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 bowl 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 bowl 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 from the Perrins," answered Ben, "and this lady says that we are not going any more.”
"No, you shall never leave your 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, m'am, 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 for 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 (pennies) 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 write you shall be a message or errand 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 neighbor, 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 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 dress 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 neighbor 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 with Harry in the perambulator (baby carriage), for her mother was afraid she would be tired, though they were not going very far.
"I will hold baby," she said.
"And I'll push 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 around.
"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 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 the little girl, and his admiration was expressed 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 carriage.”
"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 were pronounced the "very thing," and after Ben was supplied with 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.