100% found this document useful (1 vote)
15 views

Java Methods A Ab Object oriented Programming and Data Structures Maria Litvin pdf download

The document provides information about the book 'Java Methods A & AB: Object-Oriented Programming and Data Structures' by Maria and Gary Litvin, detailing its contents and structure. It includes a comprehensive overview of Java programming concepts, data structures, and algorithms, organized into chapters covering various topics from hardware to advanced programming techniques. Additionally, it offers links to other related educational resources and ebooks.

Uploaded by

helsaboers41
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
100% found this document useful (1 vote)
15 views

Java Methods A Ab Object oriented Programming and Data Structures Maria Litvin pdf download

The document provides information about the book 'Java Methods A & AB: Object-Oriented Programming and Data Structures' by Maria and Gary Litvin, detailing its contents and structure. It includes a comprehensive overview of Java programming concepts, data structures, and algorithms, organized into chapters covering various topics from hardware to advanced programming techniques. Additionally, it offers links to other related educational resources and ebooks.

Uploaded by

helsaboers41
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 60

Java Methods A Ab Object oriented Programming

and Data Structures Maria Litvin download

https://ebookname.com/product/java-methods-a-ab-object-oriented-
programming-and-data-structures-maria-litvin/

Get Instant Ebook Downloads – Browse at https://ebookname.com


Instant digital products (PDF, ePub, MOBI) available
Download now and explore formats that suit you...

Object Oriented Data Structures Using Java Chip Weems

https://ebookname.com/product/object-oriented-data-structures-
using-java-chip-weems/

A comprehensive introduction to object oriented


programming with Java 1st Edition C. Thomas Wu

https://ebookname.com/product/a-comprehensive-introduction-to-
object-oriented-programming-with-java-1st-edition-c-thomas-wu/

Object Oriented Programming Using C Fourth Edition


Joyce Farrell

https://ebookname.com/product/object-oriented-programming-using-
c-fourth-edition-joyce-farrell/

The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke Volumes 1 4 Charles


M. Robinson Iii

https://ebookname.com/product/the-diaries-of-john-gregory-bourke-
volumes-1-4-charles-m-robinson-iii/
Java How to Program 6th Edition Harvey Deitel & Paul
Deitel

https://ebookname.com/product/java-how-to-program-6th-edition-
harvey-deitel-paul-deitel/

Half the Human Experience 8th Edition Janet Shibley


Hyde

https://ebookname.com/product/half-the-human-experience-8th-
edition-janet-shibley-hyde/

Getting Things Done The Art of Stress Free Productivity


1st Edition David Allen

https://ebookname.com/product/getting-things-done-the-art-of-
stress-free-productivity-1st-edition-david-allen/

The DaVinci method Loporto

https://ebookname.com/product/the-davinci-method-loporto/

Hebrew Poems from Spain 1st Edition David Goldstein

https://ebookname.com/product/hebrew-poems-from-spain-1st-
edition-david-goldstein/
Comprehensive handbook of clinical health psychology
1st Edition Bret A. Boyer

https://ebookname.com/product/comprehensive-handbook-of-clinical-
health-psychology-1st-edition-bret-a-boyer/
Java
Methods
A & AB
Object-Oriented Programming
and
Data Structures

Maria Litvin
Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts

Gary Litvin
Skylight Software, Inc.

Skylight Publishing
Andover, Massachusetts
Skylight Publishing
9 Bartlet Street, Suite 70
Andover, MA 01810

web: http://www.skylit.com
e-mail: sales@skylit.com
support@skylit.com

Copyright © 2006 by Maria Litvin, Gary Litvin, and


Skylight Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,


stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of the authors and Skylight Publishing.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2005910949

ISBN 978-0-9727055-7-8

The names of commercially available software and products mentioned in this book are
used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks
owned by corporations and other commercial entities. Skylight Publishing and the authors
have no affiliation with and disclaim any sponsorship or endorsement by any of these
products’ manufacturers or trademarks’ owners.

Sun, Sun Microsystems, Java, and Java logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

SCRABBLE® is the registered trademark of HASBRO in the United States and Canada and
of J.W. Spear and Sons, PLC, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., outside the United States and
Canada.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10 09 08 07 06

Printed in the United States of America


To Marg and Aaron
Brief Contents

Preface
How to Use This Book
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Hardware, Software, and the Internet
Chapter 2 An Introduction to Software Development
Chapter 3 Objects and Classes
Chapter 4 Algorithms
Chapter 5 Java Syntax and Style
Chapter 6 Data Types, Variables, and Arithmetic
Chapter 7 Boolean Expressions and if-else Statements
Chapter 8 Iterative Statements: while, for, do–while
Chapter 9 Implementing Classes and Using Objects
Chapter 10 Strings
Chapter 11 Class Hierarchies and Interfaces
Chapter 12 Arrays and ArrayLists
Chapter 13 Searching and Sorting
Chapter 14 Streams and Files
Chapter 15 Graphics
Chapter 16 GUI Components and Events
Chapter 17 Mouse, Keyboard, Sounds, and Images
Chapter 18 Big-O Analysis of Algorithms
Chapter 19 The Java Collections Framework
Chapter 20 Linked Lists
Chapter 21 Stacks and Queues
Continued

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


Chapter 22 Recursion Revisited
Chapter 23 Binary Trees
Chapter 24 Lookup Tables and Hashing
Chapter 25 Priority Queues
Chapter 26 Design Patterns
Appendix A The 17 Bits of Style
Appendix B Common Syntax Error Messages
Appendix C HTML Tutorial
Appendix D GUI Examples Index
Appendix E The EasyReader, EasyWriter, EasySound, EasyDate,
and EasyFormat Classes
Appendix F Computing in Context: Responsible, Ethical, and Effective
Computer Use
Index

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


Contents

Preface xvii

How to Use This Book xxi

Chapter 1. An Introduction to Hardware, Software, and the Internet 1


1.1 Prologue
1.2 Hardware Overview
1.2.1 The CPU
1.2.2 Memory
1.2.3 Secondary Storage Devices
1.2.4 Input and Output Devices
1.3 Software Overview
1.4 Representation of Information in Computer Memory
1.4.1 Numbers
1.4.2 Characters
1.5 The Internet
1.6 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 2. An Introduction to Software Development


2.1 Prologue
2.2 Compilers and Interpreters
2.3 Software Components and Packages
2.4 Lab: Three Ways to Say Hello
2.5 Object-Oriented Programming
2.6 Lab: More Ways to Say Hello
2.7 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


viii CONTENTS

Chapter 3. Objects and Classes


3.1 Prologue
3.2 Case Study: First Steps
3.3 Classes
3.4 Fields, Constructors, and Methods
3.5 Case Study: First Steps Continued
3.6 Inheritance
3.7 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 4. Algorithms
4.1 Prologue
4.2 Properties of Algorithms
4.3 Iterations
4.4 Recursion
4.5 Case Study: Euclid’s GCF Algorithm
4.6 Working with Lists
4.7 Case Study: File Manager
4.8 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 5. Java Syntax and Style


5.1 Prologue
5.2 Using Comments
5.3 Reserved Words and Programmer-Defined Names
5.4 Syntax vs. Style
5.5 Statements, Blocks, Indentation
5.6 Lab: Correcting Syntax Errors
5.7 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


CONTENTS ix

Chapter 6. Data Types, Variables, and Arithmetic


6.1 Prologue
6.2 Declaring Fields and Local Variables
6.3 Primitive Data Types
6.4 Strings
6.5 Constants
6.6 Scope of Variables
6.7 Arithmetic Expressions
6.8 Compound Assignment and Increment Operators
6.9 Converting Numbers and Objects into Strings
6.10 Lab: Pie Chart
6.11 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 7. Boolean Expressions and if-else Statements


7.1 Prologue
7.2 if–else Statements
7.3 boolean Data Type
7.4 Relational Operators
7.5 Logical Operators
7.6 Order of Operators
7.7 Short-Circuit Evaluation
7.8 if–else–if and Nested if–else
7.9 Case Study and Lab: Rolling Dice
7.10 The switch statement
7.11 Enumerated Data Types
7.12 Case Study and Lab: Rolling Dice Continued
7.13 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 8. Iterative Statements: while, for, do-while


