und out. I'd noticed
some unusual and rather suggestive performances of late, but wasn't
quite prepared for a request to rent the old house the very day we
moved. Matters seemed to culminate one night after the schoolmaster
had received your sketches and estimates for his brick beginnings. I
can't say as to their merits architecturally, but they cleared one of
the rough places in a certain course that never runs quite smooth. The
dining-room and kitchen arrangements are all right, and the
establishment is already begun. It will take all summer to finish it,
and, meantime, Sister Jane will have an opportunity to reduce some of
her fine theories to practice in our old cottage. Whether they will
all stand the test remains to be seen. I only hope these two wise
people won't pin their sole chance of domestic happiness to scientific
housekeeping, and if common-sense and dutiful intentions fail, as they
sometimes will, that love will come to the rescue. Fred will build
next year. He's concluded it's better to have his work well done than
done too quickly.

Yours,
JOHN.

BY WAY OF APPENDIX.

A CHAPTER FROM ACTUAL EXPERIENCE.

"Now you can stay just as long as you please, and I wouldn't have you
feel hurried, on any account; but if you're really going to go pretty
soon, I'd like to know when it's to be, so I can lay my plans
accordingly."

Thus our good landlady, when we said our new house was beginning to
look nearly ready for us. A most reasonable request, and we, always
cheerfully responsive to such, replied, "By all means; certainly;
quite right: we'll see the workmen to-day and find out just when the
new domicile will be ready for us."

In pursuance of this object, straightway then we flew to the
carpenter. "Tell us, O worthy master!" we cried, "when shall the new
house be done?"

"Wal, let me see." And he scratched his head with the scratch-awl.
"It's a'most done now. Ther ain't much more to do. We've pretty much
finished up. Ther's the doors to hang and trim, 'n' the closet shelves
'n' things to fix up; the stairs ain't quite done, n'r the front
steps. I d'nno; ther's a number o'little jobs 'round,--don't amount to
much,--coal-bin, thresholds, and one or two things you want to change;
take three or four days, I guess, if the plumbers and furnace folks
get out of the way; week, mebbe."

"You think, then, by a week from next Saturday--to-day is Thursday
morning--you will have everything cleared up?"