CHAPTER VI. MR. FROST MAKES UP HIS MIND
"Well, Frank," said his father at supper-time, "I've been speaking toMr. Maynard this afternoon about your plan."
"What did he say?" asked Frank, dropping his knife and fork in hiseagerness.
"After he had thought a little, he spoke of it favorably. He said that,being too old to go himself, he should be glad to do anything in hispower to facilitate my going, if I thought it my duty to do so."
"Didn't he think Frank rather young for such an undertaking?" asked Mrs.Frost doubtfully.
"Yes, he did; but still he thought with proper advice and competentassistance he might get along. For the first, he can depend upon Mr.Maynard and myself; as for the second, Mr. Maynard suggested a good man,who is seeking a situation as farm laborer."
"Is it anybody in this town?" asked Frank.
"No, it is a man from Brandon, named Jacob Carter. Mr. Maynard says heis honest, industrious, and used to working on a farm. I shall write tohim this evening."
"Then you have decided to go!" exclaimed Frank and his mother inconcert.
"It will depend in part upon the answer I receive from this man Carter.I shall feel if he agrees to come, that I can go with less anxiety."
"How we shall miss you!" said his wife, in a subdued tone.
"And I shall miss you quite as much. It will be a considerable sacrificefor all of us. But when my country has need of me, you will feel thatI cannot honorably stay at home. As for Frank, he may regard me as hissubstitute."
"My substitute!" repeated Frank, in a questioning tone.
"Yes, since but for you, taking charge of the farm in my absence, Ishould not feel that I could go."
Frank looked pleased. It made him feel that he was really of someimportance. Boys, unless they are incorrigibly idle, are glad to beplaced in posts of responsibility. Frank, though very modest, feltwithin himself unused powers and undeveloped capacities, which he knewmust be called out by the unusual circumstances in which he would beplaced. The thought, too, that he would be serving his country, even athome, filled him with satisfaction.
After a pause, Mr. Frost said: "There is one point on which I still havesome doubts. As you are all equally interested with myself, I think itproper to ask your opinion, and shall abide by your decision."
Frank and his mother listened with earnest attention.
"You are aware that the town has decided to give a bounty of one hundredand fifty dollars to such as may volunteer toward filling the quota.You may remember, also, that although the town passed the vote almostunanimously, it was my proposition, and supported by a speech of mine."
"Squire Haynes opposed it, I think you said, father."
"Yes, and intimated that I urged the matter from interested motives. Hesaid he presumed I intended to enlist."
"As if that sum would pay a man for leaving his home and incurring theterrible risks of war!" exclaimed Mrs. Frost, looking indignant.
"Very likely he did not believe it himself; but he was irritated withme, and it is his habit to impute unworthy motives to those with whomhe differs. Aside from this, however, I shall feel some delicacy inavailing myself of a bounty which I was instrumental in persuading thetown to vote. Though I feel that I should be perfectly justified in sodoing, I confess that I am anxious not to put myself in such a positionas to hazard any loss of good opinion on the part of my friends intown."
"Then don't take it," said Mrs. Frost promptly.
"That's what I say, too, father," chimed in Frank.
"Don't decide too hastily," said Mr. Frost. "Remember that in ourcircumstances this amount of money would be very useful. Although Frankwill do as well as any boy of his age, I do not expect him to make thefarm as profitable as I should do, partly on account of my experiencebeing greater, and partly because I should be able to accomplish morework than he. One hundred and fifty dollars would procure many littlecomforts which otherwise you may have to do without."
"I know that," said Mrs. Frost quickly. "But do you think I shouldenjoy them, if there were reports circulated, however unjustly, to yourprejudice? Besides, I shall know that the comforts at the camp must befewer than you would enjoy at home. We shall not wish to fare so muchbetter than you."
"Do you think with your mother, Frank?" asked Mr. Frost.
"I think mother is right," said Frank, proud of having his opinionasked. He was secretly determined, in spite of what his father had said,to see if he could not make the farm as profitable as it would be underhis father's management.
Mr. Frost seemed relieved by his wife's expression of opinion. "Then,"said he, "I will accept your decision as final. I felt that it should beyou, and not myself, who should decide it. Now my mind will be at ease,so far as that goes."
"You will not enlist at once, father?" asked Frank.
"Not for three or four weeks. I shall wish to give you some specialinstructions before I go, so that your task may be easier."
"Hadn't I better leave school at once?"
"You may finish this week out. However, I may as well begin myinstructions without delay. I believe you have never learned to milk."
"No, sir."
"Probably Carter will undertake that. Still, it will be desirable thatyou should know how, in case he gets sick. You may come out with meafter supper and take your first lesson."
Frank ran for his hat with alacrity. This seemed like beginning inearnest. He accompanied his father to the barn, and looked with newinterest at the four cows constituting his father's stock.
"I think we will begin with this one," said his father, pointing to ared-and-white heifer. "She is better-natured than the others, and, as Idare say your fingers will bungle a little at first, that is a point tobe considered."
If any of my boy readers has ever undertaken the task of milking for thefirst time, he will appreciate Frank's difficulties. When he had seenhis father milking, it seemed to him extremely easy. The milk poured outin rich streams, almost without an effort. But under his inexperiencedfingers none came. He tugged away manfully, but with no result.
"I guess the cow's dry," said he at last, looking up in his father'sface.
Mr. Frost in reply drew out a copious stream.
"I did the same as you," said Frank, mystified, "and none came."
"You didn't take hold right," said his father, "and you pressed at thewrong time. Let me show you."
Before the first lesson was over Frank had advanced a little in the artof milking, and it may as well be said here that in the course of a weekor so he became a fair proficient, so that his father even allowed himto try Vixen, a cow who had received this name from the uncertainty ofher temper. She had more than once upset the pail with a spiteful kickwhen it was nearly full. One morning she upset not only the pail, butFrank, who looked foolish enough as he got up covered with milk.
Frank also commenced reading the Plowman, a weekly agricultural paperwhich his father had taken for years. Until now he had confined hisreadings in it to the selected story on the fourth page. Now, with anobject in view, he read carefully other parts of the paper. He did thisnot merely in the first flush of enthusiasm, but with the steady purposeof qualifying himself to take his father's place.
"Frank is an uncommon boy," said Mr. Frost to his wife, not withoutfeelings of pride, one night, when our hero had retired to bed. "I wouldtrust him with the farm sooner than many who are half a dozen yearsolder."