Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.fadedpage.net THE IDYL OF TWIN FIRES [Illustration: "So that is why you wanted my brook to come from the spring!"] THE IDYL OF TWIN FIRES BY WALTER PRICHARD EATON Illustrated by Thomas Fogarty GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers : : New York Copyright, 1914, 1915, by Doubleday, Page & Company All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian CONTENTS I. I Buy a Farm on Sight 3 II. My Money Goes and My Farmer Comes 19 III. New Joy in an Old Orchard 34 IV. I Pump up a Ghost 47 V. I Am Humbled by a Drag Scraper 66 VI. The Hermit Sings at Twilight 77 VII. The Ghost of Rome in Roses 88 VIII. I Pick Paint and a Quarrel 102 IX. We Seat Thoreau in the Chimney Nook, and I Write a Sonnet 113 X. We Climb a Hill Together 130 XI. Actæon and Diana 143 XII. Shopping as a Dissipation 155 XIII. The Advent of the Pilligs 164 XIV. The First Lemon Pie 177 XV. A Pagan Thrush 192 XVI. I Go to New York for a Purpose 204 XVII. I Do Not Return Alone 220 XVIII. We Build a Pool 227 XIX. The Nice Other Things 237 XX. Callers 245 XXI. Autumn in the Garden 252 XXII. In Praise of Country Winter 264 XXIII. Spring in the Garden 275 XXIV. Some Rural Problems 282 XXV. _Horas Non Numero Nisi Serenas_ 297 ILLUSTRATIONS "So that is why you wanted my brook to come from the spring!" _Frontispiece_ She was sitting with a closed book on her knee, gazing into the fire 124 "Well, well, you've got yourself a bookay," she said 174 "We are your neighbours ... you are very fortunate to have us for neighbours" 246 THE IDYL OF TWIN FIRES Chapter I I BUY A FARM ON SIGHT