ure. The world was before him now, with its
treasures and pleasures, but with those inevitable disappointments and
losses which old people know and fear; those sorrows of incapacity and
lack of judgment which young hearts go out to meet without foreboding.
It was a world of love and favor to which little Lydia's brother had
gone; but who would know her fairy prince, in that disguise of a
country boy's bashfulness and humble raiment from the cheap counter of
a country store? The household stood rapt and silent until the farm
wagon had made its last rise on the hilly road and disappeared.

"Well, he's left us now," said the sorrowful, hopeful old grandfather.
"I expect I've got to turn to an' be a boy again myself. I feel to
hope 'Lisha'll do as well as we covet for him. I seem to take it in,
all my father felt when he let me go off to sea. He stood where I'm
standin' now, an' I was just as triflin' as pore 'Lisha, and felt full
as big as a man. But Lord! how I give up when it come night, an' I
took it in I was gone from home!"

"There, don't ye, father," said the pale mother gently. She was, after
all, the stronger of the two. "'Lisha's good an' honest-hearted.
You'll feel real proud a year from now, when he gits back. I'm so glad
he's got his watch to carry,--he did feel so grand. I expect them poor
hens is sufferin'; nobody's thought on 'em this livin' mornin'. You'd
better step an' feed 'em right away, sir." She could hardly speak for
sorrow and excitement, but the old man was diverted at once, and
hobbled away with cheerful importance on his two canes. Then she
looked round at the poor, stony little farm almost angrily. "He'd no
natural turn for the sea, 'Lisha hadn't; but I might have kept him
with me if the land was good for anything."

Elisha felt as if lie were in a dream, now that his great adventure
was begun. He answered John Sykes's questions mechanically, and his
head was a little dull and dazed. Then he began to fear that the slow
plodding of the farm horses would make him too late for the steamboat,
and with sudden satisfaction pulled out the great watch to see if
there were still time enough to get to the landing. He was filled with
remorse because it was impossible to remember whether he had thanked
Ma'am Stover for her gift. It seemed like a thing of life and
consciousness as he pushed it back into his tight pocket. John Sykes
looked at him curiously. "Why, that's old Ma'am Stover's timepiece,
ain't