yman of Winiamac, the nearest church, so that there was
much less sense of loneliness, moreover, the fuller and more systematic
doctrine, and the development of the beauty and daily guidance of the
Church, had softened the bright American girl, so as to render her
infinitely dearer to her English friend, and they were as much united
as they could be, where the great leading event of the life of one
remained a mystery to the other. Yet perhaps it helped to begin a
fresh life, that the intimate companion of that new course should be
entirely disconnected with the past.

Averil threw herself into the present with as resolute a will as she
could muster. With much spirit she described the arrival at the
Winiamac station, and the unconcealed contempt with which the mass of
luggage was regarded by the Western world, who 'reckoned it would be
fittest to make kindlings with.' Heavy country wagons were to bring
the furniture; the party themselves were provided for by a light wagon
and a large cart, driven by Cora's brother, Mordaunt, and by the
farming-man, Philetus, a gentleman who took every occasion of asserting
his equality, if not his superiority to the new-comers; demanded all
the Christian names, and used them without prefix; and when Henry
impressively mentioned his eldest sister as Miss Warden, stared and
said, 'Why, Doctor, I thought she was not your old woman!'--the Western
epithet of a wife. But as Cora was quite content to leave Miss behind
her in civilized society, and as they were assured that to stand upon
ceremony would leave them without domestic assistance, the sisters had
implored Henry to waive all preference for a polite address.

The loveliness of the way was enchanting--the roads running straight as
an arrow through glorious forest lands of pine, beech, maple, and oak,
in the full glory of spring, and the perspective before and behind
making a long narrowing green bower of meeting branches; the whole of
the borders of the road covered with lovely flowers--May-wings, a
butterfly-like milkwort, pitcher-plant, convolvulus; new insects danced
in the shade--golden orioles, blue birds, the great American robin, the
field officer, with his orange epaulettes, glanced before them. Cora
was in ecstasy at the return to forest scenery, the Wards at its
novelty, and the escape from town. Too happy were they at first to
care for the shaking and bumping of the road, and the first mud-hole
into which they plunged w