The Fairchild Family

by Mrs. Sherwood

  A Visit to Mary Bush

  The children looked at the kittens]

  Not very long after the death of poor Miss Augusta Noble, a note camefrom Sir Charles and Lady Noble, inviting Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild todinner the next day; but not mentioning the children, as they used todo when they sent their invitations.

  "Poor Lady Noble!" said Mr. Fairchild; "I wish we could give her anycomfort! but we will certainly go."

  The next day, when Sir Charles's carriage came for Mr. and Mrs.Fairchild, they kissed the children, and told them when they had dined,they might, if they pleased, go with Betty to see old Mary Bush. MaryBush was one of the old women who lived at the end of the coppice; and,being a good woman, Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild were not afraid of trustingtheir children with her. The children were very much pleased, and madehaste to get their dinner; after which Lucy packed up a little tea andsugar, which her mamma had given her, in a basket; and the littlegirls, having put on their bonnets and tippets, went into the kitchento see if Betty was ready. Betty was tying up a small loaf and a pot ofbutter in a clean napkin; and she had put some nice cream into a smallbottle, for which John was cutting a cork.

  "Betty, are you ready?" said Henry; "Lucy has got the tea and sugar,and Emily has got Miss Dolly, and I have got my hat and stick. So come,Betty, come!"

  "But who is to milk the cow?" said John, pretending to look grave;"Betty must stay to milk the cow at five o'clock."

  "No, John!" said the children, all gathering round him; "good John,will you be so kind as to milk the cow, and let Betty go?"

  "Well, I will see about it," said John, putting the cork into the creambottle.

  "There's a good John!" said Emily.

  "I love you, John!" said Henry. "And now, Betty, come, make hasteaway."

  So the children set out; and they went out across the garden to alittle wicket-gate which Mr. Fairchild had opened towards the coppice,and came into Henry's favourite Sunday walk. The green trees archedover their heads; and on each side the pathway was a mossy bank, out ofwhich sprang such kind of flowers as love shady places--such as thewood anemone and wild vetch: thrushes and blackbirds were singingsweetly amongst the branches of the trees.

  "This is my walk," said Henry; "and I say it is the prettiest in thecountry."

  "No, Henry," said Emily; "it is not so pretty as the walk to the hut atthe top of the hill: for there you can look all over the coppice, andsee the birds flying over the tops of the trees."

  "Sister," said Lucy, "now you shall carry my basket, and I will havethe doll a little."

  "With all my heart," said Emily.

  "Why don't you give Miss to me?" said Henry.

  "Oh, yes!" said Emily. "Did I not give her to you one day; and did younot hang her upon a tree in the garden, with a bit of string round herneck, and say she was a thief?"

  "Lucy," said Henry, "let us have a race to that tree which has fallendown over the path."

  So away they ran; and when they got to the tree they sat down upon thetrunk until Betty came up with Emily. On one side of the fallen treewas a place where the wood had been cut away, and the woodmen had madethemselves a little hut, which they had now left empty. Round this hutwere scattered many dry sticks and chips.

  "Master Henry," said Betty, "here are some nice sticks: let us gather afew together; they will do to make a fire to boil Mary Bush's kettle."

  "Oh, yes, Betty," answered the children: and they set to work, and soongathered a great many sticks; and Betty tied them together with a pieceof packthread which Henry pulled out of his pocket; then Betty took offher bonnet, and placed the bundle upon her head. They went on to MaryBush's. The children wanted to help to carry the sticks, but Bettywould not let them, saying they were too heavy for them.

  "But we can carry the bread and butter," said Lucy; so Betty allowedthem to do it.

  When they had walked a little farther, they came in sight of MaryBush's house, down in a kind of little valley or dingle, deeply shadedby trees. In the very deepest part of the dingle was a stream of waterfalling from a rock. The light from above fell upon the water as itflowed, and made it glitter and shine very beautifully among the shadytrees. This was the same which took its course through the PrimroseMeadow, and on towards the village, and so to Brookside Cottage, wherenurse lived--a clear and beautiful stream as could be.

  Mary Bush's cottage was so large, that, after the death of her husband,she had let half of it to one Goodman Grey, who lived in it, with hisold wife Margery, and cultivated the garden, which was a very good one.John Trueman's wife was Mary Bush's eldest daughter; and Joan, nurse'sson's wife, her youngest; and it was said of them that there were nottwo better wives and mothers in the parish: so Mary Bush was very happyin her children.

  When the children and Betty came up to the cottage, they found MaryBush spinning at the door.

  "We are come to drink tea with you, Mary," said Lucy.

  "And we have brought bread and butter, and tea and cream with us," saidEmily.

  "And a bundle of sticks," said Henry, "to boil the kettle."

  "Welcome, welcome, my little loves," said old Mary, as she got up andset her spinning-wheel on one side. "Come in, little dears."

  Mary had but one room, and a little pantry, but it was a very neatroom; there was a bed in one corner, covered with a clean linen quilt;there were also a nice oaken dresser, a clock, two arm-chairs, twothree-legged stools, a small round table, a corner cupboard, and someshelves for plates and dishes. The fireplace and all about it werealways very neat and clean, and in winter you would probably see asmall bright fire on the hearth.

  "How does the cat do?" said Henry, looking about for Mary Bush'scat.

  "Oh, here she is, Henry!" said Emily, screaming with joy, "in thisbasket under the dresser, with two such beautiful tortoiseshellkittens! Do look, Lucy--do look, Henry!"

  "Miss Lucy," said old Mary, "would you like to have one of the kittenswhen it is big enough to leave its mother?"

  "Oh, yes, yes! and thank you, Mary," answered Lucy, "if mamma pleases."

  When the children had looked at the kittens and kissed them, they wentto visit Margery Grey, and to talk to old Goodman Grey, who was workingin the garden, whilst Betty, in the meantime, and old Mary Bush, setout the tea-cups, and set the kettle to boil for tea. When the tea wasready, Betty called the children, and they would make Margery Grey comeand drink tea with them. Henry would have the old man come too.

  "No, master," said the old man: "I know my place better."

  "Well, then," said Lucy, "I will send you a nice cup of tea, and somebread-and-butter, into the garden."

  I wish you could have seen them all drinking tea at the door of thecottage, round the little table, the two old women sitting in thearm-chairs, for Lucy would have them do so, Betty making tea, and thethree children sitting on stools--and how pleased and happy they were.

  "_Drinking tea at the door of the cottage, round thelittle table._"--Page 149.]