They were not interested in their new home or truly content until, in one of these family meetings, she told them the farm was her own, and that her father had given it to her long ago, after her only brother, who was to have had it, died just as he left college. That if she could make it more attractive and valuable, by-and-by they could rent it for enough to pay for a home in town, and with their help she thought she could make it so. Then six eager, expectant faces were about her, and six tongues were talking at once. She heard all they had to say, and wisely diverted them when their enthusiasm was expended and they verged on sadness or repining. Their father went into the city every day and they saw little of him. That was no privation to them, because they had their mother all to them- selves all the day long. Beautiful days those were to that band of children, and the world was in after years all the brighter to them for the experiences they knew then. The true beauty and unselfishness of that mother's character was not understood wholly at the time, but it was afterward, and it strengthened them for the changes that came in after years to each and all. The house was surrounded by what had been a pretty paling fence, but it had been neglected until it needed careful repairing from one 352 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. end to the other. This was one of the first pieces of work the mother desired to do, but she had not decided how to go about it, until the daughter complained of its appearance. Then there was a visit made to it, and every paling was examined. The son was carelessly told to bring the hammer and nails along, and by dint of encourage- ment and coaxing, the loose boards were fastened as far as there was time that day and the whole subject of the fence was discussed earn- estly. It was decided that the nailing could all be done by the oldest boy, and that the hired man should be called upon to get substitutes for the missing palings. When the fence, that had appeared as if it was getting tired and seemed only not to fall, in places, had been straightened and made whole (and it required a great deal of labor to make it so, and mother had often gone out to where her boy was working with flushed face and aching hands, sustained only by the thought that he was improving her place, with the lemonade and cake she had thoughtfully put aside for him) it was a day of rejoicing. Very wisely this sagacious woman had interested her daughters in flowers, and the eldest was not slow to see that plenty of blossoms in that large bare yard would make it a different place. So there were trips made to the woods, and vines and wild plants were transplanted, and the few rose bushes on the place were trimmed and the earth about them enriched. No work was kept up until the children were tired, ^nd no undertaking was pursued until they became restless. The fence was painted twice over though there was but one brush to go over fully a mile, when both sides were completed, and the ruses of the sister and brother to get off to do this work, when mother was helping the one maid-of-all-work, commanded her respect. They showed themselves such apt scholars in the art of unselfish dissimulation that she was proud of them and let them work until they had done enough.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

They were not interested in their new home or truly content until, in one of these family meetings, she told them the farm was her own, and that her father had given it to her long ago, after her only brother, who was to have had it, died just as he left college. That if she could make it more attractive and valuable, by-and-by they could rent it for enough to pay for a home in town, and with their help she thought she could make it so. Then six eager, expectant faces were about her, and six tongues were talking at once. She heard all they had to say, and wisely diverted them when their enthusiasm was expended and they verged on sadness or repining. Their father went into the city every day and they saw little of him. That was no privation to them, because they had their mother all to themselves all the day long. Beautiful days those were to that band of children, and the world was in after years all the brighter to them for the experiences they knew then. The true beauty and unselfishness of that mother's character was not understood wholly at the time, but it was afterward, and it strengthened them for the changes that came in after years to each and all. The house was surrounded by what had been a pretty paling fence, but it had been neglected until it needed careful repairing from one 352 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. end to the other. This was one of the first pieces of work the mother desired to do, but she had not decided how to go about it, until the daughter complained of its appearance. Then there was a visit made to it, and every paling was examined. The son was carelessly told to bring the hammer and nails along, and by dint of encouragement and coaxing, the loose boards were fastened as far as there was time that day and the whole subject of the fence was discussed earnestly. It was decided that the nailing could all be done by the oldest boy, and that the hired man should be called upon to get substitutes for the missing palings. When the fence, that had appeared as if it was getting tired and seemed only not to fall, in places, had been straightened and made whole (and it required a great deal of labor to make it so, and mother had often gone out to where her boy was working with flushed face and aching hands, sustained only by the thought that he was improving her place, with the lemonade and cake she had thoughtfully put aside for him) it was a day of rejoicing. Very wisely this sagacious woman had interested her daughters in flowers, and the eldest was not slow to see that plenty of blossoms in that large bare yard would make it a different place. So there were trips made to the woods, and vines and wild plants were transplanted, and the few rose bushes on the place were trimmed and the earth about them enriched. No work was kept up until the children were tired, and no undertaking was pursued until they became restless. The fence was painted twice over though there was but one brush to go over fully a mile, when both sides were completed, and the ruses of the sister and brother to get off to do this work, when mother was helping the one maid-of-all-work, commanded her respect. They showed themselves such apt scholars in the art of unselfish dissimulation that she was proud of them and let them work until they had done enough.

The hearthstone; or, Life at home