Year: 1877

though he had built large new barn,
with stalls for the cattle and horses, bins
for the grain and feed, and an immense
loft for the hay with an elevator to lift
1t from the wagon. So finally-though
neither pa nor | saw at first that it was
the result of the old house-Mollie went
to Mushroomville, and got a school to
| teach, Jennie went to learn the dress
makers trade, and David, Jr., and JON
| athan to Springville-one to study law
and the other medicine; and once more
David and were alone in the little
| house that first received us after our
marriage-for those who had not vol
unfairly deserted the old home nest, lay
in the old burying- ground on the hill.
And now the old house was once
more large enough; but it was not the
free, happy space it had been before. 1t
seemed as if both the living and the
dead haunted it; and I would have to
run out in the fields and over to the
neighbors for breathing spell.


When the summer vacations came the
children would make short visits home;
but they seemed restless and dissatisfied
and more discontented with the old
home than ever. During the last yaca-
tion home, they said SO many things
that it set me thinking more seriously
than | had ever thought before; and
determined to find out whether pa and
I were at fault.


Mollie had said, "Ma, do wish you
would get pa to build new house. If
he would, I'd try and get the district
school to teach and board at home. |
like the country better than do town,
and get real homesick; but there is
nothing pleasant here. / can't endure
this little cramped-up house, where l
can neither have a pleasant bedroom,
nor sitting -room.'


And Jennie had said: "Oh, how l
wish pa would build a new house. I'd
get sewing-machine then and stay at
home. know could get work enough
in the neighborhood and then l could


help you about the housework. /
shouldn't care about sewing all the time.


But this old house is SO unpleasant l


can't bear to stay at home.n


And the boys both wished they could


have brought friends home with them,


but said they were ashamed of the old


house. They both added: "It would


be mean to be ashamed of it if father


couldn't afford any better, but know


he could"


The vacation ended and the children


left us-almost gladly, it seemed; and


then had an earnest talk with David


| told him believed we had been mis-


taken in not building better house and


making things pleasant and sattractiyt


about the home and farm; and wished


that he would set men to work at once


to add a front to the house, making


double parlors and some pleasant cham


bers above. He thought it foolish a


first, especially as the children were al


leaving us.


"That is Just the trouble" said 1
lsI believe we have driven them from


us by not offering them attractions a
) home"


: "Well," said he, "even if they hat
stayed with us few years longer, yot
wouldn't expect to keep them with yor
, always, would you? They will proba
, bly, marry sooner or later, and ther
, what shall we do with our big house,"
"No matter" said l, 81 want then
t always to come to-something they car
$ feel an interest and pride in some
, thing to bring their children to see."
VI ASH had never asked David to do any
: thing before, and had always been say
ing and industrious, and he was reall,,
e able to do all I asked, he replied:
: "Well, ma, Pm not quite converted
E to the necessity of the step; but if
e will make you happy, and you think i
: will make the children happy, do a
e you like. I did think of taking tina
t money from the Springville bank AM
: buying another hundred acres of land
0 but l don't need it. I've got more tha
f I cultivate now; and see shall get n
It help from my boys. So you may tax
r what you need of it, and build what yo
L please. | leave you to plan with tn
e carpenters and architects.


: s'Thank you, David" said l. I"
It shall have it done by Thanksgiving Day
/, and you mustn't let the children kno'
a what I am doing. / want to surpris
Il them"


X 1t was an easy matter to find plent
o of men in Springville, and / put enoug
+ at work on it to hurry it through befor


severe weather came on.


|, AS thanksgiving DaY appfoacheu
i found our house not only finished bt
e furnished. Our old front room, by bs
d ing re-papered and grained, made q
IS excellent dining-room. 1t was too lat
, of course, to make any change in OF
le outer surroundings. Perhaps you wi
10 think that was OF small consequence i
r the winter; but ornamental and we
" kept grounds show their keeping eve


in the winter, and make the landscaI
s. less bare and desolate than it woul
n otherwise be. As the name Of our far