ered, and
the fall work was pretty well done; the winter grain in the
ground, and the November winds rustling the dry leaves from
the trees, -- the strongest branch was parted from the family
tree, in the hope that it might take root and thrive better on
its own stock elsewhere. It was cheerfully done, all round.
The father took bravely the added burden with the lessened
means; the mother gave her strength and her eyesight to make
the needed preparations; and to supply the means for them, all
pinched themselves; and Winthrop had laid upon him the
threefold charge of his own, his brother's, and his father's
duty. For Mr. Landholm had been chosen a member of the State
Legislature; and he too would be away from home all winter.
What sort of a winter it would be, no one stopped to think,
but all were willing to bear.

The morning came of the day before the dreaded Saturday, and
no one cared to look at another. It was a relief, though a
hated one, to see a neighbour come in. Even that, Winthrop
shunned; he was cleaning the harness of the wagon, and he took
it out into the broad stoop outside of the kitchen door. His
mother and brother and the children soon scattered to other
parts of the house.

"So neighbour," said Mr. Underhill, -- "I hear tell one of your
sons is goin' off, away from you?"

"Yes," -- said Mr. Landholm, pride and sorrow struggling
together in his manner, -- "I believe he is."

"Where's he goin'?"

"To Asphodel -- in the first place."

"Asphodel, eh? -- What's at Asphodel?"

"What do you mean?"

"What's he goin' there for?"

"To pursue his studies -- there's an Academy at Asphodel."

"An Academy. -- Hum. -- And so he's goin' after larnin' is he?
And what'll the farmer do without him to hum?"

"Do the best I can -- send for you, neighbour Underhill."

"Ha, ha! -- well, I reckon I've got enough to do to attend to
my own."

"I guess you don't do much but fish, do you? -- there under the
mountain?"

"Well, you see, I hain't a great deal of ground. You can't run
corn _straight_ up a hill, can you? -- without somethin' to stand
on?"

"Not very well."

"There be folks that like that kind o' way o' farming -- but I
never did myself."

"No, I'll warrant you," said Mr. Landholm, with a little
attempt at a laugh.

"Well -- you say there's an Academy at Asphodel; then he aint
going to -- a -- what do you call it? -- Collegiate Institution?"

"No, not just yet; by and by he'll go to Colleg