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rosial odours from the kitchen。 In all my life I never enjoyed a moment more than that； I think。
〃Come in now；〃 said the motherly Mrs。 Stanley。
So we filed into the roomy kitchen； where an older girl； called Kate； was flying about placing steaming dishes upon the table。 There was also an older son； who had been at the farm chores。 It was altogether a fine； vigorous； independent American family。 So we all sat down and drew up our chairs。 Then we paused a moment； and the father； bowing his head； said in a low voice：
〃For all Thy good gifts； Lord； we thank Thee。 Preserve us and keep us through another night。〃
I suppose it was a very ordinary farm meal； but it seems to me I never tasted a better one。 The huge piles of new baked bread； the sweet farm butter； already delicious with the flavour of new grass； the bacon and eggs； the potatoes； the rhubarb sauce； the great plates of new； hot gingerbread and； at the last； the custard piea great wedge of it； with fresh cheese。 After the first ravenous appetite of hardworking men was satisfied； there came to be a good deal of lively conversation。 The girls had some joke between them which Ben was trying in vain to fathom。 The older son told how much milk a certain Alderney cow had given； and Mr。 Stanley； quite changed now as he sat at his own table from the rather grim farmer of the afternoon； revealed a capacity for a husky sort of fun； joking Ben about his potato…planting and telling in a lively way of his race with me。 As for Mrs。 Stanley； she sat smiling behind her tall coffee pot； radiating good cheer and hospitality。 They asked me no questions at all； and I was so hungry and tired that I volunteered no information。
After supper we went out for half or three quarters of an hour to do some final chores； and Mr。 Stanley and I stopped in the cattle yard and looked over the cows； and talked learnedly about the pigs； and I admired his spring calves to his hearts content； for they really were a fine lot。 When we came in again the lamps had been lighted in the sitting…room and the older daughter was at the telephone exchanging the news of the day with some neighbourand with great laughter and enjoyment。 Occasionally she would turn and repeat some bit of gossip to the family； and Mrs。 Stanley would claim：
〃Do tell！〃
〃Can't we have a bit of music to…night？〃 inquired Mr。 Stanley。
Instantly Ben and the slim girl； Mary； made a wild dive for the front roomthe parlourand came out with a first…rate phonograph which they placed on the table。
〃Something lively now；〃 said Mr。 Stanley。
So they put on a rollicking negro song called。 〃My Georgia Belle；〃 which； besides the tuneful voices； introduced a steamboat whistle and a musical clangour of bells。 When it wound up with a bang； Mr。 Stanley took his big comfortable pipe out of his mouth and cried out：
〃Fine； fine！〃
We had further music of the same sort and with one record the older daughter； Kate； broke into the song with a full； strong though uncultivated voicewhich pleased us all very much indeed。
Presently Mrs。 Stanley； who was sitting under the lamp with a basket of socks to mend； began to nod。
〃Mother's giving the signal；〃 said the older son。
〃No； no； I'm not a bit sleepy；〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Stanley。
But with further joking and laughing the family began to move about。 The older daughter gave me a hand lamp and showed me the way upstairs to a little room at the end of the house。
〃I think；〃 she said with pleasant dignity； 〃you will find everything you need。〃
I cannot tell with what solid pleasure I rolled into bed or how soundly and sweetly I slept。
This was the first day of my real adventures。
CHAPTER II。 I WHISTLE
When I was a boy I learned after many discouragements to play on a tin whistle。 There was a wandering old fellow in our town who would sit for hours on the shady side of a certain ancient hotel…barn； and with his little whistle to his lips； and gently swaying his head to his tune and tapping one foot in the gravel； he would produce the most wonderful and beguiling melodies。 His favourite selections were very lively； he played； I remember； 〃Old Dan Tucker；〃 and 〃Money Musk；〃 and the tune of a rollicking old song； now no doubt long forgotten； called 〃Wait for the Wagon。〃 I can see him yet； with his jolly eyes half closed； his lips puckered around the whistle； and his fingers curiously and stiffly poised over the stops。 I am sure I shall never forget the thrill which his music gave to the heart of a certain barefoot boy。
