Read Under the Lilacs for Free Online Page A

about your running away; and if the Squire gives you a job, just thank
     him for it, and do your best to be steady and industrious; then you’ll get on, I haven’t a doubt,” she whispered, ringing
     the bell at a side door, on which the word “Morris” shone in bright letters.
    “Come in!” called a gruff voice; and, feeling very muchas if he were going to have a tooth out, Ben meekly followed the good woman, who put on her pleasantest smile, anxious to
     make the best possible impression.
    A white-headed old gentleman sat reading a paper, and peered over his glasses at the newcomers with a pair of sharp eyes,
     saying in a testy tone, which would have rather daunted anyone who did not know what a kind heart he had under his capacious
     waistcoat—
    “Good morning, ma’am. What’s the matter now? Young tramp been stealing your chickens?”
    “Oh dear, no, sir!” exclaimed Mrs. Moss, as if shocked at the idea. Then, in a few words, she told Ben’s story, unconsciously
     making his wrongs and destitution so pathetic by her looks and tones that the Squire could not help being interested, and
     even Ben pitied himself as if he were somebody else.
    “Now, then, boy, what can you do?” asked the old gentleman, with an approving nod to Mrs. Moss as she finished, and such a
     keen glance from under his bushy brows that Ben felt as if he was perfectly transparent.
    “’Most anything, sir, to get my livin’.”
    “Can you weed?”
    “Never did, but I can learn, sir.”
    “Pull up all the beets and leave the pigweed, hey? Can you pick strawberries?”
    “Never tried anything but eatin’ ’em, sir.”
    “Not likely to forget that part of the job. Can you ride a horse to plow?”
    “Guess I could, sir!”— and Ben’s eyes began to sparkle, for he dearly loved the noble animals who had been his dearest friends
     lately.
    “No antics allowed. My horse is a fine fellow, and I’m very particular about him.”
    The Squire spoke soberly, but there was a twinkle in his eye, and Mrs. Moss tried not to smile; for the Squire’s horse was
     a joke all over the town, being about twenty years old, and having a peculiar gait of his own, lifting his forefeet very high,
     with a great show of speed, though never going out of a jog-trot. The boys used to say he galloped before and walked behind,
     and made all sorts of fun of the big, Roman-nosed beast, who allowed no liberties to be taken with him.
    “I’m too fond of horses to hurt ’em, sir. As for ridin’, I ain’t afraid of anything on four legs. The King of Morocco used
     to kick and bite like fun, but I could manage him first-rate.”
    “Then you’d be able to drive cows to pasture, perhaps?”
    “I’ve drove elephants and camels, ostriches and grizzly bears, and mules, and six yellow ponies all to oncet. Maybe I could
     manage cows if I tried hard,” answered Ben, endeavoring to be meek and respectful when scorn filled his soul at the idea of
     not being able to drive a cow.
    The Squire liked him all the better for the droll mixture of indignation and amusement betrayed by the fire in his eyes and
     the sly smile round his lips; and being rather tickled by Ben’s list of animals, he answered, gravely—
    “We don’t raise elephants and camels much round here. Bears used to be plenty, but folks got tired of them. Mules are numerous,
     but we have the two-legged kind; and as a general thing prefer Shanghai fowls to ostriches.”
    He got no further, for Ben laughed out so infectiously that both the others joined him; and somehow that jolly laugh seemed
     to settle matters better than words. As they stopped, the Squire tapped on the window behind him, saying, with an attempt
     at the former gruffness—
    “We’ll try you on cows awhile. My man will show youwhere to drive them, and give you some odd jobs through the day. I’ll see what you are good for, and send you word tonight,
     Mrs. Moss. The boy can sleep at your house, can’t he?”
    “Yes,