Opening a Chestnut Burr

been cool, the sun had shone bright and warm, but now the fore-shadowing of a storm was evident. A haze had spread over the sky, increasing in l

zing on the hearth, and an ample supply of wood in a box near. The easy-chair was wheeled forward, and a plate of grapes and the latest magazine were placed invitingly on the table. Even his cynicism was not proof against this, delicate thoughtfulness, and he exclaimed, "Ah, this is better than I expected, and a hundred-fold better t

lost himself in the fresh thoughts of the mag

agreeable for a little while this evening," he mut

rly to the house, he replied, "I found in my room a better substitute for the sunlight I had lost;

firelight is the resul

, smi

is

n your hearth. Indeed, good dry wood is but concentrated

there were other ways of stori

anged the subject in his instinctive wish to avoid the faintest approach to moralizing. Still, conversation contin

m. To their surprise his face was darkened by the heaviest frown. Af

e surmised that Hunting was related to the family, and was oppressed with the thought that he was fast losing the welcome given him on his father's account. But in a few moments Annie rallied and made unwonted effort

fire, a table was drawn up. An easy-chair stood invitingly b

ly, "and join me with a cigar. The ladies of

then you can read and chat according to your mood. You

lad. You treat me far

nnie gave him a quick, half-comical l

r than I at first im

ss Eulie of some neighborhood affairs, of which he knew nothing. The children and a large greyhound were dividing the rug between them. The former were chatting in low tones and roastin

not help glancing up from his reading occasionally, a

't get through this article with my old eyes. Won't yo

at

tural tones and simplicity arrested and retained his attention. Even the statistics and the prose of political economy seemed to f

book read in that style, though it is evid

le, your chestnuts are roasted and eaten. It's bedtime. The turkeys and squirrels

ices, "you must sing us the ches

egory, I suppose I must make

he expected a nursery ditty or a juvenile hymn from some Sabbath-school collection, wherein healthy, growing boys are ma

mportant truth: do

alton, I must say that I have not thought much about it. But

. By some childish instinct he divined that Gregory did not app

ittle champion ther

egory, this is a rude country ballad, and we are going to sing it in our accustomed way, even though it shock

your thro

irp this f

breast, su

nk 'twould

to sunn

oranges a

quirrels w

r store of

t burrs! O the pric

ut, but lin

hestnuts, plu

we for t

iss our su

welcome f

w from Gree

rrs will w

cks, they'l

know what J

turn the ch

spiny,

bler, with

ratch the le

ith your wh

eyes shal

isp and e

g across

at you to

en whene'er

spiny,

First he turned toward her with a look of interest, then of surprise. Miss Eulie could not help watching him, for, though she was well

em resting on the boy, who was now eagerly joining in the chorus of the last verse. She was not sufficiently skilled to know that to Gregory's diseased moral nature things most simple and wholesome in themselves were most repugnant. She could not understand that the tri

e dark expression, full of suffering and impotent revolt

our foolish littl

y, Miss Walton,

nd him, and said, gently,

one, could find the

s ever young. They who draw their life from natu

t expect t

ly and said, "But these children

his magazine, but di

, of the church-going sort, one that would be dreadfully shocked at finding me out, and deem it at once her mission to pluck me as a brand from the burning. I know all about the

here in the world will you meet drearier monotony and barrenness than among refined people. Having no real originality, their little odd

heard so sympathetic a voice. It suggests a power of making music a sweet home language instead of a difficult, high art, attainable by few. Really Miss Walton is worth investigation,