5<5 



Success with Small Fruits. 



would die, and they had nothing to eat in the house. When Abraham 

 appeared before me at that time, his " countenance was fallen," as the 

 quaint, strong language of Scripture expresses it. He made no com- 

 plaints, however, and indulged in no Byronic allusions to destiny. Indeed, 

 he said very little, but merely drooped and cowered, as if the wolf at the 

 door and the shadow of death within it were rather more than he could 

 face at one and the same time. It soon became evident, however, that his 

 wife would " pull through," as he said, and then the wolf did n't trouble 

 him a mite. He installed himself as cook, nurse, and house man-of-all- 

 work, finding also abundant leisure to smoke his pipe with infinite content. 

 One morning he was seen baking buckwheat cakes for the children ; each 

 one in turn received an allowance on a tin plate, and squatted here and 

 there on the floor to devour it ; and, from the master of ceremonies down, 

 there was not an indication that all was not just as it should be. A few 

 days later, I met him coming back to his work with his pipe in the corner 



The Champion Grubber. 



of his mouth, and the old confident twinkle in his eye as he said, "Mornin', 

 Bossie." Now, Abraham carries his peculiar characteristics into grubbing. 

 If I should set him at a hundred-acre field full of stumps and stones, and 



