Hills of the Shatemuc

y himself like a gentleman of fashion." Wet. "Oh, Mr. Matthew,

lean bed covered with patchwork; the plainest of chairs and a table; and a little bit of carpet on one spot of the floor; the rest was painted. One little window looked to the south; another to the east; the woodwork, o

ew minutes, when a little rustling of the patchwork called her attention to the shaking shoulders of her companion. Miss Cadwallader's pretty

matter?" sa

her hands over her eyes, as if quite beyond c

ny place we've co

r at last,

ing very laughable

it a quizzi

ay. Every

stinate, - when you

, about anything

at dresser of tin dishes on one side and the fire

shes; and there wasn't a

gallant old farmer? Isn't he

an you did," s

n't he

old. I thought you seem

hing. La! you aren't

nt to do a great deal before the day was ended. A faint dewy sparkle on the grass and the sweetbriars; the song sparrows giving good-morrow to each other and tuni

these two hours - I shall tell Mr. Hay

and let me and Mr. Haye take care o

en turning her eyes from the light, obeye

ig iron tea-kettle; and then came Mrs. Landholm with a table-cloth and began to set the table. Elizabeth looked alternately at her and at the tea-kettle; both almost equally strange; she rather took a fancy to both. Certainly to the former. Her gown was spare, shewing that means were so, and her cap was the plainest of muslin caps, without lace or bedecking; yet in the quiet ordering of gown and cap and the neat hair, a quiet and ordered mind was almost confessed; and not many glances at the c

the place, Miss H

answer was an ener

afraid of living

id Elizabeth, returning a very dignified answer to Wint

to Cowslip's mill,

dho

, ma

lose your

rn of the tide. Nev

er my trunks?"

, ma

too. Wait

r room before a w

with bonnet and shawl, "you won't go without your bre

ast can

u will

on't care

to the rocks, f

air; the birds had it. Only over Shahweetah valley, and from Mr. Underhill's chimney on the other side of the river, and from Sam Doolittle's in the bay, thin wreaths of blue smoke slowly went up, telling that there, - and there, - and there, - man was getting ready for his day's work, and woman had begun hers! Only those, and the soft stroke of Winthrop's oars; but to Elizabeth that seemed only play. She sat perfectly still, her eye varying from their regular dip to the sunny r

Mr. Cowslip and Winthrop bringing he

ernor," said the old miller. "That ain

t those things in he

Mr. Cowslip; - "

be too much f

tide was so low last night - there wasn't water enou

ust settin' up along shore - you ca

!" Elizabeth exclaimed; - "let them go in the other boat - you

ain as soon as you like. My boy Hild can fetch up the things for

said Elizabeth. "Send 'em up r

lue smoke that curled up over Shahweetah; and Elizabeth's eyes again roved silently and enjoyingly from one thing to an

manage an oar - will you

d or care for either; she was intent upon the great problem of making her oar feel the water; and as gravely, if not quite so coolly, as Winthrop's instructions were delivered, she worked at her oar to follow them. A few random strokes, which did not seem to discriminate very justly between water and air, and then

ion as she put herself back in her old seat. Asahel thought it would cur

m, sitting crouched disc

- said she, - "and I'm

d Elizabeth sp

oing? - keeping break

ing so delicious in

lly, before condesc

flirtation already," whispered Miss Cadwall

ep as fine and firm as that of the Belvidere Apollo and a figure like a young pine tree. Rufus, who met her at the door, was astounded with a sa

ike boating before

dho

h," Eliza

ught to have mowed half an acre by this time,

ot my fau

and been off, long ago; but I waited out of pure civility to you, to see how

eat deal better

le, but entered into no

he young ladies were busy; and two or th

allader, a few mornings after,

ith his hands on his knees as he was about to

mebody to shew me wher

you want to go and

o. That's what

ave to wait a little. There aint a soul that can go with you t

are, papa!"

