n the top, and look through at the best things
that were kept shut up there. And how every Sunday night we used to go
into the westerly room, and watch for the sun to go down, before we
could step out of doors.

* * * * *

_May 8._--Helped Frederic to-day to weed out mammy's herb-garden. He
keeps it neat as a pin, but has his fun out of it all the same. It is
right under the window, where she can see growing her saffron and sage,
peppermint, cumfrey, and all the rest. I don't know the names of half.
Frederic calls them "health-root," "lullaby-root," "doctor's defiances,"
"step-quickeners," or whatever comes into his head.

Besides these, which he calls the regular practics, there are all the
wild herbs to be gathered in. Mullein, motherwort, thoroughwort,
golden-rod, everlasting, burdock-leaves, may-weed, must all be dried and
hung up in the garret. Aunt Bethiah groans, but grabs them up with her
long fingers, and has them out of the way in less than no time. Daddy
calls it mammy's harvest.

Poor old man! How pitiful it is to see him groping about so, with his
white face and silvery hair! Yet, to look at his countenance, nobody
would say he was blind; for, though his eyes are closed, he seems to see
with his whole face. I don't know how to write it down; but I mean, that
the look which most people have only in their eyes seems to be spread
over his whole countenance, and lights it up and makes it beautiful.
Sometimes I turn my eyes away, for it seems as if I were looking at his
soul,--and the soul is so mysterious!

* * * * *

_May 12._--Frederic's great-uncle Frederic has died, and left him a
little bag of silver dollars. He sat down on the floor, and made me sit
down on the other side, and we rolled them to each other, just like
little boys. He has given us one apiece, and put one in the drawer for
Elinor. Elinor and I always used to keep our money together. When it is
full, the box is to be broken open, and we shall buy the best books
there are. Daddy has been asking when she will come back. By the 1st of
June certainly. We've heard of several poor people finding a silver
dollar under their plates. Frederic never can keep anything to himself.

* * * * *

_May 20._--Frederic has been to Boston, and bought cloth for a
tail-coat, and had it cut out by a Boston tailor. It is blue, and cost
ten dollars a yard. Mary Swift