[Illustration:]
There was a fascinating little stream just at the other side of the
low wall that bounded the garden, and this stream had more attractions
for Sydney than anything else about the holiday home.
It was not for its cool murmuring sound that Sydney liked it, nor for
its crystal clearness--though he must have felt the charm of all this
during those hot August days. He had found a beautiful place where he
could put a water-wheel, and he was as busy as he could be planning
and making one. He had his little box of tools with him, and it was
easy to get pieces of wood; and for the rest Sydney's cleverness in
"making things" was well known to his sisters and brother, and held in
great reverence by them. They never "meddled," and so were graciously
allowed to come and admire.
"O, bother!" exclaimed Sydney, "here's this little plague! You can't
come here, Walter," he called out. "Go back to the garden and play
there."
But little Walter had already climbed over the loose stones and was
running towards the stream.
Sydney jumped up from the ground and went to meet him.
"Did you hear, Walter?" said he; "go back and play. I don't want you
here."
"O, _please_, Sydney," said a pleading voice, as a pair of childish
blue eyes were lifted up to the face of the elder boy, "I _do_ want to
see the water-mill! I won't touch it--I promise."
"You won't get the chance," said Sydney roughly. "Just you go back
when you're told. You've got Madge and Johnny to play with."
"But Madge doesn't make water-wheels, and I'm tired of her play, and
Johnny is indoors. Do let me watch you, Sydney!"
But all Sydney's answer was to take the little boy by the shoulders
and march him back to the wall. He felt very angry.
"Now, look here, Walter," he said, "in that elder-bush there lives a
ghost that comes out sometimes. I think you'd better keep away from
it, for you're the sort of chap that would be caught."
[Illustration:]
Sydney, seeing the sudden fear in the child's face as he turned his
eyes towards the elder-tree, thought he had hit on a very happy plan
for keeping Walter away.
"I've given him a fright," said he, as he went back to where his
sisters were sitting by the edge of the stream. "I've told him there's
a ghost in that tree. He won't come past it in a hurry."
Loo laughed, but Lena said: "He'll really believe it, Sydney. He's
such a nervous sort of a child."
"I want him to believe it," said Sydney. "He's such an inquisitive
little chap that he'd have been coming down here to see my wheel when
I wasn't about. I don't know what mother asked him for. He's a perfect
nuisance."
"Mother wants us to be kind to him," said Lena; "you know she said so.
Poor little thing! He hasn't got a mother, and he's always left with
servants now."
"The best place for him," exclaimed Sydney. "Why should he bother us
and spoil our holiday?"
"He's a stupid little thing," said Loo.
Lena was silent. "He's not like other children," she said, after a
minute, "but how can he be? Mother says he has never had any jolly
times or any children to play with."
"O, well," said Sydney carelessly, "he's got Madge and Johnny now, and
that ought to be enough." And then he forgot all about Walter in the
interest of fixing his wheel.
Meanwhile Walter went slowly back again through the garden, his heart
full of bitter disappointment. He did so want to see that wheel! He
had been dreaming about it all night, for he had known that it was to
be fixed and tried the next day. He had been watching for an
opportunity ever since Sydney and his sisters had gone to the stream.
It came when nurse went indoors with Johnny, and Madge got sulky and
buried herself in a picture-book. That was the moment when he stole
away unobserved. If only he could have had one peep! He wouldn't have
touched it, not for the world; he only wanted to look at the wonderful
thing, and to see if he could perhaps make one some day. He would like
to try now, but he was not allowed to have a knife, and he did not
know where to get wood. Then when he went home there would be no
stream and no new sorts of play.
Just then he heard Madge calling him.
"Come here and play, Walter," she said. "I'll be a bear among the
trees and I'll run out and catch you."
"I don't like that game, Madge," said he; "you roar so loud and then I
think it really is a bear."
"You baby!" said she. "Well, Johnny and nurse will play and you can
run away."
No, he could not do that. He would play too, and try to remember all
the time that it was only Madge roaring among the trees and not really
a bear.
The next day it happened that there was a large picnic party, to which
all the elders were invited, including Sydney, Loo, and Lena. So the
three younger children, with nurse and Baby and the other servants,
had it all to themselves. It was rather a dull day, Walter thought. He
was thinking about the wheel and wondering if it was turning merrily
in the stream, or if Sydney had put it away. He would have given
worlds to go and see, but he never got the chance. When the children
went to the kitchen garden it was to walk round with nurse.
