A Farmer’s Life 
addressing this sister. At her death a stocking- 
ful of money she had hoarded was found; and 
after her death, the two brothers—bachelors by 
nature as well as by name—would not let any 
woman at all come into the house. ‘They “ did 
for themselves”? any domestic work that was 
done. 
The elder brother, Silas, was in faét a recluse. 
He saw few people; but he accepted John Smith 
into his friendship. Most likely he was more 
to blame than his brother for the unsocial habits 
of the pair. An odd thing was told of them. It 
was their custom, on Sunday afternoons, to go 
for a walk; but each always went alone. If you 
met one of them, you might be sure that the 
other was nowhere near. 
Presumably Silas worked on the farm—lI 
never heard. It was generally supposed that 
the two were saving money; certainly they were 
living frugally enough. And the idea also came 
to me (I don’t know whence) that they were also 
getting bits of property here and there. Accord- 
ingly, when at last their old place was put up 
for sale (they had been born in it, I think), every- 
body expected that they would buy it. About 
this time Andrew was reported to be drinking 
too much and too often. However, he went 
to the auction. But he made no bid. He 
heard his farm and his home sold over his head 
88 
