"Why, we are poor now; very, very poor: papa said so," interrupted Nelly. "That's the reason he lets us sell things." "Oh, well! your pa don't know nothin' about bein' real poor," said Lucinda: "and I don't suppose he ever will; but it's a good thing you're a bringin' in somethin' this year. It's a dreadful year on everybody." "Yes; papa said we were a real help," said Nelly: "he said so last night." "Luce," exclaimed Rob, "what do you think Jan is going to make for us? He's taken the measure of us to-day; he showed us a picture of a man and a woman with them on. They're real nice to carry things with: you don't feel the weight a bit, he says. In his country, everybody wears them on their shoulders,--everybody that has any thing heavy to carry. They're something like our ox-yoke,--only with a straight piece, that comes out; and we can hang a basket on each end, and run along just as if we weren't carrying any thing. They're real nice folks, Jan and his wife. They're the nicest folks in Rosita." "Oh! not so nice as Mrs. Clapp, Rob," said Nelly. "Yes, they are too; lots nicer. They don't speak so fine and mincing: but I like them lots better; they're some fun. And Luce," he continued, "they've got a picture-book full of pictures of the way people dress in their country; and they let us look at it. It was splendid. And Ulrica she keeps taking hold of Nelly's hair, and lifting up the braids and looking at them, and talking to Jan in her own language." "It makes her cry, though," said Nelly. "I wish she wouldn't." "But what is this Jan is going to make you?" asked Lucinda: "a real yoke, such as I've seen the men wear to bring up two water-buckets to once? I don't believe your pa and ma'll let you wear it." "Why not?" said Nelly: "does it look awful on your shoulders?" "Well, you know how the ox-yoke looks on old Starbuckle and Jim," said Rob. "It's a good deal like that: I saw one in the picture-book." "But we're not going to be yoked together," said Nelly. "It can't look like that." "No, no," said Lucinda, "not a bit. They're real handy things. Lots o' the men have them, to carry water-buckets up the hill with in Rosita. They just make 'em out of a bent sapling, with two hooks at each end. You'll find them a heap o' help." "Then I shall wear it, no matter how it looks," said Nelly, resolutely. "We needn't wear them in the streets," said Rob: "we can take them off just outside the town, and hide them among the trees." "Now, Rob," exclaimed Nelly, "I'd be ashamed to do that! That would look as if we were too proud to be seen in them. I shall wear mine into all the houses." "Wait till you see how it feels, Nelly," said Lucinda. "Perhaps you won't like it so well's you think." When Nelly and Rob told their father and mother about the shoulder-yokes that the Swede Jan was going to make for them, both Mr. and Mrs. March laughed heartily.