AN AFTERNOON BY THE RIVER. 105 



The talkative veteran was now on liis way 

 to find an old friend of his who lived some- 

 where around here, he did n't know just 

 where; and as my course lay in the same 

 general direction we went across lots and up 

 the hill together, he rehearsing the past, 

 and I gladly putting myself to school. In 

 my time history was studied from text-books ; 

 but the lecture system is better. By and 

 by we approached a solitary cabin, on the 

 dilapidated piazza of which sat the very 

 man for whom my companion was looking. 

 "Very sick to-day," he said, in response 

 to a greeting. His appearance harmonized 

 with his words, — and with the piazza ; and 

 his manners were pitched on the same key ; 

 so that it was in a downright surly tone that 

 he pointed out a gate through which I could 

 make an exit toward the woods on the other 

 side of the house. I had asked the way, 

 and was glad to take it. Not that I was 

 greatly offended. A sick man on one of his 

 bad days has some excuse for a little impa- 

 tience; a far better excuse than I should 

 have for alluding to the matter at this late 

 date, if I did not improve the occasion to 

 add that this was the only bit of anything 



