10 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



vadiiig family of " world's people." On the other hand, 

 the proprietor, heart-sore over the advancing decay of 

 his property, willing to serve a friend, and, at the same 

 time seat him in his own near neighborhood, under- 

 took to introduce enough modern improvements to 

 bring into Highwood a reign of comfort and health. 

 Therefore, we signed the lease and became the Tenants 

 of the Old Farm. 



On the first day of October we took possession. A 

 briglit, warm morning, well worthy to open the door of 

 that month whose varied beauties and rich vitality 

 make it the halcyon season of our American year. 

 "Old Dan," a colored laborer, met us at the road-side 

 gate with pleasant smile, polite bow, and a hearty 

 " Welcome to Highwood !" The broad lane through 

 which wc drove was skirted on either side l)y a row of 

 trees — on this side locusts, a favorite wood with our 

 fathers ; on the other, cherries, a canny or benevolent 

 mingling of the useful and ornamental, for which the 

 country-side boys had inwardly blessed the memory of 

 Friend Townes. 



Hugh Bond met us at the yard-gate. " Our fanner " 

 we called him ; our man-of-all-work he was, in fact, to 

 be. He greeted us with a qui(>t ''Good morning," be- 

 coming equally an independent freeman and an honest 

 employe, and proceeded with much satisfaction to show 

 us the " improvements " that had been wrought. They 

 were visil)lc enough to our eyes, but why should we 

 recite them here ? SufTice it to say the old trees near 

 the front had 1)een spared, but trimmed high up to 



