Old Spring House
The Old Mill Wheel
The Old Mill
Old Corn Crib
The New Red Barn
The Old Farm-House
Ralph Jackson
Rocky Valley
Professor Schmidt
Frau Schmidt
Old Time Patch-Work Quilts
Old Time Patch-Work
Home-Made Rag Carpet
A Hit-and-Miss Rug
A Brown and Tan Rug
A Circular Rug
Imitation of Navajo Blankets
Rug With Design
Rug With Swastika in Centre
Home Manufactured Silk Prayer Rug
Elizabeth Schmidt--"Laughing Water"
Articles in the Old Parlor Before It Was Modernized
Other Articles in the Old Parlor Before It Was Modernized
Palisades, or Narrows of Nockamixon
The Canal at the Narrows
The Narrows, or Pennsylvania Palisades
Top Rock
Ringing Rocks of Bucks County, Pennsylvania
High Falls
Big Rock at Rocky Dale
The Old Towpath at the Narrows
Old Earthenware Dish
Igraffito Plate
Old Plates Fund in Aunt Sarah's Corner Cupboard
Old Style Lamps
Old Taufschien
The Old Store on Ridge Road
Catching Elbadritchels
Old Egg Basket at the Farm
A Potato Pretzel
Loaf of Rye Bread
A "Brod Corvel," or Bread Basket
Church Which Sheltered Liberty Bell in 1777-78
Liberty Bell Tablet
Durham Cave
The Woodland Stream
Polly Schmidt
An Old-Fashioned Bucks County Bake-Oven

[Illustration: MARY]

CHAPTER I.

MARY'S LETTERS RECEIVED AT CLEAR SPRING FARM.

One morning in early spring, John Landis, a Pennsylvania German farmer
living in Schuggenhaus Township, Bucks County, on opening his mail
box, fastened to a tree at the crossroads (for the convenience of
rural mail carriers) found one letter for his wife Sarah, the envelope
addressed in the well-known handwriting of her favorite niece, Mary
Midleton, of Philadelphia.

[Illustration]

A letter being quite an event at "Clear Spring" farm, he hastened with
it to the house, finding "Aunt Sarah," as she was called by every one
(Great Aunt to Mary), in the cheery farm house kitchen busily engaged
kneading sponge for a loaf of rye bread, which she carefully deposited
on a well-floured linen cloth, in a large bowl for the final raising.

Carefully adjusting her glasses more securely over the bridge of her
nose, she turned at the sound of her husband's footsteps. Seeing the
letter in his hand she inquired: "What news, John?" Quickly opening
the letter handed her, she, after a hasty perusal, gave one of the
whimsical smiles peculiar to her and remarked decisively, with