oung men in the country round about fall
in love with you. I thought, if Mother should be too angry with me for
refusing Potter Parker and running away, to let me come home again, I
might apply for such a situation; but it seems that nowadays you have
to know a great deal, and I should never be taken on, because,
unfortunately, I have to do the multiplication table on my fingers.

Mr. Trowbridge, although a farmer who works in his own fields, is an
"Honourable." I was surprised when I heard that, as I didn't suppose
people had titles in America. But he's a senator or something in his
own State, which is very important, so he is called Honourable
officially--and on letters, as one is at home if that's all one can
scrape up by way of a courtesy title.

The two young men who come in to eat with us, but are never seen about
the house at any other time, are "farm hands," though they are not
treated at all like servants, and Mr. Trowbridge lends them the newest
books and magazines (of which he has quantities) to read in the
evening.

One, whose name is Elisha, was in love with Patty, but she didn't care
for him, so he is very melancholy and won't talk at the table. But he
has cheered up a little lately, and has bought tall collars like Mr.
Brett's, instead of wearing turned-over ones which showed far down his
neck; and he has sent me flowers through Ide, several times. I tried to
thank him for the first ones, but he blushed so much that his forehead
got damp, and immediately afterwards he went away and hid for hours,
which kept him from his supper; so I thought it better to say nothing
about the next.

The other young man, Albert, is paying attention to Ide. Nobody knows
whether they are engaged yet, although they go to the apple orchard
regularly every evening and sit together in a boat swing which is
there, or if it rains they sit on the front porch, until quite late.
They don't seem to have much to say to each other, though, for one of
my windows is directly over that porch, but I never hear a sound--not
even a laugh. But it seems that in this part of the country it is the
thing for a girl and a young man to be left alone together as much as
possible while they are making up their minds whether or not they like
each other well enough to be engaged.

It is very strange about Patty and Ide. Though Patty is so quiet,
almost meek in her ways, and dresses so plainly, and is quite contented
to work in the hot kitchen, cook