[Illustration: MR. WHITMAN HELPED JAMES TO GET DOWN FROM THE WAGON. Page 10.] THE UNSEEN HAND OR JAMES RENFEW AND HIS BOY HELPERS BY ELIJAH KELLOGG AUTHOR OF “ELM ISLAND STORIES” “PLEASANT COVE STORIES” “FOREST GLEN STORIES” “A STRONG ARM AND A MOTHER’S BLESSING” “GOOD OLD TIMES” ETC. ILLUSTRATED BOSTON LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS NEW YORK CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM 1882 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright, 1881, BY LEE AND SHEPARD. _All Rights Reserved._ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. “THE MOTHER’S BREATH IS WARM” 9 II. THE REDEMPTIONER 18 III. JAMES RENFEW 29 IV. THE WHITMAN FAMILY 39 V. THE UNSEEN HAND 47 VI. “THERE’S LIFE IN HIM YET” 68 VII. NOBLE CONDUCT OF BERTIE 83 VIII. INFLUENCE OF HOPE 97 IX. THE REDEMPTIONER AT MEETING 115 X. THE REDEMPTIONER AT SCHOOL 129 XI. THE PLOT EXPOSED 146 XII. STUNG TO THE QUICK 162 XIII. THE SCHOLARS SUSTAIN JAMES 172 XIV. RESENTING A BASE PROPOSAL 189 XV. SOMETHING TO PUT IN THE CHEST 205 XVI. A YEAR OF HAPPINESS 221 XVII. REDEMPTION YEAR 239 XVIII. WILLIAM WHITMAN 253 XIX. TRAPPING 270 XX. JAMES AND EMILY 282 XXI. THE BRUSH CAMP 299 XXII. THE WILDERNESS HOME 316 PREFACE. A vast majority of the noblest intellects of the race have ever held to the idea that,— “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough hew them how we will.” By its influence they have been both consoled and strengthened under the pressures and in the exigencies of life. This principle, to a singular degree, assumes both form and development in the story of James Renfew, the Redemptioner.