the back of "old Samson."

"Trouble is just as folks take it. I have had my own share in my day,
or I thought so," she added, with a sharp little laugh. "I just wonder
what I should have done now if the Lord had let me have my own way about
some things."

Old Samson moved steadily along, past Joel Bean's, and the bridge, and
up the hill that brought Gershom in sight, and then she said aloud: "But
then things might have been different," and then old Samson felt the
whip laid on with a little more decision this time, and this, probably
with the anticipation of the measure of oats awaiting him in the
squire's stable, quickened his movements; and in a few minutes Miss
Betsey was shaking the snow from her cloak in Sally Griffith's back
kitchen. It had been snowing heavily for a while, and the movement of
the sleigh had been unheard by Elizabeth, or she would have taken the
shaking of the snowy garments into her own hands.

"Folks as usual?" said Miss Betsey, as she came into the front kitchen,
where Sally reigned supreme, conscious of her value as "help," and
careful of her dignity as a citizen of Gershom, "as good as anybody."

"Well, pretty much so, I guess. Kind of down these days, in general."

They had been youthful companions, these two, and had plenty to say to
each other. So Betsey warmed her feet at the oven door, and they
discussed several questions before she went into the sitting-room. She
went in softly, so as not to disturb the old man, should he have fallen
asleep in his chair, as he sometimes did after dinner; so she had a
chance to see Elizabeth's face before she knew that she was not alone.
It was grave and paler than Betsey had ever seen it, and there was a
weary, far-away look in her eyes that were following the grey clouds
just beginning to drift over the clearing sky. They brightened,
however, as they turned at the sound of the opening door.

"Cousin Betsey! I'm so glad to see you. You have come to stay?"

Friendly as they had become of late, Elizabeth did not often venture to
kiss her cousin. She did this time, however, repeating:

"You have come to stay?"

"Well, yes. I came fixed so as to stay a spell if I was wanted. Joel
Bean's folks heard somewhere that Uncle Gershom hadn't been seen out in
the street these two days, and I thought I'd just come over and see how
he was keeping along."

"That was good of you. He was not out yesterday, and to-day has been so
snowy. But he is