sit to the city. There were so many aunts and cousins and so many
wonderful things to see. She must find out whether there would be any
snow and sleighrides in the winter. As for fruit and vegetables and eggs
and poultry the farmers were always sending them in to the city, she
knew that.

The prospect of a removal from Yonkers, where they had always lived, was
not so new to the elders. Stephen was in New York nearly all the week
now. Joseph was studying for a doctor. John was not in love with farming
and had a great taste for mechanical pursuits. Margaret, a tall, fair
girl of seventeen, was begging to be sent away to school another year,
and learn some of the higher branches people were talking about. Joe
thought she should. Her father was quite sure she knew enough, for she
could do all the puzzling sums in "Perkins' Higher Arithmetic," and you
couldn't trip her up on the hardest words. She went to a very good
school in the village. And the village was quite primitive in those
days. The steamboat-landing was the great focus of interest. It was all
rock and hills and a few factories were plodding along. The farm was two
good miles away.

The young people thought it a most auspicious turn in affairs that Uncle
Faid was coming back. His real name was Frederic. Since David had his
grandfather's farm, this had been divided between the two remaining
sons, but Frederic had been seized with the Western fever and gone out
to what was called the new countries. His sons had married and settled
in different places, one daughter had married and come East to live, and
Uncle Faid was homesick for the land of his youth.

Mrs. Underhill had declared at first, "She wouldn't stir a step. 'Milyer
could buy out his brother's part in the house"--the two hundred acres
had been already divided. But people had begun to complain even then
that farming did not pay, and John wanted to learn a trade. And if three
or four went out of the old home nest! Steve wanted his father in New
York. If they were not satisfied they could come back and build a new
house. And presently she began to think it best even if she didn't like
it.

The little girl finished her block of patchwork, pinched and patted down
the seams, and laid it on the pile. Her "stent" for that day was done.
There were nine more blocks to make.

There was a wide half closet beside the chimney and she had the top
shelf for her own. It was so neat that it looked like a doll's house.