8.1 Prologue
8.2 The while and for Loops
8.3 The do–while Loop
8.4 return and break in Loops
8.5 Nested Loops
8.6 Lab: Perfect Numbers
8.7 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


x CONTENTS

Chapter 9. Implementing Classes and Using Objects


9.1 Prologue
9.2 Public and Private Features of a Class
9.3 Constructors
9.4 References to Objects
9.5 Defining Methods
9.6 Calling Methods and Accessing Fields
9.7 Passing Parameters to Constructors and Methods
9.8 return Statement
9.9 Case Study and Lab: Snack Bar
9.10 Overloaded Methods
9.11 Static Fields and Methods
9.12 Case Study and Lab: Snack Bar Continued
9.13 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 10. Strings


10.1 Prologue
10.2 Literal Strings
10.3 String Constructors and Immutability
10.4 String Methods
10.5 Converting Numbers into Strings and Strings into Numbers
10.6 Character Methods
10.7 Lab: Lipogrammer
10.8 The StringBuffer Class
10.9 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 11. Class Hierarchies and Interfaces


11.1 Prologue
11.2 Class Hierarchies and Polymorphism
11.3 Abstract Classes
11.4 Invoking Superclass’s Constructors
11.5 Calling Superclass’s Methods
11.6 Case Study: Dance Studio
11.7 Interfaces
11.8 Case Study: Dance Studio Continued
11.9 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


CONTENTS xi

Chapter 12. Arrays and ArrayLists


12.1 Prologue
12.2 One-Dimensional Arrays
12.3 Lab: Fortune Teller
12.4 The ArrayList Class
12.5 ArrayList’s Constructors and Methods
12.6 ArrayList’s Pitfalls
12.7 Iterations and the “For Each” Loop
12.8 Inserting and Removing Elements
12.9 Lab: Creating an Index for a Document
12.10 Two-Dimensional Arrays
12.11 Case Study and Lab: Chomp
12.12 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 13. Searching and Sorting


13.1 Prologue
13.2 equals, compareTo, and compare
13.3 Sequential and Binary Search
13.4 Lab: Keeping Things in Order
13.5 Selection Sort
13.6 Insertion Sort
13.7 Mergesort
13.8 Quicksort
13.9 Lab: Benchmarks
13.10 The Arrays and Collections Classes
13.11 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 14. Streams and Files


14.1 Prologue
14.2 Pathnames and the java.io.File Class
14.3 Reading from a Text File
14.4 Writing to a Text File
14.5 Lab: Dictionary Maker
14.6 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


xii CONTENTS

Chapter 15. Graphics


15.1 Prologue
15.2 paint, paintComponent, and repaint
15.3 Coordinates
15.4 Colors
15.5 Drawing Shapes
15.6 Fonts and Text
15.7 Case Study and Lab: Pieces of the Puzzle
15.8 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 16. GUI Components and Events


16.1 Prologue
16.2 Pluggable Look and Feel
16.3 Basic Swing Components and Their Events
16.4 Case Study and Lab: Speed Control
16.5 Pull-Down Menus
16.6 Layouts
16.7 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 17. Mouse, Keyboard, Sounds, and Images


17.1 Prologue
17.2 Mouse Events Handling
17.3 Keyboard Events Handling
17.4 Case Study and Lab: Drawing Editor
17.5 Lab: Cursor Keys
17.6 Sounds and Images
17.7 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 18. Big-O Analysis of Algorithms


18.1 Prologue
18.2 Big-O Notation
18.3 Sorting: a Big-O Review
18.4 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


CONTENTS xiii

Chapter 19. The Java Collections Framework


19.1 Prologue
19.2 Collection<E> and Iterator<E>
19.3 Lists and ListIterator<E>
19.4 Stacks
19.5 Queues
19.6 Priority Queues
19.7 Sets
19.8 Maps
19.9 Case Study and Lab: Stock Exchange
19.10 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 20. Lists and Iterators


20.1 Prologue
20.2 Singly-Linked List
20.3 Traversals
20.4 Lab: Implementing a Singly-Linked List
20.5 Linked List with a Tail
20.6 Doubly-Linked List and Circular List
20.7 Lab: Teletext
20.8 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 21. Stacks and Queues


21.1 Prologue
21.2 Implementations of Stacks
21.3 Lab: Browsing
21.4 The Hardware Stack
21.5 Implementations of Queues
21.6 Case Study and Lab: Actors World
21.7 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


xiv CONTENTS

Chapter 22. Recursion Revisited


22.1 Prologue
22.2 Three Examples
22.3 When Not to Use Recursion
22.4 Understanding and Debugging Recursive Methods
22.5 Lab: The Tower of Hanoi
22.6 Case Study and Lab: The Game of Hex
22.7 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 23. Binary Trees


23.1 Prologue
23.2 Implementation of Binary Trees
23.3 Traversals
23.4 Binary Search Trees
23.5 Lab: Morse Code
23.6 Case Study and Lab: Java Messenger
23.7 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 24. Lookup Tables and Hashing


24.1 Prologue
24.2 Lookup Tables
24.3 Lab: Cryptogram Solver
24.4 Hash Tables
24.5 java.util’s HashSet and HashMap
24.6 Lab: Search Engine
24.7 Summary
Exercises

Chapter 25. Heaps and Priority Queues


25.1 Prologue
25.2 Implementations of Priority Queues
25.3 Binary Trees: Non-Linked Representation
25.4 Heaps and Priority Queues
25.5 Lab: Heapsort
25.6 Summary
Exercises

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


CONTENTS xv

Chapter 26. Design Patterns


26.1 Prologue
26.2 Façade
26.3 Strategy
26.4 Singleton
26.5 Decorator
26.6 Composite
26.7 MVC (Model-View-Controller)
26.8 Summary
Exercises

Appendix A: The 17 Bits of Style


Appendix B: Common Syntax Error Messages
Appendix C: HTML Tutorial
Appendix D: GUI Examples Index
Appendix E: The EasyReader, EasyWriter, EasySound,
EasyDate, and EasyFormat Classes
Appendix F: Computing in Context: Responsible and Ethical
Computer Use

Index

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


xvi CONTENTS

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


Preface

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and practices of


object-oriented programming in Java. It also introduces the most common data
structures and related algorithms and their implementations in the Java collections
framework. As the title implies, the book covers the material in the A- and AB-level
AP Computer Science course syllabus. This is equivalent to a two- or three-semester
college course sequence in introductory programming and data structures for
computer science majors. In addition to covering the AP curriculum in depth, we
introduce several topics that are not required for the AP exams, including file input
and output, graphics, graphical user interfaces, events handling in Java, and design
patterns. This additional material gives students a better sense of real-world Java
programming and enables them to undertake more realistic and engaging exercises
and labs.

This edition builds on our earlier books, Java Methods: An Introduction to Object-
Oriented Programming (Skylight Publishing, 2001) and Java Methods AB: Data
Structures (Skylight Publishing, 2003). In this edition we have organized all of the
material into one volume. Besides an upgrade to Java 5.0, we have made many
substantial changes that reflect the current thinking about object-oriented
programming (OOP) among computer science educators and professionals. We have
revised the sequence of topics for an earlier introduction of inheritance, class
hierarchies, interfaces, and polymorphism; enhanced the discussion of object-
oriented design; introduced new case studies and labs and updated and streamlined
those we decided to keep from the previous edition; recast almost all examples from
applets into applications; added a separate chapter on the Java collections framework;
and so on.

The book follows four main threads: OOP concepts and techniques, algorithms, Java
syntax and style, and Java libraries. As in the software engineering profession itself,
these threads are interwoven into an inseparable braid.

Our book strives to present the technical details while grounding them in clear
explanations of the underlying concepts. OOP has an extensive conceptual layer and
complex terminology. Fortunately, many OOP concepts are more straightforward
than the terminology makes them appear. The notions of objects (entities that
combine data elements and functions), classes (definitions of types of objects),
methods (functions that handle certain tasks), instantiation (creating an object of a
particular class), inheritance (one class extending the features of another class),

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


xviii PREFACE

encapsulation (hiding the implementation details of a class), polymorphism (calling


the correct methods automatically for specific objects disguised as more generic
types), and event-driven applications (where the operating system, the user, or events
in the program trigger certain actions) are actually quite intuitive.

