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Taylor, Bayard, 1825-1878

"Beauty and the Beast, and Tales of Home"

What name shall
I call you by?"
"Everybody calls me Jake."
"`Jake!' Jacob is better. Well, Jacob, I hope you'll give us all
the help you can."
With a nod and a light laugh she sprang upon the machine. There
was a sweet throb in Jacob's heart, which, if he could have
expressed it, would have been a triumphant shout of "I'm not afraid
of her! I'm not afraid of her!"
The farmer was a kindly, depressed man, with whose quiet ways Jacob
instantly felt himself at home. They worked steadily until sunset,
when the girl, detaching her horses from the machine, mounted one
of them and led the other to the barn. At the supper-table, the
farmer's wife said: "Susan, you must be very tired."
"Not now, mother!" she cheerily answered. "I was, I think, but
after I picked up Jacob I felt sure we should get our hay in."
"It was a good thing," said the farmer; "Jacob don't need to be
told how to work."
Poor Jacob! He was so happy he could have cried. He sat and
listened, and blushed a little, with a smile on his face which it
was a pleasure to see.


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