d, and began
to back--Abby screamed, and that frightened him more--I felt the wheel
going over the edge--the bushes were close on the other side of the
wagon--there was no place to jump--Ned dropped the lines and sprang out
at the back--I remember seeing something break through the bushes at the
horses' heads, and that is the last I recollect, for I fainted away and
fell in the bottom of the wagon.

When I came to my senses I felt so strange and confused I did not know
where I was; my head had a dull pain in it, and when I touched it, I
found it was bandaged up, and my forehead felt sore and bruised. Some
one took hold of my hand, and I heard a sobbing; I opened my eyes, and
made out that I was on my own bed at home. Calanthy was standing by me,
and Polly Jane sat by the foot of the bed crying as if her heart would
break. I tried to think, but I couldn't get things right; and the picnic
seemed like something that had happened a great while ago.

'What is the matter, Polly?' said I; 'is anyone hurt? Tell father I
didn't mean to be deceitful; I'll go tell him myself.' I tried to sit
up, but I fell back on the pillow. Calanthy stooped down and kissed me,
and I heard her say, 'Lie still, my pet lamb. Father isn't angry with
you; he's stepped out a minute, but he'll be back soon; drink this, and
you'll soon be better.' She held a cup to my lips; I drank something,
and then fell asleep directly.

I wasn't able to sit up for several days, and they kept me very still,
and wouldn't let me ask questions; only Calanthy told me that Dr. Basset
said I'd had a great shock, and it would take me some time to get over
it. I had a cut on my forehead, too, but it healed up pretty soon. It
seemed as if Calanthy and Polly Jane couldn't do enough for me, and
whenever father came in the room he was as good to me as ever, and I
could see that he could hardly keep from crying when I spoke to him.
When I got well enough to sit in a rocking chair, and have my knitting
work, father came in one morning, and brought Uncle Ezra with him. I was
very glad to see uncle, though I was ashamed to have him know how vain
and wicked I'd been; but I'd thought a good deal while I was sick, and I
made up my mind to do right, whatever came of it. So I told him how
wrong I had acted, and how sorry I felt for it, and then I asked him to
tell me _how_ my life had been saved, and if any one was killed, and all
about the accident. I had my memory by that time, and r