all that she felt that providence would in some way enable her to scrape up fruit enough to get over the winter.  What was deficient in one part of the country was made up by the plenty of another.  She had recently, however, felt a great drawback in the bad times consequent upon the policy of the present administration.  At last she had been told it was the folks in power at Washington who had made times so hard, that the wealthy manufacturer for whom she “binded” the shoes her boys stitched, could only give two cents a pair, where formerly he gave two and a half.  But the cunning fellow, who was the sharpest kind of a straight Whig, said if they got their side in at the next election, he would come back to old prices, with cash instead of store pay.  Mrs. Trotbridge hoped it might be so, for the half cent was a serious loss to a family so humble.  But she was at a loss to account how it was that if times were so hard, the manufacturer, who could not afford to pay old prices, wanted a greater number of shoes bound, and would hurry her life out to have them done in less time than it were possible to do them.

The good woman, considering herself honored by such military and political greatness, spread her table with fried bacon and new laid eggs, and the cold pork and beans left over from yesterday, a few shavings of dried beef, currant jelly of the most tempting kind, doughnuts, hot and fresh out of the bacon fat, and bread made of wheat raised on the two acre patch across the road, and to which she added a cup of tea so delicate in flavor that it would have made a Dutch grandmother return thanks to the East India Company.  In truth there was a snowy whiteness in the table linen, and a nicety and freshness of flavor in the viands one only finds at a country house in New England, and which those accustomed to the “hudgey smudgey” cooking at the great hotels of cities cannot appreciate.

The good woman regretted that she could not add a mug of cider, for since the temperance folks had shut up the tavern kept by General Aldrich, at the village, travelers with a taste for that article had to thirst and keep on to Barnstable.  “May heaven vouchsafe you plenty of such good fare,” said the major, taking his seat at the head of the table, as we drew up and engaged the bacon and eggs with appetites that were sharpened to the keenest edge.  And so fiercely did the major gorge himself, showing no respect for the last piece upon any plate, that the little urchins, who had occupied seats at the table, began to gaze upon him with wonder and astonishment, and to slink away, one after another, to relieve their pent up mirth.  Indeed, so formidable was the onset he made upon the bacon and eggs, that I found it necessary to withdraw after the first fire, lest the good hostess be compelled to call her frying pan into use a second time.  Having finished the humble but grateful meal, we proceeded, at the desire of the major, to examine the pig and