become acquainted; and perhaps it was ridiculous, though I do not
think we any of us thought it so at the time. The minister used
to listen to my accounts of Mr Holdsworth's many accomplishments
and various adventures in travel with the truest interest, and
most kindly good faith; and Mr Holdsworth in return liked to hear
about my visits to the farm, and description of my cousin's life
there--liked it, I mean, as much as he liked anything that was
merely narrative, without leading to action.

So I went to the farm certainly, on an average, once a month
during that autumn; the course of life there was so peaceful and
quiet, that I can only remember one small event, and that was one
that I think I took more notice of than any one else: Phillis
left off wearing the pinafores that had always been so obnoxious
to me; I do not know why they were banished, but on one of my
visits I found them replaced by pretty linen aprons in the
morning, and a black silk one in the afternoon. And the blue
cotton gown became a brown stuff one as winter drew on; this
sounds like some book I once read, in which a migration from the
blue bed to the brown was spoken of as a great family event.

Towards Christmas my dear father came to see me, and to consult
Mr Holdsworth about the improvement which has since been known as
'Manning's driving wheel'. Mr Holdsworth, as I think I have
before said, had a very great regard for my father, who had been
employed in the same great machine-shop in which Mr Holdsworth
had served his apprenticeship; and he and my father had many
mutual jokes about one of these gentlemen-apprentices who used to
set about his smith's work in white wash-leather gloves, for fear
of spoiling his hands. Mr Holdsworth often spoke to me about my