The Adventures of Joel Pepper | Page 9

_said_----"
"I mean--well, cold potatoes, for one thing. I s'pose most everybody has
potatoes. Now eat your breakfast, Joey Pepper. Those are things. Eat
your breakfast this minute!"
When Polly spoke in that tone, the three little Peppers knew they must
obey. Joel ducked his head over his bowl of mush, and began to hurry
the spoonfuls as fast as he could into his mouth.
"I must go up and see what is the matter with David," said Polly,
preparing to run up the stairs. Just at this moment he appeared coming
slowly down. "Oh, here you are!" cried Polly, brightly, running over to
the old stove to dish out his bowl of mush. "Now, Davie, fly at your
breakfast, 'cause I've got to sew all the morning just as hard as ever I
can."

III

DEACON BROWN'S NAIL PILE
"Now, boys," said Polly, as Joel pushed back his chair, "I want you to
help me, that is, as soon as Davie has finished his breakfast."
"Oh, that's too bad," grumbled Joel, loudly, "when we got all our
kindlings chopped yesterday, an' there ain't anything else to do. You
know you said we could play to-day, Polly Pepper!"
"I didn't say all day; but of course you can," replied Polly, with a fine
scorn, "if you don't want to help, Joel. I'm sure the little brown house
can get along without a boy who isn't glad to make it as nice as he
possibly can."
The idea of the little brown house getting along without him made Joel
aghast at once, and he stood quite still. Davie laid down his spoon, and
got out of his chair quickly.
"What is it, Polly?" he cried, the pink color all over his cheek.
"Dear me!" cried Polly, merrily, "the very idea of a boy trying to help
who hasn't finished his breakfast. Go back and eat every bit of that
mush and molasses, Davie dear; then, says I, we'll see what you can
do."
"I'll be through in just a minute, Polly." David ran back and clambered
into his chair, plying his spoon so fast that Polly cried in dismay, "Oh,
Davie, you'll choke yourself!"
"No, I won't," said Davie, with a very red face, and swallowing hard,
"it's all slipping down. There, see, Polly. I'm all through; truly I am."
He got out of his chair again, and ran up to her.
"So you are," said Polly, glancing approvingly at the bare bowl. "Well
now, I'll tell you, Davie, what you can do. You know that pile of old
nails that Deacon Brown said Ben might have? Well, 'tisn't nice, you
know, to play all day, so you may pick over some of 'em, and get the
good ones out. Ben will be so surprised, even if you don't get but a few
ready."
"I'm going to work all the morning at 'em," declared little Davie, gladly,
hopping off toward the door.
"No, I don't want you to work but a little while," said Polly, decisively,
and picking up the breakfast dishes to wash. "You can have most all
to-day to play in. And then some other day, when there isn't any other
work to do, you can pick over some more; and pretty soon, before you
know it, they'll all be done, and Ben'll be so surprised, for they'll be

ready when he wants to mend the woodshed."
"I don't want to pick over any crooked old nails," proclaimed Joel,
loudly, and knocking his heels against the pantry door. "I sh'd think
Deacon Brown might have given us some good ones."
"For shame, Joel!" said Polly, hurrying across the floor with the pile of
dishes; "it's fine of him to give us these. And there are lots of good ones
amongst 'em."
"You told me not to say 'lots,' the other day," said Joel, with a sharp
look out of his black eyes to see if Polly would relent.
"So I did," she cried, and the color flew over her cheek. "Dear me, it is
so hard not to say things that you don't like to hear other people say."
"Well, I don't want to pick over old rusty nails," said Joel, ignoring this
remark, "and it's real mean, Polly Pepper, to make me, when I want to
go and play!" And he kicked his heels worse than ever.
"I don't make you," said Polly, pouring the hot water into the dish-pan
and dashing in the soap, "but I shouldn't think it was nice to go out to
play right after breakfast. You might work an hour, and then you'd
enjoy the play all the better."
"I'd enjoy the play now. And a whole hour, too!" cried Joel, in a
dudgeon. "Why, Polly Pepper! a whole hour!"
"That's right, Davie," said