Carrys Rose | Page 4

with the large dog Neptune,
lost not a moment in setting out for a long ramble into the country. At
first Herbert seemed to remember his words of the previous evening,
and was very kind to Caroline, helping her carefully over the
stepping-stones at the river, instead of frightening her as he used to do.
Then he always held open the gates of the different fields they passed
through, shutting them after her, instead of making her do it. He even
stopped throwing stones at a wounded bird in a field when he saw it
distressed her, though he laughed at her for being such a simpleton as
to care for a half-dead bird. This recalled to his mind a circumstance
that had happened at school, when he and some of his schoolfellows
had gone for a walk into the country one half-holiday; and he began to
relate how they had caught a pigeon sitting on its nest up a tree, and
how, regardless of its fluttering and piteous cries, they had carried it off,
and its nest also. Then he told with much laughter how they had
unearthed a mole, and how they had tied it to a stick and made it a
target to fling stones at, till it had died by inches; no doubt, as Caroline
supposed, having suffered great torture. Losing all command of herself,
she cried out, "O Herbert, how could you, could you be so cruel! It is
quite true what mamma says, you are nothing but a coward, to hunt a
dumb creature, a poor blind animal, so."
[Illustration: A MISCHIEVOUS PAIR.]
At these words Herbert flew into a passion, and told Caroline she might
find her way home the best way she could, for that he would not walk
any more with her; and away he ran, with Neptune at his heels. When
he was a few yards off, he turned and cried out, "I hope you won't meet
with Farmer Brown's bull, that's all; and that you won't find the
stepping-stones difficult, now that your coward isn't there to help you."
Caroline thought that he was only doing this to frighten her, and
expecting he would return in a short time, she sat down by the brink of
the river, wondering how boys could be so cruel to God's creatures.
Boys were taught by their parents to be kind to animals, just as their

sisters were; yet, as they grew up, they forgot all about it,--at least, very
many of them did; and they seemed to try who would do the most cruel
thing. She sat trying to think of a plan to make her brother Herbert kind
and gentle; and again it came into her mind how by her own hastiness
she had made him angry just when he was doing everything to please
her. "It was so very dreadful of him to hurt the poor blind mole," she
said aloud; "I could not help speaking out; only I need not have called
him a coward. I might have shown him how bad his conduct was in a
gentler way; but, as nurse and mamma say, I am always so hasty."
Caroline having sat a long time, began to think that Herbert really did
not mean to come for her; and fearing her mamma would be alarmed if
she did not return with Herbert in time for dinner, she turned back
along the path they had come, walking as fast as she could. After
passing through two fields, and managing to open and shut the gates
with some difficulty, she was alarmed by hearing a loud roar, which
she guessed must come from Farmer Brown's bull. She nearly fell
down with terror, for the bull had a very bad character for goring
people, and had only the week before hurt a little boy very seriously.
Collecting all her courage, she crept round by the side of the hedge.
Fortunately the bull had his head turned in the opposite direction, so
that she managed to pass him and get out of the field without being
seen by him. At the stepping-stones she stopped, afraid to venture over;
but a man came up, who kindly offered to take her across.
Going round by a field-path that led to her home past Farmer Brown's
farm, she saw a little girl sitting under a tree, whom she at once guessed
must be little Martha, the farmer's only child. She was gazing up at a
flight of pigeons that went fluttering over the houses before they
lighted down upon the roof of the barn. Caroline had often seen Martha
at church, and once or twice nurse had taken her to the farm, when she
had gone to see Mrs. Brown; so she stopped to ask the