338 THE GARDEN, YOU, AND I 



medicine Maria Maxwell brought me " (people 

 very seldom spoke of that young woman except by her 

 complete name). "If I had my wind, I'd yell over 

 to her to come up ! Yes, I vow I would !" 



David, the hound, who had been lying asleep 

 before the stove, in which the fire had died away, got 

 up, stretched himself, and, going to his master, after 

 gazing in his face for several minutes, licked his hands 

 thoroughly and solemnly, in a way totally different 

 from the careless and irresponsible licks of a joyous 

 dog; then raising his head gave a long-drawn bay that 

 finally broke from its melancholy music and degener- 

 ated into a howl. 



Amos must have dozed in his chair, for it seemed 

 only a moment when a knock sounded on the side 

 door and, without waiting for a reply, Maria Max- 

 well entered, a cape thrown about her shoulders, a 

 lantern in one hand, and in the other a covered pitcher 

 from which steam was curling. 



"I heard David howling and I went to our gate to 

 look; I saw that there wasn't a light in the farm-house 

 and so knew that something was the matter. No 

 fire in the stove and the room quite chilly! Where 

 is that neighbour of yours in the other half of the house ? 

 Couldn't he have brought you in a few sticks?" 



