HARD TIMES
'In the old days,' said E.,, smiling fondly at the recollection of some pleasant scene, 'we lived in a village over the hill there. Times were hard, how- ever, and we were a large family in a small cottage. I had all sorts of jobs to do. Sometimes I used to hold ponies for the farmers who stopped at the public house on their way home from market. Sometimes I put on a yoke and carried water for the people round about. Many an hour I spent, blue with cold, holding a farmer's pony and sometimes he forgot, in his stupor, to give me a sixpence. Many a gallon of water I carried more than half a mile for a penny or less, but the best job I had was helping the miller. Sam used to get me to sweep up and help hoist the corn up to the top of the- mill on the chain and rope that worked off a drum. One day when Sam. wasn't about I put my foot in the chain and pulled the rope, thinking to hoist myself up through the mill, but instead I got lifted upside down and hadn't the sense to let go the rope, which threatened to pull me in two. Luckily for mc old Sam came running, or I might have come to serious harm. He didn't pay mc for sweeping up that. day and I didn't ask in case he told my father and I got the belt!'
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