pipe.

"I learned to smoke in Old Virginny," he said apologetically. "Had
the real virgin leaf. It had often to be both meat and drink when
I was campaigning there. I wish I could quit it; but, young man,"
addressing himself to Neville, "I'd advise you never to learn.
It's bad enough for an old sojer like me; but a smoking preacher I
don't admire."

Zenas, crouched by the chimney-jamb, roasting chestnuts and
"popping" corn; Sandy, with the characteristic thrift of his
countrymen, set about repairing a broken whip-stock and fitting it
with a new lash; Tom Loker idly whittled a stick, and Miss
Katharine drew up her low rocking-chair beside her father, and
proceeded to nimbly knit a stout-ribbed stocking, intended for his
comfort--for girls in those days knew how to knit, ay, and card
the wool and spin the yarn too.

"Now, Tom, tell us all about Hull's surrender," said Zenas, to
whom the stirring story was already an oft-told tale.

"Wall, after I seed you, three months agone," said Tom, nodding to
Neville, and taking a fresh stick to whittle, "we trudged on all
that day and the next to Long P'int, an' a mighty long p'int it
wuz to reach, too. Never wuz so tired in my life. Follering the
plough all day wuz nothing to it. But when we got to the P'int, we
found the Gineral there. An' he made us a rousin' speech that put
new life into every man of us, an' we felt that we could foller
him anywheres. As ther wuz no roads to speak of, and the Gineral
had considerable stores, he seized all the boats he could find."