g as you wish, and
sleep if you can," said Hannah.

But Ishmael looked up again, and with recovered calmness, said:

"I will rest for half an hour, Aunt Hannah, no longer; and then I will
get up and cut the wood, or do any work you want done."

"Very well, my boy," said Hannah, stooping and kissing him. Then she
arranged the pillow, covered him up carefully, drew the curtains and
came away and left him.

"He will be all right in a little while, Hannah, my dear," said Reuben,
as he walked with her to the fireplace.

"Sit down there, Reuben, and tell me about yourself, and where you have
been living all this time," said Hannah, seating herself in her
arm-chair and pointing to another.

Reuben slowly took the seat and carefully deposited his hat on the floor
by his side.

"I am sorry I spoke so sharply to you about the lad, Reuben; it was a
thankless return for all your kindness in taking care of him and
bringing him home; but indeed I am not thankless, Reuben; but I have
grown to be a cross old woman," she said.

"Have you, indeed, Hannah, my dear?" exclaimed Reuben, raising his
eyebrows in sincere astonishment and some consternation.

"It appears to me that you might see that I have," replied Hannah
plainly.

"Well, no; seems to me, my dear, you're the same as you allers was, both
as to looks and as to temper."

"I feel that I am very much changed. And so are you, Reuben! How gray
your hair is!" she said, looking critically at her old admirer.

"Gray! I believe you! Ain't it though?" exclaimed Reuben, smiling, and
running his fingers through his blanched locks.

"But you haven't told me all about yourself, yet; where you have been
living; how you have been getting along, and what brought you back to
this part of the country," said Hannah, with an air of deep interest.

"Why, Hannah, my dear, didn't you know all how and about it?"

"No; I heard long ago, of course, that you had got a place as overseer
on the plantation of some rich gentleman up in the forest; but that was
all; I never even heard the name of the place or the master."

"Well, now, that beats all! Why, Hannah, woman, as soon as I got
settled, I set down and writ you a letter, and all how and about it, and
axed you, if ever you changed your mind about what--about the--about our
affairs, you know--to drop me a line and I'd come and marry you and the
child, right out of hand, and fetch you both to my new home."

"I never got the letter."