ma'am, I wish you could have seen it. I remember the ground was all
one glare of ice; but I didn't mind that."

"I'm afraid your ward will find his protege rather forward, Judge,"
said the lady, as Mary Fuller drew back, blushing at her own eager
description.

"I really don't know," answered the gentleman; "she seems to have made
pretty good use of the few privileges awarded to her, and, really,
there is some philosophy in it. When one finds nothing but God's sky
unmonopolized, it is something for a child to make so much of that.
She has a pretty knack of sorting flowers, too, as you may see by the
fashion in which that is twisted. After all, madam, let us each make
the most of our favorites. Yours is pretty enough, in all conscience
Fred's will give satisfaction where she goes, I dare say."

Judge Sharp was becoming rather weary of his companion again, and so
leaned out of the window, as was his usual habit, amusing himself by
searching for the first red leaves among the maple foliage, and
watching the shadows as they fell softly down the hemlock hollows.




CHAPTER XXV.

A PLEASANT CONVERSATION.


Like the patter of rain in a damp heavy day,