Golden Moments
Page 20
realize by your sympathy that you remember that weare all one great family--all one in Christ."
So he let go of Elsie's hand, and she went up to the half-fainting womanand asked her if she wanted anything.
"No, thank you," said the woman, looking gratefully at her littlebare-legged questioner (Elsie was in her shore dress--or ratherundress--and with tucked-up petticoats and huge sun-bonnet was supposedto be secure from any evil effects of either water or sun). "I shall bebetter presently," she continued; "it's only my side; it hurts me sowhen I fetch the salt water. It's for the little invalid boy at the RedHouse there. I'm his nurse, and the doctor has ordered a salt-water bathfor him every day, and it hurts me to drag the water up this steepbeach; only I don't want any one there to know it, as they might send meaway as not strong enough, and I must earn money, for I've a sick motherat home."
"Oh, I know we can help you in that," cried Elsie. "You sit still, andlet me carry your empty pail to the top of the beach; it's only a stepfrom there to the Red House, and then we'll bring our little pails fullof water and soon fill yours."
The nurse would have remonstrated, but Elsie had run off with the pail,and she really felt too ill to follow her.
The tide was low that morning, and the salt water lay beyond a goodstretch of sand, so that Elsie had no light work before her; and afterthe sands, there was the steep beach to climb, and somehow when she wasat the top her bucket seemed to have but little water in it. However,she toiled bravely to and fro, and Claude, who would not help at first,was touched by her industry. Of course, he would not own to suchfeelings, and indeed was too proud, saying to Elsie that she wasspilling half her water! "Here, _I'll_ show you how to carry a bucket!"And after that he worked with her, and with Claude's big bucket the pailwas soon filled. By this time the nurse was better, and able to carrythe pail across the road into the Red House.
"I'll never forget your kindness as long as I live," she gratefullydeclared. "I might have been your own sister by the way you've behavedto me."
"How funny of her to say that," whispered Elsie to her brother; "itseems as though she must have been at the catechising too. Perhaps sheknows we ought to try to be all one in Christ."
And Claude, boy-like, only nodded his assent.
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CHESTNUTS.
Ben was visiting his cousin Hugh in the country, and they had beenhaving a glorious time getting chestnuts. They started early in themorning, taking their dinners with them that they might have all day inthe woods. There had been a sharp frost the night before, and the boyshad a merry time as the wind rattled the brown chestnuts down on theirheads. Bags and pockets were soon full to overflowing, and after eatingtheir lunch by the brook they started for home.
"Now for a feast of roast chestnuts," said Ben, as they sat down by thefireplace, after the good warm supper which Hugh's mother had ready forthem. "I will roast them and you can pull off the shells when they aredone."
What fun it was to see the nuts jump around in the shovel Ben was usingfor a roaster, till their brown shells burst open with the heat!
"We will roast a whole bagful," said Hugh, "then there will be some forsister Lucy."
To be sure, Hugh burnt his fingers, and Ben dropped some chestnuts intothe fire, but they only laughed the merrier. Lucy joined them after shehad finished helping her mother with the work, and together they ate thechestnuts and played games till bedtime came, when they all agreed ithad been one of the happiest days of their lives.
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A SPARROW STORY.
I and my little sisters are very fond of the sparrows who come to ourgarden to eat the crumbs that we throw out for them. We find our catalso likes them, but in a different way. We have been able to rescueseveral little ones from it, but have never been able to rear them, asthey have generally died two or three days after. However, a littlewhile ago we saved one poor little bird from pussy, and placed it in acage and fed it, as it was too young to look after itself. The cage wasplaced in my bedroom, with the window open, and we suppose the chirrupof the little prisoner was heard by its parents, and we were pleased tosee one of them fly into the room and carry it food. As they seemed soanxious, and we thought they knew better than we how to feed it, weplaced the little thing on the window sill, watching near it to preventit meeting with any accident, as it was too young to fly more than a fewyards by itself. It had scarcely been there a few seconds before itsmother flew down to it and chattered, as we thought scolding it, but wesuppose she was only giving it directions, for the young one laid holdof the mother's tail with its little beak, and, with that assistance,was able to fly away.
We watched until it was out of sight, and were very glad to think thatthe parents had recovered their little one, about which they had shownsuch anxiety.
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THE SHOWMAN'S DOG.
"Poor little chap!" the showman said, "Your day at last is done,No more you'll fly at Punch's head, Or cause the Clown to run,Poor little chap! you're weak, too weak To join the Peepshow fun!"
"Out of the road I picked you up, 'Tis years and years ago,Your leg was badly injured, pup, Run over as you know.I bound the limb, and took you home, And soon you join'd the Show."
"Many a mile we've tramped, old dog, And many a place we've seen,And you where'er our feet might jog, Have faithful ever been.And rarely a rough or angry word Has come our lives between."
"Toby I wish that you could speak, One word in answer say,No! e'en to bark you are too weak, Or you would still obey.I know not what the show will do When you have passed away!"
Lovingly then poor Toby crept Towards his master's sideAnd licked his hand--the Showman wept! For less things men have cried!And there full grateful to the last His old companion died.
E. Oxenford.
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TIDYING.
The children had played all through the long afternoon, and the room wasturned topsy-turvy.
Toys were strewn all over the floor; furniture was pulled out of place;and the legs of the chairs were entangled with a long kite-tail thatthey had begun to make.
Presently Raymond said with a start, "Didn't you hear mother say, 'Putthe room tidy'?"
"No," answered Ralph; "nobody spoke; it was only because you saw what astate the room was in that you thought you heard her; and it _is_ veryuntidy; we had better put it straight."
"Yes, let us put it straight," said Raymond, "for I know I did hearmother tell us to."
So the two set to work and sorted the toys, and put them away in thecupboard; then they began to try to disentangle the twine of thekite-tail that was twisted round the chairs.
"Oh, dear! this is tiresome!" cried Raymond, as he bent his sunny headover the task.
"It does hurt my fingers!" said Ralph, knitting his dark brows.
Presently Raymond looked up with a beaming face.
"I know mother is looking at us all the time," he said; "I can feel sheis smiling!"
Ralph looked round the room. "She is not here," he answered, "it is onlythe sunlight through the window."
"I know I can't see her," said Raymond again, "but I can feel she issmiling."
Then they were silent, and went on with their work.
* * * * *
"It is bedtime, little boys," said mother, coming in.
"But we have not finished," they cried together.
"Mother and nurse will do the rest," said mother. "You've both done verywell."
"Mother, weren't you watching us all the time?" asked Raymond eagerly.
"Yes," she answered, smiling; "I was in the garden, and could seethrough the window my two little sons; Raymond was quick to obey when heheard my voice, and Ralph did what he knew I should wish, tho
ugh he didnot know I was able to see him."
And Mother put her arms round the children, and the sunny head and thedark head nestled softly on her bosom, and the eyelids drooped, for theday had been long and the sun had gone down.
"But I wish I had known you were there," murmured Ralph.
"NURSERY TENNIS."]
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CHARLIE THE CHATTERBOX.
"Do be quiet, Charlie!" "Leave off talking!" "Silence, sir!" These wordswere addressed to Charlie in vain, whether at home or school. He talkedat meals, at class, in church; his little tongue was always at