And love, true love and pure, he found was no flower reared only in what was called refined society, and requiring leisure and polished manners for its growth....

He believed that in country people, what is permanent in human nature, the essential feelings and passions of mankind, exist in greater simplicity and strength_."-- PRINCIPAL SHAIRP.
* * * * * A DEDICATION.
It would hardly be in character for me to dedicate this book in good, stiff, old-fashioned tomb-stone style, but I could not have put in the background of scenery without being reminded of the two boys, inseparable as the Siamese twins, who gathered mussel-shells in the river marge, played hide-and-seek in the hollow sycamores, and led a happy life in the shadow of just such hills as those among which the events of this story took place.

And all the more that the generous boy who was my playmate then is the generous man who has relieved me of many burdens while I wrote this story, do I feel impelled to dedicate it to GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON, a manly man and a brotherly brother.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I .-- In Love with a Dutchman.
CHAPTER II .-- An Explosion.
CHAPTER III .-- A Farewell.
CHAPTER IV .-- A Counter-Irritant.
CHAPTER V .-- At the Castle.
CHAPTER VI .-- The Backwoods Philosopher.
CHAPTER VII .-- Within and Without.
CHAPTER VIII .-- Figgers won't Lie.
CHAPTER IX .-- The New Singing-Master.
CHAPTER X .-- An Offer of Help.
CHAPTER XI .-- The Coon-dog Argument.
CHAPTER XII .-- Two Mistakes.
CHAPTER XIII .-- The Spider Spins.
CHAPTER XIV .-- The Spider's Web.
CHAPTER XV .-- The Web Broken.
CHAPTER XVI .-- Jonas Expounds the Subject.
CHAPTER XVII .-- The Wrong Pew.
CHAPTER XVIII .-- The Encounter.
CHAPTER XIX .-- The Mother.
CHAPTER XX .-- The Steam-Doctor.
CHAPTER XXI .-- The Hawk in a New Part.
CHAPTER XXII .-- Jonas Expresses his Opinion on Dutchmen.
CHAPTER XXIII .-- Somethin' Ludikerous.
CHAPTER XXIV .-- The Giant Great-heart.
CHAPTER XXV .-- A Chapter of Betweens.
CHAPTER XXVI .-- A Nice Little Game.
CHAPTER XXVII .-- The Result of an Evening with Gentlemen.
CHAPTER XXVIII .-- Waking up an Ugly Customer.
CHAPTER XXIX .-- August and Norman.
CHAPTER XXX .-- Aground.
CHAPTER XXXI .-- Cynthy Ann's Sacrifice.
CHAPTER XXXII .-- Julia's Enterprise.
CHAPTER XXXIII .-- The Secret Stairway.
CHAPTER XXXIV .-- The Interview.
CHAPTER XXXV .-- Getting Ready for the End.
CHAPTER XXXVI .-- The Sin of Sanctimony.
CHAPTER XXXVII .-- The Deluge.
CHAPTER XXXVIII .-- Scaring a Hawk.
CHAPTER XXXIX .-- Jonas takes an Appeal.
CHAPTER XL .-- Selling out.
CHAPTER XLI .-- The Last Day and What Happened in it.
CHAPTER XLII .-- For Ever and Ever.
CHAPTER XLIII .-- The Midnight Alarm.
CHAPTER XLIV .-- Squaring Accounts.
CHAPTER XLV .-- New Plans.
CHAPTER XLVI .-- The Shiveree.
* * * * * ILLUSTRATIONS.
BY FRANK BEARD The Backwoods Philosopher Taking an Observation A Talk with a Plowman A little rustle brought her to consciousness Gottlieb The Castle The Sedilium at the Castle "Look at me" "Don't be oncharitable, Jonas" The Hawk "Tell that to Jule" Tempted "Now I hate you" At Cynthy's Door Cynthy Ann had often said in class-meeting that temptations abounded on every hand Jonas Julia sat down in mortification "Good-by!" The Mother's Blessing Corn-Sweats and Calamus "Fire! Murder! Help!" Norman Anderson Somethin' Ludikerous To the Rescue A Nice Little Game The Mud-Clerk Waking up an Ugly Customer Cynthy Ann's Sacrifice A Pastoral Visit Brother Goshorn "Say them words over again" "I want to buy your place" THE END OF THE WORLD.
* * * * * CHAPTER I.
IN LOVE WITH A DUTCHMAN.
"I don't believe that you'd care a cent if she did marry a Dutchman! She might as well as to marry some white folks I know." Samuel Anderson made no reply.

It would be of no use to reply.

Shrews are tamed only by silence.