[Illustration:]
Johnny was bemoaning that strawberries were over, and Madge was
looking vainly for gooseberries on the trees that had long ago been
stripped. But Walter cast furtive glances at the thick elder-bush by
the wall, and shivered a little inside when he thought of what Sydney
had told him about it.
Directly after that they went indoors to have supper and go to bed. As
they were undressing it was discovered that Madge had lost a coral
necklace she had on. It was a fancy of her mother's that Madge should
always wear this, as it was a present from a dead godmother, and the
question now was where it had been dropped.
"She had it on at the gooseberry-bushes," said Walter, "for I saw it."
Nurse was just then undressing Johnny.
"You can run down the garden and look for it, Master Walter," said
she. "It gets dark so fast I shan't be able to see by the time I've
got you all in bed."
Madge was already in her dressing-gown, and in spite of much entreaty
was not allowed to go.
So away went Walter full of importance, for the moment quite
forgetting where he was going. But scarcely had he got outside the
door when he remembered the dreadful tree, and fear took possession of
him.
How could he go? He would have to pass the elder-bush if he went all
round the path where they had walked with nurse. Dare he do it?
[Illustration:]
But if he went back the others would laugh at him and call him a baby.
He could not stand that. He was not a baby, but a boy who would one
day be a man and do great deeds. So he went on. Trying hard not to
think of the elder-bush, Walter went bravely along, looking for the
necklace. But still he could not help knowing that he was getting
nearer to the dreaded spot. O, if he could but see those pink beads he
would seize them and run!
He saw them at last, when he had nearly reached the tree. With mingled
joy and fear he took a step forward and stopped to pick up the
necklace when suddenly there was a rustling sound among the
elder-branches and a hand reached out to part them, a hand belonging
to a white figure. That was all Walter knew. With a cry of terror he
rushed forward, not looking where he was going. Then he tripped and
fell, and lay quite still. He was still unconscious when, an hour
later, Sydney's mother bent over him anxiously. He had struck his head
on the stones bordering the path, and there was waiting till the
doctor came to know the extent of the injury.
Nurse told how the little boy had gone to look for Madge's necklace,
and cook explained how she had been gathering elder-berries to make
wine and, hearing footsteps, had come out from the thick branches.
Just as she saw Master Walter he gave a scream and ran away as if
frightened. But what could have terrified him she could not think.
[Illustration:]
Sydney looked at his mother's distressed face and at the little figure
lying on the bed. _He_ knew what had made Walter afraid, and he did
not like afterwards to think of what he felt during the half-hour
before the doctor came.
"But I never thought, mother," said he, "that he would be frightened
at _that_."
His mother was too anxious to say much just then, and Sydney's
conscience spoke instead. "You did want to make him afraid," it said,
"knowing he was a small and timid boy." And Sydney knew that this was
the truth.
Walter got better after a time, and his little heart was made glad by
the kindness of all around. Even Sydney came and worked beside him,
explaining all the improvements and extensions of the water-wheel. But
the little boy did not know all that was in Sydney's mind, for it
could not be spoken. But Sydney's unspoken thought was the stirring of
true manliness within him. It was the determination to remember that
those who were not so strong and big as himself needed all the more
his consideration and gentleness. And he did remember that all his
life.
_E. Dawson._
[Illustration: FISHING.]
A Frolic.
[Illustration:]
[Illustration:]
I knew you had come for a frolic, Wind,
The minute I heard you rise
And watched you blow the grey little clouds
To the fire in the sunset skies.
I saw you fly with a leap and a bound
To give the trees a fright.
What fun when they shivered, and tossed, and shook,
And the aspen leaves turned white!
O, how I wish I were you, wild Wind!
_Then_ I'd have fun enough,
For nobody ever forbids _your_ games
Or says they are rude and rough!
I'd whirl the clouds to the end of the skies,
And the ships as fast and far;
And I'd set the whole big world in a dance
And blow out every star!
I'd rock the houses and toss the trees.
How frightened the folks would be!
But the children and birds would know quite well
There was nothing to fear from me.
There would be no punishment-time to dread
At the end of this delight;
For they'd only say when the morning came:
"What a gale we had last night!"
_E. Dawson._
Cousin Charlie's Visit.
