ce a bowshot from our Boston.

This picture had always been the ruling star of John's house, his main
dependence for brightening up his bachelor apartments; and when he
came to the task of furbishing those same rooms for a fair occupant,
the picture was still his mine of gold. For a picture painted by a
real artist, who studies Nature minutely and conscientiously, has
something of the charm of the good Mother herself,--something of her
faculty of putting on different aspects under different lights. John
and his wife had studied their picture at all hours of the day: they
had seen how it looked when the morning sun came aslant the scarlet
maples and made a golden shimmer over the blue mountains, how it
looked toned down in the cool shadows of afternoon, and how it warmed
up in the sunset and died off mysteriously into the twilight; and now,
when larger parlors were to be furnished, the picture was still the
tower of strength, the rallying-point of their hopes.

"Do you know, John," said the wife, hesitating, "I am really in doubt
whether we shall not have to get at least a few new chairs and a sofa
for our parlors? They are putting in such splendid things at the other
door that I am positively ashamed of ours; the fact is, they look
almost disreputable,--like a heap of rubbish."

"Well," said John, laughing, "I don't suppose all together sent to an
auction-room would bring us fifty dollars, and yet, such as they are,
they answer the place of better things for us; and the fact is, Mary,
the hard impassable barrier in the case is that there really is no
money to get any more."

"Ah, well, then, if there isn't, we must see what we can do with
these, and summon all the good fairies to our aid," said Mary.
"There's your little cabinet-maker, John, will look over the things
and furbish them up; there's that broken arm of the chair must be
mended, and everything re-varnished; then I have found such a lovely
rep, of just the richest shade of maroon, inclining to crimson, and
when we come to cover the lounges and armchairs and sofas and ottomans
all alike, you know they will be quite another thing."

"Trust you for that, Mary! By the bye, I've found a nice little woman,
who has worked on upholstery, who will come in by the day, and be the
hands that shall execute the decrees of your taste."

"Yes, I am sure we shall get on capitally. Do you know that I'm almost
glad we can't get new things? It's a sort of enterprise to see