where the
little woman was preparing a most appetising breakfast, and he would
have been a dull boy who did not understand that she must have been up
at least two hours before arousing her visitors.

"It ain't right for you to wait on us jest like we was reg'lar folks,
an' we ain't used to it," Joe said, in a tone of mild reproof. "Anything
would have been good enough for us to eat, without your gettin' up so
early an' workin' hard to cook it."

"Bless your heart, Joseph, I'm doing no more than if I was alone, except
perhaps there may be more victuals on the table. My appetite isn't as
hearty as it used to be; but I've got a pretty good idea how it is with
growing boys."

"You're mighty good to us, aunt Dorcas, an' I'll feel a heap better if
you'll give me some work to do before breakfast."

"I might have let you bring in the wood, if I'd thought; but I'm so
accustomed to doing such things for myself that it never came into my
mind. I wonder if you could split up a few kindlings? That is the most
trying part of keeping house alone, for whenever I strike a piece of
wood with an axe I never know whether it's going to break, or fly up and
hit me in the face."

"Of course we can do it. Where's the axe?"

Aunt Dorcas led the way to the shed, where was her summer's store of
wood, and before she returned to the kitchen Joe was causing the chips
to fly in a way which made the little woman's heart glad.

"It does me good to see you work, Joseph. I have always lived in mortal
terror of an axe; but you seem to know how to use one."

Joe earned his breakfast that morning fairly, and Plums appeared to
think he had done his full share by sitting on the saw-horse, watching
his comrade.

Then came the summons to breakfast, and Master Plummer was eyeing
greedily a particularly large roasted potato, which he intended to take
from the plate, if an opportunity presented itself, when aunt Dorcas
suddenly bent her head, and invoked a blessing on the food.

Plums kicked Joe, under the table, to express his surprise at this, to
him, singular proceeding, but, otherwise, behaved in a proper manner.

The meal was prolonged because of the fat boy's hearty appetite, and,
when it was finally brought to a close, Joe said, as he rose from the
table:

"Now, aunt Dorcas, if you'll show us something more to do I'll be glad,
'cause we've got to pay for what we've had, else it won't be a fair
shake."

"You boys may go out and look around t