me to these, nobody
didn't seem to want 'em. So I says to myself: These will do to fill up
the empty shelves in the screwtwar, and I dare say as our Ishmael would
vally them. So I up and bought the lot for five dollars; and sent 'em up
here by Sam, with orders to put 'em in the screwtwar, and move the
screwtwar out'n the sitting room into this room, as I intended for you."

"Ah, Uncle Reuben, how good you are to me! Everybody is good to me."

"Quite nat'rel, Ishmael, since you are useful to everybody. And now, my
lad, I'll go and send Sam up with your box. And when you have freshed up
a bit you can come down to supper," said Gray, leaving Ishmael in
possession of his room.

In a few minutes after the negro Sam brought in the box that contained
all Ishmael's worldly goods.

"Missus Gray say how the supper is all ready, sir," said the man,
setting down the box.

As Ishmael was also quite ready, he followed the negro downstairs into
the sitting room.

Hannah was already in her seat at the head of the table; while behind
her waited a neat colored girl. Reuben stood at the back of his own
chair at the foot of the table, waiting for Ishmael before seating
himself. When the boy took his own place, Reuben asked a blessing, and
the meal commenced. The tired travelers did ample justice to the hot
coffee, broiled ham and eggs and fresh bread and butter before them.

After supper they separated for the night.

Ishmael went up to his room and went to bed, so very tired that his head
was no sooner laid upon his pillow than his senses were sunk in sleep.

He was awakened by the caroling of a thousand birds. He started up, a
little confused at first by finding himself in a strange room; but as
memory quickly returned he sprang from his bed and went and drew up his
blind and looked out from his window.

It was early morning; the sun was just rising and flooding the whole
landscape with light. A fine, inspiring scene lay before him--orchards
of apple, peach, and cherry trees in full blossom; meadows of white and
red clover; fields of wheat and rye, in their pale green hue of early
growth; all spreading downwards towards the banks of the mighty Potomac
that here in its majestic breadth seemed a channel of the sea; while far
away across the waters, under the distant horizon, a faint blue line
marked the southern shore.

Sailing up and down the mighty river were ships of all nations, craft of
every description, from the three-d