II.
When Flora and Nellie arrived at the well, there was no water in the bucket. It was drawn with a long pole, called a “sweep,” supported on a crotched post. The bucket was attached to a small pole, fastened to the end of the long one, which went down into the well.
As the bucket went down, one end of the long pole came down with it, while the other end went up—just as the beam does in a pair of scales. It was hard work to draw water with a sweep, and the little girls found that the strength of both of them was not enough to move it.
While they were trying, they saw Uncle Ben leave his work, and walk over to the well.They wondered what he was coming for, as they could not believe that one so cross as people said he was would think of helping them.
“That is rather too hard work for such little girls,” said he, as he pulled down the sweep, and then drew up the bucket full of water.
“Thank you, sir,” said Flora. “You are so kind!”
“What is your name, mylittle girl?” asked Uncle Ben, pleasantly.
“Flora Lee, sir; and this is Nellie Green.”
“You have been in the pasture—haven’t you?”
“Yes, sir; we have been trying to find some strawberries, but they were so scarce we couldn’t get many,” replied Flora, when she had taken a good drink of the pure cold water.
“There were more of you, I thought.”
“Yes, sir; my brother and Nellie’s brother and sister are waiting for us out there in the road.”
“I will tell you where you can find plenty of strawberries,” said Uncle Ben; and now, without a doubt, there was a smile on his wrinkled face.
“O, thank you, sir!” exclaimedFlora, with childlike pleasure.
“In my pasture, on the other side of the road, there are oceans of them.”
“But will you let us pick them, sir?”
“You may; when that Joe Birch and such boys as he come round here, I always send them off, because they steal my fruit, and break down my fences. They are very badboys,” replied Uncle Ben, who seemed to feel the need of telling them why he was so cross.
“Uncle”—Flora was going to say “Uncle Ben;” but she did not know that it would be quite proper for her to call him by this name.
“That’s right, little lady; call me ‘Uncle Ben.’ You needn’t be at all afraid of me. That’s just what thesailors used to call me on board ship.”
“That’s just what I was going to say, Uncle Ben. People say you have been all over the world.”
“I have, almost.”
“We should dearly like to have you tell us some stories about the sea, and places where you have been.”
“I will do so, with pleasure,” answered the old man,with a smile—and so pleasant a smile that Flora and Nellie could hardly believe he was the man whom folks talked about so badly.
“Thank you. How kind you are! Will you tell us one now?”
“I can’t very well, now. I have half a bushel of currants to pick before sundown.”
“O, we will all help you, Uncle Ben, if you will onlytell us a sea story—won’t we, Nellie?”
“Yes, we will; there are five of us, and we can pick them as fast as any thing.”
“Just as you please, little misses.”
“We will go and call Frank, and Charley, and Katy,” shouted Flora, as she ran out of the yard, followed by Nellie.
They were much pleased with the success of their mission.They felt as smart as though they had conquered a wild tiger. They were sure now that Uncle Ben did not hate children, as people said he did.
The old man had his faults, and they were serious faults too; but he was not half so bad as folks said he was. He was cross, very cross, at times, and this made others impose upon him. When he saw thatpeople were against him, without stopping to ask the reason, he began to hate them.
Things of this kind almost always go on from bad to worse; and the more folks “picked upon him,” the more he hated them. The boys, and even the girls, who lived near him, used to insult him, when they dared to do so. All these things put together made him very unhappy.
The children under the tree jumped up when they saw Flora and Nellie running towards them so fast; and they at once concluded that Uncle Ben must have driven them out of his yard.
“I knew he would,” said Charley.
“So did I,” added Katy; “and they were fools to go near him.”
“So you have come, atlast?” continued Charley, as the two little girls reached the tree.
“Yes; and got driven away, as I knew you would,” said Katy.
“No, we didn’t get driven away,” puffed Flora, out of breath with running.
“Didn’t he send you off?” asked Frank.
“Indeed he did not,” answered Flora. “I don’t carewhat any body says about Uncle Ben; I say he is a real nice man—isn’t he, Nellie?”
“Yes, he is.”
“He is enough sight better than some of the folks that talk about him. I like him ever so much—don’t you, Nellie?”
“Yes, indeed I do!”
“Tell us all about it,” said Charley. “Did he scold atyou any? Wasn’t he cross and ugly?”
“He spoke cross when we first went to him; but after I asked him if I might have some water, he was just as good as pie,” replied Flora.
“What did you say to him?”
“I only asked him if he would please to let me have some water. He said I might; and when we couldn’t drawthe water ourselves, he came and drew it for us.”
“Uncle Ben did?” exclaimed Charley.
“Yes, indeed he did,” replied Nellie.
“Well, I shall give up now! Only think of Uncle Ben drawing a bucket of water for you!” said Frank.
“Why shouldn’t he?” asked Flora.
“He should, but I don’t believehe will get over it for a month. He will certainly have a fit after it.”
“No, he won’t,” said Flora, smartly. “And I haven’t told you the whole yet.”
“What else? Wonders will never cease after this,” laughed Frank.
“When I had taken a good drink of the water, I asked Uncle Ben if he wouldn’t tell us a story.”
“And he told you he would?”
“He did.”
“That will be first rate!” exclaimed Katy; “I do like to hear stories.”
“When will he tell us one?”
“I asked him if he wouldn’t tell us one now. And he said he would, only he had to pick half a bushel of currants before sundown. What do you think I told him then?”
“I don’t know; what did you tell him?” asked Charley.
“I told him we would all help him. You will—won’t you?”
They all, even Katy, who was not often willing to do what her friends asked her to do, declared that they would.
They were so pleased at the idea of a story from Uncle Ben, that they were willing to buy the pleasure by pickinghis currants for him. Flora led the way back to the old man’s house. He met them with a smile on his face, and led them out to the bushes, where they went to work.
It turned out that Uncle Ben had picked more than half the currants he wanted himself, and in less than half an hour the busy fingers of the children had finished the job.
Uncle Ben then led them to an apple tree near the house. Seating himself on the ground, the children gathered around him, and he began the story. The little folks could scarcely believe that he was the cross old man, whom almost every body hated, for he looked as good natured as any body could look.
On the Cross-trees.
On the Cross-trees.
On the Cross-trees.