746 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15. 



I can follow directions. Where shall I find my 

 tools?'" 



She gave him his " tools" and his directions, 

 ending with, '• Take care of the corners." 



"That sounds natural," he said, setting to 

 work; "for my mother always looked at the 

 corners to see if the room was clean, after I had 

 swept it." 



"That shows that she is a sensible woman," 

 Mrs. Marten said, appreciating that bit of 

 housewifely wisdom. 



"You would think so if you knew her," Louis 

 replied, rubbing the glass vigoi'ously, by way 

 of emphasis, until it shone again. "She's just 

 the best mother a boy ever had I" 



"If you said a girl," Sophy interposed. "I 

 should have something to say, because that 

 would be my mother I" 



"Nonsense." Mrs. Marten said, though she 

 looked pleased. " But it"s just as well that you 

 should think so. ' Every mother's child is 

 handsome.' and, by the same rule, I suppose 

 every child's mother is good. I should like to 

 see your mother, Louis. Have you only that 

 sick sister you spoke of?"' 



"Only Freda." he answered. 



"What an odd name!" said Sophy. 



" Do you think so?'" he returned. " She was 

 named Winifi'ed, after my mother, but father 

 always called mother Winnie, and the two 

 Winnies made a confusion, so we gave Freda 

 the other end of the name." 



There was a little change in his voice when 

 he spoke of his father; and Mrs. Marten notic- 

 ing it refrained from asking the question about 

 him which was on the tip of her tongue, and 

 changed it to an inquiry about Freda's health. 



"I don't know whether you would call her 

 sick.'" Louis said doubtfully. " vShe doesn't take 

 much medicine now. and she eats like other 

 people; but she hurt her back some months 

 ago, and the doctors said she must not try to 

 sit uu for at least a year, so she has to stay in 

 bed.'"' 



"Oh, poor child!" .said Sophy. "How hard 

 that must be! How did you happen to come 

 here? Did you have friends here?" 



" Oh, no, "'"he answered: "we knew no one; 

 but a friend of ours knew Mr. Howarth. and 

 got a place for mother to work with him, and I 

 was glad to come, because of the Academy. 

 We hired that tiny cottage ngxt ^Ir. Prince's, on 

 Woodland Sti'eet, very cheap, and I hoped to 

 find a place where I could get woi'k. and per- 

 haps go to school part of the day. But 1 very 

 soon found that I should have to drop the 

 .school idea, and I began to fear the rest must 

 follow it; for 1 couldn't find anybody who would 

 take me at any price until I came to you. and I 

 was getting pretty well discoui'aged."' 



"Oh, well. I wouldn't do that. 'A stout 

 heart breaks ill-luck.' you know," kind-hearted 

 Mi'S. Marten said. "It is true that boys are 

 more plentiful than places, at this time of 

 year, but we'll be on the watch. "All comes 

 round to him who can wait.' and .something 

 will turn up for you. never fear." 



'■ Thank you." he said, with evident sincerity. 

 " I know there's never any use in getting blue, 

 and I don't often do it: but things did look 

 ratht r dark this morning, and I didn't know 

 wheic to turn next. I'm all right now.'' 



" Then perhaps yon would like something to 

 eat by and by."' she said. "Sophy can finish 

 here, while we get dinner." 



Sophy made a comical face, and Louis smiled. 



"You have no faith in my powers, just be- 

 cause I am a boy." he said; " but you will see! 

 Aren't my windows as bright as your Bridget 

 would have made them ? I have— oh. let me 

 carry that!"' he broke off. catching a pail of 

 water from Mrs. Marten's hand. 



They went down stairs, and he speedily show- 

 ed that he had not overstated his own abilities. 

 He put the tire in order, filled the kettles with 

 water, prepared the vegetables, laid the table, 

 and, in fact, did every thing that she had been 

 accustomed to expect from her servant girl, 

 and did it all with a deft readiness which con- 

 trasted strongly with the style of service which 

 Bridget had been wont to render. His mis- 

 tress' heart was won long before dinner was 

 ready. 



" No. I like to cook my own meat," she said, 

 when he proposed to broil the steak. " Then if 

 it isn't all right, there's no one to blame but 

 myself; but I don't doubt that you could do it. 

 I had no idea that a boy could be good for so" 

 much in the house." 



" Well, you see a boy has to learn, when his 

 mother needs his help." Louis replied. "He 

 has to be both son and daughter soinetimes. 

 Shall I feed Dandy now? I'm interested in his 

 having his dinner, since mine depends on his." 



" I declare, I had forgotten him!" she said. 

 "Yes; I will show you the way,'' and she took 

 him out to Dandy's quarters. 



The bai'n was connected with the house by a 

 long low woodshed. 



"So that we can get there without going out- 

 doors." she explained. " It comes handy in 

 winter and wet weather." 



She introduced him to Dandy, whose looks 

 certainly did not justify his name, and Louis 

 tried in vain to find something complimentary 

 to say about him. He was too much accustom- 

 ed to Brown Bess's graceful head and glossy 

 coat to be able to admire Dandy. 



" He seems to know you,"' he said, for the 

 horse whinnied eagerly when he saw his mis- 

 tress, and began to paw. as if connecting her 

 presence^ with the idea of dinner. 



"Good old fellow!'' she said, patting him, 

 and supplying him with two or three apples, 

 which he ate from her hand. " I don't need a 

 horse any moi'e than a robin needs a ladder, 

 but I can't make up my mind to sell Dandy, 

 because my husband I'aised him and was so 

 fond of him. I shall depend on your taking 

 good care of him, Louis."" 



She showed him how to feed him. and ex- 

 plained his other duties, and then they went 

 back to dinner, to which Louis was ready to do 

 full justice. 



The afternoon was as full of work as the 

 morning had Ijem. He wiped the dishes which 

 Sophy washed, and learned where their places 

 were; he swept the kitchen, blacked the stove, 

 and mopped the floor; he put down the carpet 

 and took anothei' one up, and was I'eady with 

 his help whenever it was needed; and through 

 it all Mrs. Marten watched him with growing 

 satisfaction. 



The day's work \\as done at last, even the 

 milking, though Mrs. Marten's more skillful 

 hands had to come to his aid to accomplish 

 that. He tilled the wood-box. and brought in a 

 basket of chips, in readiness for the morning 

 fire, without waiting to be told to do it; and 

 Mi-s. Martin told him how to "set a sponge "for 

 the breakfast rolls. 



Then he said, " If there is nothing more to 

 do to-night, may I go home for an hour?" 



"Certainly," Mrs. Marten said. "I am go- 

 ing to make" you an offer, and you will want to 

 consult your mother about it. You have prov- 

 ed that you are worth your salt, and a potato 

 to eat with it. ' Where the will is ready the 

 feet are light.' If you choose to stay, I will 

 keep you until we can find you a better place. 

 If you still want to go to school. I will give 

 you yoiu' board for what you can do out of 

 school hours; or. for all your time, I will give 



