He could wash dishes and milk the cow, and often, when
mamma had a sick-headache, had he gotten a good breakfast, never
forgetting tea and toast for the invalid.
So Sancho, the Canadian pony, was harnessed to the minister's rusty
buggy, and Mr. and Mrs. Blake got in and told the children good-by. Then
Sancho started off, and had gone about ten steps, when he was suddenly
reined up with a "Whoa!"
"Willie!" said Mr. Blake.
"Sir."
"Be careful about fire."
"Yes, sir."
And then old blackey-brown Sancho moved on in a gentle trot, and Willie
and Helen and Richard went into the house, where Curlypate had already
gone, and where they found her on tiptoe, with her short little fingers
in the sugar-bowl, trying in vain to find a lump that would not go to
pieces in the vigorous squeeze that she gave in her desire to make sure
of it.
So Willie washed the dishes, while Helen wiped them, and Richard put them
away, and they had a merry time, though Willie had to soothe several
rising disputes between Helen and Richard. Then a glorious lot of wood
was gotten in, and Helen came near sweeping a hole in the carpet in her
eager desire to "surprise mamma." Curlypate went in the parlor and piled
things up in a wonderful way, declaring that she, too, was going to
"_susprise_ mamma.
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