He was gone about two hours, and returned with a most perplexed countenance. Now "the master's" correspondence had always been a great bother to Reuben. It took him a long time to spell out the letters and a longer time to indite the answers. So the arrival of a letter was always sure to unsettle him for a day or two. Still, that fact did not account for the great disturbance of mind in which he reached home and entered the family sitting-room. "What's the matter, Reuben? Any bad news?" anxiously inquired Hannah. "N-n-o, not exactly bad news; but a very bad bother," said Gray, sitting down in the big arm-chair and wiping the perspiration from his heated face. "What is it, Reuben?" pursued Hannah. "Where's Ishmael?" inquired Gray, without attempting to answer her question. "Working in the garden, of course. But why can't you tell me what's the matter?" "Botheration is the matter, Hannah, my dear. Just go call Ishmael to me." Hannah left the house to comply with his request, and Reuben sat and wiped his face and pondered over his perplexities. Reuben had lately given to rely very much upon Ishmael's judgment, and to appeal to him in all his difficulties. So he looked up in confidence as the youth entered with Hannah. "What is it, Uncle Reuben?" inquired the boy cheerfully. "The biggest botheration as ever was, Ishmael, my lad!" answered Gray. "Well, take a mug of cool cider to refresh yourself, and then tell me all about it," said Ishmael. Hannah ran and brought the invigorating drink, and after quaffing it Gray drew a long breath and said: "Why, I've got the botherationest letter from the judge as ever was. He says how he has sent down a lot of books, as will be landed at our landing by the schooner 'Canvas Back,' Capt'n Miller; and wants me to take the cart and go and receive them, and carry them up to the house, and ask the housekeeper for the keys of the liber-airy and put them in there," said Reuben, pausing for breath. "Why, that is not much bother, Uncle Reuben. Let me go and get the books for you," smiled Ishmael. "Law, it aint that; for I don't s'pose it's much more trouble to cart books than it is to cart bricks. You didn't hear me out: After I have got the botheration things into the liber-airy, he wants me to unpack them, and also take down the books as is there already, and put the whole lot on 'em in the middle of the floor, and then pick 'em out and 'range 'em all in separate lots, like one would sort vegetables for market, and put each sort all together on a different shelf, and then write all their names in a book, all regular and in exact order! There, now, that's the work as the judge has cut out for me, as well as I can make out his meaning from his hard words and crabbed hand; and I no more fit to do it nor I am to write a sarmon or to build a ship; and if that aint enough, to bother a man's brains I don't know what is, that's all."