o ill-treats a dumb creature just as surely as he will punish those
who ill-treat their fellow-creatures. If a man's life has been a long
series of cruelty to dumb animals, do you suppose that he would enjoy
himself in heaven, which will be full of kindness to every one? Not he;
he'd rather be in the other place, and there he'll go, I fully believe."

"When you've quite disposed of all your fellow-creatures and the dumb
creation, Harry, perhaps you will condescend to go out into the orchard
and see how your father is getting on with picking the apples," said
Mrs. Wood, joining Miss Laura and the two young men, her eyes twinkling
and sparkling with amusement.

"The apples will keep, mother," said Mr. Harry, putting his arm around
her. "I just came in for a moment to get Laura. Come, Maxwell, we'll all
go."

"And not another word about animals," Mrs. Wood called after them.
"Laura will go crazy some day, through thinking of their sufferings, if
some one doesn't do something to stop her."

Miss Laura turned around suddenly. "Dear Aunt Hattie," she said, "you
must not say that. I am a coward, I know, about hearing of animals'
pains, but I must get over it. I want to know how they suffer. I ought
to know, for when I get to be a woman, I am going to do all I can to
help them."

"And I'll join you," said Mr. Maxwell, stretching out his hand to Miss
Laura, She did not smile, but looking very earnestly at him, she held it
clasped in her own. "You will help me to care for them, will you?" she
said.

"Yes, I promise," he said, gravely. "I'll give myself to the service of
dumb animals, if you will."

"And I, too," said Mr. Harry, in his deep voice, laying his hand across
theirs. Mrs. Wood stood looking at their three fresh, eager, young
faces, with tears in her eyes. Just as they all stood silently for an
instant, the old village clergyman came into the room from the hall. He
must have heard what they said, for before they could move he had laid
his hands on their three brown heads. "Bless you, my children," he said,
"God will lift up the light of his countenance upon you, for you have
given yourselves to a noble work. In serving dumb creatures, you are
ennobling the human race."

Then he sat down in a chair and looked at them. He was a venerable old
man, and had long, white hair, and the Woods thought a great deal of
him. He had come to get Mrs. Wood to make some nourishing dishes for a
sick woman in the village, and whi