t of
bread and milk. Then she fed the pig, let out the hens, and gave Fidel
a bone which she had saved for him from the soup. Last of all, she
milked the cow, and when this was done, and she had had a cup of coffee
herself, the clock in the steeple struck twelve.

Even Mother Van Hove's strength was not equal to work in the
harvest-field that day, but she stowed the load of wheat which had been
brought home the night before in the barn, and, after the chores were
done at night, she and the Twins went straight to bed and slept as only
the very weary can, until the sun streamed into their windows in the
morning.

V

DOING A MAN'S WORK

When Jan and Marie awoke, their mother's bed was empty. "She's gone to
milk the cow," cried Marie. "Come, Jan, we will surprise her! When she
comes back from the pasture, we will have breakfast all ready."

"You can," said Jan, as he struggled into his clothes, and twisted
himself nearly in two trying to do up the buttons in the back; "you
can, but I must do a man's work! I will go out and feed the pig and
catch old Pier and hitch him to the cart," he said importantly. "I must
finish the wheat harvest to-day."

"Ho!" said Marie. "You will spill the pig-feed all over yourself! You
are such a messy boy!"

"I guess I can do it just as well as you can make coffee," said Jan
with spirit. "You've never made coffee in your life!"

"I've watched Mother do it lots of times," said Marie. "I'm sure I can
do it just the same way."

"All right, let's see you do it, then," said Jan. And he strode out of
the room with his hands in his pockets, taking as long steps as his
short legs would permit.

When she was dressed and washed, Marie ran to the pump and filled the
kettle. Then she stirred the embers of the fire in the kitchen and put
on fresh coal. She set the kettle on to boil and only slopped a little
water on her apron in doing so. Then she put the dishes on the table.

Meanwhile she heard no sound from Jan. She went to the kitchen door and
looked out. Jan had already let out the fowls, and was just in the act
of feeding the pig. He had climbed up on the fence around the pig-pen,
and by dint of great effort had succeeded in lifting the heavy pail of
feed to the top of it. He was now trying to let it down on the other
side and pour the contents into the trough, but the pig was greedy, and
the moment the pail came within reach, she stuck her nose and her fore
feet into it. This added