where I live, it is called Tanglewood, and a tangle it is, as gets more and more tangled every year of its life.  As to how I’m getting on, Hannah, I can’t complain; for if I have to do very hard work, I get very good wages.  As to what brought me back to the neighborhood, Hannah, it was to do some business for the judge, and to buy some stock for the farm.  But there, my dear! that boy has slipped out, and is cutting the wood; I’ll go and do it for him,” said Reuben, as the sound of Ishmael’s ax fell upon his ears.

Hannah arose and followed Gray to the door, and there before it stood Ishmael, chopping away at random, upon the pile of wood, his cheeks flushed with fever and his eyes wild with excitement.

“Hannah, he is ill; he is very ill; he doesn’t well know what he is about,” said Reuben, taking the ax from the boy’s hand.

“Ishmael, Ishmael, my lad, come in; you are not well enough to work,” said Hannah anxiously.

Ishmael yielded up the ax and suffered Reuben to draw him into the house.

“It is only that I am so hot and dizzy and weak, Mr. Middleton; but I am sure I shall be able to do it presently,” said Ishmael apologetically, as he put his hand to his head and looked around himself in perplexity.

“I’ll tell you what, the boy is out of his head, Hannah, and it’s my belief as he’s a going to have a bad illness,” said Reuben, as he guided Ishmael to the bed and laid him on it.

“Oh, Reuben! what shall we do?” exclaimed Hannah.

“I don’t know, child! wait a bit and see.”

They had not long to wait; in a few hours Ishmael was burning with fever and raving with delirium.

“This is a-gwine to be a bad job!  I’ll go and fetch a doctor,” said Reuben Gray, hurrying away for the purpose.

Reuben’s words proved true.  It was a “bad job.”  Severe study, mental excitement, disappointment and distress had done their work upon his extremely sensitive organization, and Ishmael was prostrated by illness.

We will not linger over the gloomy days that followed.  The village doctor brought by Reuben was as skillful as if he had been the fashionable physician of a large city, and as attentive as if his poor young patient had been a millionaire.  Hannah devoted herself with almost motherly love to the suffering boy; and Reuben remained in the neighborhood and came every day to fetch and carry, chop wood and bring water, and help Hannah to nurse Ishmael.  And Hannah was absolutely reduced to the necessity of accepting his affectionate services.  Mr. Middleton, as soon as he heard of his favorite’s illness, hurried to the hut to inquire into Ishmael’s condition and to offer every assistance in his power to render; and he repeated his visits as often as the great pressure of his affairs permitted him to do.  Ishmael’s illness was long protracted; Mr. Middleton’s orders to vacate Brudenell Hall on or before the first day of February were peremptory; and thus it followed that the whole family removed from the neighborhood before Ishmael was in a condition to bid them farewell.