“Freda,” said I to my friend after tea, when she and I were sitting comfortably by the fire in the library, “do you know anything about the old yellow-gray house up on the hill?”

“Why, what of it?”

“Nothing, only I went into it to-day.  What is its history?”

“Nothing particular.  It was built for a Doctor Haywood.  Have you read Alp’s last essay on the Semi-occasional?”

“Yes, and great stuff it is.”

Freda looked inexpressibly shocked.  I had better have condemned law and gospel together than made light of Alp; but she put up with it, probably considering it excusable as the utterance of a savage from the wilds of New York.

“Never mind him now.  He shall proclaim his figs in the name of the Prophet for all time if you will tell me about the old house.  I know it has a story.”

She rose and took from the drawer an old manuscript volume, which she placed in my hands.  It was a little note-book, in which the entries were made not from day to day, but at irregular intervals, in a singularly clear, precise hand: 

“Nov. 3, 1784.  This day my neighbor Ball’s cow, getting out of the pasture and running on the highway, was put in the pound.  Took her out, and cautioned my neighbor to have more care of the creature. Mem.: To bespeak a pair of shoes for her eldest girl.

“Jan. 1, 1785.  This day the wind very high.

“Jan. 10.  Neighbor Ball’s cow, getting among my wife’s rosebushes, did do some damage, whereat she was much vexed.  Caught the said cow, and begged my neighbor to keep her at home, which she promised to do, but in an hour back again.  However, she is a widow.

“Jan. 13.  Doctor Haywood, newly come to this place from the old country, has taken lodging with Neighbor Ball.  Said to be a learned man—­has much baggage, and they say some curious machines.  Is curious about plants and the like.  Neighbor Ball did hint to my wife that he knew about matters better let alone, whereat my wife did tell her that she wished he would give her a charm to keep her cow out of our yard.

“Jan. 15.  Dr. Haywood has bought a lot on the hill, and is to build upon it.  Has spoken to me about it.  Have drawn the plan, and shall make the estimate.

“Feb. 1.  Doctor Haywood hurries on the work—­says he is in haste to get into his own house.  Saw Indian Will to-day, quite drunk.  With much trouble got him to our house, where my wife did let him lie in the kitchen all night.  Had she not done so, the poor man might have frozen to death before morning, for it was a very cold night.  Argued with him in the morning, whereat he promised amendment.

“Feb. 10.  My daughter Faithful this day, with my consent, promised herself to John Clark, skipper of the Federalist schooner.

“Feb. 18.  Blasting out the cellar for Haywood’s house.  He wants it more than common deep—­says it makes the house warm.