“‘Since in this house the man is the sole boss,’ he told them, ‘I am empowered by my father to make you a present of a horse. Now choose which one of these two animals you would want to have.’
“‘The gray one strikes me as just about right,’ said the man.
“‘It’s a good horse,’ admitted the woman, ‘but don’t you think the roan a little the finer, John? It seems to me if there is any choice I’d take the roan.’
“At that the man told them to step aside and settle the matter; so after some talk the husband came forward a little sheepishly and said:
“‘Mister, if it’s all the same to you I think we’ll take the roan horse!’
“‘You’ll take a hen,’ said the traveler, as he chucked the last fowl out of the wagon, and drove back to tell his father that woman was supreme in every home.”
Amos laughed heartily at hearing the conclusion. Anxieties do not wholly suppress young blood, which is capable of throwing cares aside at will.
“Here they come to the door again,” he told Amos. “I wonder what they think of hearing me laugh so loud.”
This time the door was thrown wide open by the man.
“Enter, young messieurs. We will do the best we can to entertain you. But after such a terrible winter it is little any Belgian family possesses to keep body and soul together. Lucky are those who still have a roof over their heads.”