oke his arm and of the doctor who
set it so unskilfully that it had to be broken again and re-set; of the
beautiful tourmaline crystals which he and his brother found at Mt.
Mica; and of his school-days at Hebron Academy; and all with such
feeling and such a relish, that for an hour we were rapt listeners.

[Illustration: FRIED PIES.]

When at length he declared that he positively must be going on his way,
we begged him to remain over night, and brought out his horse with great
reluctance.

Before getting into the buggy, he took us each by the hand and saluted
the girls, particularly "Doad," in a truly paternal manner.

"I've had a good time!" said he. "I am glad to see you all here at this
old farm in my dear native state; but (and we saw the moisture start in
his great black eyes) it touches my heart more than I can tell you, to
know of the sad reason for your coming here. You have my heartiest
sympathy.

"Tell your grandparents, that I should have been very glad to see them,"
he added, as he got in the buggy and took the reins from Addison.

"But, sir," said Theodora, earnestly, for we were all crowding up to the
buggy, "grandfather will ask who it was that called."

"Oh, well, you can describe me to him!" cried Mr. Hamlin, laughing (for
he knew how cut up we should feel if he told us who he really was). "And
if he cannot make me out, you may tell him that it was an old fellow he
once knew, named Hamlin. Good-by." And he drove away. The name signified
little to us at the time.

"Well, whoever he is, he's an old brick!" said Halse, as the gray horse
and buggy passed between the high gate-posts, at the foot of the lane.

"I think he is just splendid!" exclaimed Kate, enthusiastically.

"And he has such a great, kind heart!" said Theodora.

When Gramp and Gram came home, we were not slow in telling them that a
most remarkable elderly man, named Hamlin, had called to see them, and
stopped to lunch with us.

"Hamlin, Hamlin," repeated the Old Squire, absently. "What sort of
looking man?"

Theodora and Ellen described him, with much zest.

"Why, Joseph, it must have been Hannibal!" cried Gram.

"So it was!" exclaimed Gramp. "Too bad we were not at home!"

"What! Not Hannibal Hamlin that was Vice-President of the United
States!" Addison almost shouted.

"Yes, Vice-President Hamlin," said the Old Squire.

And about that time, it would have required nothing much heavier than a
turkey's feather to bowl us