t,"--taking a bite out of her nice home-made
bread,--"better'n a feast, to think of you in that place; and I can't
scarcely realize it yet. It seems too fine to be true."

"That's the way I've felt all the month, mother! It has been just like a
dream to me, and I keep thinking surely I'm asleep and will waken to
find this is just an air-castle I've been building, or 'a vision of the
night,' as the good book says."

"Well, it's a blessed vision, sure enough! and I hope to the good Lord
it'll last;--but you won't if you make a vision of your supper in that
way. You just eat, Abram! and have done your talking till you're
through, if you can't do both at once. Talking's good, but eating's
better when you're hungry; and it's my opinion you ought to be hungry,
if you ain't."

So the teacups were filled and emptied, and the spoons clattered, and
the stew was eaten, and the baked potatoes devoured, and the
bread-and-butter assaulted vigorously, and general havoc made with the
good things and substantial things before and between them; and then,
this duty faithfully performed, the wreck speedily vanished away; and
cups and forks, spoons and plates, knives and dishes, cleaned and
cupboarded, Mrs. Franklin came, and, drawing away the book over which he
was poring, said, while she smoothed face and hair once more, "Come,
Abram, what is it?"

"What's what, mother?" with a little laugh.

"Something ails you, sonny. That's plain enough. I know when anything's
gone wrong with ye, sure, and something's gone wrong to-day."

"O mother! you worry about me too much, indeed you do. If I'm a little
tired or out of sorts,--which I haven't any right to be, not here,--or
quiet, or anything, you think somebody's been hurting me, or abusing me,
or that everything's gone wrong with me, when I do well enough all the
time."

"Now, Abram, you can't deceive me,--not that way. My eyes is mother's
eyes, and they see plain enough, where you're concerned, without
spectacles. Who's been putting on you to-day? Somebody. You don't carry
that down look in your face and your eyes for nothing, I found that out
long ago, and you've got it on to-night."

"O mother!"

"Don't you 'O mother' me! I ain't going to be put off in that way,
Abram, an' you needn't think it. Has Mr. Surrey been saying anything
hard to you?"

"No, indeed, mother; you needn't ask that."

"Nor none of the foremen?"

"None."

"Has Snipe been round?"

"Hasn't been near the of