"Two years ago I turned in on a prosperous farm; it was called The Holt. Wherever you looked you saw evidences of full rich life. The cattle were well fed and tended like horses, the barns were full, the maids and men in noisy activity. A splendid boy with blue eyes and brown locks was cracking his whip in the yard. He wanted to chase the calves that were going to drink. A slender pretty girl with laughing brown eyes and a coronet of fair plaits came out upon the doorstep.
"'Johnnie, Johnnie!' she cried; 'you rogue, you naughty boy; will you leave the calves alone.'
"The boy laughed and cracked his whip louder than ever, but swift as lightning the girl ran out, and with a curious stern look about her mouth wrenched the whip from him before he was aware of it, and held it high in the air so that he could not reach it, though he jumped and tried. It was a charming picture,—the boy impetuously defiant, the girl so firm and lithe. I looked at both with pleasure. But there was another looking at them, he seemed to be the bailiff. When the girl looked round she grew quite red at the gaze that rested on her, and called out—
"'Why do you stand like that? Could you not hinder him?'
"'Oh, yes; but then Willi would not have flown out like a little demon. I only waited to see her come out and make her stern face.'
"'Get along with you,' she said, and threatened him with the whip.
"The bell rang for supper. I was called in and allowed to sit among the maids. There stood the Holt farmer, stately and strong. He had just such brown eyes as his daughter, and the same stern look about the mouth, only in him it was more marked. His wife had blue eyes like the boy, but her air was depressed, as if she could not hold herself against the strong wills around her.
"'Johnnie, say grace,' said the farmer.
"Johnnie was cross and mumbled—
"'Come, Lord Jesus, sit down among us, and give me back my whip.'