Weeks and days succeeded each other in rapid succession, till mellow
autumn with its many glories was upon the earth. It had been a very busy
season, and long since Uncle Nathan's capacious barns had been filled to
overflowing with their treasures of fragrant hay and golden grain. The
corn-house was filled with its yellow harvest, and the potatoes were
heaped high in the cellar. Each different sort had its separate bin, and
my memory is not sufficiently retentive to mention the numerous kinds of
potatoes by their proper name which I that autumn assisted in stowing
away in the old cellar; and potatoes were not the only good things to be
found there when the harvest was completed. The apples were of almost as
many different sorts as the potatoes, and their flavor was very tempting
to the fruit-loving appetite, and their red cheeks were just discernible
by the dim light, which came faintly through the narrow cellar-windows.
Large quantities of almost every species of garden vegetable were stowed
away, each in their respective place. The cattle and sheep had been
driven from the far-off pastures to enjoy for a season the "fall-feed,"
of the meadows. The bright-hued autumn leaves were cast to the ground by
every breeze which floated by; the migratory birds were beginning their
flight southward, while on every hand were visible indications of the
approach of winter. I had done my best during the busy season to render
myself useful, and by this time had become quite an important member of
the household, so much so that I one day heard uncle Nathan wonder "how
he ever got along without me." He had often hired boys before, but a
hired boy who merely works for wages is often very different from one
whose services are prompted by affection and gratitude. Aunt Lucinda
still seemed rather to distrust me and, although she said nothing,
I was too sharp-sighted to be ignorant of the scrutinizing watch she
maintained over my conduct. I did not, as many boys of my age would have
done, allow myself to cherish any resentment toward my aunt, on the
contrary I did every thing in my power to gain her goodwill; I never
allowed the water-pails to become empty; I split the kindlings for the
morning fire; and, by the time I had been a few weeks in the family, my
busy aunt found herself freed from many household tasks to which she had
been accustomed for years, and, more than this, I invariably treated her
with the utmost kindness and respect. It happened one evening that my
aunt was suffering from one of the severe headaches to which she was
often subject. After supper she was almost incapable of any exertion
whatever. When it was nearly dark she suddenly remembered that the large
weekly wash had not been brought in from the clothes' yard, and there
was every appearance of approaching rain. "I don't know," said she in a
desponding voice; "what will become of the clothes, but if they are all
spoiled I can't bring them in, for my head aches as though it would
split." It was with fear and trembling that I came forward, and offered
to get the clothes-basket and bring in the clothes. She looked at me
with astonishment, saying, "a pretty sight the clothes will be by the
time you bring them in, and then the lines will be broken into fifty
pieces; no, no, let them hang and take their chance in the rain; I can't
any more than have to wash them all over again." "Please let me go,
aunty," said I, "I will handle the clothes very carefully, and I
certainly will not break the lines." Touched in spite of herself by my
desire to assist her she gave me the basket, saying, "now do pray be
careful and not destroy every thing you put your hands on," and again
seated herself with a troubled countenance to await my return. She was
often inclined to think that nothing could be done properly about the
house which was not performed by her own hands. Her face did brighten a
little when I appeared after a short time at the kitchen door, bearing
the well-filled basket with its snow-white contents in a most wonderful
state of preservation. It was not her habit to praise any one to their
face, but, when I had left the room, she turned to Uncle Nathan and said
"I do believe after all there is some good in that boy. I am afraid I
have been a little too hard with him, but I've made up my mind if he
behaves as well as he's done so far, that he shall have a friend in his
Aunt Lucinda; he's the first boy that's ever been about the house that I
could endure at all, and I do believe he means well, and does his best
to please us, and that's more than can be said of most boys."
The busy season was over at last, and the harvest all gathered in; on
the following Monday I was to enter as a pupil at Fulton Academy. I had
long anxiously looked forward to this day, and now that it was so near,
I grew restless with expectation. I spent the Saturday afternoon roaming
among the old woods which skirted the farm on one side, and seated by
turns at the roots of some of the fine old trees, whose covering of
many-hued leaves had long since fallen to the ground, my thoughts wove
themselves into many bright forms, and many a purpose for good was
matured in my mind. I dreamed of a time when, by the unaided exertions
of manhood I would purchase ease and relaxation for my patient mother
and loving sister, and next to those of my own household I breathed a
wish for the happiness of the loved companion of my childhood Charley
Gray.