We also emphasize good programming style, an element not mandated by formal


Java language specifications but essential for writing readable and professional
programs.

Our labs and case studies aim to demonstrate the most appropriate uses of the
programming techniques and data structures we cover. OOP is widely believed to
facilitate team work, software maintenance, and software reuse. While it is not
possible for an introductory textbook to present a large-scale real-world project as a
case study, the case studies and labs in this book offer a taste of how these OOP
benefits can play out in larger projects.

We assume that at least two or three class periods each week will be held in a
computer lab with students working independently or in small groups. The Student
“disk” (a zip file downloadable from the book’s web site) contains files for all the
case studies, labs, and exercises in the book; the Teacher’s “disk,” available to
teachers, provides complete solutions to all the labs and exercises.

Still, with all the examples and case studies, we leave a lot of work to you, the
student. This is not a Java-in-n-days book or an n-hours-to-complete book. It is a
book for learning essential concepts and technical skills at a comfortable pace, for
acquiring a repertoire of techniques and examples to work from, and for consulting
once in a while when you start writing your own Java programs professionally or for
fun.

Working through this book will not make you a Java expert right away — but it will
bring you to the level of an entry-level Java programmer with a better than average
understanding of the fundamental concepts. Object-oriented programming was
invented to make software development more accessible to beginners, and Java
Methods A & AB is written in that spirit.

Our sincere thanks to...

Our special thanks to Margaret Litvin for her thorough and thoughtful editing.

Without further delay, let us begin learning object-oriented programming in Java!

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


PREFACE xix

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


xx PREFACE

About the Authors

Maria Litvin has taught computer science and mathematics at Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts, since 1987. She is an Advanced Placement Computer
Science exam reader and question leader and, as a consultant for The College Board,
provides AP training for high school computer science teachers. Maria is a recipient
of the 1999 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement for Mathematics, Science, and
Technology for New England and of the 2003 RadioShack National Teacher Award.
Prior to joining Phillips Academy, Maria taught computer science at Boston
University. Maria is a co-author of C++ for You++: An Introduction to
Programming and Computer Science, which became one of the leading high school
textbooks for AP Computer Science courses, and of the earlier editions of Java
Methods and Java Methods AB. Maria is also the author of Be Prepared for the AP
Computer Science Exam in Java.

Gary Litvin is a co-author of C++ for You++, Java Methods, and Java Methods
AB and a contributor to the 2006 edition of Be Prepared for the AP Computer
Science Exam in Java. Gary has worked in many areas of software development
including artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, computer graphics, and neural
networks. As founder of Skylight Software, Inc., he developed SKYLIGHTS/GX,
one of the first visual programming tools for C and C++ programmers. Gary led in
the development of several state-of-the-art software products including interactive
touch screen development tools, OCR and handwritten character recognition systems,
and credit card fraud detection software.

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


How to Use This Book

The Java Methods A & AB companion web site —

http://www.skylit.com/javamethods

— is an integral part of this book. It contains four chapters and several appendices.
It also has a downloadable Student “disk” with all the student files for case studies,
labs, and exercises. Also on the book’s web site are “footnotes,” web links, errata,
supplemental papers, and syllabi and technical support information for teachers.

We have chosen to place Chapters 1, 14, 16, and 17 and the appendices on the web
either because they rely on many web links or because the material they cover is less
theoretical and handy to have online for reference.

The web symbol indicates a “footnote” that is on the book’s web site in the
alphabetical list of “footnote” links.

JM refers to the Java Methods student disk. For example, “you can find
HelloWorld.java in JM\Ch02\Hello” means the HelloWorld.java
file is located in the Ch02\Hello folder on your student disk.

This icon draws your attention to a lab exercise or a hands-on exploration of


an example.

“Parentheses” like these, in the margin, mark supplementary material


intended for a more inquisitive reader. This material either gives a glimpse
of things to come in subsequent chapters or adds technical details.

1. , 2. In exercises, a square indicates an “intermediate” question that may require


more thought or work than an ordinary question or exercise. A diamond
indicates an “advanced” question that could be treacherous or lead to
unexplored territory — proceed at your own risk.

A checkmark at the end of a question in an exercise means that a solution is


included on your student disk. We have included solutions to about one-
third of the exercises. They can be found in JM\SolutionsToExercises
(click on index.html).

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


xxii HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

A Teacher’s “disk” with complete solutions to all the exercises and labs is available
for downloading free of charge to teachers who use this book as a textbook in their
schools (click on the “Teachers’ Room” link at skylit.com/javamethods for
details).

(To a slightly different subject...)

How you use this book will depend on your background in computers. If you are
familiar with computers and programming, you can glance quickly at Chapters 1 and
2 to see whether they fill any gaps. Chapters 3 (Objects and Classes), 4
(Algorithms), and 5 (Java Syntax and Style) can be covered in any order, depending
on your taste. If you know C++, Chapters 6, 7, and 8 will be easy for you. But do
still look at them for the sake of the case studies and labs, which cover broader
concepts than the chapter headings imply. Chapters 14 (Streams and Files), 15
(Graphics), 16 (GUI Components and Events), and 17 (Mouse, Keyboard, Sounds,
and Images) are optional as far as the AP exams are concerned. Chapter 18 begins
the discussion of more advanced “AB” topics: big-O, the Java collections framework,
and data structures. The concluding chapter, Design Patterns, broadens the horizon,
but it is optional, too.

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


ch 001
1 An Introduction to Hardware,
Software, and the Internet
1.1 Prologue 2
1.2 Hardware Overview
1.2.1 The CPU
1.2.2 Memory
1.2.3 Secondary Storage Devices
1.2.4 Input and Output Devices
1.3 Software Overview
1.4 What Do Programmers Do?
1.5 Representation of Information in Computer Memory
1.4.1 Numbers
1.4.2 Characters
1.6 The Internet
1.7 Summary
Exercises 5

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


2 CHAPTER 1 ~ AN INTRODUCTION TO HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND THE INTERNET

1.1 Prologue
Have you ever opened that inconspicuous gray or black (or purple) box sitting on or
beside your desk, with tangled wires snaking out of it in all directions? If you do,
you might find a mostly empty box, with a power supply, a printed circuit board on
the bottom connected by tape cables to a small disk drive and a couple of other
devices neatly tucked away in their bays. And that’s all. But it brings you an entire
world.

The most important piece of a typical computer is the Central Processing Unit or
CPU. In a personal computer, the CPU is a microprocessor made from a tiny chip of
silicon, sometimes as small as half an inch square. Immensely precise manufacturing
processes etch a huge number of semiconductor devices, called transistors, into the
silicon wafer. Each transistor is a microscopic digital switch and together they
control, with almost perfect precision, billions of signals — little spikes of electricity
— that arise and disappear every second. The size of the spikes doesn’t matter, only
their presence or absence. The transistors in the CPU recognize only two states of a
signal, “on” or “off,” “high” or “low,” “1” or “0,” “true” or “false.” This is called
digital electronics, as opposed to analog electronics where the actual amplitudes of
signals carry information.

The transistors on a chip combine to form logical devices called gates. Gates
implement Boolean operations (named after the British mathematician George Boole,
1815-1864, boole who studied the properties of logical relations). For example, an
AND gate takes two inputs and combines them into one output signal. The output is
set to “true” if both the first and the second input are “true,” and to “false” otherwise
(Figure 1-1 (a)). In an OR gate, the output is set to “true” if either the first or the
second (or both) inputs are true (Figure 1-1 (b)). A NOT gate takes one input and
sets the output to its opposite (Figure 1-1 (c)). Note the special shapes used to denote
each type of gate.

These three basic types of gates can be combined to make other Boolean operations
and logical circuits. Figure 1-2, for example, shows how you can combine AND, OR
and NOT gates to make an XOR (“eXclusive OR”) operation. This operation sets the
output to “true” if exactly one of its two inputs is “true.” In the late 1940s, John von
Neumann, neumann a great mathematician and one of the founding fathers of computer
technology, showed that all arithmetic operations can be reduced to AND, OR, and
NOT logical operations.

