“Not on your life, my son!  What your daddy doesn’t know about farming wouldn’t spoil a cup of tea!  While you are at home I will give you daily instruction in this most wholesome and independent business, which will be of incalculable benefit to you, and which, I am frank to say, you cannot get in any agricultural college.  College, indeed!  I have spent thousands of hours in dreaming and planning what a farm should be like!  Do you suppose I am going to let these visions become contaminated by practical knowledge?  Not by a long way!  I have, in the silent watches of the night, reduced the art to mathematical exactness, and I can show you the figures.  Don’t talk to me about colleges!”

After supper we took the children through the house.  Every part was inspected, and many were the expressions of pleasure and admiration.  They were delighted with their rooms, and apparently with everything else.  We finally quieted down in front of the open fire and discussed plans for the holidays.  The children decided that it must be a house party.

“Florence Marcy is with an aunt for whom she doesn’t particularly care, and Minnie will just jump at the chance of spending a week in the country,” said Jane.

“You can invite three girls, and Jack can have three men.  Of course Jessie Gordon will be here.  We will drive over in the morning and make sure of her.”

“Jack, whom will you ask?  Get some good men out here, won’t you?”

“The best in the world, little sister, and you will have to keep a sharp lookout or you will lose your heart to one of them.  Frank Howard will count it a lark.  He has stuck to the “business” as faithfully as if he were not heir to it, and he will come sure to-morrow night.  Dear old Phil—­my many years’ chum—­will come because I ask him.  These two are all right, and we can count on them.  The other one is Jim Jarvis,—­the finest man in college.”

“Tell us about him, Jack.”

“Jarvis’s father lives in Montana, and has a lot of gold mines and other things to keep him busy.  He doesn’t have time to pay much attention to his son, who is growing up after his own fashion.  Jim’s mother is dead, and he has neither brother nor sister,—­nothing but money and beauty and health and strength and courage and sense and the stanchest heart that ever lifted waistcoat!  He has been on the eleven three years.  They want him in the boat, but he’ll not have it; says it’s not good work for a man.  He’s in the first division, well toward the front, too, and in the best society.  He’s taken a fancy to me, and I’m dead gone on him.  He’s the man for you to shun, little woman, unless you wish to be led captive.”

“There are others, Jack, so don’t worry about me.  But do you think you can secure this paragon?”

“Not a doubt of it!  I’ll wire him in the morning, and he’ll be here as soon as steam can bring him; he’s my best chum, you know.”

This would make our party complete.  We were all happy and pleased, and the evening passed before we knew it.