In the doorway stood Miss Nancy, and by her side her nephew, Joel Slocum, a freckle-faced boy, who had frequently shown a preference for ’Lena, by going with her for her grandmother’s cow, bringing her harvest apples, and letting her ride on his sled oftener than the other girls at school. Strange to say, his affection was not returned, and now, notwithstanding he several times wiped both eyes and nose, on the end of which there was an enormous freck, ’Lena did not relent at all, but with a simple “Good-bye, Jo,” she sprang into the wagon, which moved rapidly away. It was about five miles from the farmhouse to the depot, and when half that distance had been gone over, Mrs. Nichols suddenly seized the reins, ordering the driver to stop, and saying, “she must go straight back, for on the shelf of the north room cupboard she had left a whole paper of tea, which she couldn’t afford to lose!” “_Drive on_,” said Johny rather angrily, at the same time telling his mother that he could buy her a ton of tea if she wanted it. “But that was already bought, and ’twould have saved so much,” said she, softly wiping away a tear, which was occasioned partly by her son’s manner, and partly by the great loss she felt she sustained in leaving behind her favorite “old hyson.” This _saving_ was a matter of which Grandma Nichols said so much, that John, who was himself slightly avaricious, began to regret that he ever knew the definition of the word _save_. Lest our readers get a wrong impression of Mrs. Nichols, we must say that she possessed very many sterling qualities, and her habits of extreme economy resulted more from the manner in which she had been compelled to live, than from natural stinginess. For this John hardly made allowance enough, and his mother’s remarks, instead of restraining him, only made him more lavish of his money than he would otherwise have been. When Mrs. Nichols and ’Lena entered the cars, they of course attracted universal attention, which annoyed John excessively. In Oakland, where his mother was known and appreciated, he could bear it, but among strangers, and with those of his own caste, it was different, so motioning them into the first unoccupied seat, he sauntered on with an air which seemed to say, “they were nothing to him,” and finding a vacant seat at the other end of the car, he took possession of it. Scarcely, however, had he entered into conversation with a gentleman near him, when some one grasped his arm, and looking up, he saw his mother, her box in one hand; and an enormous pinch of snuff in the other. “John,” said she, elevating her voice so as to drown the noise of the cars, “I never thought on’t till this minit, but I’d just as lief ride in the second-class cars as not, and it only costs half as much!”