ing to him, asked, in his
most engaging way:

"Please, sir, won't you let me mow a little?"

The man looked down at him in surprise.

"You couldn't hold a scythe, sonny," he said, with a grin of amusement.

"Oh, yes, I could. Please let me try; won't you?" pleaded Bert.

The man yielded, and placing his scythe in Bert's hands, told him to go
ahead.

With much difficulty Bert succeeded in grasping the two short handles
which projected from the long curved shaft, and, summoning all his
strength, he tried to move the scythe in the way the mowers were doing.
But at the first attempt the sharp point stuck in the turf, and
instantly the long handle flew up, turned over, and hit him a hard
crack, square between the eyes, that felled him to the ground.

The stars were dancing before his eyes, and the next moment the tears
would have been there too, had he not, as he picked himself up, caught
sight of the men laughing heartily over his mishap.

"They shan't see me cry," said he to himself; and, putting forth a
heroic effort, he swallowed his tears, though the gulping them down was
positively painful, and, standing up straight, looked bravely about him.
Uncle Alec saw it all and understood just how Bert felt.

"Well done, my little hero," said he, clapping him on the back. "You
have the right stuff in you."

"That he has, sir," said Big Sandy, with an admiring look. "He would
make a right good laddie for the farm."

Bert's heart was filled with joy at these praises, and he determined
that nobody on the farm should ever see him cry, unless he really
couldn't at all help it.

The scythe handle gave him quite an ugly bruise, which caused many a
question when he went back to the house; and Aunt Sarah, who was as
nervous as she was loving and sympathetic, made much ado over it, and
insisted on a bandage, which made Bert look like a little soldier who
had been in action. Mrs. Lloyd took the matter much more quietly. She
knew her son had to get his share of bumps and bruises, and that each
one would bring wisdom with it; so she contented herself with a kiss of
sympathy, and the hope that he would have better fortune next time.

The succeeding days were full of surprises and enjoyments to Bert.

His mother gave him full liberty to go and come as he pleased, so long
as he did not roam beyond the borders of the homestead, except when
with Uncle Alec. The hay mows, the carriage loft, the sheep pens, the
cattle stalls, were