Beautiful Joe [106]
He was a venerable old man, and
had long, white hair, and the Woods thought a great deal of him. He had come to
get Mrs. Wood to make some nourishing dishes for a sick woman in the village,
and while he was talking to her, Miss Laura and the two young men went out of
the house. They hurried across the veranda and over the lawn, talking and
laughing, and enjoying themselves as only happy young people can and with not a
trace of their seriousness of a few moments before on their faces.
They were going so fast that they ran right into a flock of geese that were
coming up the lane. They were driven by a little boy called Tommy, the son of
one of Mr. Wood's farm laborers, and they were chattering and gabbling, and
seemed very angry. "What's all this about?" said Mr. Harry, stopping and looking
at the boy. "What's the matter with your feathered charges, Tommy my lad?"
"If it's the geese you mean," said the boy half crying and looking very much put
out, "it's all them nasty potatoes. They won't keep away from them."
"So the potatoes chase the geese, do they?" said Mr. Maxwell, teasingly.
"No, no," said the child, pettishly; "Mr. Wood he sets me to watch the geese,
and they runs in among the buckwheat and the potatoes and I tries to drive them
out, and they doesn't want to come, and," shamefacedly, "I has to switch their
feet, and I hates to do it, 'cause I'm a Band of Mercy boy."
"Tommy, my son," said Mr. Maxwell, solemnly "you will go right to heaven when
you die, and your geese will go with you."
"Hush, hush," said Miss Laura, "don't tease him," and putting her arm on the
child's shoulder, she said, "You are a good boy, Tommy, not to want to hurt the
geese. Let me see your switch, dear."
He showed her a little stick he had in his hand, and she said, "I don't think
you could hurt them much with that, and if they will be naughty and steal the
potatoes, you have to drive them out. Take some of my pears and eat them, and
you will forget your trouble." The child took the fruit, and Miss Laura and the
two young men went on their way, smiling, and looking over their shoulders at
Tommy, who stood in the lane, devouring his pears and keeping one eye on the
geese that had gathered a little in front of him, and were gabbling noisily and
having a kind of indignation meeting, because they had been driven out of the
potato field.
Tommy's father and mother lived in a little house down near the road. Mr. Wood
never had his hired men live in his own house. He had two small houses for them
to live in, and they were required to keep them as neat as Mr. Wood's own house
was kept. He said that he didn't see why he should keep a boarding house, if he
was a farmer, nor why his wife should wear herself out waiting on strong, hearty
men, that had just as soon take care of themselves. He wished to have his own
family about him, and it was better for his men to have some kind of family life
for themselves. If one of his men was unmarried, he boarded with the married
one, but slept in his own house.
On this October day we found Mr. Wood hard at work under the fruit trees. He had
a good many different kind of apples. Enormous red ones, and long, yellow ones
that they called pippins, and little brown ones, and smooth-coated sweet ones,
and bright red ones, and others, more than I could mention. Miss Laura often
pared one and cut off little bits for me, for I always wanted to eat whatever I
saw her eating.
Just a few days after this, Miss Laura and I returned to Fairport, and some of
Mr. Wood's apples traveled along with us, for he sent a good many to the Boston
market. Mr. and Mrs. Wood came to the station to see us off. Mr. Harry could not
come, for he had left Riverdale the day before to go back to his college. Mrs.
Wood said that she would be very lonely without her two young people, and she
kissed Miss Laura over and over again, and made her promise to come back again
the next summer.
I was put in a box in the express car, and Mr. Wood
had long, white hair, and the Woods thought a great deal of him. He had come to
get Mrs. Wood to make some nourishing dishes for a sick woman in the village,
and while he was talking to her, Miss Laura and the two young men went out of
the house. They hurried across the veranda and over the lawn, talking and
laughing, and enjoying themselves as only happy young people can and with not a
trace of their seriousness of a few moments before on their faces.
They were going so fast that they ran right into a flock of geese that were
coming up the lane. They were driven by a little boy called Tommy, the son of
one of Mr. Wood's farm laborers, and they were chattering and gabbling, and
seemed very angry. "What's all this about?" said Mr. Harry, stopping and looking
at the boy. "What's the matter with your feathered charges, Tommy my lad?"
"If it's the geese you mean," said the boy half crying and looking very much put
out, "it's all them nasty potatoes. They won't keep away from them."
"So the potatoes chase the geese, do they?" said Mr. Maxwell, teasingly.
"No, no," said the child, pettishly; "Mr. Wood he sets me to watch the geese,
and they runs in among the buckwheat and the potatoes and I tries to drive them
out, and they doesn't want to come, and," shamefacedly, "I has to switch their
feet, and I hates to do it, 'cause I'm a Band of Mercy boy."
"Tommy, my son," said Mr. Maxwell, solemnly "you will go right to heaven when
you die, and your geese will go with you."
"Hush, hush," said Miss Laura, "don't tease him," and putting her arm on the
child's shoulder, she said, "You are a good boy, Tommy, not to want to hurt the
geese. Let me see your switch, dear."
He showed her a little stick he had in his hand, and she said, "I don't think
you could hurt them much with that, and if they will be naughty and steal the
potatoes, you have to drive them out. Take some of my pears and eat them, and
you will forget your trouble." The child took the fruit, and Miss Laura and the
two young men went on their way, smiling, and looking over their shoulders at
Tommy, who stood in the lane, devouring his pears and keeping one eye on the
geese that had gathered a little in front of him, and were gabbling noisily and
having a kind of indignation meeting, because they had been driven out of the
potato field.
Tommy's father and mother lived in a little house down near the road. Mr. Wood
never had his hired men live in his own house. He had two small houses for them
to live in, and they were required to keep them as neat as Mr. Wood's own house
was kept. He said that he didn't see why he should keep a boarding house, if he
was a farmer, nor why his wife should wear herself out waiting on strong, hearty
men, that had just as soon take care of themselves. He wished to have his own
family about him, and it was better for his men to have some kind of family life
for themselves. If one of his men was unmarried, he boarded with the married
one, but slept in his own house.
On this October day we found Mr. Wood hard at work under the fruit trees. He had
a good many different kind of apples. Enormous red ones, and long, yellow ones
that they called pippins, and little brown ones, and smooth-coated sweet ones,
and bright red ones, and others, more than I could mention. Miss Laura often
pared one and cut off little bits for me, for I always wanted to eat whatever I
saw her eating.
Just a few days after this, Miss Laura and I returned to Fairport, and some of
Mr. Wood's apples traveled along with us, for he sent a good many to the Boston
market. Mr. and Mrs. Wood came to the station to see us off. Mr. Harry could not
come, for he had left Riverdale the day before to go back to his college. Mrs.
Wood said that she would be very lonely without her two young people, and she
kissed Miss Laura over and over again, and made her promise to come back again
the next summer.
I was put in a box in the express car, and Mr. Wood