It is true, that hardly a human soul worshipped here, but when the “Te Deum” rose toward heaven, thousands of blue, pink, and white blossoms turned their eyes upward wet with dewy moisture, the hoary mosses waved their tresses, the larches shook their tassels gayly, the birches quivered and thrilled with joy in every leaf, and the rivulets gurgled forth a silvery sound of gladness.  On this particular September morning Micah’s grove was radiant with beauty.  The wild equinoctial storm, which had so fiercely assailed it the day before, had brightened it into fresh verdure and now it glittered in the sunbeams as if bejewelled with emerald.

Mr. Norton and Adele reached the cottage door, on which she tapped softly.

“Come in”, Micah almost shouted, without moving from his seat or looking up from his occupation.

The maiden opened the door, and said, “Good morning, Micah”.

At the sound of her voice he rose instantly and handing a chair into the middle of the floor, said, “O! come in, Miss Ady; I didn’t know ez it was yeou”.

“I cannot stop now, Micah, but here is a gentleman who has a little business with you.  I came to show him the way.  This is Mr. Norton”.

And away Adele sped, without farther ceremony.

Micah looked after her for a moment, with a half smile on his weather-beaten face, then turned and motioning Mr. Norton to a chair, reseated himself on a wooden chest, with his gun, upon which he again commenced operations, his countenance setting into its usual owl-like solemnity.

He was not courtly in his reception of strangers.  The missionary, however, had dealt with several varieties of the human animal before, and was by no means disturbed at this nonchalance.

“I believe you are from the States, as well as myself, Mr. Mummychog”, said he, after a short silence.

“I’m from the Kennebec River”, said Micah, laconically.

“I am quite extensively acquainted in that region, but do not remember to have heard your name before.  It is rather an uncommon one”.

“I guess ye won’t find many folks in them parts, ez is called Mummychog”, said Micah, with a twinkle of the eye and something like a grin, on his sombre visage.

“You’ve a snug place here, Mr. Micah”, said Mr. Norton, who, having found some difficulty in restraining a smile, when repeating Mr. Mummychog’s surname, concluded to drop it altogether, “but what could have induced you to leave the pleasant Kennebec and come to this distant spot?”

“Well, I cam’ to git a chance and be somwhere, where I could jest be let alone”.

“A chance for what, Mr. Micah?”

“Why, hang it, a chance to live an’ dew abeout what I want tew.  The moose an’ wolves an’ wildcats hev all ben hunted eout o’ that kentry.  Thar wa’nt no kind ev a chance there.  So I cam’ here”.

“You have a wife, I suppose, Mr. Micah?”

“Wife! no.  Do ye spose I want to hev a woman kep’ skeered a most to death abeout me, all the time?  I’m a fishin’ an’ huntin good part o’ the year.  Wild beasts and sech, is what I like”.