The Associate Hermits

close-cut brown hair. His black clothes fitted him very closely, their extreme tightness suggesting that they had shrunken in the course of wearing, or that he had grow

een suitably consequent upon a good dinner with plenty of wine. But his only beverage had been coffee, and in his clear bright eye there

s, who stood a little back of Mr. Archibald, "to have this opportunity to explain my appearance here. In the first place

ald; and Margery looked at

ee I was very

ess and openness are so extremely rare in this world, it may be that I shall obtain favor in your eyes from the fact of my possessing those unusual qualities. Originally I was a teacher, and for a yea

rs. Archibald; "and I do not see how you became

irely meadow-land?" i

ike them-not their bodies, but their minds. Children, considered physically, are often pleasant to the view, and even interesting as companions, providing their innate juvenility is undisturbed; but when their personalities are ru

exclaimed Mr

d a Sunday-school class for a little while, and although I can't say there was

e truth. I do not know what would have become of me if I had not had the good-fortune to catch the measles from a family with whom I was spending Sunday

ound, however, that this was a kindergarten conducted by a young woman. Unobserved by scholars or teacher, I watched the proceedings with great interest, and soon became convinced that kindergartening was a much less repellent system of tuition than any I had known; but I also perceived that the methods of the young woman could be greatly improved. I thought a good deal upon this subject after leaving the open window. Soon afterwards, becoming acquainted with the young person in charge of the children, I offered to teach her a much

Mrs. Archibald. "I am intere

ylums a number of women, more or less young, with more or less depleted intellects. The various games and exercises I devised were very interesting, and I am sure I had scholars who never intended to become kindergartners, and who studied with me sol

real name?" aske

s are connected with the report that I purposely visited the family with the measles in order to get rid of my school; others are connected with the inundation of my diocese, of which I shall speak; others refer to my present i

fference; and out here in the woods a man may call h

and I will continue to speak in f

l Matlack, still standing behind Mr. Archi

in life, when suddenly there was a misfortune. There arrived in our town three apostles of kindergartening-two of them were women, and one was a man. They had heard of my system, and had come to investigate it. They did so, with the result that in an a

get here?" aske

ach. If you want your supper, you can go out to that wood-shed and split wood for one hour.' I was very hungry; I went out into the wood-shed; I split wood for one hour, and at the end of that time I had a sufficient meal. When I had finished, Mr. Sadler sent for me. 'Do you want to stay here all night?' he said. 'I do,' I answered. 'Go, then, and split wood for another hour.' I did so, and it was almost dark when I had finished. In the morning I split wood for my breakfast, and when I had finished I went to Mr. Sadler and asked him how much he would charge for a luncheon wrapped in a piece of paper. 'Seven and a half cents,' he said. I split wood for half an h

roaching the stranger, "you said, when you first came here, that

ooking up with a smile; "if I'

ughed, but Matlack and Martin, who

d the former, "to get to Sadler'

night. I would rather have no bed than split wood for an hour after d

ith this young man and me; I wa

aid Mr. Archibald

son in the world; but even if you say so, sir, I can't let

aimed Mr. Clyde, "you have

en't," sai

th us. We have a little tent that we brought to pu

take him out of this camp I haven't

cept your offer with pleasure, and thank you most heartily for it. If you

ime for us to be off, so I will bid you all goo

s appellation, and bidding everybody good-night, and thanking them for th

by herself watching the young moon descend among the trees. Then Mr. Raybold also stopped and came back to Margery, upon which th

ld speak to Margery about. I don't want her to get up so early and go ou

r," said Mrs. Archi

d her husband. "It isn't quite dark yet, b

ow, is going to teach her how to fish with flies. I wish you would sometimes take her o

uld pull her out of the water the first time she hooked a big fis

you can't take her with you up the stream, because, of course,

pted her husband, with a laugh; "so long as

d Margery, when Mrs. Archibald had spoken to her about the earl

ceived no answer. Then she went to the little studio-room, and when she opened the door she foun

and smooth. I am going to make a birch-bark bedspread out of it. I'll cover a sheet with these pieces, you see, and sew the

ought," said Mr. Raybold, h

the pieces. "Of course it was kind of him to bring it," she said to Mrs. Archibald, as they left t