t through certain channels, and the fellows who write the
poultry books have never even heard of them."

"Oh, how delighted I shall be! Lady Clara despises all her neighbors so.
But do they lay eggs? Half the use of keeping poultry, when you never
kill them, is to get an egg for breakfast; and Major Hockin looks round
and says, 'Now is this our own?' and I can not say that it is; and I am
vexed with the books, and he begins to laugh at me. People said it was
for want of chalk, but they walk upon nothing but chalk, as you can
see."

"And their food, Mrs. Hockin. They are walking upon that. Starve
them for a week, and forty eggs at least will reward you for stern
discipline."

But all this little talk I only tell to show how good and soft Mrs.
Hockin was; and her husband, in spite of all his self-opinion, and
resolute talk about money and manorial dues, in his way, perhaps, was
even less to be trusted to get his cash out of any poor and honest man.

On the very day after my return from London I received a letter from
"Colonel Gundry" (as we always called the Sawyer now, through his
kinship to the Major), and, as it can not easily be put into less
compass, I may as well give his very words:

"DEAR MISS REMA,--Your last favor to hand, with thanks. Every thing is
going on all right with us. The mill is built up, and goes better than
ever; more orders on hand than we can get through. We have not cracked
the big nugget yet. Expect the government to take him at a trifle below
value, for Washington Museum. Must have your consent; but, for my part,
would rather let him go there than break him. Am ready to lose a few
dollars upon him, particularly as he might crack up all quartzy in the
middle. They offer to take him by weight at three dollars and a half per
pound below standard. Please say if agreeable.

"I fear, my dear, that there are bad times coming for all of us here
in this part. Not about money, but a long sight worse; bad will, and
contention, and rebellion, perhaps. What we hear concerning it is not
much here; but even here thoughts are very much divided. Ephraim takes
a different view from mine; which is not a right thing for a grandson
to do; and neighbor Sylvester goes with him. The Lord send agreement and
concord among us; but, if He doeth so, He must change his mind first,
for every man is borrowing his neighbor's gun.

"If there is any thing that you can do to turn Ephraim back to his duty,
my dear, I am