is remarked, "this was a pleasant view to take
of it," and as there was no one to dispute the fact, the larger mound
was called "Peace Mountain."

Mr. Curtis, or the Squire, as the Oxford villagers called him, was
now in his element. Every pleasant morning he might be seen, his
wife leaning on his arm, walking over the premises, planning the
improvements to be made, and often Bertie and Winifred accompanied
them.

When the weather was not so clear, the gentleman and his son hurried
from one part of the grounds to the other, directing Tom Grant, or
measuring with a ten-foot pole.

There was a nice sunny plat containing sixteen acres back of Peace
Mountain, which had been ploughed earlier in the season, to be in
readiness next year for a garden and orchard. Besides this there were
to be heart-shaped and diamond-shaped figures and circlets cut in the
lawn, near the house, for flowers of every hue.

It was now October, and the most must be made of the fine weather.
Ploughing and preparing the ground for agricultural purposes, was what
the farmers in the neighborhood were accustomed to, and therefore help
was easily to be obtained.

Through the summer, Mr. Curtis had borne in mind that he should need a
skilful farmer to till his land, one who understood the science as
well as the art of farming to the best advantage. He greatly approved
Thomas Grant's industry, and the zeal he manifested in all that
concerned his master's interests; but he feared the man was so
attached to the old ways of managing land, that he would be unwilling
to avail himself of the improved implements of agriculture, or the
new-fangled notions, as he called mowing-machines, horse-rakes,
sowing-machines, etc., etc.

But one noon, while his oxen were eating their dinner, Mr. Curtis
found him sitting under the shade of a tree, examining with great
interest the latest report of the State Agricultural Society.

Turning to a picture of a Devon cow, he exclaimed:

"Well, Squire, if Adam carried such cows as that with him when he went
outside of Eden, I think he might have set up another paradise To my
thinking, Squire, nothing can beat that cow."

Mr. Curtis threw himself on the grass, wishing to test Tom's ideas of
farming; and after conversing half an hour, resolved to hire him for
his farmer.

But still it was necessary for the gentleman to employ a gardener, one
who loved flowers and had a taste for landscape gardening.

"I must advertise, C