hen it was finished she positively
refused to use it. "I can't wear a knapsack," she said, "and there
is no other good way of fastening it to me. Besides, everybody about
here knows I am no walker, and it would only set them talking."

I occasionally made use of this second machine, but I will give only
one instance of its application. Some repairs were needed to the
foundation-walls of my barn, and a two-horse wagon, loaded with
building-stone, had been brought into my yard and left there. In the
evening, when the men had gone away, I took my two machines and
fastened them, with strong chains, one on each side of the loaded
wagon. Then, gradually turning the screws, the wagon was so lifted
that its weight became very greatly diminished. We had an old donkey
which used to belong to Herbert, and which was now occasionally used
with a small cart to bring packages from the station. I went into
the barn and put the harness on the little fellow, and, bringing him
out to the wagon, I attached him to it. In this position he looked
very funny with a long pole sticking out in front of him and the
great wagon behind him. When all was ready I touched him up; and, to
my great delight, he moved off with the two-horse load of stone as
easily as if he were drawing his own cart. I led him out into the
public road, along which he proceeded without difficulty. He was an
opinionated little beast, and sometimes stopped, not liking the
peculiar manner in which he was harnessed; but a touch of the switch
made him move on, and I soon turned him and brought the wagon back
into the yard. This determined the success of my invention in one of
its most important uses, and with a satisfied heart I put the donkey
into the stable and went into the house.

Our trip to Europe was made a few months after this, and was mainly
on our son Herbert's account. He, poor fellow, was in great trouble,
and so, therefore, were we. He had become engaged, with our full
consent, to a young lady in our town, the daughter of a gentleman
whom we esteemed very highly. Herbert was young to be engaged to be
married, but as we felt that he would never find a girl to make him
so good a wife, we were entirely satisfied, especially as it was
agreed on all hands that the marriage was not to take place for some
time. It seemed to us that, in marrying Janet Gilbert, Herbert would
secure for himself, in the very beginning of his career, the most
important element of a happy life