t to Winthrop's surprise, Clam came the next day to
remind him of his promise; very much in earnest to wear a
clean frock and have her dinner regular. She was duly bound,
and entered into clean service accordingly. The indentures
were made out to Miss Haye; but for the present Clam was put
to learn her business under somebody that knew it; and for
that end was finally sent to Mrs. Landholm. A week or two with
Mrs. Nettley proved to the satisfaction of both parties that
neither would much advantage the other. At Shahweetah, Clam,
as Mrs. Landholm expressed it, "took a new start," and got on
admirably. What much favoured this, was the fact that she
speedily became very much attached to the whole family; with
the single exception of Karen, between whom and herself there
was an unallayed state of friction; a friction that probably
served only to better Clam's relish of her dinner, while poor
Karen declared "she didn't leave her no rest day nor night."

"She's not a bad child, Karen," said her mistress.

"Which part of her 's good?" said Karen. "'Taint her eyes,
nor her fingers; and if the Bible didn't say there wa'n't no
such a fountain, I should think her tongue was one o' them
fountains that sent out at the same place both salt water and
fresh."

"Her fingers are pretty good, Karen."

"There's a two-sided will in 'em, Mrs. Landholm."

There was no two-sided will in Clam's first friend, nor in the
energies which were steadily bearing him on towards his aim.
Steadily and surely, as he knew. But his life in those days
had almost as little to tell of, as it had much to do. From
early morning till -- almost till early morning again, or till
a new day had begun to count the hours, -- every minute had its
work; yet the record of the whole could be given in very few
words, and those would not be interesting. How should the
record be, when the reality was not, even to himself. It was
all preparatory work; it must be done; but the interest of the
matter lay beyond, at that point whither all these efforts
tended. Meanwhile work and have patience, and work, -- was the
epitome of his life.

There were some breaks, but not many. Now and then a swift and
sweet run home, to live for a moment in the midst of all this
preparing to live; to rest among the home hearts; to breathe a
few breaths in absolute freedom; to exchange Mr. De Wort's
dusty office for the bright little keeping-room of the
farmhouse, and forget the business of