“I haven’t any kitten, papa, —­ it is Asahel’s.”

“Well, let Asahel bring it then.”

Which Asahel did.

“Have you looked at the cattle, Mr. Landholm?” said his wife.

“No —­ not yet —­ this is the first specimen of live stock I’ve seen,” said Mr. Landholm, viewing attentively a little black kitten which was sprawling very uncomfortably upon the painted floor.  “I’ve heard of ’em though.  Asahel has been giving me a detail at length of all the concerns of the farm.  I think he’ll make an excellent corresponding secretary by and by.”

“I was only telling papa what Governor had been doing,” said Asahel.

“You were afraid he would be forgotten.  There, my dear, I would let the little cat go back to its mother.”

“No papa, —­ Asahel wanted you should know that Governor didn’t forget.”

“Did you ever hear of the time, Asahel,” said his elder brother, “that a cat was sold by the length of her tail?”

“By the length of her tail!” said Asahel unbelievingly.

“Yes —­ for as much wheat as would cover the tip of her tail when she was held so —­”

And suiting the action to the word, Rufus suspended the kitten with its nose to the floor and the point of its tail at the utmost height it could reach above that level.  Winifred screamed; Asahel sprang; Rufus laughed and held fast.

“It’s a shame!” said Winifred.

“You have no right to do it!” said Asahel.  “It isn’t the law, if it was the law; and it was a very cruel law!”

But Rufus only laughed; and there seemed some danger of a break in that kindliness of feeling which their father had vaunted, till Mrs. Landholm spoke.  A word and a look of hers, to one and the other, made all smooth; and they went on again talking, of happy nothings, till it was time to separate for the night.  It was only then that Mr. Landholm touched on any matter of more than slight interest.

“Well, Rufus,” he said when at last they rose from their chairs, —­ “are you all ready for College?”

“Yes sir.”

A little shadow upon both faces —­ a very little.

“I am glad of it.  Well keep ready; —­ you’ll go yet one of these days —­ the time will come.  You must see if you can’t be contented to keep at home a spell.  We’ll shove you off by and by.”

Neither party very well satisfied with the decision, but there was no more to be said.

To keep at home was plain enough; to be contented was another matter.  Rufus joined again in the farm concerns; the well-worn Little River broadcloth was exchanged for homespun; and Winthrop’s plough, and hoe, and axe, were mated again as in former time they used to be.  This at least was greatly enjoyed by the brothers.  There was a constant and lively correspondence between them, on all matters of interest, past, present, and future, and on all matters of speculation attainable by either mind; and though judgments and