approbation than he had enjoyed for some time past.

In the course of the next fortnight the family arrangements all
altered themselves. Unless when Beckard was there Aaron would sit
in the widow's place, the widow would take Susan's chair, and the
two girls would be opposite. And then Dunn would read to them; not
sermons, but passages from Shakspeare, and Byron, and Longfellow.
"He reads much better than Mr. Beckard," Susan had said one night.
"Of course you're a competent judge!" had been Hetta's retort. "I
mean that I like it better," said Susan. "It's well that all people
don't think alike," replied Hetta.

And then there was a deal of talking. The widow herself, as
unconscious in this respect as her youngest daughter, certainly did
find that a little variety was agreeable on those long winter
nights; and talked herself with unaccustomed freedom. And Beckard
came there oftener and talked very much. When he was there the two
young men did all the talking, and they pounded each other
immensely. But still there grew up a sort of friendship between
them.

"Mr. Beckard seems quite to take to him," said Mrs. Bell to her
eldest daughter.

"It is his great good nature, mother," replied Hetta.

It was at the end of the second month when Aaron took another step
in advance--a perilous step. Sometimes on evenings he still went on
with his drawing for an hour or so; but during three or four
evenings he never asked any one to look at what he was doing. On