and somewhat grave looking man, seems
annihilated. I believe it is his kindness which does this. Like all
schools there are both good and bad scholars here; some of them practice
much deceit with the teachers, and will sometimes even conceal their
books when in the class, and recite from them, to save study; I _never_
do this, Charley, for I know it is wrong, and I know you wouldn't do it
either. But the small space left warns me that I must bring my long
letter to a close. Write soon, and tell me how you are getting along,
and all about your school, and every thing else that you think may
interest me. I have made some companions here but you needn't fear my
forgetting you, for I have met with no one who, to me, can quite fill
the place of Charley Gray. With much affection I remain,

Your sincere Friend,

WALTER HARLAND.

P.S. Write soon, and don't forget to write a long letter.

W.H.

CHAPTER XII.

In uncle Nathan's household a "bee" for the paring of apples had been
the annual custom from time immemorial; and in rural districts, the
merry-makings of any kind are a very different affair from the social
gatherings in a large city; in the country a social gathering has about
it a genuine heartiness of enjoyment, unknown in the city drawing-rooms
of wealth and fashion. In the country you come nearer to nature, as it
were, untrammelled by the customs and usages of fashionable society.
Uncle Nathan was just the one to get up a social gathering of this kind,
and enjoy it too; if his hair was growing white, the flowers of social
feeling still bloomed in his heart; and the yearly apple-paring bee was
never omitted in the household. He used to say "the apple pies would not
taste half so good in winter if the apples were not pared by the hands
of the merry company who assembled upon the occasion."

The sun rose bright and clear on the sixth of October; this was an
important day at the old homestead, for on the next evening was to be
held this annual social gathering. They did not often invite company,
and, upon the rare occasions when they did so, Aunt Lucinda made
extensive preparations for their entertainment. Some of her neighbours
took the liberty of saying she did this partly to show off her
unequalled cookery and housekeeping, but most likely these sayings were
only maliciously called forth by her superior attainments in this way.
Be this as it might, she was certainly very busy on this particular day.
T