The Old Market-Cart

In a quiet New England farm, an old market‑cart leans against a stone wall, quietly marking the daily rhythm of the Reed household. Little Sally Reed has turned the cart into a makeshift nursery, spreading fresh hay for her rag‑baby Jessie while the children play and share jokes about knives and doughnuts. The cart, though simple wood and wheels, holds the warmth of family and the promise of honest work.

Gill, the Scots‑born farmhand, tends the modest twelve acres with steady, genial care, becoming a trusted figure the children call “Our Gill.” His loyal horse Dobbin waits in the stall, ready to haul produce to market or give the kids a breezy ride. As daylight fades, the farm hums with honest labor, setting the stage for the small joys and challenges that will shape each character’s path.