"I see--a broken single-tree. Well, I always unload when I get stuck, so the first thing we do we'll take this big lummox out of here," he said picking his way to the buggy. The lummox rose to her feet with a broad grin and permitted herself to be taken out. She was a fat girl about fourteen years old. "My! I'll bet she weighs three hundred pounds," observed the doctor when she was landed, which was immediately resented. Then he took the hitching-rein and tied the tug to the broken end of the single-tree; after which he went to the horses' heads and commanded them to "Come on." They started and the next instant the vehicle was on terra firma. Mother and daughter gave the doctor warm thanks and each buggy went its separate way. Mary was looking about her. "The elms have a faint suspicion that spring is coming; the willows only are quite sure of it," she said, noting their tender greenth which formed a soft blur of color, the only color in all the gray landscape. No, there is a swift dash of blue, for a jay has settled down on the top of a rail just at our travelers' right. Soon they were crossing a long and high bridge spanning a creek which only a week before had been a raging torrent; the drift, caught and held by the trunks of the trees, and the weeds and grasses all bending in one direction, told the story. But the waters had subsided and now lay in deep, placid pools. "Stop, John, quick!" commanded Mary when they were about half way across. The doctor obeyed wondering what could be the matter. He looked at his wife, who was gazing down into the pool beneath. "I suppose I'm to stop while you count all the fish you can see." "I was looking at that lovely concave sky down there. See those two white clouds floating so serenely across the blue far, far below the tip-tops of the elm trees." The doctor drove relentlessly on. "Another mudhole," said Mary after a while, "but this time the travelers tremble on the brink and fear to launch away." When they came up they found a little girl standing by the side of the horse holding up over its back a piece of the harness. She held it in a very aimless and helpless way. "See," said Mary, "she doesn't know what to do a bit more than I should. I wonder if she can be alone." The doctor got out and went forward to help her and discovered a young man sitting cozily in the carriage. He glanced at him contemptuously. "Your harness is broken, have you got a string?" he asked abruptly. "N-n-o, I haven't," said the youth feeling about his pockets. "Take your shoe-string. If you haven't got one I'll give you mine," and he set his foot energetically on the hub of the wheel to unlace his shoe. "Why, I've got one here, I guess," and the young man lifted a reluctant foot. The doctor saw and understood. The little sister was to fix the harness in order to save her brother's brand new shoes from the mud.