ILLUSTRATIONS

  Mary
  Aunt Sarah
  The Old Spring House
  The Old Mill Wheel
  The Old Mill
  Old Corn Crib
  The New Red Barn
  The Old Farm-House
  Ralph Jackson
  Rocky Valley
  Professor Schmidt
  Frau Schmidt
  Old Time Patch-Work Quilts
  Old Time Patch-Work
  Home-Made Rag Carpet
  A Hit-and-Miss Rug
  A Brown and Tan Rug
  A Circular Rug
  Imitation of Navajo Blankets
  Rug With Design
  Rug With Swastika in Centre
  Home Manufactured Silk Prayer Rug
  Elizabeth Schmidt—­“Laughing Water”
  Articles in the Old Parlor Before It Was Modernized
  Other Articles in the Old Parlor Before It Was Modernized
  Palisades, or Narrows of Nockamixon
  The Canal at the Narrows
  The Narrows, or Pennsylvania Palisades
  Top Rock
  Ringing Rocks of Bucks County, Pennsylvania
  High Falls
  Big Rock at Rocky Dale
  The Old Towpath at the Narrows
  Old Earthenware Dish
  Igraffito Plate
  Old Plates Fund in Aunt Sarah’s Corner Cupboard
  Old Style Lamps
  Old Taufschien
  The Old Store on Ridge Road
  Catching Elbadritchels
  Old Egg Basket at the Farm
  A Potato Pretzel
  Loaf of Rye Bread
  A “Brod Corvel,” or Bread Basket
  Church Which Sheltered Liberty Bell in 1777-78
  Liberty Bell Tablet
  Durham Cave
  The Woodland Stream
  Polly Schmidt
  An Old-Fashioned Bucks County Bake-Oven

[Illustration:  Mary]

CHAPTER I.

Mary’s letters received at clear spring farm.

One morning in early spring, John Landis, a Pennsylvania German farmer living in Schuggenhaus Township, Bucks County, on opening his mail box, fastened to a tree at the crossroads (for the convenience of rural mail carriers) found one letter for his wife Sarah, the envelope addressed in the well-known handwriting of her favorite niece, Mary Midleton, of Philadelphia.

[Illustration]

A letter being quite an event at “Clear Spring” farm, he hastened with it to the house, finding “Aunt Sarah,” as she was called by every one (Great Aunt to Mary), in the cheery farm house kitchen busily engaged kneading sponge for a loaf of rye bread, which she carefully deposited on a well-floured linen cloth, in a large bowl for the final raising.

Carefully adjusting her glasses more securely over the bridge of her nose, she turned at the sound of her husband’s footsteps.  Seeing the letter in his hand she inquired:  “What news, John?” Quickly opening the letter handed her, she, after a hasty perusal, gave one of the whimsical smiles peculiar to her and remarked decisively, with a characteristic nod of her head:  “John, Mary Midleton intends to marry, else why, pray tell me, would she write of giving up teaching her kindergarten class in the city, to spend the summer with us on the farm learning, she writes, to keep house, cook, economize and to learn how to get the most joy and profit from life?”