t's full of them,"

o the hay-field. You see, there's some grass, Miss Rose, st

cut?" said Miss C

o - I'll tell you, - It'll be a fine afternoon; and you keep yourself quiet, out of the sun, till it gets towards evening; and I'll contri

n of little Asahel; and even he was despatched in a few hours to the field with the dinner of his fa

tempting time o

east window. "Now for it! That farmer is a

said E

'boys,' as the f

might have been enou

in having two. Isn't th

n't k

do

I haven't thou

fore you can tell whethe

can tell whethe

I tell you he has th

n her book, "what is it to you or me if all th

ows said it was v

me face anywhere," said Ros

ith a very uncompromising

a cry of dismay, which was changed into a cry of entreaty as Winthrop came in. Winthrop was going after fish. But Winifred got hold of his hand, and Asahel withstood him with arguments; and at last Mrs. Landholm p

in the stern with them and talked, while Winthrop handled the oars. But Rufus and her cousin had the tal

. The bottom of the valley was a fine greensward, only sprinkled with trees; while from the edge of it the virgin forest rose steeply to the first height, and then following the broken ground str

where we are to fin

Cadwa

m time out of mind the place for strawberries; nobody ever

" said Elizabeth; "I don't se

he sun is on it," said Winthrop. "It gets i

ere," said Rufus. "But the stra

deal strewn with loose rocks and grown with low clumpy bushes of different species of cornus, and buckthorn, and sweetbriar. In these nooks and hollows, and indeed over t

ne place they seemed redder in another. Winthrop and Asahel, however, were soon steadily at work, and then little Winifred; and after a time Miss Cadwallader found that the berries were good for more than to look at, and Rufus had less trouble to keep in her neighbourhood. But it was a good while before Elizabeth began to pick either for

ed her, and without raising an eye beyond them, she was picking close to one of the parties

does nothing but eat, ever sin

r to pick for you, d

well as for me to

ah

a, Governor?" said little Winifred in a

," said he

at parcel! - but I

ern

here those came

oked down at the fresh supply and up into the young lady's face, and then gave her an "Oh thank you!" of such frank pleasure a

ting in a nest of strawber

many have

east idea. Aren'

u any in yo

re is my basket?" sa

haven't. I don't

n't you

tired. Come here and sit down, Bess. Are

N

ted the strawberries and

hold of him. Lizzie, - who'd have thought we shou

nd lip changed, bu

ld have guessed it if I had seen them anywhere else. Look

spoke, and the words lacked no

my head does not run upon t

e you were helping with your strawberries just now. I dont think it is the wisest thing Mr.

I don't like such talk - I detest and despise it! - it is utterly beneath me. You may indulge in all t

rt of the field where she could pick strawberries at a distance from everybody. She picked them somehow by instinct; she did not know what she was doing; her face rivalled their red bunches; and she picked with a kind of fury. That being the only way she had of venting her indignation, she threw it into her basket

cooled down she grew very tired. She was in a rough grown place

ls beyond them stood in the sun, and in close contrast was the little deep green patch of fore-ground, lit up with the white or the gay dresses of the strawberry pickers. The sweet river, a bit of it, in the middle of the picture, half in sunshine, half in shade. It was like a little

set down, "all standing." In bewildered astonishment, that only waited to become indignation, she turned to see whom she was to be angry with. Nobody was near her but Winthrop, and he had disappeared behind the rock on which she

're going home,"

," said E

hy

I am no

s the

only I am

Miss Haye," said Rufus, with a so

eth wa

" exclaimed Asahel from the rock; -

counted nine rattles. They all pressed round, as near as they dared, to l

it? where

Haye, but he slid down among the bushes before I could catch him. We

in," said Miss Cadwallade

lizabeth, with the air of

ked up, and

ou ask me to

ly, - "if I could have got wo

g in astonishment, and she saw the corners of Rufus's mouth twitchi

. She even forgot her strawberries for little Winifred, which she meant to have given her in full v

them the sunlight glittered still, and overhead the sun threw down broad remembrancers of where he was and where he had been. The low hills in the distant north were all in sunlight; as the little boat pulle

lace, she would stay on the rocks to see how the boat was made fast. Winifred ran up to the house with her basket, Miss Cadwallader went to get ready for supper, Rufus followed in her steps. Asahel and Elizabeth stayed in the sunset glow to see Winthr

ought to have

mer's boy. It spoke him as quiet in his own standing as she was in hers; and yet he certainly had

t strawberry-place was in

-a-q

t's

re. This was in the shadow

name! What d

at it means, the whole name, -

s beaut

as if not satisfied that she had said enough, - "for you

seem much m

-" said

m Asahel's exposition of

she had improved fifty per cent. since her coming to Shahweetah. W