And It Was Good By A. EARLEY Illustrated by ADKINS _A moving tale of a second chance for man--and for his maker._ [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories February 1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] When she came back he looked at her and put down the piece of wood which he had been carving. He always carved in anxious moments. Many years before he had been apprenticed to a carpenter. He still loved the smooth, creamy feel and the warm tang of a good piece of wood. Usually he whittled away at it until it suggested a design to work on. More often than not it turned out to be a face, rugged peasant features with the simple wisdom of age engraved on them, or the chubby whorls of a child dimpled with delight. Today, he thought, it might make a tree heavy with fruit and the crown of leaves. "He's decided to do it, then"? he said, and she nodded without looking at him. She did not want to see the pain in her son's eyes. He got up and stood beside her and put his arm round her shoulders. "When"? he asked her softly, patiently. "Right away". "Did you ask him if he would let me go again instead"? "I couldn't"! she said and pulled him to her. "I couldn't bear it again after what they did to you last time". "Am I any the worse for it"? he smiled at her. "Besides, it was a long time ago and people have changed". "You'd suffer and you'd be away for years", she said. "I couldn't go through that. Not again". "Is he very sad about it"? he asked. "You know how he is when he has to do a thing like that", she said. "He said you weren't to worry too much. I was to tell you he'd like to talk to you about it later. He might want you to go there for a short visit while it's on". He went back to his whittling, but his mind was busy with other things and the tree would not take shape. * * * * * Spring had been late before. As the _Times_ pointed out, there had been snow as late as mid-May in 1569 and at the end of April in 1782, yet the chronicles recorded bumper crops for both years. Agricultural experts advised closer pruning of fruit trees to speed budding, and an American firm of Artificial Fertilizer Manufacturers brought out a new product called 'Shoot-boost'. But the correspondence columns of the newspapers carried letters pointing out that, while spring might have been late before, this time the weather was entirely spring-like, yet still there was no sign of shoot, blossom or bud. Excessive radiation resulting from nuclear tests was blamed.