better stay and make it pleasant to you,' said she, a little
plaintively, as if dusting rooms was far the easiest task.

'Will you take me to see the live-stock? I like animals, though I
don't know much about them.'

'Oh, do you? I am so glad! I was afraid you would not like
animals, as you did not like books.'

I wondered why she said this. I think it was because she had
begun to fancy all our tastes must be dissimilar. We went
together all through the farm-yard; we fed the poultry, she
kneeling down with her pinafore full of corn and meal, and
tempting the little timid, downy chickens upon it, much to the
anxiety of the fussy ruffled hen, their mother. She called to the
pigeons, who fluttered down at the sound of her voice. She and I
examined the great sleek cart-horses; sympathized in our dislike
of pigs; fed the calves; coaxed the sick cow, Daisy; and admired
the others out at pasture; and came back tired and hungry and
dirty at dinner-time, having quite forgotten that there were such
things as dead languages, and consequently capital friends.


PART II


Cousin Holman gave me the weekly county newspaper to read aloud
to her, while she mended stockings out of a high piled-up basket,
Phillis helping her mother. I read and read, unregardful of the
words I was uttering, thinking of all manner of other things; of