ege, so that I can be of some practical help."

"Not on your life, my son! What your daddy doesn't know about farming
wouldn't spoil a cup of tea! While you are at home I will give you daily
instruction in this most wholesome and independent business, which will
be of incalculable benefit to you, and which, I am frank to say, you
cannot get in any agricultural college. College, indeed! I have spent
thousands of hours in dreaming and planning what a farm should be like!
Do you suppose I am going to let these visions become contaminated by
practical knowledge? Not by a long way! I have, in the silent watches
of the night, reduced the art to mathematical exactness, and I can show
you the figures. Don't talk to me about colleges!"

After supper we took the children through the house. Every part was
inspected, and many were the expressions of pleasure and admiration.
They were delighted with their rooms, and apparently with everything
else. We finally quieted down in front of the open fire and discussed
plans for the holidays. The children decided that it must be a house
party.

"Florence Marcy is with an aunt for whom she doesn't particularly care,
and Minnie will just jump at the chance of spending a week in the
country," said Jane.

"You can invite three girls, and Jack can have three men. Of course
Jessie Gordon will be here. We will drive over in the morning and make
sure of her."

"Jack, whom will you ask? Get some good men out here, won't you?"

"The best in the world, little sister, and you will have to keep a sharp
lookout or you will lose your heart to one of them. Frank Howard will
count it a lark. He has stuck to the "business" as faithfully as if he
were not heir to it, and he will come sure to-morrow night. Dear old
Phil--my many years' chum--will come because I ask him. These two are
all right, and we can count on them. The other one is Jim Jarvis,--the
finest man in college."

"Tell us about him, Jack."

"Jarvis's father lives in Montana, and has a lot of gold mines and other
things to keep him busy. He doesn't have time to pay much attention to
his son, who is growing up after his own fashion. Jim's mother is dead,
and he has neither brother nor sister,--nothing but money and beauty and
health and strength and courage and sense and the stanchest heart that
ever lifted waistcoat! He has been on the eleven three years. They want
him in the boat, but he'll not have it; says it's not good work for a
ma