Year: 1865

| "O"AN INiShV hObhAuS' @AICCL bAluSS HOL
quiet he called Harry and the girls into the
parlor. True, the bell had rung, and they
would miss their lessons no matter, they
would lose nothing, for he would have a
review. He was going to examine them.
lie had his suspicious. Harry, what is the
capital of Austria? He promptly answered,
Constantinople. His sisters said shame,
his father told him to think believed
he could not remember; it was strange, he
used TO know it we'll enough; yes it was
Vienna. Then his father sounded him and
found him shallow In vain he tried to
find out what he had leatped What made
it worse, he was so embarrassed be could
not tell what he really did know.


Then came the girls turn. They had
made more progress, but still easy sums
puzzled them. He hims elf understood mu-
sic, and played church music we'll. He
found that the girls played more from the
memory of tune than from the notes, and
of base they understood scarcely anything
This was the dearest schooling he ever
heard of. Clearly enough things were go
ing wrong ; there was screw loose, some
where, and he though he knew where it
was. On inquiry, he soan found out how
it stood with Harry. He had been led
away by the sons of rich men, who had sent
them to school because they could do moth
ing with them at home. AS regards the
girls, they were simply vain and superficial.
He did not complain of their slow progress
in music. for one of them had no ear to
learn. At tho best it is an art requiring
long time. tlI


The next day he hired horse at livery
stable and rode over to look at the farm
If screw was loose at home, many screws
were loose here. 1t seemed as though half
a dozen widow women had the management.
He rode back most of the way with his
head down. Allat once he raised his head.
He resolved be would move back to the
farm; he could get good teacher for less
than u quarter Of what he was paying-he
ought to have done so before. IF they
want to learn, nothing shall prevent.


On returning, he took his wife aside and
told her to prepare for great disappoint-
ment, for bad news, and he did not know
how she would bear it. But it could not
be helped. He had made up his mind
He was going to move back to the old home.
She was surprised; she had looked for
something about Harry, and she asked If
she understood him. Yes. She smiled and
threw her arms around him, and said she
never in her life was more pleased. Long
had she been weary Of the town weary Of
its fashions, its preteusions aud its follies.


They moved back. Mr.. Brooks hired
young clergyman to teach in the house.
He understood many things and was tho
rough. Harry was sullen. He said it was
fine business to take him out Of his class
es just as he was beginning to learn. His
father talked with him, and showed that he
was saving him from ruin. He listened a
little, but looked another way with one of
his eyes. Then he gave him orders to work
so many hours day on the farm if he did
not he told him what he might expect
Then Mr.. Brooks went off on his CONNER
cial travels


When he came back he found the farm
quite changed. He had hired q thorough
man to put it in order. There were good
fences, the crops looked well, Mrs. Brooks
was younger, the girls had lost nothing but
pale faces. Harry was tolerably pliable.-
He had commenced writing poetry. Almost
every piece was descriptive of his wretch
edness his heart was like volcano in the
midst Of midnight sea. They thoughthe
was coming ronnd. Very we'll anything
to content him till he can have time to see
where he stands. Does he walk with a cane
still? No, he took it to meeting, but he
did not bring it back.


In this way year went by. There was
real progress. One of the girls played we'll
aud made the house Joyous. Harry had
become quite reasonable. His teacher had
made him stick to his lessons, and would
have no halfway work. Frequently he
made sensible remarks, and he had cast
in his eye that showed he was beginning to
think. He was preparing for college.


The farm, however was not in the con-
dition Mr.. Brooks liked to see it. His help
was doing we'll still he did not show suffi-
cient interest. He did not plan right; he
put corn or wheat where there should have
been something else. Rightly to manage
farm requires real study. One must walk
over it, considering he must plan a year
ahead-often two, three and four years-or
there will be failures. There are plenty
of other things to attend to. Mr.. Brooks
saw it. He ached to be around and have
things done right.


At last he concluded he would travel no
more, and that he would stay at home
Some things besides his desire to stay at
home brought him to this conclusion. AT
first it was pleasant to travel. Of course
he became weary; for 1t IS hard work; but
he got used to it and stood it well. After
while times changed. When he COM
menced travelling there were old fashioned
taverns in all country towns. The tirst-clasS
of those were we'll managed, and universal
ly the beds were clean, the tables were set
with good, and sometimes extra food
dollar day was the highest charge. After
railroads became numerous, these old tav-
erns decayed, and larger hotels took their
places. Things were done on a grand scale,
and each ones food was cooked separately,
pehaps in imitation of the French. Mr..
Brooks found no fault with this he could
see no Improvement; sometimes things
were much worse, and the waiting was in
tolerable but he did find fault with the.
beds-they were not clean When the old
fashioned landlady, with sharp eye to her
beds went out, the slattern came in. Mr..
Brooks tells mo that one night he went to
bed in a large hotel in the central part OF
the State, but could not sleep; he got up,
struck a light, saw what was the matter,
and went down and stated his case at the
Office. The landlord was not only surpri-
sed-he was astonished, it could not be, but
he would go up and see about it; why, he
hired two girls who did nothing else from
morning till night but to keep the beds
free of vermn. He went up. He was beat
they mere thick-they'd catch it-well,
take another room, any room. Mr.. Brooks
took his choice, just fell asleep, awoke,
struck a light and sought another ROOM
He tells me he gotinto eight different beds,
then went down into the lady's parlor and
tried the sofa, but his enemy was here
Frequently, in stating his case to other gen
tlemen he found few who complained, only
| they never went to bed till after midnight,
because they could not sleep before, not
seeming to know the reason why. In cities
it was ct much better except perhaps in
some very extra hotel This nuisance be-
came almost unbearable, and it was seldom
! LII ....s.l ic.ht,s slaa1a On Snna