"There, Johnny," said Ishmael, "I cannot realize your aspirations in respect to the driver's seat on the ox-cart, but I think this will do for the present." "Ah, yes!" cried the ecstatic Johnny, "put Molly up behind! put Molly up behind and let her sit and hold on to me! My horse can carry double." "Never mind! I've got something for Molly that she will like better than that," said Ishmael, smiling kindly on the little girl, who stood with her finger in her mouth looking as if she thought herself rather neglected. And he unlocked his trunk and took from the top of it a large, finely painted, substantially dressed wooden doll, that looked as if it could bear a great deal of knocking about without injury. Molly made an impulsive spring towards this treasure, and was immediately rendered happy by its possession. Then Sally was elevated to the seventh heaven by the gift of the coral breastpin. Hannah received a handsome brown silk dress and Reuben a new writing-desk, and Sam a silver watch, and Jim a showy vest-pattern. And Ishmael, having distributed his presents, ordered his trunk to be carried upstairs, and the box into the outhouse. When the children were tired of their play Hannah took them off to hear them say their prayers and put them to bed. And then Ishmael and Reuben were left alone. And the opportunity that Ishmael wanted had come. He could have spoken of his parents to either Hannah or Reuben separately; but he felt that he could not enter upon the subject in the presence of both together. Now he drew his chair to the side of Gray and said: "Uncle Reuben, I have something serious to say to you." "Eh! Ishmael! what have I been doing of? I dessay something wrong in the bringing up of the young uns!" said Reuben, in dismay, expecting to be court-martialed upon some grave charge. "It is of my parents that I wish to speak, Uncle Reuben." "Oh!" said the latter, with an air of relief. "You knew my mother, Uncle Reuben; but did you know who my father was?" "No," said Reuben thoughtfully. "All I knowed was as he married of your mother in a private manner, and from sarcumstances never owned up to it; but left her name and yourn to suffer for it--the cowardly rascal, whoever he was!" "Hush, Uncle Reuben, hush! You are speaking of my father!" "And a nice father he wur to let your good mother's fair name come to grief and leave you to perish a'most!" "Uncle Reuben, you know too little of the circumstances to be able to judge!" "Law, Ishmael, it takes but little knowledge and less judgment to understand, as when a feller fersakes his wife and child for nothink, and leaves 'em to suffer undesarved scandal and cruel want, he must be an unnatural monster and a parjured vilyun!" "Uncle Reuben, you are unjust to my father! You must listen to his vindication from my lips, and then you will acquit him of all blame. But first I must tell you in confidence his name--it is Herman Brudenell!"