“Well, sir, Nan is going on like she was mad, to have Master Harry down yon in the hay-field with the children. Cried like a baby she did, one spell, to think the poor little fellow was missing such fun, and that set the children off, and they’ve give me no peace till I said ‘I’d see what could be done,’ and then Farmer Brown came along and says he—
“‘Did you say, Hugh Crummell, those youngsters belonged to Mr. Havens? You can’t mean our master, John Havens?’
“‘The very same,’ says I. ‘Came on last Saturday from New York.’
“‘Now I want to know,’ says he. ‘I can’t leave my team, and my folk have gone to town for a few notions ’gainst the Fourth, but they’ll be along shortly; now if you’ll just go to the further barn you’ll find Old Meg, the lightest steppin’, gentlest old mare ever you laid eyes on. We set great store by our old Meg, we do, wife and me. Do you mind, Hugh, now him that’s gone, and Meg, was like colts together. Ah! ah! ah! Well, just take the old creeter, and put the little sick youngling on the saddle, and I give you my word for it, old Meg has that sense she’ll steer clear off from every stone to spare jolting the bairnie, and if you’d just say to Master John as I ain’t able to leave my team, but if he wouldn’t mind stepping across here, I’d gin him the heartiest grip these old horny hands could wring out, and show him as pretty a piece of meadow-land as he’ll see this side of York State; and Hugh,’ he called out, ‘bear my manners to Miss Emma, and tell her our folks will never forgive, if I don’t prevail on her to stay and take a dish of tea with us, and say I should admire to have her look at us down here.’”
“That’s a capital idea of good Farmer Brown’s, Hugh, so trot out old Meg, and my patient little boy shall ride off in fine style, and visit all the old farm’s nooks and corners.”
Little Bear could scarcely believe his own eyes when Hugh appeared, leading with great delight the dapple-flanked, mild-eyed old Meg, the farmer’s pride; and when he learned that on the gentle horse’s back, with Papa and Hugh on either side, he was to make the tour of the old Brown Farm, and visit his sisters and brothers in the hay-field, his cup of happiness was brimming. Dear little fellow! Big tears of joy stood in his eyes and rolled down his thin cheeks, now flushed with pleasure, as proudly gathering up the reins he bent over and whispered to his father,—
“Oh, if only dear Mamma could see me now! But you’ll write it all to her, Papa, won’t you?”
Papa assented, and off started the party; and very difficult would it have been to have told which of the three was the happiest.
Meg’s careful pace was directed first to the hay-field, where the little cavalier was met with a glad, noisy welcome from the young haymakers, and Meg’s smooth sides patted gently for her kind office, then the sport began; and little Bear almost tumbled off his steed’s back with laughter, to see the Monkeys slowly rising from under the huge pile of hay Artie and Charlie had thrown upon them. Like young porcupines they looked, with the straws sticking upon them in all directions, and such heads of hair! Poor, poor Charlotte, what work for you in the next toilette!