Father said there was really no good pen except the quill you sharpened yourself; and while he often used steel ones like we children had at school to write to the brothers and sisters away, and his family, he always kept a few choice quills in the till of his chest, and when he wrote a deed, or any valuable paper, where there was a deal with money, he used them.

He said it lent the dignity of a past day to an important occasion.
After mother and Mrs.Freshett had talked over every single thing about the geese, and that they were like Pryors' had been settled, Mrs.
Freshett said: "Since he told about it before all of us, and started out the way he did, would it be amiss to ask how Laddie got on at Pryors' ?" "Just the way I thought he would," said mother.

"He stayed until all of us were in bed, and I'd never have known when he came in, if it were not a habit of his always to come to my door to see if I'm sleeping.
Sometimes I'm wakeful, and if he pommels my pillow good, brings me a drink, and rubs my head a few strokes with his strong, cool hands, I can settle down and have a good night's rest.

I was awake when he came, or I'd never have known.

It was almost midnight; but they sat two hours at the table, and then all of them rode." "Not the Missus ?" "Oh no! She's not strong enough.