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


CHAPTER 1 ~ AN INTRODUCTION TO HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND THE INTERNET 3

A A
A AND B A OR B A NOT A
B B

A B A AND B A B A OR B A NOT A
T T T T T T T F
T F F T F T F T
F T F F T T
F F F F F F

(a) (b) (c)


AND gate OR gate NOT gate

Figure 1-1. AND, OR, and NOT gates

B °
A XOR B

°
A B A XOR B
T T F
T F T
F T T
F F F

Figure 1-2. XOR circuit made of AND, OR and NOT gates

The microprocessor is protected by a small ceramic case mounted on a PC board


(Printed Circuit board) called the motherboard. Also on the motherboard are
memory chips. The computer memory is a uniform pool of storage units called bits.
A bit stores the smallest possible unit of information: “on” or “off,” “1” or “0.” For
practical reasons, bits are grouped into groups of eight, called bytes.

Draft. Copyright © 2006 by Skylight Publishing.


Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
“Who else is out there?”
“No one but Uncle Andy; he is the oldest person in the
neighborhood. Papa and Uncle Val say that he was the best servant
on the place when able to work.”
“What does he do now?”
“He brings in cobs and shells peas, and other light work to help
Kitty. He loves to count his coins, and we all give him the new, bright
pieces we get. He sings hymns and nothing pleases him better than
to admire his coins and praise his singing.”
Mrs. Courtney gave consent and when the four boys reached
the kitchen there was a general stir among their dusky entertainers
until their guests had the best places about the great stone-flagged
hearth, and although not more than two hours since they had
finished supper, the impromptu cookery was relished.
In the most comfortable corner of the hearth sat Uncle Andy, his
white wool glistening in the firelight, and which illumined every
corner of the large kitchen. It was the first hickory wood and cob fire
the boys had ever seen, and they admired it greatly.
“We have told Ralph and James how well you sing, Uncle Andy,”
said Roy; “we told them you are fond of music.”
“’Deed I is, honey; ’deed I is!” confirmed Andy gleefully, “’kase
dar is a promise, honey, dar suttinly is a promise to dem dat likes
music.”
“Won’t you sing something, Uncle Andy? We all want to hear
you.”
“Suttinly, honey, suttinly!” and leaning his head upon the back of
his high chair he sang a favorite hymn, adding stanza after stanza of
his own improvising, and keeping time with his foot, Kitty, Chloe and
Mose joining in the chorus. The boys expressed such genuine
pleasure in the concert that hymn followed hymn, Andy reviving the
melodies of his boyhood for their entertainment.
“Yes, honey, yes;” he commented after pausing for breath,
“music an’ love is what heaven is made of; it wouldn’t be heaven
widout music an’ love.”
“But there are people who don’t like music, Uncle Andy,”
remarked Roy.
“Den, honey, ol’ Andy wouldn’t gib much for der chance for
heaven, ’deed he wouldn’t, honey. What’ll dey do because of de
music if dey does git to heaven? Mind I says if, honey; mind I says
if.”
Before the magnitude of this query could be lessened, a
shuffling of feet was heard outside, followed by a knock upon the
door.
“It’s Israel!” ejaculated Mose jubilantly, “Marse Merryman’s Perry
said he had done sawed all their wood, an’ he was gwine to bring
him over here this evenin’.”
He hurried to the door, and reaching out a helping hand,
brought the blind wood-sawer in triumph to the hearth, followed by
Perry, who was expected by Mrs. Merryman to return home
immediately, but who remained all evening.
“These here two boys is our boys, Israel,” said Mose, as master
of ceremonies, “and these two other boys is visitin’ us from
Baltimore; and, boys, this here man is bline Israel.”
“Dat is jist like you, Mose, ’mindin’ folks ob der ’flictions. What’s
de use of sayin’ ’bline Isrel’!” rebuked Uncle Andy.
“Israel don’t keer, he says so his own self,” replied Mose
nonchalantly.
“Of course I does, Brudder Andy,” said Israel, towering above
them and removing his pipe to his left hand to give his right to the
old man.
“Don’t let him off so easy, Brudder Isrel,” said Andy, in high
good humor, “or he’ll be sayin’ yer is deaf an’ dumb.”
“Words speak louder dan actions, Brudder Andy,” replied Israel,
benignly.
“Take this chair, Israel,” said Roy, leading him to one. “We staid
here to see you and hear you talk and sing.”
“Mighty kind in you, I’m shore, young marsters.”
“’Pears like ol’ times to see yer, Brudder Isrel,” said Andy,
preparing to fill his pipe. “Kitty done say dis mornin’, she did, ‘whar’s
Uncle Isrel, dat he ain’t been round dis fall?’”
“It’s mighty comfotable here, Brudder Andy, that is a fac’,”
asserted Israel as Roy gently relieved him of his cane and placed it
in a corner.
“Put some more cobs on the fire, you Mose, and hand Uncle
Isrel a coal to light his pipe; it is done gone out,” said Chloe,
hospitably.
“Maybe the young marsters don’t like the smell of the pipe?”
suggested Israel, hesitating between respect for them and his
longing for a smoke.
“Oh, don’t mind us,” said the boys cordially, “we want you to
feel at home.”
“Dey is all well-mannered boys,” remarked Uncle Andy
complacently; “I has done a heap towards trainin’ our two. I allus
says, ‘Boys, let us ol’ culled folks hab de dirty pipes, ’kase we can’t
be spiled; but don’t yer sile yer nice clean mouves wid no whiskey
nor terbaccy.’ An’ dey has promised; an’ ol’ Andy kin trust ’em.”
“Gabe promised too, but he smoked and chawed all the same,”
remarked Chloe as she took her pipe and tobacco from her pocket.
“Oh, dat Gabe is a hippercrite, I allus knowd’d dat; not like dese
yer boys nohow,” replied Andy, between puffs of his pipe.
“I ain’t never gwine to smoke,” interposed Mose, not willing to
be overlooked.
“Better wait ’till yer axed,” suggested Kitty.
“Well, how was dey gittin’ along in de porehouse when yer lef’,
Brudder Isrel?” inquired Andy.
“Oh, fust-rate, what is left of de old stock, but dar is a heap of
changes in the pore-house as well as in other places, Brudder Andy.
Some of the ol’ residenters have gone to dar long home, and dar
places are done filled. Gabe Websta was one of de late arrivals.”
“What is dat?” cried Andy in amazement, while Aunt Kitty and
Mose gazed upon him in consternation, and Chloe removed her pipe
to listen. “Yer suttenly don’t mean our Gabe Websta?” he
questioned.
“I is sorry to inform you, Brudder Andy, that Gabe is at this
moment in the pore-house; he was took up as a wagrant early this
fall.”
“As a wagrant!” echoed Andy, rolling up his eyes and shaking his
frosty head. “Now ain’t it too bad dat anybody dat had de raisen dat
boy had wid ol’ Marse Courtney, has done gone an’ disgraced
hisself?”
“You know that he never would work, Uncle Andy,” remarked
Kitty. “Ol’ missus used to say that it was more bother to make Gabe
work than his work was wuth.”
“Dat boy was born on Christmas day, an’ has been keepin’
Christmas ebber since,” commented Andy; “he’d jist like to set by de
cob fire all winter, an’ go ter sleep in de sun all summer, an’ let de
hoein’ take keer of itself. I allus tole him dat his laziness would done
fotch him to jail, but I never mistrusted dat he would stop at de
pore-house on his way.”
“Dar is wus places than the pore-house, Brudder Andy,”
remarked Israel with dignity.
“Dat’s so, Brudder Isrel; ’deed dat is jis’ so! I is makin’ no
deflections on de pore-house, but on dat misable Gabe Websta. De
pore-house is fur ’flicted pussons an’ dem dat is too ol’ ter work, not
for sich as Gabe.”
“Gabe says he is not able to work; he done says he has the
rheumatiz,” supplemented Israel.
“He allus had som’thin’ or ’nother all his days, ’cept on Sattuday
afternoons an’ Sundays, an’ ’lection days an’ Christmas week; at
dem times Gabe was allus in a good state ob health.”
“Maybe he has the rheumatiz for certain to pay him up for play
in’ ’possum so many times,” suggested Chloe.
“Maybe Chloe is right, Uncle Andy,” interposed Roy. “Let Israel,
when he goes back, ask the overseer to get a doctor to investigate.”
“If Gabe wants to stay in de pore-house dar had better be no
’westigations,” said Uncle Andy with energy. “He’ll get turned out fo’
shore; he can’t fool dem doctahs like he fooled ol’ missus.”
