t would be to raise large
incumbrances, but whenever she did so he became fretful and for days
spoiled the home comfort for which she strove. Elizabeth tried to model
their home life after that of Aunt Susan, and leave her husband free to
use his own judgment, but this matter of indebtedness was alarming. She
knew how slowly money came in on the farm and how impossible it was to
raise a mortgage once it was plastered over a piece of land. Already she
saw the day of payments, note-renewals, and chattel mortgages staring them
in the face. Elizabeth's pride had suffered a fall. She saw the weary
years stretch ahead of them without joy and without hope other than that
which those about them had, unless some special providence assisted them
to avoid the common lot of farmers. As she went about her table-setting,
however, the quality of the linen, of the dishes, of every object in the
room differed from anything she had ever known, and the hope of youth came
to her aid. This home should be different from the rest; she would make it
so by patience as well as by its possessions. The black-leg was not an
immediate danger, and she would look for the best.

* * * * *

Winter passed, and spring. The patience Elizabeth had vowed to command had
been tried to the utmost in some particulars. John had never taken her to
see Aunt Susan. Sometimes he said "wait till next week," sometimes he said
he was tired, more often he retired into his accustomed irritability, and
at last because of the evidences of her pregnant state she ceased to
desire it. The winter had not been totally unpleasant. If she did not
irritate her husband they were very happy together. John had pleasant
little ways about the house and was as helpful as the most exacting woman
could demand. The spring had been harder because Elizabeth had less
strength and the house and garden work had increased. It took three hired
men to keep the farm work done, and there were many mouths to fill.

One particularly hot day in June John unloaded on the kitchen table an
armful of groceries he had just brought from town, remarking as he did
so:

"I brought home some dried blackberries for pies, Elizabeth."

Hepsie Brown, the lately acquired hired girl, stood at Elizabeth's elbow,
and began to put the parcels away in the cupboard.

Elizabeth took a couple of letters he was handing her and went into the
sitting room to read them. John followe