[Illustration:]
"I have a surprise for you, dears," said mother, coming into the
nursery one morning, followed by a bright-looking boy about ten years
of age. "Here is your Cousin Charlie come to spend the day with you."
Dolly and May were delighted, and Mother said they might stay out all
the morning. For the first hour they were very happy--there were so
many new things to show Charlie; but he was one of those restless boys
who get tired of everything very quickly.
"What shall we do next?" he kept saying. They tried hunting for eggs
in the barn, but he soon called that "slow."
"Let's go and pick blackberries in the upper field," said little May.
So they started off and had only picked a very little while when
Charlie suddenly asked: "Whose orchard is that just across the next
field?"
"It's Farmer Giles's," said Dolly.
"Let's climb over and get some apples," was his next idea.
Dolly and May opened their eyes very wide. "That would be stealing,"
they cried, both together.
"Nonsense," said Charlie. "That's just like girls--always afraid to do
anything. I mean to get a pocketful, so you can wait till I come
back."
They waited and waited such a long time, but he never came, so they
went slowly home. It was nearly tea-time when nurse came and said:
"Farmer Giles has brought Cousin Charlie back." And a very
miserable-looking boy he was.
When he had filled his pockets and meant to come down, he saw Rover,
the savage farm dog, waiting for him below; so he had to stay in the
tree, and might have had to remain all night, only the farmer happened
to ride by and heard the dog barking.
Dolly and May were very sorry for him, and their mother did not scold
him as she meant to do, because, she said, "the fright had been
punishment enough."
_F. Clifton Bingham._
[Illustration: THE PICNIC PARTY.]
Dan's Picnic.
It was one of Dan's birthdays. He had had a party on the 1st of every
month since the time that he was born, which happened to be New Year's
Day. And if you asked Reggie and Flo they would tell you that Dan
quite looked forward to his monthly parties, and, what is more,
enjoyed them. You see, a whole year is a very long time. Boys and
girls may grow to be old men and women and have lots of birthdays; but
a doggie's life is comparatively short, so the more festivals they can
squeeze into it the better.
Now, on this particular September 1st of which I am going to tell you,
it was arranged that the milkman was to take Reggie and Flo and Dan
home with him in his cart directly he had delivered the morning's
milk, and bring them back again at tea-time. This he did: and how
Reggie and Flo did enjoy themselves, to be sure!
[Illustration:]
The milkman had two little friends staying with him, named Reuben and
Jane. Reuben led the way into the woods carrying a kettle and a box of
tea-things; while Reggie and Jane and little Flo followed with buns
and tarts. Dan was useful too, for he helped to gather sticks with
which to boil the kettle. He played hide-and-seek with the children,
saw a real live rabbit for the first time in his life, and thought it
was a new kind of cat; so in one way he had a very good time, but I am
very sorry to tell you that the children quite forgot that Dan could
not drink tea or eat jam tarts, and, as for buns, they knew he hated
them. So poor Dan got nothing to eat at his own party. And when
good-bye was said, and when the kind milkman dropped the three down on
the steps--just like the milk-cans--Dan raised a feeble little
"bow-wow" to Reggie's mother, and said as plainly as a little doggie
could: "O, missis, missis! It's been _my_ party and I've had nuffin'
to eat. All I got was an empty nut-shell--'bow-wow'--which somebody
called a squirrel--'bow-wow'--dropped into my mouth--'bow-wow'--while
I was looking up a tree--'bow-wow-wow'!"
Reggie's mother must have understood, for she gave Dan a good supper,
and he slept right soundly till morning.
_Mary Boyle._
Bringing home the holly.
[Illustration:]
With hearts as light as snow-flakes fall,
With cheeks like sunset glow,
And ringing shouts of joy and fun,
Away the children go.
Away! to where the holly-tree,
With berries gleaming bright,
Stands like a shivering giant in
Its glistening cloak of white.
There's Roy, to take the sledge in hand
And pilot through the snow.
"The girls don't understand," he says.
(Just like a boy, you know!)
Then back they bring the loaded sledge,
With fingers pricked and sore.
But what care they? They'll go again
To-morrow for some more.
For children love the Christmas-time,
When everything is jolly;
And all must help to deck the house
In mistletoe and holly!
And then comes good St. Nicholas,
With loads of books and toys.
Yes, Christmas is the _dearest_ time
For happy girls and boys.
_Ellyn Hall._
[Illustration: BRINGING HOME THE HOLLY.]