“The ‘History of the Jews,’ by Josephus, was also a great favorite with mother; this work did not, however, belong to us, but was lent us by your other grandfather, Marguerite.  Mr. Cleveland, a neighbor of ours, you know, had, like us, a small library of standard books, which he was always glad to lend to an appreciative reader.

“The ‘Wonders of Nature and Providence’ was another book that I remember well, and a ‘Life of Napoleon,’ by what author I do not know, but which was a source of endless delight both to father and mother.  The emperor, you know, had been dead only since 1821, consequently his exploits were fresh in every one’s memory, and some of mother’s most stirring songs were about ‘General Bonaparte.’  You four children come legitimately by your devotion to Napoleon, for both father and mother were enthusiastic in their admiration for the great French hero.

“Among our smaller books was a life of Prince Eugene of Savoy, and the memoirs of Baron Trenck, whose romantic history we enjoyed as much as the most thrilling novel.

“As for novels, we had not many at that time, although the newspapers with which brother furnished us usually contained serial stories that mother used to read aloud.  I remember, however, that mother owned ‘Waverley,’ ‘Rob Roy,’ and ‘Francis Berrian,’ a romance of which father was especially fond, and all of which she read to us.

“For poetry, we had a volume of selections from English poets, accompanied with brief sketches of their lives, a volume about two-thirds the size of Dana’s ‘Household Book of Poetry,’ a copy of Cowper, whose poems mother particularly liked, especially ‘The Task’; a small, unbound copy of Byron’s ‘Corsair,’ and a volume of English songs, a collection that I have never since seen.  This list refers, you know, to our first years in the woods, and everything that I have mentioned was read aloud to us by mother.

“On Sundays we had a change of literature.  Father, although not what would be called a religious man, as he was not a member of any church, had a great respect for the observance of the Sabbath, and unlike his less scrupulous neighbors, rested from work on that day.  The morning was devoted to reading the Bible, and in the evening father would sing with his splendid voice, ‘God of Israel,’ the ‘Rock of Ages,’ and other fine old psalm tunes.  One hymn of which he was especially fond, I remember commenced,

  “’The day is past and gone,
    The evening shades appear;
  Oh, may we all remember well
    The day of Death draws near.’

“This he used to sing with great expression of devotion.

“I have often wished that I had had the advantage of living in New York when a child, but I would not now exchange a city education for the sweet memory of our quiet evenings at home, and the sphere of intelligence and affection in which I was nurtured.”

Mamma paused a moment, then continued: