and mother told him that he might go to Riverport and make a visit to Aunt Stover. He could hardly believe his ears; and the very first thing he did was to rush out and tell Alice Martin and his boy playmates that he was going to Riverport. Think of it! To Riverport! And to ride in that splendid stage! Perhaps to sit up by the side of Moses Copp on the driver's seat! It was too good to be true, and many of his mates refused to believe it; but Alice believed Lem; and she said it would be lovely if she could go too, and sit beside Lem and Mose Copp on the great high

seat.

The eventful day came, and Lem's father led him down to the tavern, "The Rising Sun," from which the stage started. His mother had put up a nice little luncheon for him; his small outfit of clothing was packed in a shiny black bag, and when he had been hugged and kissed once or twice, he set off, holding on to his father's hand. "Be sure you don't get homesick!" cried his big sister, Almira, as Lem went down the Common, feeling as if he were walking on the air and not on the solid ground. The idea of his being. homesick! But Almira remembered that, once upon a time, when Lem was seven years old, she took him across the harbor to Brooksville, where they stayed over night with the Shepherd family, and Lem was found standing at a window, when the darkness came on, gazing at the lights of Fair

port, six miles across the harbor, the homesick tears running down his cheeks.

When

Lem had a delightful ride to Riverport. they changed at Buker's, he was very much interested to see the fresh horses brought out and the tired ones led away into the stable. It was then that he ate his luncheon, for he knew he was half-way to Riverport. The driver had declined having him ride outside; there were only two passengers in the stage, Lem and an old gentleman whom his father knew, a Mr. Libby; and when Lem took out his luncheon, he offered to share it with Mr. Libby, for that gentleman had promised Lem's father that he "would look after the boy." But Mr. Libby thanked him, and said he would wait until he got to Riverport, where he would have his dinner. Secretly pleased that the old gentleman did not want any of his seed-cakes and apples, Lem ate them all, and then went to sleep in his corner of the stage. He could hardly believe his eyes when Mr. Libby shook him gently and told him that they were going into Riverport. It seemed impossible that he should have gone to sleep on such a grand and momentous journey. But he had slept, and just as he wakened up, he heard Mose Copp blow his horn, and the stage went clattering and clanking down the hill into the village, and drew up with a grand flourish before the tavern door.

"This little boy belongs to Master Parker, and

he wants to go to Mrs. Stover's house; isn't it near here?" asked Mr. Libby. The tavern-keeper, who had come out, rubbing his hands, looked at the little boy with great respect, when he heard that he belonged to Master Parker, and said, "Yes, my little man, she lives right round the corner," and taking Lem by the arm, he led him to the corner of the house, and pointing up a shady and grassy street, he said, "Old lady Stover lives in that house that sets back from the road a piece; you can't miss it."

Lem did not miss it, and when he reached the gate, there was Aunt Stover standing at the door, looking for him. She trotted down the gravel walk, and stooping down so that her skirts bulged out all around her, making "a cheese," as he had heard the girls call it, she hugged and kissed him so heartily that Lem was glad none of his mates could see him. Everything was strange and pleasant at Aunt Stover's home. Tall clumps of hollyhocks bloomed on both sides of the gravel walk; beyond these were all manner of sweet herbs and bright flowers to the right, and cabbages and other vegetables to the left. There was a fragrant honeysuckle climbing over the front door, and a gigantic hop-vine, the biggest Lem ever saw, had wound itself to the top of a tall pole near the house and now waved its long hands up toward the sky, as if it would climb into the clouds. Everything was very beautiful. And when they

sat down to a neat little table (Aunt Stover, her grown-up daughter Maria, and Lem), the boy was delighted to see that there was salmon and green peas for dinner. If there was anything in the world that Lem liked better than anything else, it was boiled salmon and green peas. I think it very likely that his Aunt Stover knew that, although she did not say so.

"Now you can go out in the garden and play," Isaid the good aunt, when dinner was done. She had a notion that all a little boy needed to make him happy was a chance to play; so, while she composed herself for an early afternoon nap, Maria led him out into the garden and showed him where the best apples were, and where grew the Jerusalem artichokes along the borders of the cabbage patch.

To his great delight and admiration, he saw that there was a meeting-house near by, and on its steeple was a dial that showed the time of day. He had never seen a church clock before, and he gazed at it with much satisfaction. Here was something new that he could tell his mates about when he should get back to Fairport. Fairport ! How far off it seemed now! He did not know how much he had travelled in his sleep; but he knew that home was far away. He had eaten so heartily of the salmon, green peas, and apple pie, at dinner, that he did not want any apples now, although he bit into a few, just to see what they

were like. He had nothing to dig artichokes with, and he knew that artichokes were not very good at that time of year. So he sauntered around to the back of the house to see if he could find anybody to play with. The hired girl, who was really an elderly woman, was washing dishes by the kitchen window, and he was too bashful to speak to her.

"Be you Master Parker's son?" she asked, fixing her little black eyes upon his face.

"Yes, and my name is Lem," he answered. "Lem what?" she asked, rather unpleasantly, Lem thought. "Only just Lem?

Why, you

must be Lemuel, or Lemkin, or something like that," said the woman.

"Where's Maria?" asked Lem, who was now getting up his courage.

"She's upstairs prinkin' before the glass," said the woman, with a toss of her head. Lem saw that she did not approve of prinkin', whatever that might be, and he strolled away, rather glad to get out of her sight.

"You mustn't step on any of the flowers," she called after him, "but you can step on the camomile all you want to; for the more you tramp on camomile, the better it grows - like some folks," and again she laughed in that unpleasant way that Lem did not like.

He did not find it very lively, walking around the garden and looking at the flowers and herbs.