remarkable thing in those days, and also from the Netherlands. In this
same chamber, as well, were set up a bed of mahogany, cunningly carved and
decorated, and a tall foreign cabinet of some rich dark wood, for linen,
frocks, and the like. Here, likewise, were two gilt cages from Paris, in
which a heart-breaking succession of native birds drooped and died, until
four Dublin finches were at last imported for Daisy's special delight; and
a case with glass doors and a lock, made in Boston, wherein to store her
books; and, best of all, a piano--or was it a harpsichord?--standing on
its own legs, which Mr. Stewart heard of as for sale in New York and
bought at a pretty high figure. This last was indeed a rickety, jangling
old box, but Daisy learned in a way to play upon it, and we men-folk,
sitting in her room in the candle-light, and listening to her voice cooing
to its shrill tinkle of accompaniment, thought the music as sweet as that
of the cherubim.

Mr. Stewart and I lived in far less splendor. There was no foreign
furniture to speak of in our portions of the house; we slept on beds the
cords of which creaked through honest American maple posts; we walked on
floors which offered gritty sand to the tread instead of carpet-stuffs.
But there were two great stands laden with good books in our living-room;
we had servants now within sound of a bell; we habitually wore garments
befitting men of refinement and substance; we rode our own horses, and we
could have given Daisy a chaise had the condition of our roads made it
desirable.

I say "we" because I had come to be a responsible factor in the control of
the property. Mr. Stewart had never been poor; he was now close upon being
wealthy. Upon me little by little had devolved the superintendence of
affairs. I directed the burning over and clearing of land, which every
year added scores of tillable acres to our credit; saw to the planting,