UNCLE BEN.I.
UNCLE BEN.
Frank and Flora Lee, with Charley Green and his two sisters, Katy and Nellie, had gone out to spend the afternoon in the pasture. It was July, and the strawberries in the fields were ripe. Thechildren had brought their tin pails with them, and they hoped to be able to fill them with berries before they went home.
The afternoon was quite warm, and they soon got tired of running after strawberries, for there were very few in the field. Seating themselves under the broad branches of an oak, they rested their weary limbs, cooled their heated blood, andate up the few berries that they had picked.
The pasture was on the outskirts of the village, and next to the river. On one side of it was an old, unpainted house, in which lived a man by the name of Benjamin Gorham. He was a poor man, but he was as proud as he was poor. He had been a sailor nearly all his lifetime. He was too old to go to sea now, and hadcome to Riverdale to end his days in peace and quiet.
He had bought the old house in which he lived, together with the few acres of land around it. He had very little money, and the people of Riverdale thought he must have a hard time to get along. He worked on the land, and raised fruits and vegetables, which he sold in the village.
It seemed very sad for anold man like him to work so hard for a living. The town, or the people, of Riverdale would very gladly have helped him with money or provisions, but he was too proud to take any thing from them. People pitied him, and wanted to do something for him; but he was angry when any one offered to give him any thing.
The folks in Riverdale had a habit of calling Mr. GorhamUncle Ben, though for what reason I am unable to say; for not many of them liked him very well, and when any of the children came upon his land, he drove them away. He was cross, and scolded a great deal more than was necessary.
But the world had used him rather badly, judging from his own talk. He had worked hard all his life, and now, whenhe was an old man, he had not enough to live upon without severe toil. I suppose this was what made him cross. He thought people pitied him, and he did not want to be pitied, because he was very proud.
Uncle Ben had not always been a common sailor while at sea. He had been the first mate of a ship—which is next to the captain—the two lastvoyages he had made. He had wanted to be a captain, but the owners, for some reason or other, would not trust him.
This made him gloomy and sad. He was disappointed, and this helped to make him cross. People used to vex and bother him, too, because he was so crusty, and this only made him worse. His wife was a very good woman, and all the neighborsliked her very much. They had no children.
The happy party were seated only a little way from the house of Uncle Ben; but the two boys thought they were as near as they wanted to be, for the old man seemed to hate children.
If he did, it was only because they gave him so much trouble. They knew he was cross, and they liked to plaguehim. On purpose to bother him, they used to steal his apples, even when they had enough of them. They would get into his lot, or his garden, only to see him run after them.
This was very naughty of them, for I have no doubt, if they had been kind to him, he would have been kind to them.
“I wish I had a drink of water,” said Flora Lee, as sheglanced at the house of Uncle Ben. “I’m almost choked.”
“We can get some at the spring,” said Frank.
“Yes, but the spring is clear out at the other end of the pasture,” added Charley.
“Why can’t we get some water at Uncle Ben’s?” asked Flora.
“He wouldn’t let you step on his land. He is a cross old fellow.”
“Why, he would let me have some water. Of course he would,” added Flora.
“No, he wouldn’t; he drives the fellows off when they come near his house,” said Charley Green.
“I’m almost sure, if I should ask him, he would give me some water.”
“No, he wouldn’t; he would drive you off, just as he has hundreds of others. There heis now, in the garden, picking his currants,” replied Charley, pointing to the place where the currant bushes lined the fence.
“I heard my father say the boys plague him almost to death; and that must be the reason why he is so cross.”
“That may be, but he is as cross as he can be, whatever the reason is.”
“Poor old man! It is toobad for the boys to plague him. They say he has been all over the world, and sailed upon all the oceans.”
“I know he has,” added Charley. “He told my father something about one of his voyages. Father says he likes to tell stories when he can get any one to hear him.”
“I should like to hear him,” said Flora; “I could sit all the afternoon and listen tostories about the sea; about sailors and such things.”
“So could I.”
“I am going down to his house to get a drink of water,” continued Flora.
“I wouldn’t go there,” said Frank.
“I am not afraid of him,” replied the brave little girl. “I will be kind to him, and I know he won’t hurt me. I don’t believe he will evenscold at me. If he does I can go away, you know.”
“Better go to the spring.”
“Besides, when I get down there, I mean to ask him to tell us a story.”
“He will bite your head off if you do,” said Katy Green.
“I don’t believe he will; at any rate, I shall try him. If you don’t want to go, you may stay where you are.”
“I will go, too,” said Nellie.
The children talked it over a little while, and they concluded that Flora and Nellie should go alone, and that the others should wait in the road for them.
So they went down the hill into the road, and the three who were to wait seated themselves under a tree near the house. The two little girls walked on, and entered the yard in front of the house.Uncle Ben was picking currants, not far off, and they made their way to the spot, being very careful not to tread upon any of the plants.
As they came near to the old man, he heard their steps, and turned to see who they were. He looked very sour and cross, and Flora began to have some doubts in regard to her mission, which was not only to get some water, but tosee if Uncle Ben would not speak kindly to her. He did not look as if he could speak a pleasant word, even if he tried ever so hard.
“What do you want here?” growled the old man, in a tone that made the little girls tremble with fear.
“Please, sir, I am very dry. Will you please to let me have a drink of water?”
“There is the well; you canhelp yourself,” replied Uncle Ben, in much gentler tones than before.
“Thank you, sir; we won’t tread on any thing, nor do a bit of harm.”
Flora thought Uncle Ben was trying to smile as she turned to go; but she was certain he did not smile. For my part I don’t see how he could help smiling, when he looked upon such a good girl as Flora.
Uncle Ben assists the Girls.
Uncle Ben assists the Girls.
Uncle Ben assists the Girls.