“Gabe has had spells of rheumatiz afore, has he, Brudder
Andy?” asked Israel.
“Yes, every time dar was a big job ob work on hand.”
“Ol’ missus used to send him to hunt eggs,” said Chloe, “and
he’d just lay down on the hay and go to sleep. He’d go to sleep
standin’ up keepin’ the flies off the table, that Gabe would.”
“Nobody could do nothin’ wid dat boy noways,” said Uncle Andy,
reflectively; “he’ll hab to wait till all de folks dat know him is gone
dead afore he plays dat game ob de rheumatiz an’ de pore-house.
Jis’ now he’s like de folks dat wear eye-glasses to pop on an’ off as
suits de ’casion; when he done gits de rheumatiz right, he’ll be like
de people dat wears specs; dat means business.”
“Uncle Andy, won’t you sing, and let the others join in the
chorus?” asked Cecil. “It will be splendid now that Israel is here.”
“To be shore we will sing, honey! What will you hab?”
Before Cecil could make choice Uncle Andy broke into that
melody so dear to his race—“Roll, Jordan, Roll,” and Israel’s deep,
pathetic voice thrilled the hearts of the city boys as no other had
done; no noted concert singer had tones so full and grand as issued
from his powerful chest without effort or thought that he was
making an impression upon his listeners.
“There is one thing that Gabe could do,” remarked Kitty, when
the last notes died away in perfect accord, “he could sing like a
seraphim; that ‘Roll, Jordan, Roll’ was his favorite.”
“Dat is so; dat is jis’ so!” agreed Uncle Andy, whose feelings
were softened by the melody, “and I’ll tell yer what was passin’ in
my mind while we was singin’. I is gwine to write a letter to Gabe dis
yer berry night. Roy, honey, bring de pen; Kitty, clar dat table; I’s
gwine ter write dis yer hour an’ tell Gabe Websta ter gib up de
rheumatiz an’ go ter work.”
“Oh, Uncle Andy, Gabe won’t be in a hurry to get that letter;
wait till mornin’,” said Kitty.
“No, now is de ’cepted time, Kitty. If de doctahs git to
’westigatin’ it’ll knock Gabe higher ’n a kite; he’ll git well ob dat
rheumatiz, an’ be popped out ’n dat pore-house whar my letter will
nebber jine him. No, sah! Dat letter has done got ter be writ dis yer
ebenin’.”
“To-morrow would be airly enough,” said Kitty, preparing to
arrange the table for the writing materials.
“You is allus puttin’ off, Kitty. Dat is de way ol’ Satan gits de
souls ob sinners; dey help him dar ownselves by puttin’ off. Git de
writin’ utenshils, Roy, honey.”
While Roy was gone, Andy had the table rolled to his chair and
was ruminating over the prospective contents of the epistle when he
returned.
“How shall I commence it, Uncle Andy?” Roy asked.
“Dear Gabe,” suggested Chloe.
“No, I is gwine ter say no sich thing!” said Andy irately, the
softening influence of the music having lost its effect when he had
reflected upon Gabe’s delinquencies. “He’s not ‘dear Gabe’ ter
onybody but de pore-house and dem dat has him ter keep; mighty
cheap Gabe in my mind.”
“‘Respected Gabe,’ or ‘Esteemed Gabe’” suggested Roy, with
waiting pen in hand.
“No, he is none ob dat! ‘Lazy Gabe’ is de only ’pendix dat fits
him.”
“But it would not look well to commence a letter that way,” said
Roy.
“No, honey, ol’ Andy knows dat. Folks hab to be ’ceitful in dis
yer wicked world. I suppect yer’ll hab ter say, ‘dear Gabe,’” he
agreed regretfully.
Roy jotted it down quickly, thinking another discussion might
arise.
“It’ll be berry short, honey, jes’ say ‘You Gabe Websta, come out
’en dat pore-house afore de doctahs hab a chance to ’westigate, an’
gib yer wuthless place to some ’flicted creetur dat ain’t playin’
’possum, an’ go ter work an’ airn your livin’, an’ may de Lord hab
mercy on yer soul.’”
“But Uncle Andy,” said Roy, when the old man paused for
breath, “that is what a judge says when a person is sentenced to the
gallows.”
“Dat tex’ ’plies to anybody, honey, ’kase we is all sinnahs, an’
we’se all got ter die.”
Roy proceeded with the epistle, softening it as much as
possible, signed Andy’s name to it, stamped and addressed it, and
Andy gave it to Perry to mail.
“Thanky, thanky, honey! If Gabe goes ter sleep ober dat letta I
done hope de doctahs will ’westigate an’ pop him out ’n dat pore-
house;” and, serenity restored, Andy was ready to sing and as soon
as the sweet notes of “I’ve Been Redeemed” died away Mrs.
Courtney rang the bell for prayers. Israel went to the library with the
others and Perry went home.
When Ralph and James went to their room that night they stood
gazing for some time from their windows upon “My Lady’s Manor,”
beautiful under the light of the full moon. From the servants’
quarters could be heard the same plaintive airs to which they had
listened that evening, accompanied by banjo and violin, and they
expressed to each other the wish that they might see the place
before returning to Baltimore.
“Uncle Val,” said Cecil the next morning, “may we go to ‘My
Lady’s Manor?’ Ralph and James would like to see it.”
A look of pain crossed Mr. Courtney’s face, but he gave
permission. “I have a message,” he continued, “and now is perhaps
the best time to send it; while there, please tell the servants of the
death of Miss Anna Ashburton; they loved her and should no longer
be kept in ignorance of it.”
Breakfast finished, the four boys hurried away, and as they drew
near Mrs. Ashley’s cottage they saw Hilda Brinsfield standing at the
gate with a white rabbit in her arms.
“What a beautiful little girl,” said Ralph in a low tone; “she is the
loveliest creature I ever saw.”
“That is what we all think,” responded Cecil. “Mother says that
with her blue eyes and golden hair she reminds her of the angels we
see in pictures.”
The fishpond, the dove-cote and orchard belonging to “My
Lady’s Manor” were visited, then they halted at the servants’
quarters and obtained the key, unlocked the front door, passed in
and closed it behind them.
With almost awe at the silence, they went through the dim,
richly furnished rooms, then mounted the stairs to have a view from
the roof.
So full of interest was the sight of their native city to Ralph and
James that it was near noon when they descended. Talking gaily,
they reached the attic, and were surprised to see a little old lady in
black slowly receding toward the back room.
Roy and Cecil had heard through the colored people of the
apparition which made them afraid to pass the mansion late at
night, but had been trained to have no belief in the supernatural, so
without hesitation followed.
The spectre had glided through the door of the back attic room,
but when they reached it, it was empty and silent; and perplexed,
they descended to the quarters to give up the key and to deliver the
message in regard to Miss Ashburton.
The boys were aware of the servants’ attachment to their young
mistress, but were not expecting the outburst of grief the disclosure
of her death called forth, as they sobbed and moaned in the
abandonment of woe, genuine and awe-stricken from the
suddenness with which a long cherished hope had been shattered.
“We can’t stay here no more,” cried Lois with streaming eyes,
“we only stayed to keep the place nice for Miss Anna; she is done
gone! She will never, never come, and we must go.”
“Perhaps the owner of ‘My Lady’s Manor’ will like you to stay,”
suggested Roy, deeply touched, as were the other boys.
“No, we can’t stay; Miss Anna is done gone, this is no home for
us no more! Pore Miss Anna that was kept out of the home that ol’
missus done give her! She was so pretty and sweet and kind and
would have been living and well and happy if she hadn’t been turned
out of her home. Pore Miss Anna!”
When the boys returned to “Friedenheim” they gave a full
account of their visit, and after they had gone to the lawn for a
game of ball, their elders sat in the seclusion of the library and
wondered, as they had always done, over the mystery of the
apparition.
The servants left the next day for one of the lower counties of
Maryland, and “My Lady’s Manor” was deserted. Silence reigned in
the servants’ quarters as well as in the spacious rooms of the
mansion; sunlight was shut out and spiders spun their webs in the
door-ways of the cabins, as well as between the lofty pillars of the
piazza.
CHAPTER V—HILDA’S NEW CARE-
TAKER

