needn't come to _me_ to help thee out!"

"Go on, mother. Don't let the boys interrupt thee!"

"Well," said Rachel, rousing herself, "where was I? Oh, 'At Sheppard's
age'! Well, next come some allusions to the places where he has visited and
his spiritual exercises there. I don't know that the boys are quite old
enough to enter into this yet. Thee'd better read it thyself, Dorothy. I'm
keeping all father's letters for the boys to read when they are old enough
to appreciate them."

"Well, I think thee might read to us about where he's been preachin'. We
can understand a great deal more than thee thinks we can," said Shep in
an injured voice. "Reuby can preach some himself. Thee ought to hear him,
mother. It's almost as good as meetin'."

"I _wondered_ how Reuby spent his time," said Dorothy, and the mother
hastened to interpose.

"Well! here's a passage that may be interesting: 'On sixth day attended the
youths' meeting here, a pretty favored time on the whole. Joseph' (that's
Joseph Carpenter; he mentions him aways back) 'had good service in lively
testimony, while I was calm and easy without a word to say. At a meeting at
Plumstead we suffered long, but at length we felt relieved. The unfaithful
were admonished, the youth invited, and the heavy-hearted encouraged. It
was a heavenly time.' Heretofore he seems to have been closed up with
silence a good deal, but now the way opens continually for him to free
himself. He's been 'much favored,' he says, 'of late.' Reuby, what's thee
doing to thy brothers?" (Shep and Reuby, who had been persecuting Jimmy by
pouring handfuls of corn down the neck of his jacket until he had taken