“Yes, mother, if you wish me to do so; but you know, dear, there is no danger. I can use an oar as well as I can a broom. And for the rest, you know what the country people about here say—that it requires a great deal of perseverance and presence of mind to drown one’s self in the ‘Placide.’” “Oh, I know, Em.! But still, for this once, take old ’Sias with you.” “I will do so, mother,” replied the girl as she turned away. Em. quickly wrapped herself in her black and white-checkered shawl, and put on her gray felt hat and left the house. She walked briskly down the leaf-strewn road that led through the thicket to the gate-house. Here she found old ’Sias sitting on the step before the closed front door, smoking a stumpy clay pipe and basking in the golden sunshine of the autumn morning. “Oh, Uncle ’Sias, I am so glad to see you at leisure. Will you row me to Edengarden this morning?” she inquired, pausing before the old man. “Miss Em.! Well, I ’clare to my goodness! De sight ob you down here axing me to go wid you a-rowing is good for to cure blindness!” exclaimed old ’Sias, taking the pipe from his mouth and rising to his feet. “Why, you hasn’t been here—less see—not since las’ Augus’, I do believe. Yes, honey, to be sure I’ll take you a-rowing, and glad to do it, too,” he continued, as he emptied his pipe and put it into his pocket, and walked on beside Em. out of the gate and through the forest road leading to the river. “You are quite at leisure to go with me, Uncle ’Sias, I hope?” said the girl considerately. “Oh, la! yes, honey! I hadn’t nuffin ’t all to do, and what’s more, I hadn’t no place to go to. You see dat dere shet-up door, didn’t you, honey?” “Yes, of course,” said Em., wondering to what that led. “Well, chile, dat shet-up door was bolted on the inside,” said ’Sias mysteriously. “Why, how was that?” inquired Em. “Sereny been performing, honey! Sereny been performing, chile! Thanks be to goodness, Miss Em., dere ain’t much ha’r left on my head for her to twist her fingers in now! Lord, if Miss Abishey performed on King David like Sereny do on me, no wonder he wrote so many sollum sams! She’s been performing, honey, and arter she’d done performing she kicked me out and clapped the door to and bolted it! Dere, dat’s what Sereny did, and I feel as if I could write a sollum sam myself!” “It is really too bad!” cried Em.