n these were
failing him now. When the weather was bright and fine he usually once a
day moved slowly down the village street, where every eye and voice
greeted him respectfully, and every hand was ready to guide his feeble
steps. He paid a daily visit to the store, or the tannery, or the
paper-mill, as he had done for so many years, but it was from habit
merely. He often came wearily home to slumber through the rest of the
day.

He was querulous sometimes and exacting as to his daughter's care, and
she rarely left him for a long time. She looked forward to no social
duties in the way of merry-making for the young folks of the place this
year. Even Clifton's coming home now and then did not enliven the house
in this respect as it had done in former winters. Many a quiet day and
long, silent evening did she pass before the new year came in, and she
would have had more of them had it not been for her Cousin Betsey.

Once or twice, when her father had suffered from some slight turn of
illness, Elizabeth had sent for her cousin, whose reputation as a nurse
had been long established, and Betsey had come at first, at some
inconvenience to herself, from a sense of duty. Afterward she came
because she knew she was welcome, and because she liked to come, and all
the work at home, most of which fell to her willing hands, was so
planned and arranged that she might at a moment's notice leave her
mother and her sister Cynthia to their own resources and the willing and
effective help of Ben. After a time, few weeks passed that she did not
look in upon them.

"He may drop away most any time, mother," said she, "and she hasn't seen
trouble enough yet to be good for much to help him or herself either, at
a time like that."

"And you are so good in sickness. And your uncle Gershom's been a good
friend to us always," said her mother. "I'm glad you should be with him
when you can, and with her too. And trouble may do Lizzie good."

"Well, it may be. Some folks don't seem to need so much trouble as
others, at least they don't get so much, but Cousin Lizzie isn't going
to be let alone in that respect, I don't think. Well, I guess I'll go
along over, and I'll get back before night if nothing happens, and if I
am not, as it's considerable drifted between here and the corner, Ben
might come down after supper and see what is going on."

"Trouble!" repeated Miss Betsey, as she gathered up the reins and laid
the whip lightly on