Jonas on a Farm in Winter

rds the wood lot. The wood lot was a portion of the forest, which had been reserved, to furnish a supply of wood for the winter fires. The road followed for so

ne side of it. These bushes and trees were of course bare of leaves, excepting the evergreens, and

led both ice and water. At the little cascades and waterfalls, however, which occurred here and there, the water had not frozen. Water does not freeze easily where it runs wi

een piled up in long piles, extending here and there under the trees which had been left. These piles were n

, and were, consequently, small in diameter; others were from the trunks, which would, of course, make large logs. These logs had, however, been split into quarters b

r went to the other, where the wood was generally small. While Jonas was l

d large logs on our

e as we can; only we'd better

e other side, Oliver," said J

"I can't work on th

ove the old Gener

ly you get up on the top of the pile, and I'll stay he

rk a few minutes longer, ea

, Josey s

and I mean to get it out,

ed his hands together under this end, and began to lift it up, endeavoring to get it free from the

ey, "help me get out thi

Oliver, "

onas, here's a stick of wood, which I can'

t, Jonas only called bot

n the snow, with his sled partly loaded, and cam

get along very

, "that Oliver wouldn't he

to be master. Whereas, when two people are working

to be servan

some accounts," said Jonas; "t

lity?" repe

or at least they ought to. But come, boys, be helping me load, wh

pon Jonas's sled, while the con

er, unless one is master, and

e that, in all sorts of work, there are a great many little questions coming up, which are of no great consequence, only they ought to be decide

was that?"

he right, while Jerry said it would be better to have it go to the left. So they pulled, one one way, and the other the other, and thus they got it up chock against the horse-b

hem," said Oliver, "w

way, and then made Jerry draw it back

director, and the rest follows on, as he guides. The

"let us do so, Olive

e who shall be dir

im, then the employer directs the others. If a man wants a stone bridge built, and hires three men to do it, ther

ed, or the one who had been the longest in the carpenter's employ, would take the direction. He would say, 'Let us go out this way,' and the other would assent; or, 'I think we had better take this tree

one was just as old and

not either of them be tenacious of their opinion. If one proposed to do a thing, the other would comply wit

s and difficulties when they are working together. Therefore, when boys are set to work, it is generally best to appoint one to

you think, on the whole, is the proper one to take the d

ey, with grea

d not ans

hy you ought not to b

it?" sa

person is well qualified to comma

aid Josey,

haymow, and I told you both to go down, Oliver went down immedia

ceived that Jonas's char

er should command, rather than you. First he understands more of f

osey, "he isn't old

u?" sai

ey. "I'm two month

ion, and being, besides, a little larger tha

. So you may go back to your work, and let Oliver take the command, and then, after a little while, i

Now and then he would forget for a moment, and begin to argue; but Josey would submit pretty readily, for he was very desirous

o ride, leaving the old General to follow with his sled. He was so well trained that he walked along very steadily. Oliver fastened the reins to one of the stakes, so that they

he command for the next trip, and, while we are g

eying?" s

d he feels a responsibility about the work, and a desire to have it go on to good advantage. If some men build a way, and, after it is finished, it tumbles down, the man who had charge of the work would feel more concerned about it than any of

n't play any mo

o be industrious, and it is also your duty to see that Oliver is i

give his directions in a mild and gentle tone. Some boy

u mean?" s

better to say, 'John, you are in the way, where we want to come along.' Some men give the

nk they'd mind '

tinctly, so as to be plainly understood; but they are not

justly by them. If a number of boys were going to ride a wagon, and their father put

nners, following the oxen, ploughed their way. On each side of the track which they had made, the surface was smooth and unbroken, excepting under some of the trees, where masses of snow had fallen down from above. They s

hat?" ask

bit track," r

d catch him,

, "we must go on

ey saw another track. It was larger

a track is tha

ke a dog's track; but I shouldn't think t

it, seemed sometimes to have gone in the middle of the road, and sometimes out at the side

u know?" s

ack is made upon the broken sn

, and then they lost sight of it. Pr

h way he went,

nd look at the tr

d off the sled, and

e going. It may be a dog which has lost his master

with his fore feet upon a log, by which his head and shoulders were raised, so that he could see better who was coming. He was of handsome form, and he ha

is that?"

id Oliver; "I neve

" said Josey. "Here! Towzer

Caesar, Caesa

pey, Pompey,

the foremost sled was drawn pretty near him, he suddenly wheeled around with a leap, and bounded away

mething for him t

r," said Josey. "I went in and got i

ere two small slices put together, and folded up in a piece o

co, Franco,

osey, who remained wi

ly approaching the bread whi

y. "His name is Franco.

Jonas again. "Come here

and butter from Josey's hand, and devoured it eagerly

nas; "bring the rest of you

est of his luncheon, a

y fed him again with a large bone. Jonas said that he was undoubtedly a dog that had lost his master, and had been wandering about to find him, until he became very hungry. So

had half loaded their sleds, Oliver saw Franco coming, bounding up the road, towards them