No doubt he was changed and improved, like his letters; and fond eyes said that fond hopes had not been mistaken.  If they looked on him once with pride, they did now with a sort of insensible wonder.  His whole air was that of a different nature, not at all from affectation, but by the necessity of the case; and as noble and graceful as nature intended him to be, they delightedly confessed that he was.  Perhaps by the same necessity, his view of things was altered a little, as their view of him; a little unconscious change, it might be; that nobody quarrelled with except the children; but certain it is that Winifred did not draw up to him, and Asahel stood in great doubt.

“Mamma,” said he one day, “I wish Rufus would pull off his fine clothes and help Winthrop.”

“Fine clothes, my dear!” said his mother; “I don’t think your brother’s clothes are very fine; I wish they were finer.  Do you call patches fine?”

“But anyhow they are better than Winthrop’s?”

“Certainly —­ when Winthrop is at his work.”

“Well, the other day he said they were too good for him to help Winthrop load the cart; and I think he should pull them off!”

“Did Winthrop ask him?”

“No; but he knew he was going to do it.”

“Rufus must take care of his clothes, or he wouldn’t be fit to go to Little River, you know.”

“Then he ought to take them off,” said Asahel.

“He did cut wood with Winthrop all yesterday.”

Asahel sat still in the corner, looking uncomfortable.

“Where are they now, mamma?”

“Here they are,” said Mrs. Landholm, as Rufus and Winthrop opened the door.

The former met both pair of eyes directed to him, and instantly asked,

“What are you talking of?”

“Asahel don’t understand why you are not more of a farmer, when you are in a farmhouse.”

“Asahel had better mind his own business,” was the somewhat sharp retort; and Rufus pulled a lock of the little boy’s hair in a manner to convey a very decided notion of his judgment.  Asahel, resenting this handling, or touched by it, slipped off his chair and took himself out of the room.

“He thinks you ought to take off your fine clothes and help Winthrop more than you do,” said his mother, going on with a shirt she was ironing.

“Fine clothes!” said the other with a very expressive breath, —­ “I shall feel fine when I get that on, mother.  Is that mine?”

“Yes.”

“Couldn’t Karen do that?”

“No,” said Mrs. Landholm, as she put down her iron and took a hot one.  The tone said, “Yes —­ but not well enough.”

He stood watching her neat work.

“I am ashamed of myself, mother, when I look at you.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t deserve to have you do this for me.”

She looked up and gave him one of her grave clear glances, and said,