, but worse things might
happen."

"Such as what?"

"Why, the house might burn down, or--or some of us might fall sick and
die. It's better that it should be the cow."

"You're right there; but though it's pleasant to have so many children
round, we shan't like to see them starving."

"They are not starving yet, and please God they won't yet awhile. Some
help will come to us."

Mrs. Walton sometimes felt despondent herself, but when she saw her
husband affected, like a good wife she assumed cheerfulness, in order to
raise his spirits. So now, things looked a little more hopeful to him,
after he had talked to his wife. He soon took his hat, and approached
the door.

"Where are you going, Hiram?" she asked.

"Going to see if Squire Green will lend me money; enough to buy another
cow."

"That's right, Hiram. Don't sit down discouraged, but see what you can
do to repair the loss."

"I wish there was anybody else to go to. Squire Green is a very mean
man, and he will try to take advantage of any need."

"It is better to have a poor resource than none at all."

"Well, I'll go and see what can be done."

Squire Green was the rich man of the town. He had inherited from his
father, just as he came of age, a farm of a hundred and fifty acres, and
a few hundred dollars.

The land was not good, and far from productive; but he had scrimped and
saved and pinched and denied himself, spending almost nothing, till the
little money which the farm annually yielded him had accumulated to
a considerable sum. Then, too, as there were no banks near at hand
to accommodate borrowers, the squire used to lend money to his poorer
neighbors. He took care not to exact more than six per cent. openly, but
it was generally understood that the borrower must pay a bonus besides
to secure a loan, which, added to the legal interest, gave him a very
handsome consideration for the use of his spare funds. So his money
rapidly increased, doubling every five or six years through his shrewd
mode of management, and every year he grew more economical. His wife had
died ten years before. She had worked hard for very poor pay, for the
squire's table was proverbially meager, and her bills for dress, judging
from her appearance, must have been uncommonly small.

The squire had one son, now in the neighborhood of thirty, but he had
not been at home for several years. As soon as he attained his majority
he left the homestead, and set out to seek his f