"Well, Arthur," said she, "it will be only six weeks to Thanksgiving,
and Mr. Martin has promised you shall come home then; and how glad we
shall all be to see you!"
It was a sunny, autumn morning. The white frost lay on the grass and the
fences, and the north-wind was chilly, as the boys drove on. Rover
persisted in following them, and finally Arthur begged John to take him
in, and carry him over. Rover was delighted, and laid himself down in
the bottom of the wagon, and looked affectionately into Arthur's face.
"Poor Rover," said he, "you will miss me I know; and I shall miss you a
great deal more. I wonder if Mr. Martin has a dog?"
"I guess not," said John, "for he took no notice of Rover, and every
body who likes dogs speaks to Rover, because he is so large and
handsome. I am afraid you will be homesick at first over there, but we
must do the best we can, for these are hard times. I don't see how we
can do any thing more than pay the rent this year, after all my summer's
work; for the dry weather ruined the potatoes, and corn won't bring more
than fifty cents a bushel; and how we are to live, I don't see. I am not
afraid for myself, but it is too bad for mother, and the little ones;
so, if you are homesick, you must try to get over it again, and not come
back, or let mother know it, for she has just as much trouble as she can
bear already."
"Oh, no," said Arthur, "I won't be homesick, I _will_ be a brave
boy, as mother calls it, and never complain, let what will come; but I
do wish we were not so poor."
"I don't know," said John, "I think poor folks that work hard, enjoy
about as much as anybody, after all. It isn't a disgrace to be poor, if
we are only honest, and do what is right; and you know the minister said
last Sabbath, that Jesus Christ when he lived on the earth was a poor
man, and worked with his hands for a living. He won't despise the poor
now he has gone into heaven again; for he will remember how he was poor
once. Mother says, nothing will break her heart but living to see us do
some wicked deed, and that she could not survive that. We must be
careful not to break her heart, musn't we, Arthur?"
