Presently he came into the room where his mother was, and stood around hoping she would ask him to do something for her. But she did not. She had a great deal to do, and needed help, but she would not call on Elmer. It made him feel as if he was of no use to any one.
“Mother,” he said at last, “what can I do?”
“Please yourself,” was the quick reply.
That was what Elmer had been trying to do, but with poor success. He hung his head, and felt as cross as a bear. As he sat in a corner, his mother took up the pail to go out to the well. Elmer seized the pail out of her hand and drew the water. He began to feel better. Then he looked around to see what else he could do. He did not wait to be asked. The more he did, the more he felt like doing. He had found out that it was not nice to be let alone; and he also found out that he pleased himself most by trying to please others.
BY THE MILL-POND.
Come, let us sit down under the shade of this big tree.
How its branches reach over, and dip down into the water. It is like a great umbrella. It is an old tree. See how thick the trunk is. It is nice to sit in its shade on such a warm day. We will ask the miller to give us some corn, and we will feed the ducks. There are five of them—white as snow, and with bright yellow bills and legs.
Here they come!—one, two, three, four, five. Let us name them. Ala, Ela, Ila, Ola, Ula. The names sound very much alike, but that will make no difference to them. And if you call one the others are sure to follow.
Quack—quack—quack—quack—quack!
They know what we are sitting here for, and they are in haste to be fed. They are always hungry.