ction. "I heard 'em
talking about it down at the shore this morning. There's Lisha Downs
now. He started off just before we did. That's his fish-cart over by
the well."

"What is going to be sold?" said I.

"All the stuff," said Georgie, as if he were much pleased. "She's
going off up to Boston with her son."

"I think we had better stop," said I, for I saw Mrs. 'Lisha Downs, who
was one of my acquaintances at the shore, and I wished to see what was
going on, besides giving Georgie a chance at the festivities. So we
tied the horse, and went toward the house, and I found several people
whom I knew a little. Mrs. Downs shook hands with me as formally as if
we had not talked for some time as I went by her house to the shore,
just after my breakfast. She presented me to several of her friends
with whom she had been talking as I came up. "Let me make you
acquainted," she said: and every time I bowed she bowed too,
unconsciously, and seemed a little ill at ease and embarrassed, but
luckily the ceremony was soon over. "I thought I would stop for a few
minutes," said I by way of apology. "I didn't know why the people were
here until Georgie told me."

"She's going to move up to Boston 'long of her son," said one of the
women, who looked very pleasant and very tired. "I think myself it is
a bad plan to pull old folks up by the roots. There's a niece of hers
that would have been glad to stop with her, and do for the old lady.
But John, he's very high-handed, and wants it his way, and he says his
mother sha'n't live in any such place as this. He makes a sight o'
money. He's got out a patent, and they say he's just bought a new
house that cost him eleven thousand dollars. But old Mis' Wallis,
she's wonted here; and she was telling of me yesterday she was only
going to please John. He says he wants her up there, where she'll be
more comfortable, and see something."

"He means well," said another woman whom I did not know; "but folks
about here never thought no great of his judgment. He's put up some
splendid stones in the burying-lot to his father and his sister Miranda
that died. I used to go to school 'long of Miranda. She'd have been
pleased to go to Boston; she was that kind. But there! mother was
saying last night, what if his business took a turn, and he lost every
thing! Mother's took it dreadfully to heart; she and Mis' Wallis were
always mates as long ago as they can recollect."

It was evident