 rejoinder to this was the first
shrug. Then he laughed at himself for being likely to have felt jealous, as if
he had been a man able to marry, which, added he, it is as clear as any
balance-sheet that I am not. Whereupon followed the second shrug.
    What could two men, so different from each other, see in this »brown patch,«
as Mary called herself? It was certainly not her plainness that attracted them
(and let all plain young ladies be warned against the dangerous encouragement
given them by Society to confide in their want of beauty). A human being in this
aged nation of ours is a very wonderful whole, the slow creation of long
interchanging influences; and charm is a result of two such wholes, the one
loving and the one loved.
    When Mr. and Mrs. Garth were sitting alone, Caleb said, »Susan, guess what
I'm thinking of.«
    »The rotation of crops,« said Mrs. Garth, smiling at him, above her
knitting, »or else the backdoors of the Tipton cottages.«
    »No,« said Caleb, gravely; »I am thinking that I could do a great turn for
Fred Vincy. Christy's gone, Alfred will be gone soon, and it will be five years
before Jim is ready to take to business. I shall want help, and Fred might come
in and learn the nature of things and act under me, and it might be the making
of him into a useful man, if he gives up being a parson. What do you think?«
    »I think, there is hardly anything honest that his family would object to
more,« said Mrs. Garth, decidedly.
    »What care I about their objecting?« said Caleb, with a sturdiness which he
was apt to show when he had an opinion. »The lad is of age and must get his
bread. He has sense enough and quickness enough; he likes being on the land, and
it's my belief that he could learn business well if he gave his mind to it.«
    »But would he? His father and mother wanted him to be a fine gentleman, and
I think he has the same sort of feeling himself. They all think us beneath them.
And if the proposal came from you, I am sure Mrs. Vincy would say that we wanted
Fred for Mary.«
    »Life is a poor tale, if it is to be settled by nonsense of that sort,« said
Caleb, with disgust.
    »Yes
