye come from?" was all he could utter. But,
no longer the surly man that he had been, he held out his hand to
him, and looked more than pleased to see him.

"I came from Philadelphia to see Lucy," answered Tom soberly. "How is
she?"

"Oh, gettin' along fast; she's in the far parlour these two days,
able to sit up till 'most night. I guess she won't be sot up to see
ye--oh no, not at all."

There was a twinkle in Uncle Josh's eye, a thing Tom had never seen
before. Surely there _was_ a change at Thankful Rest.

"I'll go in now," said Tom; and he went away round to the back door.
Keziah was making something at the stove, and nearly upset the
saucepan in her amazement. Tom nodded to her, and went off to the far
parlour. The door was ajar and he peeped in.