The Belgian Twins

to milk the cow," cried Marie. "Come, Jan, we will surprise her! Whe

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 c

ill the pig-feed all over your

can make coffee," said Jan with spirit.

of times," said Marie. "I'm sure

he strode out of the room with his hands in his pocket

d the embers of the fire in the kitchen and put on fresh coal. She set the kettle on to boil

ucceeded 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 fo

and when she saw Jan balancing on the fence and kickin

ion. "Come here and pick me off this fence!" he ro

e stable as she ran, and, placing it against the fence, seized one of Jan's fee

d only have seen yourself, Jan! You would have laughed, too! Instead of po

at," said Jan with dignity; "it

Marie, wiping her eyes. "That greedy pig will ba

reach it,

it with a stick." She ran for a stick to poke with, while Jan bravely mounted the box again,

as well as you have made the coffee,"

coffee!" And she ran back to the kitchen, to find t

bellows to start the fire again. "What did I tell

at him, and Jan sauntered away toward th

ime to catch him and put the halter over his head. When at last he returned from the pasture, red

other Van Hove as Jan appeared. "H

I put his halter on," said Jan proudl

ile I hitch Pier to the cart. Then, while he and I work in the field, you can put the ho

ded the wagon and stowed the grain away in the barn to be threshed; and when the long day's work was over, and they had eaten their simple supper of b

street, talking quietly and sadly among themselves. On the doorsteps a few old men lingered together over their pipes. Already the bigger boys were playing soldier, with paper caps on their heads, and sticks fo

one arm to the other. "It seems as if we should know better what to do. In a day or two I sha

the wife of Boer Maes. "They will do better for us than we

yet at war. I pray God we may not be, and that we shall soon see them come marching home again to tell

e yesterday," said th

Van Hove cheerfully. "Jan and I got in the las

for you?" asked th

words she said good-night to the other women, called Jan and Marie, and turned once more down the street toward the little house on the edge of the village. Far across the pe

lines o

Hove lifted her voice and joined the words to the melody. "They will never conquer him, the old Lion of Flan