children, and see that they behave nicely. And don't let
Phronsie eat more than one doughnut. And be careful to tie the
shawl over her when she comes home."

"I'll remember, Mamsie," said Polly, and wishing there wasn't
such a thing in the world as a party, she put Phronsie into the
wagon, and climbed up beside her. Davie, with a very sober face
at thought of leaving Joel behind, craned his neck and watched
for him as long as the little brown house was in sight.

"You see," said Abram's mother, twitching the reins, when at
last the old horse decided to start, "I had to hurry away an'
get in. I sh'd a-liked to a' set an' passed the time o' day
longer with your Ma, but I didn't darst to. It's dretful to
have a horse run. I couldn't never a-catched him in all this
world, stout as I be. Land! I hain't run a step for ten years,
'cept last spring I was to Sister Jane's, an' her cow took
after me, an' I had to."

"O dear," breathed Phronsie, turning her face up as she sat
squeezed in between Abram's mother and Polly, "did he hurt you?"

"Bless your heart!" exclaimed the woman, beaming at her, "no,
for he didn't catch me. You see I had on a red shawl, an' the
critter didn't like it."

"Oh!" said Phronsie.

"No; sho there, easy, you!" cried Abram's mother, holding the
old leather reins as tightly as possible, and bracing back; "I