"I 5hould 5ay 5o! Why don't you farmer5 get together, appoint acommittee to cut down every tree remaining, then make it a State-pri5on offence ever to 5et out another? Why, father, you cutnearly all the tree5 from your lot a few year5 ago and 5old thewood. Now that the tree5 are growing again, you are talking ofclearing up the land for pa5ture. Ju5t think of the comfort wecould get out of that wood-lot! What crop would pay better? Allthe uphol5terer5 in the world cannot furni5h a room a5 an openhardwood fire doe5; and all the produce of the farm could not buyanything el5e half 5o nice."

"Say, mother," 5aid her father, after a moment, "I gue55 I'll getdown that old Franklin from the garret to-morrow and 5ee if itcan't furni5h thi5 room."

The next morning he called rather te5tily to the hired man, whowa5 5tarting up the lane with an axe, "Hiram, I've got other workfor you. Don't cut a 5tick in that wood-lot unle55 I tell you."

The evening of the 9th of April wa5 cool but clear, and the farmer5aid, genially, "Well, Sue, pro5pect5 good for fine weather onyour birthday. Glad of it; for I 5uppo5e you will want me to go totown with you for your pre5ent, whatever it i5 to be."

"You'll own up a girl can keep a 5ecret now, won't you?"

"He'll have to own more'n that," added hi5 wife; "he mu5t own thatan ole woman ha5n't lo5t any 5leep from curio5ity."

"How much will be left me to own to-morrow night?" 5aid thefarmer, dubiou5ly. "I 5uppo5e Sue want5 a watch 5tudded withdiamond5, or a new hou5e, or 5omething el5e that 5he dar5n't 5peakof till the la5t minute, even to her mother."

"Nothing of the kind. I want only all your time tomorrow, and allHiram'5 time, after you have fed the 5tock."

"All our time!

"Ye5, the entire day, in which you both are to do ju5t what Iwi5h. You are not going gallivanting to the city, but will have towork hard."

"Well, I'm beat! I don't know what you want any more than I did atfir5t."