" "No! I don't blame him, I rather admire his spirit of self-reliance, and I wouldn't lay the weight of my smallest finger upon his self-respect to repress it; still I would like to see your Mamy, and Hatty, have a chance to get out into the woods, and have what I call a good time.

In the afternoon he preached to a neighborhood meeting at his own house, to which we three girls go, namely, M., her friend Hatty K., and myself.

Hatty K. is like a second M. to me.

Since you left, I have been very busy in various ways; among other things, helping Hatty collect her last trophies, pack her various plants, and the like.

I am going to paint one for M. and Hatty.

We do not count Hatty K. as company, but as one of us.

After breakfast she went to her workshop and painted six large titles; and then went down to the piazza and painted a chair for Hatty.

After tea she sat with us in the parlor for some time and then, kissing M. good-night, omitted Hatty and the boys (a most unusual thing), remarking, as she left for her chamber, "Well, I'm not going to kiss all this roomful.

It was decided, therefore, that she, Hatty K., Dr. Vincent and I should form the party.

"After we were left alone that Saturday morning (Hatty writes) Mrs. Prentiss gathered quite a bunch of the wild ageratum, and then dug up the roots of three wild clematis vines with her scissors.

During the forenoon M. tried to get some rest in the sea-chair by the window, while Hatty kept her place by the bed.

Hatty perceiving this and guessing what it meant, stepped aside (she was between the bed and the chair so as to intercept the view), when she fixed her eyes upon M. and rested as if she had found what she sought.

Everything was quiet until about three o'clock, when Hatty knocked at my door with a message from the nurse.

She received "happy Hatty," as she was called, with the remark, "I have a reputation for training wild colts, and I will try this one."