he
fishermen, by whom he was always invited to participate in their first
hauling of the river, at the breaking up of winter. As he was quite as
fond of this exciting labor as we had been of fishing along the ditches,
he never failed to accept these invitations. He not only enjoyed the
sport, but he was anxious to see how well the seines would operate which
he had sat for weeks in making. In addition to this, there was the
further gratification of being asked to accept of as many of the
earliest shad as he could carry away in his hand. It was a perquisite
which we looked for and prized as much as he did himself. This
recreation was of course attended with much exposure, being always
entered on in the gusty, chilly weather of the early spring.

The morning after my quitting school saw him leaving us by daybreak to
go on one of these fishing-excursions, taking my brother with him. It
was in April, a cold, raw, and blustering time, and they would be gone
all day. I had put my little matters in order,--though there was really
very little to do in this way, as neither my wardrobe nor chamber was
crowded with superfluities,--and having decided among ourselves where
the machine should stand, I sat down with my mother and sister to sew.
The weather had changed to quite a snow-storm, with angry gusts of wind;
but our small sitting-room was warm and cheerful. We drew round the
stove, and discussed the events of the coming week. We were to try the
machine on the work which my mother and sister then had in the
house,--for Jane had long since left school, and was actively employed
at home. She had gone through a similar training with myself. I was to
teach both mother and her the use of the machine; and we had determined,
that, as soon as Jane had become sufficiently expert as an operator, she
was to obtain a situation in some establishment, and our earnings were
to be saved, until, with father's assistance, we could purchase machines
for her and mother. We made up our minds that we could accomplish this
within a year at farthest. Thus there was much before and around us to
cheer our hearts and fill them with the brightest anticipations. It
seemed to me, that, if I had been travelling in a long lane, I was now
approaching a delightful turn,--for it has been said that there is none
so long as to be without one.

We had dined frugally, as usual, and mother had set away an ample
provision for the two absentees, who invariably came hom