my part, I never thought to inquire into the creed of
our poor Christian friend, Job Bowen. It is enough for me to know that
his Saviour is my Saviour."

Nobody made answer; and, after a pause, Father Brighthopes added,

"Ah! how sweetly the evening comes on! Look, there is the evening star
in the soft blue sky! You will have fine weather for haying to-morrow."

The subject of the new meeting-house was not renewed.

By way of contrast with the foregoing scenes, let us now turn to others,
of a different nature.

Scarcely had Deacon Dustan and the elder portion of his gentlemen guests
set out on their walk, when Mr. Benjamin Smith, a brother of our old
acquaintance, Josephine, drove up to the door with a load of saddles.

Benjamin had been to collect them around the neighborhood. The young
people were going to ride. Equestrian exercises had been hinted at by
Mr. Kerchey, whose fine, spirited horses were at the disposal of the
party, and the girls had caught eagerly at the idea.

Mr. Kerchey was not used to the saddle; but Sarah Royden was, and that
was enough for him to know. He himself was a little afraid of mounting a
mettled horse; but, since she was so fond of the recreation, he had no
desire to consult his own feelings in the matter.

"I--I wish you would tell me how--ah--these girths go," he said to
Chester, after laboring hard for a quarter of an hour saddling his
handsomest horse for Sarah. "I wish--one of my--ah--hired men was
here--so that I--ah--would not have to--would not be obliged to trouble
you."

"No trouble at all," cried Chester, who, meanwhile, had saddled four
horses in front of Deacon Dustan's barn.

He stepped to the stable to see what Mr. Kerchey was about, and, at a
glance, burst into a roar of laughter. The amateur farmer had put on the
side-saddle, not exactly bottom upwards, but turned square around; and
he was trying to buckle the girths upon the stirrup-strap.

"I think Sarah would hesitate to ride with the saddle just in this
position," said Chester, checking his merriment.

He skilfully made the required change, and buckled the girths with such
rapidity as struck Mr. Kerchey with amazement, and quite discouraged him
from ever touching a side-saddle again.

"You see--I--I--I am not--ah--accustomed to this sort of--of business,"
he stammered, coloring very red.

A dozen horses were saddled and led to the door. In the meantime the
girls had prepared themselves for the sport.