there was a look of unutterable content.

"I declar for 't," piped old Elnathan, as he sat in the chimney corner
warming his fingers over the ruddy blaze, "I declar for 't, mother,
the boy looks like another man a' ready. They ain't nothin like hum
fer sick folks."

"I shan't want no doctor's stuff," said Reuben, feebly. "Seein mother
round 's med'cin nuff fer me, I guess."

And Perez, as he stood leaning against the chimney, and looking on the
scene, lit by the flickering firelight, said to himself, that never
surely, in all his fighting had he ever drawn his sword to such good
and holy purpose as that day.

Soon after nightfall the latchstring was pulled in a timid sort of
way, and Obadiah Weeks stood on the threshold, waiting sheepishly till
Mrs. Hamlin bade him enter. He came forward, toward the chimney,
taking off his hat and smoothing his hair with his hand.

"It looks kinder good tew see a fire," he remarked, presently
supplementing this by the observation that it was "kinder hot,
though," and grinning vaguely around at every one in the room, with
the exception of Prudence. He did not look at her, though he looked
all around her. He put his hands in his pockets and took them out,
rubbed one boot against the other, and examined a wart on one of his
thumbs, as if he now observed it for the first time, and was quite
absorbed in the discovery.

Then with a suddenness that somewhat startled Perez, who had been