A WONDER-BOOK
anything for supper. A comfortable bowl of bread and milk would do wonders towards raising their spirits.’
Accordingly, she hastened into the cottage. Philemon, on his part, went forward, and extended his hand with so hospitable an aspect that there was no need of saying what nevertheless he did say, in the heartiest tone imaginable,–
‘Welcome, strangers! welcome!’
‘Thank you!’ replied the younger of the two, in a lively kind of way, notwithstanding his weariness and trouble. ‘This is quite another greeting than we have met with yonder in the village. Pray, why do you live in such a bad neighbourhood?’
‘Ah!’ observed old Philemon, with a quiet and benign smile, ‘Providence put me here, I hope, among other reasons, in order that I may make you what amends I can for the inhospitality of my neighbours.’
‘Well said, old father!’ cried the traveller, laughing; ‘and, if the truth must be told, my companion and myself need some amends. Those children (the little rascals!) have bespattered us finely with their mud-ball; and one of the curs has torn my cloak, which was ragged enough already. But I took him across the muzzle with my staff; and I think you may have heard him yelp, even thus far off.’
Philemon was glad to see him in such good spirits; nor, indeed, would you have fancied, by the traveller’s look and manner, that he was weary with a long day’s journey, besides being disheartened by rough treatment at the end of it. He was dressed in rather an odd way, with a sort of cap on his head, the brim of which stuck out over both ears. Though it was a summer evening, he wore a cloak, which he kept wrapt closely about him, perhaps
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