Two days after the accident which had caused Mrs. Warfield to
return to her farmhouse with nerves so disturbed by terror, pain and
grief that she was ill for several weeks, little Hilda Brinsfield was
playing under the shade of an apple tree in the garden back of the
cottage of Mrs. Ashley, it being one of the ideal days frequently
enjoyed even in early spring.
“Hilda,” called a subdued voice from the window, “come in, dear,
and stay by your aunt while I get supper.”
The little girl made no response, but laying her doll upon the
bank beside her, she took up a book and applied herself diligently to
spelling the words of three letters which described the gay pictures.
“Hilda!” And now Diana Strong was sitting beside her with one
of her little hands in hers.
“Oh, child,” she said in an endearing tone, “you will regret it
some day that you are not willing to leave your play to sit a few
minutes beside the sweet lady who loves you so dearly! Come now,
come!”
A frown darkened the fair brow of the child, and, throwing the
book upon the ground, her foot came down upon it with a quick,
angry stamp.
Diana said no more, but taking her and the doll in her strong
arms carried her to the house in spite of her struggles for release,
and, putting her down by the door of Mrs. Ashley’s room, gently
pushed her in. Ill as she was, the flashing eyes and flushed cheeks
of the little girl attracted the attention of Mrs. Ashley, and she sighed
deeply.
“My darling is angry again,” she said feebly. “Who will take care
of her and teach her self-control?”
“Diana made me leave my new book,” replied Hilda tearfully.
“She held me so tight in her arms that it hurt me, and I could not
get loose. Send her away, Aunt Janette, I don’t like her! Please send
her away!”
A look of pain came into the sweet face of Mrs. Ashley and she
clasped her hands as if in supplication.
“Diana is very tired,” she said after a pause. “She has lost much
sleep in the week that I have been ill.”
“I am tired, too, and want my supper,” responded Hilda fretfully.
“Diana will soon have a nice supper for you, and while she is
preparing it you can lie down beside me and rest.”
Hilda was willing for this; she pushed a chair to the bedside,
and, still clasping the doll in one arm, crept in.
The setting sun glowed ruddily through the western window,
and the ticking of the clock upon the mantel, and the purring of the
kitten before the smouldering wood fire upon the hearth were the
only sounds which broke the stillness of the pleasant room.
“Your father named you Hilda for your sweet, young mother,”
said Mrs. Ashley, taking the child’s hand in hers. “He loved his little
daughter so tenderly that he gave her her mother’s name. She was
lovely in disposition and patient, and I hope my little Hilda will be
like her.”
“Where are my father and mother now?”
“In heaven, my darling, where I hope soon to be with them and
your dear Uncle Ashley.”
“When will I go?”
“In God’s own good time. Try to live each day aright, and then
you will have a home with them and never be parted from them.”
“Who will stay with me when you go?”
“My sister, Sarah Warfield, I hope. I have prayed for that, and
God answers prayer.”
“Why doesn’t she write to you? You said you wanted a letter.”
“Why not, oh, why not?” echoed Mrs. Ashley. “I do so long for a
word from her.”
“But I would rather go to heaven with you and my father and
mother. What is heaven?”
“It is a beautiful home where we will live forever.”
“And will we never come back?”
“No, we will be so happy we will never wish to come.”
“Oh, I want to go now! Take me with you, Aunt Janette, to see
my father and mother and Uncle Ashley!”
“Be patient, my love, and you will come. I cannot talk any more
now; I am very weak, but will speak of it again when rested. I hope
you will be polite and obedient to Diana; she is good and kind. What
would we do without her?”
Hilda was silent, her thoughts busy with what she had just
heard. Where was heaven? How could she get there? And what was
being patient?
Diana had made good speed in preparing the evening meal, and
brought a cup of tea and a slice of cream toast, daintily served, to
the invalid.
“Any letter?” inquired Mrs. Ashley, eagerly scanning the
countenance of the nurse as she drew near.
“No,” replied Diana sadly. “Mr. Merryman’s errand boy, Perry,
passed just now on his way from the postoffice. I ran out and asked
him if he had a letter for you, but there was none. I hoped you
would not ask until you had taken your tea.”
“Oh, Diana, two letters unanswered! Sister Sarah is surely ill or
she would write to me, whether she had received my letters or not. I
know that she has much on her mind with the care of her two boys
and the farming, and Ohio is some distance from here, but the reply
to even my last letter has had time to reach me.”
“Yes, there has been time,” agreed Diana sympathizingly.
“She and my brother Herbert were opposed to my marriage to
Mr. Ashley, but they were always loving and kind. They wrote
affectionate letters to me as soon as they received my letter telling
them that my husband had fallen in battle, and Sarah offered me a
home with her, and said to bring Hilda. She was glad that I intended
adopting her as my own, and said she would be much company for
me.”
“Yes, anyone would think so,” agreed Diana as she drew a stand
to the bedside and arranged the toast and tea upon it.
“I do not wish any tea, Diana. I had so hoped for a letter. Surely
Sarah must write and give me the comfort of knowing that she will
take Hilda when I am gone!”
“I am sure she will; we must give her time,” answered Diana,
soothingly.
“But Sarah is always prompt; a noble, active, Christian woman.
There is no one on earth that I can look to but her, to train Hilda as
she should be trained. Oh, if she would but write and give me the
assurance! but I fear that Mr. Courtney did not tell her in the letter
he wrote for me how ill I am;” and tears of anxiety and longing filled
her beautiful eyes.
“Mr. Courtney said he would state the case exactly as it is, and
ministers should do as they promise.”
“Yes, Diana, so should we all; but you remember my heart
troubled me so little that day that I fear he was deceived. You said
yourself that I was the picture of health with my bright eyes, the
flush upon my cheeks and lips, and my natural appearance in every
way. Oh, I fear he gave Sarah the impression that there was no need
of haste!”
“But you told him there was; he would be guided by what you
said and not by how you looked.”
“I believe that Dr. Lattinger is also deceived by my appearance,
but I knew when I took ill that I would not get well, and if it were
not for my anxiety in regard to Hilda I would be glad to go. Heaven
seems very near to me; I have so many loved ones there, so few on
earth.”
“I was thinking, ma’am,” remarked Diana, “that maybe your
sister is coming, and that is the reason she does not write.”
A gleam of joy illumined Mrs. Ashley’s face, and she partly arose
and stretched out her arms as if to welcome her.
“Oh, Diana,” she whispered, sinking back upon the pillow, “that
would be such a happy thing; God grant that it may be so!”
“You say that she is prompt in her ways; she may not have
waited to write, knowing that she could reach here as quickly as
could a letter,” she said comfortingly.
“Yes, Diana,” smiled Mrs. Ashley, “that is the reason she does
not write. She is coming! Dear heavenly Father,” she continued,
putting her small white hand upon the head of Hilda, “grant my
heartfelt petition that this loved child be a consistent Christian, and
may her home and that of Sarah Warfield be one and the same.”
Cheered by this hope and trust, Mrs. Ashley partook of the toast
and tea with relish, and laid her head again upon the pillow with the
smiling, happy expression of one who had never known pain or trial,
causing Diana to again wonder that the week’s illness had made no
change in her beauty.
“I feel so much better, Diana,” she said cheerfully. “Do you and
Hilda go and take your tea together; do not mind leaving me alone.
I have pleasant thoughts to keep me company. I shall see my sister
—Sarah—Warfield—in the—morning.”
The kitchen where the supper was prepared looked very bright
and cheery to the little girl and the light tea biscuits, sweet butter
and honey were delicious to her taste. She enjoyed the meal, then
fell asleep in the chair where Diana let her remain until all was put in
order for the night, then prepared her for rest and laid her beside
Mrs. Ashley, who appeared to be in a sweet sleep.
Her own cot was in an opposite corner of the room, and after
fastening the outer door she lighted the night lamp, shading it from
the sick bed, then, as was her custom, lay down without removing
her clothing that she might be ready at any minute to wait upon the
invalid.
She had, she thought, scarcely slept, when she was waked by a
rap upon the outer door of the kitchen, and arose quickly that Mrs.
Ashley might not be disturbed by a second knock.
What was her astonishment on opening the door to see the
eastern horizon tinged with a ruddy glow, betokening sunrise!
“How is Mrs. Ashley this morning?” asked Dr. Lattinger as he
stepped over the sill.
