the mantilla during the winter for effect. She was shy, though
exceedingly gentle in her manners. At first, I had thought that she
avoided me. But one time, when making the round of my parochial calls, I
stopped at the Cradlebows', and Mr. Cradlebow discoursing fluently on the
Phenomenon, recommended a severe method of discipline as best adapted to
his case, I replied, laughingly, that he had better be cautious about
making any suggestions of that sort, for Simeon and I were getting to be
great friends; the mother, on whose heart I had had no design, took my
hand at the door, when I went away, in a clinging, almost an affectionate
way.

"You are good to my boys, teacher," she said; "and I thank you for it.
They make you a great deal of trouble."

"Oh, no," I answered lightly, returning with a sense of pleasure the
pressure of her hand, and it was not until afterwards, walking slowly
down the lane that I sighed gently, thinking of that troublesome boy who
had told me he was going to sea.

Removed from the world of newspapers, the ordinary active interest in the
affairs of church and state, there was a great deal of the lively gadding
about, neighborly dropping in element in Wallencamp. This applied to the
men equally as well as to the women. I remember that Abbie Ann once put
out her washing, and this fact kept the whole social element of
Wallencamp on the _qui vive_ for a number of days.

The caller would appear at the door at anytime during the day with a
good-natured matter-of-fact "I was a passin' by, and thought I'd drop in
a minit, jest to see how ye was gittin' along."

"Won't you set?" would be the cordial response. "Do set."

"Wall, I don't know how to spend the time anyway," the visitor
would reply; "there's so many things a drivin' on me."

But this care-belabored victim of fate usually concluded by sitting quite
complacently for any length of time.

When such visitations occurred out of school hours, and I remained up in
my room, as I frequently did at first, the droppers in felt very much
aggrieved, as though I had wittingly offended the instincts of good
society.

Besides all which, seldom an evening passed that the young people did not
come to the Ark _en masse_ to sing.

Then Madeline or Rebecca, or (very rarely) I propelled a strain of
doubtful melody from Madeline's little melodeon, while the singers--boys
and girls together--chimed in, joyfully rendering with a perfect
fearlessness of utt