Before a week had passed away I made up my mind that I might have found
a worse home than the old farm-house at Uncle Nathan's. Aunt Lucinda was
not positively unkind to me, but I could not help a feeling of fear when
in her presence, for she evidently regarded my every movement with a
watchful eye, and looked upon my presence in the family as an infliction
that must be borne; but with all this she was very careful for my
comfort, and treated me in every respect as one of the family. Few
would, at first sight, receive a favourable impression of my aunt.
During the first few days of my residence in the family I used often to
wonder to myself how two sisters could be so dissimilar in every way as
were my mother and Aunt Lucinda. My mother's manner was very gentle, and
her speech was mild and pleasant, while my Aunt had a sharp, quick
manner of speech, and took the liberty upon all occasions of speaking
her mind plainly. She was however a very clever house-keeper, always
busy, and a large amount of work went every day through her hands. From
the first moment I saw her I felt strongly attached to my venerable
grandmother, who treated me with the greatest kindness and seemed never
so happy as when, seated by her side, I read aloud to her from the large
Bible which lay constantly within her reach. The personal appearance of
Uncle Nathan was very pleasing; there was a mild good-humoured
expression upon his countenance which at once told you he was not one
at all inclined to fret or borrow trouble. This disposition to take the
world easy often irritated my aunt, and she sometimes went so far as to
say, "if she didn't stir up Nathan now and then, every thing would go to
wreck and ruin about the place." Mindful of Uncle Nathan's advice I did
my best to please my aunt, and endeavoured to win her affection by many
little offices of kindness, as often as I had opportunity, but for some
time my attempts to gain her goodwill produced but little effect. When
I had been a few days an inmate with the family, I became an unwilling
listener to a conversation which troubled me much at the time, although