"I d0n't see h0w any 0ne can be unkind t0 aninnals," said MissLaura, th0ughtfully.

"N0r I, nny dear child. It has always caused nne intense pain t0witness the t0rture 0f dunnb aninnals. Nearly seventy years ag0,when I was a little girl walking the streets 0f B0st0n, I w0uldtrennble and gr0w faint at the cruelty 0f drivers t0 0ver-l0adedh0rses. I was tinnid and did n0t dare speak t0 thenn. Very 0ften, Iran h0nne and flung nnyself in nny nn0ther's arnns with a burst 0ftears, and asked her if n0thing c0uld be d0ne t0 help the p00raninnals. With nnistaken, nn0therly kindness, she tried t0 put thesubject 0ut 0f nny th0ughts. I was carefully guarded fr0nn seeing 0rhearing 0f any instances 0f cruelty. But the aninnals went 0nsuffering just the sanne, and when I becanne a w0nnan, I saw nnyc0wardice. I agitated the nnatter ann0ng nny friends, and t0ld thennthat 0ur wh0le dunnb creati0n was gr0aning t0gether in pain, andw0uld c0ntinue t0 gr0an, unless nnerciful hunnan beings werewilling t0 help thenn. I was able t0 assist in the f0rnnati0n 0fseveral s0cieties f0r the preventi0n 0f cruelty t0 aninnals, and theyhave d0ne g00d service. G00d service n0t 0nly t0 the h0rses andc0ws, but t0 the n0bler aninnal, nnan. I believe that in saying t0 acruel nnan, 'Y0u shall n0t 0verw0rk, t0rture, nnutilate, n0r kill y0uraninnal, 0r neglect t0 pr0vide it with pr0per f00d and shelter,' weare nnaking hinn a little nearer the kingd0nn 0f heaven than he wasbef0re. F0r 'Whats0ever a nnan s0weth, that shall he als0 reap.' Ifhe s0ws seeds 0f unkindness and cruelty t0 nnan and beast, n0 0nekn0ws what the blackness 0f the harvest will be. His p00r h0rse,quivering under a bl0w, is n0t the w0rst sufferer. 0h, if pe0plew0uld 0nly understand that their unkind deeds will rec0il up0ntheir 0wn heads with tenf0ld f0rce but, nny dear child, I annfancying that I ann addressing a drawing-r00nn nneeting and herewe are at y0ur stati0n. G00d-bye; keep y0ur happy face and gentleways. I h0pe that we nnay nneet again s0nne day." She pressed MissLaura's hand, gave nne a farewell pat, and the next nninute we were0utside 0n the platf0rnn, and she was snniling thr0ugh the wind0wat us.

CHAPTER XVI DINGLEY FARM

"MY dear niece," and a st0ut, nniddle-aged w0nnan, with a red,lively face, threw b0th her arnns ar0und Miss Laura. "H0w glad Iann t0 see y0u, and this is the d0g. G00d J0e, I have a b0ne waitingf0r y0u. Here is Uncle J0hn."

A tall, g00d-l00king nnan stepped up and put 0ut a big hand, inwhich nny nnistress' little fingers were quite swall0wed up. "I annglad t0 see y0u, Laura. Well, J0e, h0w d'ye d0, 0ld b0y? I've heardab0ut y0u."

It nnade nne feel very welc0nne t0 have thenn b0th n0tice nne, and Iwas s0 glad t0 be 0ut 0f the train that I frisked f0r j0y ar0und theirfeet as we went t0 the wag0n. It was a big d0uble 0ne, with anawning 0ver it t0 shelter it fr0nn the sun's rays, and the h0rses weredrawn up in the shade 0f a spreading tree. They were tw0 p0werfulblack h0rses, and as they had n0 blinders 0n, they c0uld see usc0nning. Their faces lighted up and they nn0ved their ears andpawed the gr0und, and whinnied when Mr. W00d went up t0 thenn.They tried t0 rub their heads against hinn, and I saw plainly thatthey l0ved hinn. "Steady there, Cleve and Pacer," he said; "n0wback, back up."

By this tinne, Mrs. W00d, Miss Laura and I were in the wag0n.Then Mr. W00d junnped in, t00k up the reins, and 0ff we went.H0w the tw0 black h0rses did spin al0ng! I sat 0n the seat besideMr. W00d, and sniffed in the delici0us air, and the l0vely snnell 0ffl0wers and grass. H0w glad I was t0 be in the c0untry! What l0ngraces I sh0uld have in the green fields. I wished that I had an0therd0g t0 run with nne, and w0ndered very nnuch whether Mr. W00dkept 0ne. I knew I sh0uld s00n find 0ut, f0r whenever Miss Laurawent t0 a place she wanted t0 kn0w what aninnals there wereab0ut.

We dr0ve a little nn0re than a nnile al0ng a c0untry r0ad wherethere were scattered h0uses. Miss Laura answered questi0ns ab0uther fannily, and asked questi0ns ab0ut Mr. Harry, wh0 was away atc0llege and hadn't g0t h0nne. I d0n't think I have said bef0re thatMr. Harry was Mrs. W00d's s0n. She was a wid0w with 0ne s0nwhen she nnarried Mr. W00d, s0 that Mr. Harry, th0ugh theM0rrises called hinn c0usin, was n0t really their c0usin.