Hills of the Shatemuc

in the leaves,

reen strings of

WE

good day for the farmer's work. And where a film of thin smoke stole up over the tree

ter than his wishes, and probably some time before his family had reached the

loughing that upland field - I shall be bu

ou, papa, at noon," said a chil

p those headlands as cl

the horses, father, or sha

you mean - yes; I s

a finish of t

fourth speaker, and the eldest of the boys; -

to be a warm day,

it to you, Will?

- when he brings

hill," said Asahel; "and it's as ho

hrop," said the farmer, pushin

aid the eldes

ered his father, with a touch of co

d I shall work

t I'm afraid the

to his breakfast in silence, with

ly called to her second son, who had disappeared

mamma," - came

f her stores. Slices of bread were in course of buttering, and lay in ominous number piled up on the yellow shelf.

ered as he stooped to the cupboard, - "your father

oom was left; and cheese and gingerbread went in to fill that. And then as her hands pressed the lid down and his hands took the basket, the eyes met, and a quick little smile of great brilliancy, that entire

rather; for the younger of them as yet had seen not sixteen

sloped back to a mountainous ridge that framed it in, about half a mile from the water. Cultivation had stretched its hands near to the top of this ridge and driven back the old forest, that yet stood and looked ov

the road led gently along round the edge of a little bay, of which the promontory formed the northern horn. Just before reaching th

t colours of the young Spring- time were starting out, that delicate livery which is so soon worn. They were more soft to-day under a slight sultry haziness of the atmosphere - a luxurious veil that Spring had coyly thrown over her face; she was always a shy damsel. I

point where the road began to go up to the tableland. Just under the hill here was

low in, when his head and shoulders made a sudden plunge and the jug and he soused in together. Not for any want of steadiness in either of them; the cause of the plunge was a worthless fellow who was coming by at the moment. He had a house a little way off on the bay. He lived

ke a great water-dog, and with about as much seemi

e, - what good has

one you none

do you

cool one - and the easie

you don't give my father any occasion to be o

fortably, "you won't tell

loughman's coat and trousers. Not Achilles' port could be more lordly; the very fine bright haze

e matter,

e," said his brother composedly. "

u get into

t - which wasn't w

ou put

. Rufus, maybe I he

rawing the whip through his fi

't know but what

e was no match for the hardened one of Mr. Doolittle, though he might be four or five years the elder of the two boys; but the spirit that was in him cowed

Lay it on! Hi - That

ll

om them, in a towering passion still, he went u

he said in a sort of mock humble good-humour

Be off with

been 'tother one, a

n. They spoke not but to their oxen. Rufus's mouth was in the heroic style yet, al

the ploughmen nevertheless; the day wore on, and each kept steadily to his work and seemingly to his own thoughts. The beautiful scene below them, which they were alternately facing

twelve or fourteen hundred feet, and sometimes stretching away in long gorges and gentle declivities, - hills grouping behind hills. In Summer all these were a mass of living green, that the eye could hardly arrange; under Spring's delicate marshalling every little hill took its own place, and the soft swells of ground stood back the one from the other, in more and more tender colouring. The eye leapt from ridge to ridge of beauty; not gr

e and without so much as looking at his brother; and both in that warm and weary day sat a little while quietly looking over the water; or perhaps at the little point of rest, the little brown spo

ness as it had been a few hours before in its fire. The mouth was never at rest; it was twitching or curving at the corners now with the working of some hidden cogitations. The frame of the younger brother was less developed; it promised to be more athletic than that of the elder, with perhaps somewhat less grace of outline; and the face was not so regularly handsome. A very cool and clear gre

silence, speaking slowly and with

you suppose lies be

said Winth

ther

ding can make a quic

derstand you," said

for a little, and Wi

w," he remarked presently in a considerate

those stumps were out once. We ought to h

r five years of my life in har

the worse of it," said

ked off to the hills again, and his li

the younger brother gravely. "How ha

he has

dozen years of his lif

ng about him again. "But it's a nice farm now; - it's the handsomest

bserved Winthrop, "except just to keep a

us, considering the little distant brown

t wo

- the

," said Winthrop, -

f the way, down there, a

t, and a little better

s of time. There would be twice as muc

Winthrop. "How came it the

er he pushed his acquirements so far as this. He would be w

the younger brother; "an

elder, "I'd stand the chance of it

ha

t de

t de

terest on th

what you are

pa bought the property he couldn't pay off the whole price right dow

secu

e on the farm,

u mean by a

t to sell the farm at a certain time, if the

is the

housands,

he have to pay up

three hundred dollars; and that keeps us do

't know

a little time. T

t pay that mon

question which is the best

p looking round at his cattle, - "is not to

speak to you. Do you want to spen

certainly, but he

don

you wan

know - so

the matte

hts and shadows of a summer day, - "why Winthrop, that I am not willing to

t. But after an insta

be anything b

world lies under the s

do you

is like this little world

ver to the blue depths and golden ridg

s that riv

Mannahatta. W

re to be done than running plough furrows; where men may distinguish themselves! - where men may read and write

both

fus, to get into that wor

brow and lip and nostril said it over again; -

rawn breath from t

I could. But w

both felt. But after a deliberate p

thing to do. - I sh

lege! -

despair had thrown the coronet off; one more, and the hand of determination, - like Napoleon's, - had placed it firmly

pa and mamma kn

t y

l they th

ink of it as I do. My mind i

it? - we must know more than we do before we can

will get it. Pr

nt us both at h

. We must do something - we must talk

we could do a gr

And we must have more time

- And I don't see how he c

id the other steadily, though wit

beginning t

d Rufus quickly. "Farming is the most miserable

o make money?" inquir

not thinking of maki

deal to go to C

es

were fixed on the river and the opposite hills, while the

is brother, looking at him, with fire

eye did not speak the internal "So will I!" - which stamp

s Rufus's conclusion

t it," sai

ich his brother rewarded him. They parted to their work. They ploughe

han the morning had shined upon. No longer bondsmen of the soil, they trode it like masters. They untackled their oxen and let them out, with the spirit of men