arrived, bringing it's busy season of sugar-making, and it's mixture
of sunshine and showers. Amid the hurry of work Uncle Nathan found time
to give some attention to the matter of repairing the house, for the
reception of the expected new-comers. Aunt Lucinda said she supposed her
mother was right, and it was their duty to extend a helping hand to
Cousin Silas, but at the same time it appeared to her that the path of
duty really did have a great many difficult places, and she supposed as
we could not go round about them we must keep straight forward and get
over the hard places as well as we could. Preparations went on apace,
and before the last of April the repairs on the house were completed. I
was still studying hard, expecting this to be my last year at school. Of
all the family I had become most attached to my aged grandma, whose life
was evidently drawing near the close. She liked to have me near her,
and, to her, no other reading was like mine; and the best which any one
else could do, fell far below my services in waiting upon her; and my
uncle and aunt often wondered what mother would do when the time came
that I must leave them. Considerate ones, spare yourselves these
forebodings, for, before I shall have left your family-circle, your aged
mother will have been called to enjoy that rest which remaineth to all
who live the life she has lived. It was thought by many to be somewhat
singular that a youth of my age should have been so happy and contented
in the quiet dwelling of my uncle, whose youngest occupants were
middle-aged, and they could not be supposed to have much sympathy with
the thoughts and feelings of youth. I had gone there in the first place
merely to obey the wishes of my mother, which had ever been as a law
unto me. I loved my uncle from the first, and, instead of feeling anger
at the distrust with which my aunt was inclined to regard me, I felt a
sort of pity for the lonely woman, and resolved, if possible, to teach
her by my conduct that I was not altogether so bad as she supposed; and
my kindness to her soon softened a heart which had become somewhat