Rollo at Work Part 6

"No," said Rollo, "that is not it. That is a green one."

"What color was the wheelbarrow that you saw?" asked James.

"It was not any color; it was not painted," said Rollo. "I wonder whose that wheelbarrow can be?"

The boys walked along, and presently came to the door of the shop. They opened the door, and went in. There was n.o.body there.

Various articles were around the room. There was a bench at one side, near a window; and there were a great many tools upon it, and upon shelves over it. On another side of the shop was a lathe, a curious sort of a machine, that the corporal used a great deal, in some of his nicest work. Then there were a good many things there, which were sent in to be mended, such as chairs, a spinning-wheel, boys' sleds, and one or two large wheelbarrows.

The boys walked around the room a few minutes, looking at the various things; and at last Rollo spied another little wheelbarrow, on a shelf. It was very much like the one at the door, only it was painted green.

Rollo said that that one looked exactly like the one he trundled when he was there before, only it was green.

"Perhaps he has painted it since," said James; "let us go to the door, and look at the other one, and see which is the biggest."

So they went to the door, and found that the blue one was a little the biggest.

Just then they saw the corporal coming across the road, with a hatchet in his hand. He had been to grind it at the mill, where there was a grindstone, that went round by water.

"Ah, boys," said he, "how do you do? Have you come for your wheelbarrow, Rollo."

"Yes, sir," said Rollo; "how soon can you get it done?"

"Done? it is done now," said he; "there it is." And he took the blue wheelbarrow, which was at the door, and set it down in the path.

"That is not mine," said Rollo, "is it?"

"Yes," said the corporal; "your father spoke for it a week ago."

Rollo took hold of his wheelbarrow, and began to wheel it along. He liked it very much.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Rollo Took Hold of His Wheelbarrow.]

James said he wished he could have one too, and while Rollo was talking with the corporal, he could not help looking at the green one on the shelf, which he thought was just about as big as he should like.

The corporal asked him if he wanted to see that one, and he took it down for him. James took hold of the handles, and tried it a little, back and forth on the floor, and then he said it was just about big enough for him.

"Who is this for?" said he to the corporal.

"I do not know," said the corporal; "a gentleman bespoke it some time ago.

I do not know what his name is."

Just then he seemed to see somebody out of the window.

"Ah! here he comes now!" he exclaimed suddenly.

Just then the door opened, and whom should the boys see coming in, but their uncle George!

"Why, James," said he, "have you got hold of your wheelbarrow already?"

"_My_ wheelbarrow!" said James. "Is this mine?"

"Yes," said his uncle, "I got it made to give to you. But when I found that Rollo was having one made, I waited for his to be done, so that you might have them both together. So trundle them home."

So the boys set off on the run down the road, in fine style, with their wheelbarrows trundling beautifully before them.

CAUSEY-BUILDING.

Sand-Men.

Next to little wooden blocks, I think that good, clean sand is an excellent thing for children to play with. When it is a little damp, it will remain in any shape you put it in, and you can build houses and cities, and make roads and ca.n.a.ls in it. At any rate, Rollo and his cousin James used to be very fond of going down to a certain place in the brook, where there was plenty of sand, and playing in it. It was of a gray color, and somewhat mixed with pebble-stones; but then they used to like the pebble-stones very much to make walls with, and to stone up the little wells which they made in the sand.

One Wednesday afternoon, they were there playing very pleasantly with the sand. They had been building a famous city, and, after amusing themselves with it some time, they had knocked down the houses, and trampled the sand all about again. James then said he meant to go to the barn and get his horse-cart, and haul a load of sand to market.

Now there was a place around behind a large rock near there, which the boys called their barn; and Rollo and James went to it, and pulled out their two little wheelbarrows, which they called their horse-carts. They wheeled them down to the edge of the water, and began to take up the sand by double handfuls, and put it in.

When they had got their carts loaded, they began to wheel them around to the trees, and stones, and bushes, saying,

"Who'll buy my sand?"

"Who'll buy my white sand?"

"Who'll buy my gray sand?"

"Who'll buy my black sand?"

But they did not seem to find any purchaser; and at last Rollo said, suddenly,

"O, I know who will buy our sand."

"Who?" said James.

"Mother."

"So she will," said James. "We will wheel it up to the house."

So they set off, and began wheeling their loads of sand up the pathway among the trees. They went on a little way, and presently stopped, and sat down on a bank to rest. Here they found a number of flowers, which they gathered and stuck up in the sand, so that their loads soon made a very gay appearance.

Just as they were going to set out again, Rollo said,