Frank and Fanny | Page 8

and his hired men got the flock home with
some difficulty, losing several lambs in the snow.
[Illustration: FARMER BALDWIN'S DISASTER.]
When the season for harvesting the grain arrived, the children's services
were sometimes required by the farmer, to carry the dinner to the
reapers, out in the field where they were reaping the wheat with sickles,
and binding it into sheaves. An expedition of this kind was quite
delightful to Frank, who always felt proud of being useful, and never
neglected an opportunity of rendering good service to the farmer. His
good conduct in this respect, not only gained him the respect and good
will of Farmer Baldwin, but it was well requited, when the apples and
pears were gathered, when the potatoe crop came in; and when the
festive occasions of Thanksgiving day, Christmas, and the New Year,
served to remind the worthy farmer, that a brace of fowls, or a turkey,
might be acceptable to Frank's grandmother. Very light was Frank's
step when he carried the reapers their dinner. Sometimes he was
accompanied by his sister on this useful errand, but he went oftener
alone. But before he returned home, he made a point of picking up a
few dry sticks for kindling wood, which he brought home on his
shoulder.
[Illustration: REAPING.]
[Illustration]
This was not the only service which Frank rendered to the farmer. He
often ran of errands for him when out of school, and the farmer was
kind to him in return. He predicted that Frank would turn out a useful
and industrious man. He was also useful to his parents. One of his
regular occupations was to drive the cow to pasture, early every
morning, and to drive her home again in the evening, after school was
done.

[Illustration]
Farmer Baldwin had a large hop field, which, when the hops were in
full bloom, was a very beautiful sight. Here the children were allowed
to wander about at pleasure, their favorite resort being under a
spreading oak in the hop field. Here they often spent a Saturday
afternoon, reading, or making rush baskets, or wreaths of flowers, and
listening to the sweet singing of the redstart, whose nest was in the top
of the oak. Very sweet and plaintive was the music of the redstart.
[Illustration: THE REDSTART.]
When the season for hop gathering came, the children had a grand
frolic, as this kind of labor, in which they took a part, was a real
pleasure to them. The hops were so light and fragrant, and the picking
of them was such fun, and so many men and women assisted at the
work, and the long summer day was closed with such a grand rural
entertainment, when the great table was spread in the farmer's orchard.
Frank and Fanny wished that there might be a dozen hop picking frolics
every year.
[Illustration: HOP PICKING.]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER V.
JACK MILLS.
I should not omit to tell you, Mrs. Hamilton was bringing Fanny up to
be very industrious, both with her sewing and knitting, and Mr.
Hamilton taught Frank to weed the garden, and saw wood, and gather
chips; and the children were as busy as bees, when at work, and as
happy as birds, when at play.
I have told you that Frank seldom played with any one beside his sister;
but sometimes when she was busy, after his work was dune, he would
cross over a corner of the orchard, to a little brown house that stood

near by, to play with a boy that lived there, with his mother. Mrs. Mills
was a widow; but Jack was very rough and wild, and Frank's
grandmother did not like to have him go there often.
One day Jack called to him from the orchard, and Frank, who had just
finished his work, ran over to meet him.
"Look here," said Jack, "see what I've got," and he held out his cap,
which was nearly half full of bird's eggs. Frank looked at them with
surprise.
"You certainly couldn't have been so wicked as to rob the birds' nests of
all those," said Frank.
"Couldn't I?" said Jack, and he gave a long, low whistle; "may be you
never did nothing of the kind."
"I never took eggs away from a bird in my life," said Frank; but he held
his head down, for he thought of the little bird he had taken only a few
weeks before. So he told Jack about it, and how sorry he had felt ever
since; but Jack laughed at him, and said:
"Ah, you are nothing but a chicken-hearted fellow, any way; if you
wasn't always tied to your sister, you might come with us fellows, and
have some fun. Me, and Joe Miller, and Sam White, is going