"Now, altogether.

One, two, three, ready, sing." He beat time with his hand in imitation of the singing master at the schoolhouse and we joined him in singing an old tune which began: "O keep my heart from sadness, God." This irresistible spirit of the man bridged a bad hour and got us off to bed in fairly good condition.
A few days later the note came due and its owner insisted upon full payment.

There was such a clamor for money those days! I remember that my aunt had sixty dollars which she had saved, little by little, by selling eggs and chickens.

She had planned to use it to buy a tombstone for her mother and father--a long-cherished ambition.

My uncle needed the most of it to help pay the note.