It would be the finest end to a melancholy period, being all together here in this homelike place.
Everything was duly arranged in the hopes of winning the father's consent to the scheme.

Mary Harmer hunted up stores of bedding and linen, the latter of her own weaving, and every day they waited impatiently for the appearing of James Harmer, who, however, was unaccountably long in making his appearance.
He came at last, but it was with a sorrowful face and a bowed look which told at once a story of trouble, and made the whole party stand silent, after the first eager chorus of welcome, certain that he was the bearer of bad news.
"My poor boy Dan!" he said in a choked voice, and sat himself heavily down upon the chair beside the hearth.
"Dan!" cried Reuben, and the word was echoed by all the brothers in tones of varying surprise and dismay.

"You do not mean that he is dead!" "Taken to the plague pit a week ago.

Just when all the world is rejoicing in the thought that the distemper is abating.

Dr.Hooker spoke truly when he said that the confidence of the people was like to be a greater peril than the disease itself.