I could see all the dear old fields and the spring meadow and the beech woods in the southwest corner . And beyond the orchard were the two grey barns and down below at the right-hand corner was the garden with all my sweet peas fluttering over the fences and trellises like a horde of butterflies . It was a dear old place and both Murray and I loved every stick and stone on it , but there was no reason why we should go on living there when Murray did n't like farming . And it was n't our own , anyhow . It all belonged to Uncle Abimelech . Father and Murray and I had always lived here together . Father 's health broke down during his college course . That was one reason why Uncle Abimelech was set against Murray going to college , although Murray is as chubby and sturdy a fellow as you could wish to see . Anybody with Foster in him would be that . To go back to Father . The doctors told him that his only chance of recovering his strength was an open-air life , so Father rented one of Uncle Abimelech 's farms and there he lived for the rest of his days . He did not get strong again until it was too late for college , and he was a square peg in a round hole all his life , as he used to tell us . Mother died before we could remember , so Murray and Dad and I were everything to each other . We were very happy too , although we were bossed by Uncle Abimelech more or less . But he meant it well and Father did n't mind . Then Father died -- oh , that was a dreadful time ! I hurried over it in my thinking-out . Of course when Murray and I came to look our position squarely in the face we found that we were dependent on Uncle Abimelech for everything , even the roof over our heads . We were literally as poor as church mice and even poorer , for at least they get churches rent-free . Murray 's heart was set on going to college and studying medicine .
He asked Uncle Abimelech to lend him enough money to get a start XXXXX and then he could work his own way along and pay back the loan in due time .
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