late peas and corn, and set
hens so as to have spring chickens very early in the season," replied
Louisa, laughing; "at least, that is what Mrs. Gregg says. The
Jamesons are going to stay here until the last of October, and then
Jonas Martin is going to take care of the hens through the winter."

I remembered with a bewildered feeling what Mrs. Jameson had said
about not wanting to board with people who kept hens, and here she
was going to keep them herself.

Louisa and I wondered what kind of a man Mr. H. Boardman Jameson
might be; he had never been to Linnville, being kept in the city by
his duties at the custom-house.

"I don't believe that he will have much to say about the farm while
Mrs. Jameson has a tongue in her head," said Louisa; and I agreed
with her.

When we saw Mr. H. Boardman Jameson at church the next Sunday we were
confirmed in our opinion.

He was a small man, much smaller than his wife, with a certain air of
defunct style about him. He had quite a fierce bristle of moustache,
and a nervous briskness of carriage, yet there was something that was
unmistakably conciliatory and subservient in his bearing toward Mrs.
Jameson. He stood aside for her to enter the pew, with the attitude
of vassalage; he seemed to respond with an echo of deference to every
rustle of her silken skirts and every heave of her wide shoulders.
Mrs. Jameson was an Episcopalian, and our church is Congregational.
Mrs. Jameson did not attempt to kneel when she entered, but bent her
head forward upon the back of the pew in front of her. Mr. Jameson
waited until she was fairly in position, with observant and anxious
eyes upon her, before he did likewise.

This was really the first Sunday on which Mrs. Jameson herself had
appeared at church. Ever since she had been in our village the
Sundays had been exceptionally warm, or else rainy and disagreeable,
and of course Mrs. Jameson was in delicate health. The girls and Cobb
had attended faithfully, and always sat in the pew with the Liscoms.
To-day Harry and his father sat in the Jones pew to make room for the
two elder Jamesons.

There was an unusual number at meeting that morning, partly, no
doubt, because it had been reported that Mr. Jameson was to be there,
and that made a little mistake of his and his wife's more
conspicuous. The minister read that morning the twenty-third Psalm,
and after he had finished the first verse Mrs. Jameson promptly
responded with the second, as sh