around our house-walls; and there were, in one or two cases, serious
consequences.

When, thinking that corn-cockles and ox-eyed daisies would be a
charming combination at the sides of the country road, she caused
them to be sowed, and thereby introduced them into Jonas Green's
wheat-field, he expostulated in forcible terms, and threatened a suit
for damages; and when she caused a small grove of promising young
hemlocks to be removed from Eben Betts' woodland and set out in the
sandy lot in which the schoolhouse stands, without leave or license,
it was generally conceded that she had exceeded her privileges as a
public benefactress.

I said at once there would be trouble, when Louisa came home and told
me about it.

"The school house looks as if it were set in a shady grove," said
she, "and is ever so pretty. The worst of it is, of course, the trees
won't grow in that sand-hill."

"The worst of it is, if she has taken those trees without leave or
license, as I suspect, Eben Betts will not take it as a joke," said
I; and I was right.

Mr. H. Boardman Jameson had to pay a goodly sum to Eben Betts to hush
the matter up; and the trees soon withered, and were cut up for
firewood for the schoolhouse. People blamed old Jonas Martin somewhat
for his share of this transaction, arguing that he ought not to have
yielded to Mrs. Jameson in such a dishonest transaction, even in the
name of philanthropy; but he defended himself, saying: "It's easy