spring, and buoyancy. The fame of his meaning was spread for as much as

twenty leagues along the coast; and jealous people laughed, instead of

waiting for him to finish it.

Young Daniel had been well brought up in the mysteries of his father's

craft, and having a vigorous turn of wrist, as well as a true eye and

quick brain, he was even outgrowing the paternal skill, with experiments

against experience. He had beautiful theories of his own, and felt

certain that he could prove them, if any one with cash could be brought

to see their beauty. His father admitted that he had good ideas, and

might try them, if any fool would find the money.

Wroth as he had been at the sharp rebuff and contumely of his father,

young Daniel, after a long strong walk, began to look at things more

peaceably. The power of the land and the greatness of the sea and the

goodness of the sky unangered him, and the air that came from some

oyster beds, as the tide was falling, hungered him. Home he went, in

good time for dinner, as the duty of a young man is; and instead of

laughing when he came by, the maids of Springhaven smiled at him. This

quite righted him in his own opinion, yet leaving him the benefit of

the doubt which comes from a shake in that cradle lately. He made a good

dinner, and shouldered his adze, with a frail of tools hanging on

the neck of it, and troubled with nothing but love--which is a woe of

self-infliction--whistled his way to the beach, to let all the women

understand that he was not a bit ashamed. And they felt for him all the

more, because he stood up for himself a little.

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