“She must have slept all night; I did not hear her speak or stir,”
replied Diana in bewilderment.
The doctor made no remark, but passed quickly through to the
other room, followed by Diana bearing the lighted lamp.
“She has been dead several hours,” he said, taking the lifeless
hand in his.
“Oh, doctor, do not think I neglected her!” exclaimed Diana,
with blanched face and trembling with grief and excitement. “She
was so much better last evening and ate a slice of toast and drank a
cup of tea. Oh, how I wish now I had not lain down!”
“You were worn out with watching and should not have been
left alone,” said Dr. Lattinger kindly.
“Any of the neighbors would have come had I asked it. I did not
have an idea that anyone was needed.”
“Who would you like to have with you? I will call any place you
specify. In the meantime it would be better to remove the little girl
to the cot, that she may not know when first waking that her aunt is
gone.”
“I will, doctor; and if you are going out upon your rounds please
call at ‘Friedenheim’ and ask Mrs. Courtney to come. Mrs. Ashley
admired her, and said she reminded her of her sister, Mrs. Warfield.”
“I am on my way home and have just passed ‘Friedenheim;’ but
it will be no trouble to drive back and tell Mrs. Courtney, and I hope
she can come.”
Dr. Lattinger left and Diana removed Hilda to the cot, then sat
by the bedside of Mrs. Ashley and wept without restraint.
It took but a few minutes for the doctor to reach the lane gate
that led to the main entrance of “Friedenheim.”
His ring of the door bell was answered by Mose, who informed
him that Mrs. Courtney was suffering with sick headache and was
unable to go.
Disappointed, Dr. Lattinger turned away and in a few minutes
reached home, where he sat down to breakfast, weary and listless,
having been all night beside a sick bed.
“Diana Strong needs someone to assist her this morning,” he
said, when a good cup of coffee had refreshed him. “Mrs. Ashley
died during the night and Diana is there alone. I called at
‘Friedenheim’ to ask Mrs. Courtney to go, but she is in bed with one
of her attacks of sick headache, and it is impossible for her to give
aid.”
“Of course, Diana feels the responsibility,” rejoined Mrs.
Lattinger. “Mrs. Ashley had no relatives and her reserved disposition
prevented her making acquaintances. ‘My Lady’s Manor’ was the
only place she visited, and after Anna Ashburton left it she had not
one whom she could call a friend. I wonder why Diana selected Mrs.
Courtney?”
“She said that Mrs. Ashley admired her greatly, and said she
reminded her of her sister, Mrs. Warfield.”
“I doubt, however, if Mrs. Courtney could have done what will
be required. A burial robe will have to be made unless Diana sends
to Baltimore for one.”
“I think she is at a loss to know what to do. Perhaps you can go
down and advise her. She is depending upon me to send someone.”
“I cannot possibly go from home to-day, for I have invited Mrs.
Merryman and Mrs. Watkins to luncheon, and Jerusha Flint is coming
this morning to cut and fit a dress for me, and if I disappoint her she
would take pleasure in refusing to come another day.”
“If she can make burial dresses perhaps she would go and help
Diana.”
“No one could be of more help than Jerusha in every way, if she
will go. And I will be glad to postpone my work until another day.”
“Well, see that someone goes,” said the doctor, as he arose and
went to his office, and at that moment a light, brisk step was heard
upon the porch, followed by a sharp peal of the bell.
“There she is now,” thought Mrs. Lattinger, as she arose to
admit Jerusha. “I will tell her before she lays aside her bonnet.”
The moment the door opened Jerusha, erect, neat, and with
perfectly fitting walking dress, stepped in, her eyes like black beads
and her cheeks flushed from her mile walk in the clear morning air.
“Where is my pay to come from?” she asked sharply, when Mrs.
Lattinger made the situation known. “There is no charge for making
a burial dress for a neighbor, and I cannot afford to lose my day.”
“The doctor feels it incumbent to send someone, having
promised Diana. I suppose there is money in the house; if not, we
will see that you are paid for it.”
“That settles it!” responded Miss Flint, promptly, and, turning
abruptly, she left the house and walked with her usual dispatch
down the road, looking neither to the right nor to the left until she
reached the cottage.
Diana was still alone, with the exception of Hilda, who was
taking her breakfast, and her face clouded at sight of Miss Flint.
“Mrs. Courtney is sick and could not come,” explained Jerusha,
reading Diana’s face like an open book, “and Mrs. Lattinger took it
upon herself to ask me to come, so I am that accommodating
individual known as ‘Jack-in-a-Pinch’; what’s to be done now that I
am here?”
“I don’t know; that is why I wished someone to come.”
“Has no patient that you have nursed died until now?”
“Yes, but there were always plenty of relatives and friends to
make arrangements; my duty was done and I went home.”
“Well, the first thing I will do is to lay aside my hat and cape,
seeing the lady of the house is not polite enough to ask me.”
“Oh, please excuse me!” said Diana, reddening; “I really forgot
it.”
“No harm done,” said Miss Flint, as she shook her cape with a
vigorous snap, folded it and placed it on the pillow of the lounge and
laid her hat upon it. “Had she no relatives?”
Miss Flint had nodded toward the other room while smoothing
her raven hair with the palms of her hands until it shone like satin,
and Diana had no difficulty in understanding.
“Yes, she has a brother and sister in Ohio. Her sister, Mrs.
Warfield, has been written to twice, but has not answered either
letter. They were opposed to her marrying Mr. Ashley; she told me
so herself, last evening, poor dear;” and Diana’s eyes filled at the
remembrance.
“No wonder they were opposed,” commented Miss Flint as she
glanced about the neat but simply furnished room. “If she had
possessed the common sense that a woman of her appearance
should have had, she would have been opposed, too.”
“It may be that they won’t pay any attention to her, or it may be
that Mrs. Warfield is on her way here,” resumed Diana. “I do hope
she is, for I want to get away. I feel it such a responsibility.”
“What is to be done with her?” asked Miss Flint, nodding toward
Hilda. “She will be in our way.”
“I might stop the miller’s children on their way to school and ask
them to take Hilda home with them, or ask one of them to come
here for company for her; their mother will, I am sure, oblige in a
case like this.”
“Let her go there, for mercy’s sake!” responded Jerusha sharply.
“We will have two to bother with if one of them comes here.”
“There they come now!” said Diana. “I will run out and ask
them.”
Fortune favored; one of the children was glad to return home
and take Hilda with her, and Miss Flint was gratified to hear that the
miller’s family would keep her until after the funeral; and the way
was now clear for business.
“Now if Mrs. Warfield would come, how thankful I would be!”
sighed Diana as she set aside the remains of the breakfast.
“But we cannot wait for that. What is to be done about a burial
dress?”
“I don’t know,” responded Diana anxiously. “Do you take the
lead and I will help you all I can.”
“What I want to know is, will it be made here, or bought ready
made in Baltimore?” questioned Miss Flint sharply.
“I really cannot decide. Which do you advise?”
“That depends upon circumstances. What is there in the
house?”
“Do you mean money?”
“Yes, money or clothes, or material to make a burial dress of,”
snapped Miss Jerusha impatiently.
“There is a bureau in her room with her clothing in two of the
drawers; the third one is locked; I don’t know what is in it.”
“Where is the key?”
“In the upper drawer in a little box.”
“We can soon see; come!”
“I really cannot; not while she is in there,” said Diana,
shrinkingly.
“Why, there is where she will have to be until taken to the
grave; you certainly are not thinking of having her brought out
here?”
“Oh, no; but it seems so hard to go in and unlock her bureau
when she is unable to prevent us.”
“We don’t want to be prevented. Somebody must attend to this;
come along and give me the key.”
They went, Diana shading her eyes from the still form on the
bed. The drawer was unlocked and a white cashmere burial robe
was found, covered by a sheet of white tissue paper.
“Just as I expected the moment you told me that the lower
drawer was locked,” remarked Miss Flint. “She was exactly the
woman to prepare for this in order to be independent of her
neighbors. Well, it saves a day’s work, so I am not the one to
complain.”
Sustained by the self-reliance of her companion, Diana became
of “some use,” as Miss Flint expressed it, and did as directed with
many a longing to be away from it all.
The beautiful form of Mrs. Ashley was neatly arrayed in the robe
and Diana waited for further orders.
“Give me a pair of scissors and I will cut off a lock of her hair;
her sister may want it. But stop, you need not go! I have mine with
me.”
“I don’t see how you can bear to cut off her hair,” said Diana
