that knitted grew more tremulous,
and the eyes that wrought early and late were dim with more
than weariness; but neither fingers nor eyes gave themselves
any holiday. The work was done at last; the boxes were packed;
those poor little boxes! They were but little, and they had
seen service already. Of themselves they told a story. And
they held now, safely packed up, the College fit-out of the
two young men.

"I wonder if Shagarack is a very smart place, mamma?" said
Winifred, as she crouched beside the boxes watching the
packing.

"Why?"

Winifred was silent and looked thoughtfully into the box.

"Rufus and Governor will not care if it is."

"They needn't care," said Asahel, who was also at the box-
side. "They can bear to be not quite so smart as other folks.
Mr. Haye said he never saw such a pair of young men; and I
guess he didn't."

Winifred sighed and still looked into the box, with a face
that said plainly _she_ would like to have them smart.

"O well, mamma," she said presently, "I guess they will look
pretty nice, with all those new things; and the socks are
nice, aren't they? If it was only summer -- nobody can look
nicer than Winthrop when he has his white clothes on."

"It will be summer by and by," said Mrs. Landholm.

The evening came at last; the supper was over; and the whole
family drew together round the fire. It was not a very
talkative evening. They looked at each other more than they
spoke; and they looked at the fire more than they did either.
At last Mr. Landholm went off, recommending to all of them to
go to bed. Asahel, who had been in good spirits on the matter
all along, followed his father. The mother and daughter and
the two boys were left alone round the kitchen fire.

They were more silent than ever then, for a good space; and
four pair of eyes were bent diligently on the rising and
falling flames. Only Winifred's sometimes wandered to the face
of one or the other of her brothers, but they never could
abide long. It was Mrs. Landholm's gentle voice that broke the
silence.

"What mark are you aiming at, boys? -- what are you setting
before you as the object of life?"

"What _mark_, mother?" said Rufus after an instant's pause.

"Yes."

"To make something of myself!" he said rising, and with that
fire-flashing nostril and lip that spoke his whole soul at
work. "I have a chance now, and it will go hard but I will
accomplish it."

The mother's eye turned to her other