listened to the boy's hopeful and enthusiastic
account of their slight improvement, with something that was very like
interest. But the school seemed to interest him most. He proposed that
a teacher be sent for to take charge of the school during the winter,
and that the best room which could be found among the houses be fitted
up as a schoolroom, and as nicely and warmly as possible. The teacher
and the furniture would have to come from Hastings, and most likely a
carpenter would be needed. Noll thought of John Sampson at once.

So the evening passed away in planning and discussion, and when Noll
went to bed, it seemed as if all the events of the afternoon and
evening were but phases of a happy dream, which morning light would
banish as unreal. His thankfulness for this token of dawn, after the
long, black, weary night of gloom through which he had struggled,
could not find words enough in which to praise God for this promise of
brighter days. He prayed that it might not be fleeting, and that
morning might not show this gleam of brightness to be only imaginary.
But the morrow came, and proved yesterday's events to be real and
true, and Uncle Richard still without his stern and gloomy face, and
ready to perfect the plans which they had discussed the previous
evening.

One day after another passed, till Noll began to be certain that
Uncle Richard's gloom and moroseness had departed from him forever.
The boy wondered and surmised, but could not account for this sudden
disappearance of the shadow. What had wrought the change so suddenly?
Would it last alway? True, Uncle Richard was not cheerful yet, and he
seemed to be carrying some heavy grief or sorrow about with him; but
from his face the grimness and gloominess were gone, and Noll was sure
that there must be some little change in his heart, else he would not
care for the welfare of these Culm children.

A week or two elapsed before this new plan was put in operation, or
rather before anything was done toward carrying it out. The skipper
was hardly the person to intrust with the care of finding a teacher
and looking up school-books, and for a time they were in doubt and
perplexity. Then Noll proposed--what he had long been wishing--to go
to Hastings himself, and find such a teacher as was needed, procure
the suitable books and furniture, and bring John Sampson back with
him. It would require but a week's absence, and in that time all the
business could be done,