of the
deceased, or to his oldest son, or, if there is no wife or son, to the
nearest heir who is of proper age and discretion to manage the trust.
The person who receives administration is obliged to take a solemn
oath before the Judge of Probate, that he will report to the Judge a
full account of all the property that belonged to the deceased which
shall come to his knowledge. The Judge also appoints three persons to
go and examine the property, and make an inventory of it, and appraise
every article, so as to know as nearly as possible, how much and what
property there is. These persons are called appraisers. The inventory
which they make out is lodged in the office of the Judge of Probate,
where any person who has an interest in the estate can see it at any
time. The administrator usually keeps a copy of the inventory besides.

If among the property left by a person deceased, which is to go in
part to children, there are any houses and lands,--a kind of property
which is called in law _real estate_, to distinguish it from
moveable property, which is called _personal estate_,--such
real estate cannot be sold, in ordinary cases, by the administrator,
without leave from the Judge of Probate. This leave the Judge of
Probate will give in cases where it is clearly best for the children
that the property should be so sold and the _avails of it_ kept
for them, rather than the property itself. All these things Mrs. Bell
explained to Mary Erskine, having learned about them herself some
years before when her own husband died.

Accordingly, a few weeks after Albert died, Mary Erskine went one
day in a wagon, taking the baby with her, and Thomas to drive, to the
county town, where the Probate court was held.

[Illustration: GOING TO COURT.]

At the Probate court, Mary Erskine made all the arrangements necessary
in respect to the estate. She had to go twice, in fact, before all
these arrangements were completed. She expected to have a great deal
of trouble and embarrassment in doing this business, but she did not
find that there was any trouble at all. The Judge of Probate told her
exactly what to do. She was required to sign her name once or twice
to papers. This she did with great trepidation, and after writing her
name, on the first occasion which occurred requiring her signature,
she apologized for not being able to write any better. The Judge of
Probate said that very few of the papers that he received were signed
so w