LOOKING ABOUT.
| The Davenport family—Whistler’s cousins—Surveying the premises—The house—The shop—Tools—Clinton’s skill—The barn—Rye—Verdancy—The swine—Clinton’s fowls—How he managed them—The patch of corn—A partnership proposed—The other side of the account—The kitchen garden—Working on shares—The secret of Clinton’s success—His studies—The ducks and their home—Geography of Brookdale—Map of the town, | [28] |
CHAPTER III.
| Clinton’s chamber—The furniture—The writing-desk—The library—The schooner—Pictures—Lessons suspended—Plans about work—Morning—Milking—A talk about the cows—Daisy’s uneasiness—Conversation suspended—Breakfast—Impromptu rhymes—Clinton’s favorite song—The turkeys and hens—Weeding—Witch-grass—Difficulty of exterminating it—An imagined moral—A habit of Whistler’s father—The toad—A cruel act—Ending his misery—Whistler’s thoughtlessness—Toads not poisonous—The good they do—How the boys serve them—Tame toads—How they eat—“Spitting fire” a vulgar notion—How the toad disposes of his old coat—Clinton’s authority for his statement—The morning’s work completed, | [41] |
CHAPTER IV.
AN AFTERNOON’S EXCURSION.
| A walk—The Prestons—A strawberry party—The swamp—Ella’s timidity—Snakes—Foolish prejudices—Poison ivy—The woodbine—Difference between them—How Whistler fastened it in his mind—The law of the association of ideas—A poison vine found—Temerity and timidity—Susceptibility to poison—Poison dogwood—Its effects—Description of the plant—Poisonous plants do not bear beautiful flowers—The strawberry patch—Poor picking—The boys go further—Woods and hills—Bald Peak—A fine view—How far one can see in Boston—The other side of the hills—The report of a gun—A solitary place—A sportsman—Scaring the game—A rough salutation—An ill-favored fellow—A few questions—The man’s lameness—His account of himself—A favor asked—A difficulty—A secret divulged—Clinton’s promise—A threat—They separate—What Clinton knew about the man—Driving the cows home, | [56] |
CHAPTER V.
THE ACCIDENT.
| A rainy day—The hay-cutter—Blood—A mutilated finger—The missing piece—The first outburst of grief—The tip replaced—Sympathy—The doctor—Encouraging words—The case of instruments—Sewing the piece on—Whistler’s heroic endurance of pain—Praise—Directions—The fire—A sad loss—The missing horse—The work of a villain—Suspicions—Tom Walker—The public security diminished—A visit to the ruins—The two babies—A good retort—How the finger got along—Writing home—An unpleasant duty—An intimation of carelessness—Whistler’s sensitiveness—Clinton’s defence—His device for making the hay-cutter safe—Its successful operation—The letter mailed—Going to bed—Some speculations about Dick Sneider—Suspicions—A restless night, | [74] |