THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH. 297 



too. For what ai'gument can one draw to any sul)ject 

 pertaining to music from the discordant, ear-piercing 

 creaking of a cricket ? Quaker as I am, I would be 

 sori-y to dignify such noise by so higli a title." 



" Oh, no !" exclaimed the Mistress, " don't say that ! 

 On the contrary, I love the cricket's chirrup, and think 

 it \evy sweet music, indeed. But there is no account- 

 ing for tastes, and no reconciling them in this matter 

 as in many others. What is music for one person is 

 clamor and discord to another." 



" Dat is jes so !" said Dan, who appeared to be much 

 impressed by the last remark. ''I was remarkin' dat 

 t'other day wen some one sayed dar wahn't no music 

 en a conk-shell. Now, fer my part, w'en I's hungry 

 and tired wurkin en de harves' fiel' and Sary xinn comes 

 out to de ba'n ya'd, an blows dat conk uv hern fer 

 dinna', an' de toot-too-too ! comes a roUin' ober de fiels, 

 hit seems to me dar's no music out ob Canaan et's sweet- 

 er 'n dat. DaVs de kin' ob cricket on de hearf dat suits 

 my taste — jes' at dem times." 



Sarah scarcely knew whether to receive as compli- 

 mentary or the reverse Dan's comparison of herself and 

 her conch-shell to an insect that she detested ; but 

 finally joined in the laugh which the conceit had occa- 

 sioned. 



By-the-way, this old-fashioned dinner-call which used 

 to be popular among farmers' wives in early days in 

 Pennsylvania, is one of Sarah's particular vanities. 

 The conch is her own propert}', and she brought it 

 with her to our service, pleading for its use at least 



