end there: those fair members of the
Pattaquasset society who thought early walks good for their health,
felt their sleepy eyes well paid for keeping open when they met Mr.
Linden. Those who were fond of evening expeditions, declared that his
figure in the twilight was 'quite a picture,' and made them feel 'so
safe,'--a great slander, by the way, on Pattaquasset. Mr. Simlins was
his firm friend, and many another--known and unknown. Squire Deacon, I
regret to say, was an exception.

Squire Deacon declared (confidentially) that he never _had_ thought the
new teacher fit for his business, _no_ how. As far as he could hear,
Mr. Linden had never taught school before, and in that case what could
you expect? "Moreover," said the Squire, "I am creditably informed,
that the first day he kep' school _here_, he begun by asking the boys
who made them!--as if _that_ had anything to do with geography. Of
course it's nat'ral for a man to ask what he knows he can answer if the
boys don't," added Squire Deacon in the way of kind explanation.

Whereupon, Jonathan Fax, the Squire's right hand man, requested to be
informed, "_why_ ef a man was poor didn't he dress as though he felt
so,--and _why_ ef he warn't rich did he act as though he war?" And thus
by degrees, there was quite an opposition party in Pattaquasset--if
that could be opposition which the object of it never opposed. By
degrees too, the murmurs became more audible.

"Faith, child," said Mrs. Derrick in a cautions whisper, coining out
where Faith sat on the porch, bathed in the late September light:
"Faith, child, where's our Linden tree?" (Mrs. Derrick thought she had
concealed her meaning _now_, if anybody did overhear.)

Faith started, more than so gentle a question seemed to call for.

"He's gone down to the post-office, mother."

Her mother stood still and thought.

"Child," she said, "I never thought we had any fools in our town
before."

"I didn't know there were so many," said Faith. "What new, mother?"

"Child," she said, "you know more than I about some things--what do you
s'pose fools _can_ do? Isn't he a whole tree of knowledge?"

"There is no fear of him, mother!" Faith said with a smile, which if
the subject of it valued any faith in the world but his own it would
have gratified him to see. "They can't touch him. They may vex him."

Mrs. Derrick shook her head, softly, behind Faith's chair, then turned
and went back into the house; not caring, as it