MEN OF MAINE 



" Well," said Hewey, sympathetically, " he 's 

 awful pore, ain't he ? " 



I acquiesced with a smile, for the adjec- 

 tive only indicated spareness and absence of 

 flesh. 



" When I saw him last summer," continued 

 Hewey, " I thought maybe, he wa' n't well. 

 Thought p'r'aps the region did n't agree with 

 him, but I guess it 's nat'ral. Hey ? That his 

 mother ? " he asked in a whisper, as Hortense 

 passed ; and to my affirmative answer he replied 

 with a relieved smile, " Oh, well, then, you 

 could n't expect much out o' such a pore 

 couple." 



The following year we were down again with 

 a party, my boy not being of the number. As 

 the boat stopped at these camps, we saw Hewey 

 on the wharf, and he greeted us cordially. " What 

 do you think of my boy this year, Hewey ? " I 

 asked. 



" Why, I don't see him," said Hewey, peering 

 about. 



" Here he is," I said, as I laid my hand on the 

 knee of a young friend of mine who was at that 

 period holding up the dignity of the Yale foot- 

 ball team, with six feet three of stature and some 



59 



