ou and father
taught me, in range and in perspective far more than you've got from
it. You had a first hand wrestle. The land I covet has been greatly
improved already. I can do what I choose with it, making no more
strenuous effort than plowing; and I am proud to say that I LOVE to
plow. I like my feet in the soil. I want my head in the spring air.
I can become almost tipsy on the odours that fill my nostrils. Music
evolved by the Almighty is plenty good enough for me. I'm proud of a
spanking big team, under the control of a touch or a word. I enjoy
farming, and I am going to be a farmer. Plowing is one of the most
pleasing parts of the job. Sowing the seed beats it a little, from an
artistic standpoint, either is preferable to haying, threshing, or corn
cutting: all are parts of my work, so I'm going to begin. Mother, I
hope you don't mind if I take your grays. I'll be very careful; but
the picture I present to my girl to-day is going to go hard with her at
best, so I'd like to make it level best."

He arose, went around and knelt beside mother. He took her, chair and
all, in his arms:

"Best of mothers! on my breast
Lean thy head, and sink to rest."

She quoted. Mother laughed.

"Mammy," he asked bending toward her, "am I clean?"

"You goose!" she said, putting her arms around him and holding him
tight.

"Gander love," said Laddie, turning up his face for a kiss. "Honest
mother, you have been through nigh unto forty years of it, tell me, can
a man be a farmer and keep neat enough not to be repulsive to a refined
woman?"

"Your father is the answer," said mother. "All of you know how
perfectly repulsive he is and always has been to me."

"'Repulsive,"' said father. "That's an ugly word!"

"There are a whole lot of unpleasant things that peep around corners
occasionally," said Laddie. "But whoever of you dear people it was
that showed Mr. Pryor the Crest of Eastbrooke, brought out this
particular dragon for me to slay."

"Tut, tut! Now what does that mean?" said father. "Have we had a
little exhibition of that especial brand of pride that goes before a
fall?"

"We have! and I take the tumble," said Laddie. "Watch me start! 'Jack
fell down and broke his crown.' Question--will 'Jill come tumbling
after?'"

My heart stopped and I was shaking in my bare feet, because I wore no
shoes to shake in. Oh my soul! No matter how Laddie jested I knew he
was almost killed; the harder