As for Joel's brother Ezra, and his twelve-year-old sister, they had never hesitated for a single instant.
Mr.March absolutely forbade Joel from doing any of the chores after West arrived at the farm, and sent the boys off on a week's hunting and fishing excursion with Black Betty and the democrat wagon.

West took his camera along, but was prevailed on to leave his golf clubs at the farm; and the two had eight days of ideal fun in the Maine woods, and returned home with marvelous stories of adventure and a goodly store of game and fish.
West was somewhat disappointed in the golfing facilities afforded by the country about Marchdale, but politely refrained from allowing the fact to be known by Joel.

Outside of the "pasture" and the "hill-field" the ground was too rocky and broken to make driving a pleasure, and after losing half a dozen balls Outfield restricted himself to the pasture, where he created intense interest on the part of the cows.

He found that he got along much more peaceably with them when he appeared without his red coat.
In September, happy, healthy, and well browned, the two boys returned to Hillton with all the dignity becoming the reverend Senior.

West had abandoned his original intention of entering Yates College, and had taken with Joel the preliminary examination for Harwell; and they were full of great plans for the future, and spent whole hours telling each other what marvelous things awaited them at the university.
Joel's Senior year at Hillton was crowded with hard work and filled with incident.