m.

"Bright Spot!" said the farmer. "Well, we must be all off to
the hay-field. You see, there's some grass, Miss Rose,
standing ready to be cut, that _can't_ wait; so you'll have to."

"What if it wasn't cut?" said Miss Cadwallader pouting.

"What if it wasn't cut! -- then the cattle would have nothing
to eat next winter, and that would be worse than your wanting
strawberries. No -- I'll tell you, -- It'll be a fine afternoon;
and you keep yourself quiet, out of the sun, till it gets
towards evening; and I'll contrive to spare one of the boys to
go with you. The strawberries will be all the riper, and you
can get as many as you want in an hour or two."

So upon that the party scattered, and the house was deserted
to the 'women-folks;' with the exception of little Asahel; and
even he was despatched in a few hours to the field with the
dinner of his father and brothers. The girls betook themselves
to their room, and wore out the long day as they could.

It grew to the tempting time of the afternoon.

"Here they are!" said Rose who sat at the east window. "Now
for it! That farmer is a very good man. I really didn't expect
it."

"_They?_" said Elizabeth.

"Yes -- both the 'boys,' as the farmer calls them."

"I should think one might have been enough," said Elizabeth.

"Well, there's no harm in having two. Isn't the eldest one
handsome?"

"I don't know."

"You _do_ know."

"I don't! for I haven't thought about it."

"Do you have to think before you can tell whether a person is
handsome?"

"Yes; -- before I can tell whether I think he is."

"Well, look at him, -- I tell you he has the most splendid
eyes."

"Rose Cadwallader!" said her cousin laying down her book,
"what is it to you or me if all the farmer's sons in the land
have splendid eyes?"

Elizabeth's eyebrows said it was very little to her.

"I like to look at a handsome face anywhere," said Rose
pouting. "Come -- will you."

Elizabeth did come, but with a very uncompromising set of the
said eyebrows.

It appeared that everybody was going strawberrying, except
Mrs. Landholm and Winthrop; at least the former had not her
bonnet on, and the latter was not in the company at all. The
children found this out and raised a cry of dismay, which was
changed into a cry of entreaty as Winthrop came in. Winthrop
was going after fish. But Winifred got hold of his hand, and
Asahel withstood him with arguments; and at last Mrs. Landholm
put in her gen