When Mary Erskine was about eighteen years old, she was walking home one evening from the village, where she had been to do some shopping for Mrs. Bell, and as she came to a solitary part of the road after having left the last house which belonged to the village, she saw a young man coming out of the woods at a little distance before her.  She recognized him, immediately, as a young man whom she called Albert, who had often been employed by Mrs. Bell, at work about the farm and garden.  Albert was a very sedate and industrious young man, of frank and open and manly countenance, and of an erect and athletic form.  Mary Erskine liked Albert very well, and yet the first impulse was, when she saw him coming, to cross over to the other side of the road, and thus pass him at a little distance.  She did in fact take one or two steps in that direction, but thinking almost immediately that it would be foolish to do so, she returned to the same side of the road and walked on.  Albert walked slowly along towards Mary Erskine, until at length they met.

“Good evening, Mary Erskine,” said Albert.

“Good evening, Albert,” said Mary Erskine.

Albert turned and began to walk along slowly, by Mary Erskine’s side.

“I have been waiting here for you more than two hours,” said Albert.

“Have you?” said Mary Erskine.  Her heart began to beat, and she was afraid to say any thing more, for fear that her voice would tremble,

“Yes,” said Albert.  “I saw you go to the village, and I wanted to speak to you when you came back.”

Mary Erskine walked along, but did not speak.

“And I have been waiting and watching two months for you to go to the village,” continued Albert.

“I have not been much to the village, lately,” said Mary.

Here there was a pause of a few minutes, when Albert said again,

“Have you any objection to my walking along with you here a little way, Mary?”

“No,” said Mary, “not at all.”

“Mary,” said Albert, after another short pause, “I have got a hundred dollars and my axe,—­and this right arm.  I am thinking of buying a lot of land, about a mile beyond Kater’s corner.  If I will do it, and build a small house of one room there, will you come and be my wife?  It will have to be a log house at first.”

Mary Erskine related subsequently to Mary Bell what took place at this interview, thus far, but she would never tell the rest.

It was evident, however, that Mary Erskine was inclined to accept this proposal, from a conversation which took place between her and Mrs. Bell the next evening.  It was after tea.  The sun had gone down, and the evening was beautiful.  Mrs. Bell was sitting in a low rocking-chair, on a little covered platform, near the door, which they called the stoop.  There were two seats, one on each side of the stoop, and there was a vine climbing over it.  Mrs. Bell was knitting.  Mary Bell, who was then about six years old, was playing about the yard, watching the butterflies, and gathering flowers.