the little girl looking up in some surprise, --
"they're not very heavy -- I don't want any help."

"Give it to me; you shan't carry 'em both."

"Then take the other one," said Winifred, -- "thank you, Miss
Elizabeth -- I'm just going to take this in to father, in the
field here."

"In the field where? I don't see anybody."

"O because the corn is so high. You'll see 'em directly. This
is the bend-meadow lot. Father's getting in the corn."

A few more steps accordingly brought them to a cleared part of
the field, where the tall and thick cornstalks were laid on
the ground. There, at some distance, they saw the group of
workers, picking and husking the yellow corn, the farm wagon
standing by. Little Winifred crept under the fence and went to
them with her basket, and her companions stood at the fence
looking. There were Mr. Landholm, and Asahel, Mr. Doolittle
and another man, seen here and there through the rows of corn.
Asahel sat by a heap, husking; Mr. Landholm was cutting down
stalks; and bushel baskets stood about, empty, or with their
yellow burden shewing above the top.

"I should think farmer's work would be pleasant enough," Rose
remarked, as they stood leaning over the fence.

"It looks pretty," said Elizabeth. "But I shouldn't like to
pull corn from morning to night; and I don't believe you
would."

"O, but men have to work, you know," said Miss Cadwallader.

Winifred came back to them and they went on their way, but
Elizabeth would not let her take the basket again. It was a
pretty way; past the spring where Sam Doolittle had pushed
Winthrop in and Rufus had avenged him; and then up the rather
steep woody road that led to the plain of the tableland. The
trees stood thick, but the ascent was so rapid that they could
only in places hinder the view; and as the travellers went up,
the river spread itself out more broad, and Shahweetah lay
below them, its boundaries traced out as on a map. A more
commanding view of the opposite shore, a new sight of the
southern mountains, a deeper draught from nature's free cup,
they gained as they went up higher and higher. Elizabeth had
seen it often before; she looked and drank in silence; though
to-day September was peeping between the hills and shaking his
sunny hair in the vallies; -- not crowned like the receding
summer with insupportable brilliants.

"I am sorry papa is coming so soon!" said Elizabeth, after she
had stood awhile near the top, looking.

"