BEN AND KIT'S NEW CLOTHES.
For some hours the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled, but the
children slept peacefully in their bed. It was the mother who lay
awake too overjoyed to sleep. The morning dawned clear and bright,
and everything out of doors smelled sweet and fresh after the rain.
Little Kit sat on her father's knee at breakfast, with a basin of
bread and milk before her. She looked very pale and thin, though a
sweet smile of content was on her lips. She took a few spoonfuls,
and then put the basin gently from her.
"No more, now," she said. "I wish we might take it to Tommy Perrin,
he doesn't get such nice things."
"Why Kit! we are ever so far away from the Perrins," answered Ben,
"and this lady says that we are not going any more."
"No, you shall never leave mother any more, Kittie," she said. "And
Ben, dear, call me Aunt. I am your aunt, and Kittie's father is your
uncle. Try and remember to do so and please me, there is a good boy."
Ben shook his head.
"Kit and I always call folks by the same name, don't we, Kit? and it
seems awful strange to do different. Couldn't you be my mother, mam,
too?" said the little fellow, looking Mrs. Gray full in the face.
"I'd help you as best I could; I'd dress Kit and little Harry and
take them out walks; and I'd chop sticks and light fires; and I could
cook herrings and carry water; and I'd go out and sell matches, and
bring home the coppers to you."
Mrs. Gray's eyes filled with tears. "You are right, Ben," she said,
"call us father and mother, and we'll all live happy together; you
shall help me as much as you can, and we'll put you to school; and
when you've learned to read and to write you shall be a message boy.
Am I saying right, Harry?" she asked her husband.
"You couldn't have spoken more to my mind. If the little chap is
honest and willing, we'll make a man of him, and try and be father
and mother, if Rogers will let us. Now, I must be off to work," he
added, kissing Kit, and tossing baby Harry in the air. "Take care of
her, mother, and try and bring some roses into her cheeks, for she
looks very tender." And he shook his head rather sorrowfully.
"You don't think there is anything really wrong, do you?" asked his
wife, anxiously.
"No, no, I hope not; but she'll need all your care; she has only
eaten enough for her breakfast to feed a sparrow. Take her into the
fields, and give her fresh milk;--with God's blessing she'll get on."
A neighbour, who had heard the good news of Ben and Kit's arrival,
came in after breakfast with her arms full of clothes to lend the
little ones till they were better provided for.
"Here's some of Mary's and Billy's bits of things to dress them up
in. I was saying to my husband it will take Mrs. Gray some time to
make them look decent; and we can spare these for a few days while
she is rigging them up. Said he, 'You're right, wife; suppose it had
been our Mary!'"
"I am sure you are very kind, Mrs. Brown; I was just wondering what I
should do about the clothes, for I am going to take them to John
Blair's to get a few ready-made things, till I have time to sew for
them myself."
Ben was standing by his aunt's side, and Kit was on her knee, looking
rather shyly in her face.
"This is the best frock Kit has got, and it's a pretty little one.
Isn't it?" asked he, pointing to the little blue skirt they had been
so proud of in former days. "And this little hat," he went on,
taking up the black straw with the faded violet ribbon. "We used to
think it grand, didn't we, Kit? Somehow it looks very shabby against
Baby's. But his is so pretty."
Mrs. Gray laughed, and neighbour Brown remarked,--with a shake of her
head,--that "Ben was a wise boy for his age."
The children were soon dressed as neatly as possible under the
circumstances, and little Kit was placed in the perambulator, for her
mother was afraid she would be tired, though they were not going very
far.
"I will carry baby," she said.
"And I'll shove Kit," cried Ben.
And so they started "to shop." Kit greatly enjoyed the ride, and
Ben's heart swelled with pride to see her looking so bright and
happy, and he stamped his feet on the pavement as they went along,
that he might hear the sound of the leather. It was a long time
since he had worn boots.
"Is them your boots, Ben, making that noise?" asked Kit, turning
round.
"Yes, Kit; do you like to hear it?" asked he.
Kit nodded her head and smiled. At last they reached John Blair's,
and Kit was taken out of the perambulator into the shop. Her mother
bought her a neat little print frock, pinafores, a cape, and a straw
hat with a blue ribbon round, and then she tried on a jacket, which
fitted her nicely, and ended by getting socks and shoes.
"I have plenty of stuff by me to make underclothing," she said, "and
a piece of light cloth that will do for another frock."
So little Kit was fitted out for the present, and then came Ben's
turn. He had looked on with admiring eyes while each article was
tried on to the little girl, and his admiration was told out by
deep-drawn sighs.
"Now, Ben, we must find something for you," said Mrs. Gray, as she
looked at Kit with deep satisfaction, and imprinted a kiss on the
sweet wistful little face.
"Something for you, Ben," echoed Kit.
"Never mind me," said he, "I'm good enough to push the coach."
"Here's a jacket and knickerbockers that would just fit the little
fellow, only six and sixpence, a real bargain, good strong tweed,"
said the man who had returned with the articles.
They are pronounced the "very thing," and so after Ben was supplied
with a cap, boots, and stockings, the little party returned home with
their parcels, and the children were dressed in their new things by
the time the father returned for his dinner.
He was charmed with the improvement that neat clothes made in both
the children, and could hardly take his eyes off Kit, and when she
lisped out, "Mother gave me these," the mother's eyes filled with
happy tears.
"Let's have tea on the green, wife, it will please the children, and
Ben and Kit must each feel in one of my big pockets for a parcel,
when I get home. I saw something pretty in a shop this morning that
I think will please my little girl."
"And something for baby, too?" asked Kit.
"Yes; I'll have something for Harry, too," replied the father as he
prepared to return to work.