University of Virginia Library

YOUNG COVILLE CATCHES ON BEHIND.

YOUNG COVILLE was out looking for a ride Friday afternoon. He had his sled with him, and wanted to fasten it to a horse-sleigh. An opportunity finally presented itself. It was a farmer who was driving; and he had two good horses. His son sat in the back of the sleigh, watching the various village boys. He was a pale boy, with a broad forehead and a soft brown eye. No one can read character so well as children; and, when Master Coville looked into the open countenance of the farmer-lad, he put after the sleigh with all his might, and, catching up to it, threw himself on the tail-board, keeping his eye firmly fixed on the farmer-boy. Then the farmer-boy suggested that young Coville get on his own sled, and he would hold the rope for a little way. The offer was accepted at once; and Master Coville mounted his own sled, where he rode in triumph, to the envy of every boy he passed. Getting towards the suburbs, the farmer, who was quite deaf, hurried forward his horses; and Master Coville tried to look ahead without smiling; but it was impossible, the speed was so exhilarating. When the party got by Granville Avenue, young Coville told the farmer-boy that he guessed he'd be going back, and, if he'd kindly drop the rope, he'd confer a favor. The farmer-boy smiled a rural smile, but didn't

relax his hold on the rope. Young Coville smiled too, but rather feebly, and again repeated his request. But the soft brown eye was musing, and the rope still remained in the owner's grasp. Young Coville began to look scared. It was after five o'clock, and would be dark in an hour; and here he was, sailing out into the country at the rate of eight miles an hour.

"Let go of there, why don't you?" he asked.

The farmer-boy smiled,—one of those blossoming smiles, which told of green dells and moss-fringed brooks.

"If you don't let go of that rope, I'll just get into that sleigh, and smash yer darned old snoot!" suggested young Coville; which was a very imprudent statement, in view of the fact that every muscle was engaged in keeping his seat.

But the farmer-lad did not let go. He kept his hold of the rope, and kept up the smiles,—the waving-grain and blooming-daisy smiles.

"Oh! I'll make you laugh on the other side of your mouth if you don't let go of that rope!" shouted young Coville as he saw the paved side-walks give way to foot-paths, and gardens dissolve into broad, snow-clad fields.

On they went, the farmer-lad smiling so beautifully, and young Coville grating his teeth, and shouting the awful things he would do in the future.

About four miles out of town, and as they were passing through a heavy wood, the farmer-boy smiled a broad smile, and let go of the rope; and, as the sleigh darted away, the rope passed under the sled, bringing it up so suddenly as to throw young Coville heels over head into the snow. When he got up, the sleigh was going over a hill, and his tormentor was throwing agricultural kisses at him.

It was late at night when Master Coville reached his home; but, when he went to bed, there were thirteen snowballs, soaked with water, freezing slowly but surely on a board in the back-yard.