“Stand fast in the faith! be strong!” And then he bid us “good-bye, and God bless us!” and wuz gone. Good, faithful, hard-workin’ creeter. The views he had promulgated to us wuz new and startlin’, and Josiah and he couldn’t agree on ’em; but where is there two folks who think alike on every subject? But whether they wuz true or false, I knew that John Richard believed every word he had said about the state of affairs in the South. [Illustration: “WITH PHILURY’S HELP.”] CHAPTER II. JOSIAH had to go to Shackville with a hemlock saw log that day, so he went off most imegiatly after Cousin John Richard departed. And I resoomed the occupation I had laid down for the last week, and did a big day’s work, with Philury’s help, a cleanin’ house. But I had a good warm supper when my companion returned. I always will, work or no work, have meals on time, and good ones too—though I oughtn’t to boast over such doin’s. We had cleaned the kitchen that day, papered it all over new and bright, and put down three breadths of a new rag carpet, acrost the west end. And I had put up some pretty new curtains of cream-colored and red cheese cloth, one breadth of each to a winder, and looped ’em back with some red lute-string ribbon. And I had hung my canary-cage in between the two south winders, over the stand of house plants; and the plants had done dretful well, they wuz in full blow. And then I brung in the two big easy-chairs covered with handsome new copper plate—one for Josiah and one for me. And when I had set the supper-table, covered with a snowy cloth, in front of the south winders, the place looked well. We had took the carpet up in the dinin’ room and had to set the table there. But it looked well enough for anybody. And havin’ had Philury to do the heaviest of the work, I didn’t feel so very beat out, and I changed my dress and sot quiet and peaceful and very calm in my frame a waitin’ for my companion, while the grateful odor of broiled chicken, and cream biscuit, and the rich coffee riz up and permeated the room. Josiah duz love a cup of hot, fragrant coffee with cream into it when he has been to work in the cold all day. And it wuz quite cold for the time of year. Wall, I had put on a good new gingham dress and a white apron, and I had a lace ruffle round my neck; and though I hain’t vain, nor never wuz called so, only by the envious, still I knew I looked well. And I could read this truth in my companion’s eyes as he come home cold and cross and hungry—come into that warm, pleasant room and into the presence of his devoted pardner. At once and imegiatly his cares, his crossness, and his troubled mean dropped from him like a garment he wuz tired of, and he felt well. And his appetite was good—excellent.