[Illustration:  Reaping.]

[Illustration]

This was not the only service which Frank rendered to the farmer.  He often ran of errands for him when out of school, and the farmer was kind to him in return.  He predicted that Frank would turn out a useful and industrious man.  He was also useful to his parents.  One of his regular occupations was to drive the cow to pasture, early every morning, and to drive her home again in the evening, after school was done.

[Illustration]

Farmer Baldwin had a large hop field, which, when the hops were in full bloom, was a very beautiful sight.  Here the children were allowed to wander about at pleasure, their favorite resort being under a spreading oak in the hop field.  Here they often spent a Saturday afternoon, reading, or making rush baskets, or wreaths of flowers, and listening to the sweet singing of the redstart, whose nest was in the top of the oak.  Very sweet and plaintive was the music of the redstart.

[Illustration:  The redstart.]

When the season for hop gathering came, the children had a grand frolic, as this kind of labor, in which they took a part, was a real pleasure to them.  The hops were so light and fragrant, and the picking of them was such fun, and so many men and women assisted at the work, and the long summer day was closed with such a grand rural entertainment, when the great table was spread in the farmer’s orchard.  Frank and Fanny wished that there might be a dozen hop picking frolics every year.

[Illustration:  Hop picking.]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER V.

Jack Mills.

I should not omit to tell you, Mrs. Hamilton was bringing Fanny up to be very industrious, both with her sewing and knitting, and Mr. Hamilton taught Frank to weed the garden, and saw wood, and gather chips; and the children were as busy as bees, when at work, and as happy as birds, when at play.

I have told you that Frank seldom played with any one beside his sister; but sometimes when she was busy, after his work was dune, he would cross over a corner of the orchard, to a little brown house that stood near by, to play with a boy that lived there, with his mother.  Mrs. Mills was a widow; but Jack was very rough and wild, and Frank’s grandmother did not like to have him go there often.

One day Jack called to him from the orchard, and Frank, who had just finished his work, ran over to meet him.

“Look here,” said Jack, “see what I’ve got,” and he held out his cap, which was nearly half full of bird’s eggs.  Frank looked at them with surprise.

“You certainly couldn’t have been so wicked as to rob the birds’ nests of all those,” said Frank.

“Couldn’t I?” said Jack, and he gave a long, low whistle; “may be you never did nothing of the kind.”