At length； by means I have long since forgotten； I secured a tin whistle exactly like Old Tom Madison's and began diligently to practise such tunes as I knew。 I am quite sure now that I must have made a nuisance of myself； for it soon appeared to be the set purpose of every member of the family to break up my efforts。 Whenever my father saw me with the whistle to my lips； he would instantly set me at some useful work （oh； he was an adept in discovering useful work to dofor a boy！）。 And at the very sight of my stern aunt I would instantly secrete my whistle in my blouse and fly for the garret or cellar； like a cat caught in the cream。 Such are the early tribulations of musical genius！
At last I discovered a remote spot on a beam in the hay…barn where； lighted by a ray of sunlight which came through a crack in the eaves and pointed a dusty golden finger into that hay…scented interior； I practised rapturously and to my heart's content upon my tin whistle。 I learned 〃Money Musk〃 until I could play it in Old Tom Madison's best styleeven to the last nod and final foot…tap。 I turned a certain church hymn called 〃Yield Not to Temptation〃 into something quite inspiriting； and I played 〃Marching Through Georgia〃 until all the 〃happy hills of hay〃 were to the fervid eye of a boy's imagination full of tramping soldiers。 Oh； I shall never forget the joys of those hours in the hay…barn； nor the music of that secret tin whistle！ I can hear yet the crooning of the pigeons in the eaves； and the slatey sound of their wings as they flew across the open spaces in the great barn； I can smell yet the odour of the hay。
But with years； and the city； and the shame of youth； I put aside and almost forgot the art of whistling。 When I was preparing for the present pilgrimage； however； it came to me with a sudden thrill of pleasure that nothing in the wide world now prevented me from getting a whistle and seeing whether I had forgotten my early cunning。 At the very first good…sized town I came to I was delighted to find at a little candy and toy shop just the sort of whistle I wanted； at the extravagant price of ten cents。 I bought it and put it in the bottom of my knapsack。
〃Am I not old enough now；〃 I said to myself； 〃to be as youthful as I choose？〃
Isn't it the strangest thing in the world how long it takes us to learn to accept the joys of simple pleasures？and some of us never learn at all。 〃Boo！〃 says the neighbourhood； and we are instantly frightened into doing a thousand unnecessary and unpleasant things； or prevented from doing a thousand beguiling things。
For the first few days I was on the road I thought often with pleasure of the whistle lying there in my bag； but it was not until after I left the Stanleys' that I felt exactly in the mood to try it。
The fact is； my adventures on the Stanley farm had left me in a very cheerful frame of mind。 They convinced me that some of the great things I had expected of my pilgrimage were realizable possibilities。 Why； I had walked right into the heart of as fine a family as I have seen these many days。
I remained with them the entire day following the potato…planting。 We were out at five o'clock in the morning； and after helping with the chores； and eating a prodigious breakfast； we went again to the potato…field； and part of the time I helped plant a few remaining rows； and part of the time I drove a team attached to a wing…plow to cover the planting of the previous day。
In the afternoon a slashing spring rain set in； and Mr。 Stanley； who was a forehanded worker； found a job for all of us in the barn。 Ben； the younger son； and I sharpened mower…blades and a scythe or so； Ben turning the grindstone and I holding the blades and telling him stories into the bargain。 Mr。 Stanley and his stout older son overhauled the work…harness and tinkered the corn…planter。 The doors at both ends of the barn stood wide open； and through one of them； framed like a picture； we could see the scudding floods descend upon the meadows； and through the other； across a fine stretch of open country； we could see all the roads glistening and the treetops moving under the rain。
〃Fine； fine！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Stanley； looking out from time to time； 〃we got in our potatoes just in the nick of time。〃
After supper that evening I told them of my plan to leave them on the following morning。
〃Don't do that；〃 said Mrs。 Stanley heartily； 〃stay on with us。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mr。 Stanley； 〃we're shorthanded； and I'd be glad to have a man like you all summer。 There ain't any one around here will pay a good man more'n I will； nor treat 'im better。〃
〃I'm sure of it； Mr。 Stanley；〃 I said； 〃but I can't stay with you。〃
At that the tide of curiosity which I had see