Isabella had spun nearly all her rolls, and she wanted Jonas to carry some wool to the carding-mill, and get some more. The carding-mill was not in the village upon the outlet stream; but it was upon another stream, which emptied into the pond, instead of flowing from it. It was the same stream that flowed by the land which Jonas and Oliver had cleared when he first came to live with the farmer; only the mill was at some distance from the mouth of the stream, back towards the high land. It was more than two miles, by the road, from the farmer's house. The farmer told Jonas where to get the wool, and then gave him some more business, at a place in the woods, about two miles beyond the mill. Oliver wanted to go too, and his father gave him leave. Oliver always liked to go to the mill, as the machine for carding the wool was a great curiosity. Jonas put up the wool in a very large bundle, which almost filled up the bottom of the sleigh. Jonas himself sat upon the seat, with his feet under the bundle; but Oliver sat upon the bundle. He said it made a very soft seat. They rode along pleasantly towards the mill. The snow-drifts were very high in some places on each side of the road; and the fences and walls were almost buried up. "I wish that Josey was here," said Oliver. "I think that he would like to see the carding-mill very much indeed." "Yes," said Jonas. "Only," replied Oliver, "perhaps it would be dangerous to take him." "Why?" said Jonas. "Why, because," said Oliver, "I suppose he would touch the machinery, and perhaps get his hands torn off." "Yes," said Jonas, "boys sometimes do get very badly hurt in mills,--careless and disobedient boys especially." "I think that he is a careless and disobedient boy," said Oliver. [Illustration: "He said it made a very soft seat."] "Yes, but it is his misfortune, rather than his fault," replied Jonas. "His misfortune?" repeated Oliver. "Yes," said Jonas; "his father's situation is such, that it is very unfortunate for him. I expect he is very unhappily situated at home, in many respects." "How?" said Oliver. "Why, in the first place," said Jonas, "he lives, I'm told, in a large and handsome house." "Yes," said Oliver. "And then," continued Jonas, "your aunt, I have heard, is a very fine woman, and has a great deal of company." "Well," said Oliver. "And then," continued Jonas, "they can buy Josey any thing he wants, for playthings." "Yes," said Oliver; "he told me he had got a rocking-horse. But I don't call that being unfortunate." "It is very fortunate for the father and mother, but such a kind of life is generally unfortunate for the child. You see, if a man has been industrious himself, when he was a boy, and has grown up to be a good business man, and to acquire a great deal of property, and builds a good house, and has plenty of books, and journeys, it is all very well for him. He can bear it, but it very often spoils his children."