s to you."

The mother stooped to take up the child.

"What put that into your head, Karen?"

"Everything puts it in my head, missus," said the old woman
with a smiling look at her; "sometimes when I see the sun go
down, I think by'm-by I won't see him get up again; and times
when I lose something, I think by'm-by I won't want it; and
sometimes when somebody goes away, I think by'm-by we'll be
all gone, and then we'll be all together again; only I'd like
sometimes to be all together without going first."

"Will you get down, Winnie?" said her mother, "and let mamma
make a cake for brother Winthrop?"

"A cake? -- for Governor?"

"Yes; get down, and I'll make one of Governor's hoe-cakes."

The spirit of love and cheerfulness had got the upper hand
when the little family party gathered again; at least that
spirit had rule of all that either eyes or ears could take
note of. They gathered in the 'keeping-room,' as it was
called; the room used as a common sitting room by the family,
though it served also the purpose of a sleeping chamber, and a
bed accordingly in one corner formed part of the furniture.
Their eyes were accustomed to that. It did not hurt the
general effect of comfort. There the supper-table was set this
evening; the paper window-curtains were let down, and a
blazing fire sparkled and crackled; while before it, on the
approved oaken barrel-head set up against the andirons, the
delicate rye and indian hoe-cake was toasting into sweetness
and brownness. Asahel keeping watch on one side of the fire,
and Winifred at the other burning her little fair cheek in
premature endeavours to see whether the cake was ready to be
turned.

"What's going on here!" said Winthrop, catching her up in his
arms as he came in.

Winifred laughed and kissed him, and then with an earnest slap
of her little hand on his cheek requested to be set down, that
she might see, "if that side wasn't done."

"Yes, to be sure it's done," said Asahel. "Where's mamma to
turn it?"

"Here," said Winthrop, taking up the barrel cover, -- "do you
think nobody can turn a cake but mamma?"

"_You_ can't," said Asahel, -- "you'll let it fall in the ashes,
-- you will! --"

But the slice of half baked dough was cleverly and neatly
slipped off the board and happily put in its place again with
the right side out; and little Winifred, who had watched the
operation anxiously, said with a breath of satisfaction and in
her slow utterance,