I have seen many flag-days and met many flag-sellers. Some were false
(they had flags with rusty pins and jabbed them treacherously into my
best blouse), and many were frivolous (that sort doesn't trouble about
old-maid customers); but of those who were neither false nor frivolous
Jack and Jill stand easily first.
I saw them coming up the garden path very early in the morning, Jack
in a sailor suit and Jill in a minute white frock. Their combined ages
might have totalled nine--at a generous guess.
There was a furious ring at the door, and when I opened it a small
brown hand was thrust in, full of flags, whose pins must have been
very prickly to hold, while he of the sailor suit addressed me
eagerly.
"Look! This sort's a penny. It's paper. And this sort's thruppence.
It's real silk. Which'll you have?"
The hand held two silk and four paper flags. I took a silk one, and
the girl nodded approval. "I think," said she, "the silk ones will
_wear_ better."
While I found my purse the boy had a sudden idea, which he instantly
communicated with the sincere intention of doing the best he could
for me. Said he, "You'd better have the bofe. You'll want one for
your--for the father." And then he had a brighter thought still. "And
the childrens. This paper kind would do for them. It's no use buying
_good_ ones for them, is it?"
"No, they're sure to lose them," agreed Jill. "You see, they're rather
loose on their pins," she added with commercial candour.
"Else they wouldn't waggle properly," put in the boy hastily, in case
I might be thinking this a defect.
"I'll take the lot," said I, "if you can tell me what it's all for."
"You c'n see," said Jack, "it's on the back of them," and he poked
one round. "'For Woun-ded He-roes,'" he read out with pride and great
deliberation.
"_He_ can't read very well," said Jill, who was a wee bit jealous. "It
doesn't mean dead. It only means wounded."
But Jack smiled at me understandingly, refusing to argue with anything
so small as Jill, and they departed, counting the spoil.
At the gate Jack turned and came back. "If you have more than four
children," he said earnestly, "I could bring you some more paper
ones."