Nobody

"Always!" said Lois, smiling. "We should never think ourselves preparedat all, in Shampuashuh, if we were not ready for two more than theparty. And the cart will hold us all."

"The cart!" cried the other.

"Yes. O yes! I did not tell you that," said Lois, smiling more broadly."We are going in an ox cart. That will be a novel experience for youtoo."

If Mrs. Lenox had not half accepted the invitation already, I am notsure but this intimation would have been too much for her courage.However, she was an outwardly well-bred woman; that is, like so manyothers, well-bred when there was nothing to gain by being otherwise; and so she excused her hesitation and doubt by the plea of being "sodusty." There was help for that; Lois took her upstairs to a neatchamber, and furnished her with water and towels.

It was new experience to the city lady. She took note, halfdisdainfully, of the plainness of the room; the painted floor, yellowand shining, which boasted only one or two little strips of carpet; thecommon earthenware toilet-set; the rush-bottomed chairs. On the otherhand, there was an old mahogany dressing bureau; a neat bed; and waterand towels (the latter coarse) were exceedingly fresh and sweet. Shemade up her mind to go through with the adventure, and rejoined herhusband with a composed mind.

Lois took them first to the sitting-room, where they were introduced toMrs. Barclay, and then they all went out at the back door of the house, and across a little grassy space, to a gate leading into a lane. Herestood the cart, in which the rest of the family was already bestowed;Mrs. Armadale being in an arm-chair with short legs, while Madge andCharity sat in the straw with which the whole bottom of the cart wasspread. A tall, oldish man, with an ox whip, stood leaning against thefence and surveying things.

"Are we to go in there?" said Mrs. Lenox, with perceptible doubt.

"It's the only carriage we have to offer you," said Lois merrily. "Foryour sake, I wish we had a better; for my own, I like nothing so wellas an ox cart. Mrs. Barclay, will you get in? and stimulate this lady'scourage?"

A kitchen chair had been brought out to facilitate the operation; andMrs. Barclay stepped lightly in, curled herself down in the soft bed ofstraw, and declared that it was very comfortable. With an expression offace which made Lois and Madge laugh for weeks after when they recalledit, Mrs. Lenox stepped gingerly in, following, and took her place.

"Grandmother," said Lois, "this is Mrs. Lenox, whom you have heard mespeak about. And these are my sisters, Madge and Charity, Mrs. Lenox.And grandmother, this is Mr. Lenox. Now, you see the cart has roomenough," she added, as herself and the gentleman also took their seats.

"Is that the hull of ye?" inquired now the man with the ox whip, comingforward. "And be all your stores got in for the v'yage? I don't want tobe comin' back from somewheres about half-way."

"All right, Mr. Sears," said Lois. "You may drive on. Mother, are youcomfortable?"

And then there was a "whoa" – ing and a "gee" – ing and a mysteriousflourishing of the long leathern whip, with which the driver seemed tobe playing; for if its tip touched the shoulders of the oxen it did nomore, though it waved over them vigorously. But the oxen understood, and pulled the cart forward; lifting and setting down their heavy feetwith great deliberation seemingly, but with equal certain'ty, andswaying their great heads gently from side to side as they went. Loiswas so much amused at her guests' situation, that she had somedifficulty to keep her features in their due calmness and sobriety.Mrs. Lenox eyed the oxen, then the contents of the cart, then thefields.

"Slow travelling!" said Lois, with a smile.

"Can they go no faster?"

"They could go a little faster if they were urged; but that would spoilthe comfort of the whole thing. The entire genius of a ride in an oxcart is, that everybody should take his ease."

"Oxen included?" said Mr. Lenox.

"Why not?"

"Why not, indeed!" said the gentleman, smiling. "Only, ordinary peoplecannot get rid easily of the notion that the object of going is to getsomewhere."

"That's not the object in this case," Lois answered merrily. "The onesole object is fun."

Mrs. Lenox said nothing more, but her face spoke as plainly aspossible, And you call this fun!

"I am enjoying myself very much," said Mrs. Barclay. "I think it isdelightful."

Something in her manner of speech made Mr. Lenox look at her. She wassitting next him on the cart bottom.

"Perhaps this is a new experience also to you?" he said.

"Delightfully new. Never rode in an ox cart before in my life; hardlyever saw one, in fact. We are quite out of the race and struggle anduneasiness of the world, don't you see? There comes down a feeling ofrepose upon one, softly, as Longfellow says —

'As a feather is wafted downward

From an eagle in his flight.'

Only I should say in this case it was from the wing of an angel."

"Mrs. Barclay, you are too poetical for an ox cart," said Lois, laughing. "If we began to be poetical, I am afraid the repose would betroubled."

"'Twont du Poetry no harm to go in an ox cart," remarked here the oxdriver.

"I agree with you, sir," said Mrs. Barclay. "Poetry would not be Poetryif she could not ride anywhere. But why should she trouble repose.Lois?"

"Yes," added Mr. Lenox; "I was about to ask that question. I thoughtpoetry was always soothing. Or that the ladies at least think so."

"I like it well enough," said Lois, "but I think it is apt to bemelancholy. Except in hymns."

"Except hymns!" said Mrs. Lenox. "I thought hymns were always sad.They deal so much with death and the grave."

"And the resurrection!" said Lois.

"They always make me gloomy," the lady went on. "The resurrection! doyou call that a lively subject?"

"Depends on how you look at it, I suppose," said her husband. "But,Miss Lothrop, I cannot recover from my surprise at your assertionrespecting non-religious poetry."

Lois left that statement alone. She did not care whether he recoveredor not. Mr. Lenox, however, was curious.

"I wish you would show me on what your opinion is founded," he went onpleasantly.

"Yes, Lois, justify yourself," said Mrs. Barclay.

"I could not do that without making quotations, Mrs. Barclay, and I amafraid I cannot remember enough. Besides, it would hardly beinteresting."

"To me it would," said Mrs. Barclay. "Where could one have a bettertime? The oxen go so comfortably, and leisure is so graciouslyabundant."

"Pray go on, Miss Lothrop!" Mr. Lenox urged.

"And then I hope you'll go on and prove hymns lively," added his wife.

The conversation which followed was long enough to have a chapter toitself; and so may be comfortably skipped by any who are so inclined.

CHAPTER XXX

POETRY

"Perhaps you will none of you agree with me," Lois said; "and I do notknow much poetry; but there seems to me to run an undertone of lamentand weariness through most of what I know. Now take the 'Death of theFlowers,' – that you were reading yesterday, Mrs. Barclay —

'The south wind searches for the flowers whose fragrance late he bore,
And sighs to find them in the wood and by the stream no more.'