She came in and stood by the fireplace silent.
"Well, dear," said the mother looking up from her work, -- "did you find them ?" The child's answer was to spring to her side, throw her arms round her neck, and burst into convulsive tears.
"Winifred!" -- said Mrs.Landholm, putting an arm round the trembling child, and dropping her work, -- "what ails you, dear?
-- tell me." The little girl only clung closer to her neck and shook in a passion of feeling, speechless; till the mother's tone became alarmed and imperative.
"It's nothing, mother, it's nothing," she said, clasping her hard, -- "only -- only -- " The words were lost again in what seemed to be uncontrollable weeping.
"Only what, dear?
-- what ?" "Winthrop was crying." And having said that, scarce audibly, Winifred gave way and cried aloud.
"Winthrop crying! -- Nonsense, dear, -- you were mistaken." "I wasn't -- I saw him." "What was the matter ?" "I don't know." "What made you think he was crying ?" "I _saw_ him!" cried the child, who seemed as if she could hardly bear the question and answer.
"You were mistaken, daughter; -- he would not have let you see him." "He didn't -- he didn't know I was there." "Where were you ?" "I was behind the fence -- I stopped to look at him -- he didn't see me." "Where was he ?" "He was ploughing." "What did you see, Winifred ?" "I saw him -- oh mamma! -- I saw him put his hand to his eyes, -- and I saw the tears fall -- " Her little head was pressed against her mother's bosom, and many more tears fell for his than his had been.
Mrs.Landholm was silent a minute or two, stroking Winifred's head and kissing her.
"And when you went into the field, Winifred, -- how was he then ?" "Just as always." "Where was Rufus ?" "He was on the other side." Again Mrs.Landholm was silent.
"Cheer up, daughter," she said tenderly; -- "I think I know what was the matter with Winthrop, and it's nothing so very bad -- it'll be set right by and by, I hope.

Don't cry any more about it." "What _is_ the matter with him, mamma ?" said the child looking up with eyes of great anxiety and intentness.
"He wants to read and to learn, and I think it troubles him that he can't do that." "Is that it?
But mamma, can't he ?" said his sister with a face not at all lightened of its care.
"He can't just now very well -- you know he must help papa on the farm." "But can't he by and by, mamma ?" "I hope so; -- we will try to have him," said the mother, while tears gathered now in her grave eyes as her little daughter's were dried.

"But you know, dear Winnie, that God knows best what is good for dear Governor, and for us; and we must just ask him to do that, and not what we fancy." "But mother," said the little girl, "isn't it right for me to ask him to let Winthrop go to school and learn, as he wants to ?" "Yes, daughter," said the mother, bending forward till her face rested on the little brow upturned to her, and the gathered tears falling, -- "let us thank God that we may ask him anything -- we have that comfort -- 'In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,' we may make our requests known unto him -- only we must be willing after all to have him judge and choose for us." The child clasped her mother's neck and kissed her again and again.
"Then I won't cry any more, mamma, now that I know what the matter is." But Elizabeth noticed when Winthrop came in at night, how his little sister attached herself to his side, and with what a loving lip and longing eye.
"Your little sister is very fond of you," she could not help saying, one moment when Winifred had run off.
"Too fond," he said.
"She has a most sensitive organization," said Rufus.

"She is too fond of everything that she loves." "She is not too fond of _you_," thought Elizabeth, as Winifred came back to her other brother, with some little matter which she thought concerned her and him.

"'Sensitive organization!' What queer people these are!" They were so queer, that Elizabeth thought she would like to see what was the farming work with which their hands were filled and which swallowed up the daily life of these people; and the next day she proposed to go with Winifred when she went the rounds again with her baskets of dinner.