nervously, as the snip, snip of the scissors fell upon her ear.
“It is lovely,” commented Miss Flint as she held up a glossy
tress, “and it curls naturally.”
“Yes, many a rich woman would give half she possesses for
such a splendid head of hair, and could envy her in many ways. Mrs.
Lattinger said she was a lovely young creature when she came as a
bride to Dorton, and has changed very little since. Now she looks
like one of the beautiful marble statues in the Peabody Institute, if it
were not for the long, dark lashes resting upon her cheeks.”
“She was a beauty and no mistake, but as proud as Lucifer.
Pride and poverty killed that woman, or my name is not Jerusha
Flint.”
“She was always kind and gentle and polite to me,” responded
Diana tearfully.
“Polite, oh certainly! But she made you know your place, I’ll
warrant. I wonder that one as proud as she was would marry a poor
artist. Now you can fix her hair the way she wore it, and while you
are doing it I will watch at the gate for someone who can be trusted
to send the undertaker.”
“Oh, please don’t leave me!” exclaimed Diana, dropping the
comb. “Do you stay here and let me watch at the gate.”
“Well, you are the poorest creature I ever did see. You are not
afraid of her, are you?” asked Jerusha derisively.
“Oh, no, but I feel so nervous. If I had kept awake last night
and known if she needed anything I would not feel so miserable.”
“Kept awake!” echoed her companion in astonishment. “I hope
you don’t mean to say that you let her die alone?”
“She passed away while I was asleep,” said Diana humbly. “I
thought her so much better!”
“Thought her better, and you a trained nurse, calling yourself a
watcher; a professional, if you please!”
“You cannot make me feel more self-condemned than I am,”
sighed Diana tearfully, “but I have the comfort of knowing that if she
could speak she would grant me her forgiveness. She was a saint on
earth if ever there was one.”
“I fail to see how she could be with all that pride; she scarcely
noticed me.”
“I am sure it was not pride. She was very retiring in disposition,
and the neighbors may not have tried to make her acquaintance.”
“Because she showed by her manner that she considered
herself above us. No one suited her highness except Mrs. Farnsworth
and Anna and Mrs. Courtney; and it is plain to be seen that their
elegant homes were the attraction. I wonder that she was so
anxious to be friends with them when her home was so poor.”
“But all is comfortable and pretty,” replied Diana glancing about
her, “and she kept it in beautiful order.”
“Well, what she did and what she did not do is no concern of
ours. What we have to do is to bow these shutters and sit down and
wait for someone to go for the undertaker.”
Diana went outside to watch, and while she was gone Miss Flint
stood in the doorway between the rooms and took a look over the
objects of beauty and utility contained therein, and over her grim
lips passed a satisfied smile.
“Yes,” she said to herself, “it is the very plan; and trust Jerusha
Flint to carry out any scheme she determines upon. Yes, it shall be
done!”
Diana in the meantime had unhooked the shutters, bowed
them, and returned with the intelligence that Perry had been sent
over by Mrs. Merryman to offer his services, and had gone to Dorton
to see the undertaker, and, that care removed, they could think of
other things.
“What time will you set for the funeral?” asked Diana.
“That will depend upon Mr. Courtney. If he can preach the
sermon to-morrow afternoon that will be the time to appoint. I will
go over to ‘Friedenheim’ after the undertaker has been here and ask
him.”
“But isn’t that very soon? She died only—”
“You were asleep and know nothing about it,” interrupted
Jerusha sarcastically. “What would be the use of waiting for her
sister who has not set a time for coming? And there is no one in the
neighborhood who cares when she is buried.”
Perry had returned and, to the relief of Diana, could remain as
long as wanted, so the moment the undertaker departed Miss Flint
hurried to “Friedenheim,” saw Rev. Courtney, who made it
convenient to conduct the services the following afternoon, and thus
far the plan was working well.
Her next call was upon the owner of the cottage, who was
willing to allow her to live there in Mrs. Ashley’s place, the rent
having been paid by the year, and she returned in exuberant spirits.
“I will tell you what I have been doing,” she said, her black eyes
sparkling and her cheeks glowing with the brisk walk. “There is no
one to care for Hilda, so I will stay here until Mrs. Warfield comes.”
“Oh, that is so kind of you!” said Diana eagerly. “I never for a
moment thought you would stay. I thought you had such a good
home with my sister-in-law and your brother.”
“There is where I stop,” replied Miss Flint with emphasis. “I told
Horace the very day he brought his wife there that his house would
be my home only while I could not have a better one. I have the
chance now to have one more to my liking and am going to take it. I
will stay here until Mrs. Warfield comes, and then can decide what
course to take.”
In her own mind she did not believe that Mrs. Warfield would
ever come, but she kept her opinion to herself.
“Hilda is no relation of Mrs. Warfield’s, I think you said,” she
remarked after a pause.
“No, she was Mr. Ashley’s niece, not Mrs. Ashley’s; but Mrs.
Warfield will surely take her when she hears that it was her sister’s
last request.”
Miss Flint had another plan in her mind but she said nothing
about it to Diana; and that was that as soon as the funeral was over
the next afternoon, and Diana gone, she would go immediately
about arranging the furniture to suit herself, and then walk to her
brother’s house in the village and make arrangements with him to
have her effects brought to her new abode.
All these plans fell into line at the proper place; the funeral was
over, a long train of neighbors following the bier to the Dorton
churchyard, but among them not one relative or near friend of the
departed.
Diana remained at the cottage until Miss Flint returned; then,
being as eager to leave as Jerusha was to have the house to herself,
she was not slow in taking the hint that her company could be
dispensed with, and left for the village.
In the kindness of her heart she went out of her way to call at
the miller’s to tell Hilda of the changes in her home.
“Yes, I know,” assented the little girl; “she told me she was
going to heaven and will see my father and mother and Uncle
Ashley.”
“You are to go back now, Hilda,” said Diana, her eyes filling with
tears. “Miss Flint is so kind as to take care of you until Mrs. Warfield
comes.”
The miller’s little girl saw her safely to the cottage gate, and
bade her good-bye with a parting kiss.
“What brought you here until I sent for you?” exclaimed Miss
Flint angrily, as Hilda stepped in. “I am just going out.”
“Diana told me to come,” said Hilda, cowering; “she said you
were so kind as to take care of me.”
“Just like the meddlesome wretch! Now I will have to stay at
home or drag you along with me.”
Hilda began to cry, and Miss Flint could scarcely restrain herself
from laying violent hands upon her, while every nerve thrilled.
“Stop crying instantly, or I will give you something to cry for!”
she said harshly.
“I wish I were in heaven,” sobbed the child.
“You cannot wish it any more than I do! You could well be
spared from here.”
Hilda raised her head and looked with earnest gaze at Miss Flint.
“What are you staring at? Get a book or something and stare at
it.”
“I left my new book under the apple tree; please open the door
for me.”
Her companion was glad to comply, and Hilda returned quickly
with it, and, sitting in her little chair, examined it with the look of
having regained a lost friend.
“I am glad you have a pretty book,” remarked Miss Flint, calling
what she flattered herself was a pleasant smile to her aid. “I am
going out for a little while and you must not stir from that chair until
I come back;” and hastily donning her wraps she locked the door,
put the key in her pocket and walked rapidly to Dorton.
After arranging for the removal of her possessions, she called to
see Mrs. Lattinger to say that she would come next morning to fit
the dress, and then set out for the cottage.
Welcome to our website – the ideal destination for book lovers and
knowledge seekers. With a mission to inspire endlessly, we offer a
vast collection of books, ranging from classic literary works to
specialized publications, self-development books, and children's
literature. Each book is a new journey of discovery, expanding
knowledge and enriching the soul of the reade

Our website is not just a platform for buying books, but a bridge
connecting readers to the timeless values of culture and wisdom. With
an elegant, user-friendly interface and an intelligent search system,
we are committed to providing a quick and convenient shopping
experience. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery
services ensure that you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading.

Let us accompany you on the journey of exploring knowledge and


personal growth!

ebookname.com

You might also like