He had kinder worked his way up, so I found out, and so had Isabelle.
She had graduated from a Young Woman's College, taught school to earn her money, and then went to school as long as that would last, and then would set out and teach agin, and then go agin and then taught, and then went.
She wuz younger than Christopher, but he owned up to me that it wuz her example that had rousted him up to exert himself.
She wuz awful ambitious, Isabelle wuz.

She wuz smart as she could be, and had a feelin' that she wanted to be sunthin' in the World.
But then the old folks wuz took down sick and helpless, and one of the children had to stay to home.

And Isabelle staid, and sent Krit out into the World.
She sold her jewels of Ambition and Happiness, and gin him the avails of them.
She staid to home with the old folks--kinder peevish and fretful, Krit said they wuz, too--and let him go a-sailin' out on the broad ocean of life; she had trimmed her own sails in such hope, but had to curb 'em in now and lower the topmast.
You have to reef your sails considerable when you are a-sailin' round in a small bedroom between two beds of sickness (asthma and inflammatory rheumatiz).

You have to haul 'em in, and take down the flyin' pennen of Hope and Asperation, and mount up the lamp of Duty and Meekness for a figger-head, instead of the glowin' face of Proud Endeavor.
[Illustration: Isabelle staid, and sent Krit out into the World.] But them lamps give a dretful meller, soft light, when they are well mounted up, and firm sot.
The light on 'em hain't to be compared to any other light on sea or on shore.

It wrops 'em round so serene and glowin' that walks in it.