fire � his features brought out into full relief by the flickering shadows � his complexion brightened by the glowing light and his full and well turned neck all appeared to the best possible advantage his mother leaned over him with an expression of great fondness and pleasure in her countenance and then kissed his forehead saying half aloud oh my dear boy i wish you could love your mother half as much as she loves you she then arose and went out into the yard and brought in after of wood until she had made quite a pile by the chimney corner she her fire moved her wheel back a little way and then brought some knitting work from a little box or trunk under the bed where it had been concealed it was a she had conceived the plan some time before of knitting a pair the mother s wakes up the wood of intending to keep it a profound secret from him until they were finished so as to surprise him she had been accordingly for a week very busy in all the odd moments she could get when was out of sight and late in the evenings after her day s work done and he had gone to bed in pushing on her knitting and now all was done but one thumb when she found therefore that was sound asleep and the wood was all in she thought it would be a fine time to finish the the large fresh of wood which she had put upon the fire soon began to and sing and the ends of her needles commenced their rapid she sat in a reverie building castles in the air in her imagination grew up into a man and bought a farm and cultivated spacious fields and raised stock and she sat in her by his chimney corner and found a delightful employment in taking care of bright and happy whose ages and sexes she was just upon when drew a long sigh extended back his head and opened his eyes in short brought to an end both her dreams and his own she was just off the thumb but she had the presence of mind to clap her work behind her she spoke to asking him whether he had had a good nap answered rather and sat up and looked into the fire in a short time his faculties and his good nature gradually returned and he asked his mother how the bear skin came under him i put it down for you said she and look there she added with a smile pointing to the wood she had brought in there was certainly a sort of smile on s face at seeing the wood though there was very little affection or gratitude in the expression of it he only said i am sure lam glad i have not got any wood to bring in the self convicted mother the secret is dissatisfied with the wrong his mother talked with him a few minutes hesitating whether to bring forward his or not they were not really finished but then five minutes would finish them and she could not resist the temptation to see how pleased he would be so she said with an arch look after a moment s pause i have got a secret what is it said with an air of indifference his mother drew out the unfinished from behind her with the needles still attached to the tip of the thumb and held it up what is it said it is a said she it is for you and the other is all done got up and moved slowly toward his mother saying with a dissatisfied tone i don t believe it is large enough for me oh i rather think it is large enough said she and holding it open for him try it on pushed in his hand with an expression of reluctant and selfish pleasure on his countenance at seeing that it fitted exactly his mother paused looking upon the covered hand with a smile and expecting s expressions of satisfaction but he coldly said what did you have a green in it for mother i should like blue a great deal better why she replied mournfully pulling off the i took a great deal of pains to make these for you i am sorry you don t like them any better the grieved and disappointed mother could hardly finish her sentence she felt the tears coming fast into her eyes and rose put the in the chair and turned away to the back side of the room she struggled against her feelings as well as she could she went and looked out at the head s mother s disappointment and grief a stranger window then came back and stood by the fire and finally commanded composure enough to say to in a tolerably voice that it was about time for him to go to bed felt a little conscience smitten and besides that he was somewhat sleepy so he took up his bear skin up the ladder to the above and disappeared the loose boards yielding and rattling under his tread his mother sank down into her chair by the fire rested her elbows upon her knees and her face in her hands and burst into tears a moment afterward she thought she heard the distant of bells she raised her head to listen yes there were certainly bells coming up the road she went to the window and finding that the sound was approaching nearer she watched a moment and presently saw emerging from the woods a horse followed by a with one and perhaps two persons in it the sky was but the moon gave sufficient light through the clouds to enable her to see this in a moment more the passed beyond her view as it moved on toward the front of 