“BEFORE tea, Harry must get his face washed," Mrs. Gray said, and taking baby on her knee, proceeded to sponge his rosy cheeks. Harry screamed lustily.
"I never scream when Ben washes my face," said Kit, who was watching the operation with great interest.
“No, but you are older than Harry, and know better," said her mother.
"I'm growing a bigger girl," said Kit, straightening herself. "I'm up to my head-see!" and she placed her hand on the top of her curly locks.
"So you are," said her mother, laughing; "and down to your toes.”
"When Harry is up to my head and down to my toes, he won't scream when being washed," cried Kit.
"I hope not," replied her mother, as Ben laughed merrily; "but see, he's a good boy now, and fit to be kissed; so we will lay him down on the grass to kick, while we set the table for tea.”
They spread a table-cloth on the green, and the children were delighted to help. It was so different from anything they had done before.
Ben carried out hassocks for Kit and himself, and the two ran back and forward with plates, cups, spoons, and every time they came with a fresh article baby Harry crowed and kicked afresh.
"Now, that's the train in," said Mrs. Gray, "go to the gate, and look for father. In a few minutes he should be here." Soon they both returned to the house each holding the father's hand, and each carrying a parcel. Ben waited while Kit's parcel was being opened, and then both children uttered a cry of delight. A wax doll with blue eyes and flaxen ringlets made its appearance dressed in blue.
"I couldn't resist bringing it to her," said Gray, "I guessed that she never had such before." Kit hugged her new treasure much as her mother had hugged her the night before, while her eyes grew lustrous, and a bright flush spread over her cheeks.
Ben quite forgot for the minute to open his parcel, he was so lost in admiration over Kit's doll. But when he had time to think of his and had opened it he found himself the possessor of a First Reading Book crammed full of illustrations. There were pictures of dogs and cats, horses, ships, soldiers, etc., etc.
"Now, Ben, you must learn to read," said the father, when they had taken their places for tea, "so that in a few months you can go out and earn your living again like a brave boy.”
"So I will, if my own father, in Peters Street, will let me stay with you. Oh! I do hope he will. But I haven't made you a bow for the fine book. This is how we bow to the gentry when they give us coppers, isn't it, Kit?" and he stood up and made them all laugh while he pulled his front hair and then went head over heels all along the grass.
Then Harry received his present, which was a squeaking pig, and it added to the merriment of the little party to see his pleasure, and to hear his funny little crows of delight mingling with the squeaks of the pig.
Ben was merry that night. He felt so happy, for Mr. Gray said he had gone to Peters Street in the middle of the day and had seen their old home. He brought with him the little Sunday school books and a wallflower Kit prized. He also called on Mrs. Perrin, who had been a kind friend to them, and had had a long talk with her. She told him much of Ben's faithfulness to Kit, and cried at the thought of losing the children.
However, Gray asked her over with her children to spend the day at Wood Cottage in two week's time, and she had promised to come. Rogers (Ben's father) was not at home, but Mrs. Perrin said she would give him the message that Gray left, and do her best to persuade him to give Ben up to them, and then would write and let the inmates of Wood Cottage know the results.
She had little difficulty about it, for Rogers wanted to go to sea, and his only drawback had been leaving the little fellow.
Ben was very glad to get his few books again.
"This one has our newest hymn in it," he said, pointing to the well-worn cover.
"Let us hear it, Ben," said the mother.
"Well, turn about then, Kit," said the boy, "you one verse and I the next.”
Kit laid her doll down with a fond look, and folded her arms while she repeated-
"We are lambs of the flock,
And no danger we fear,
While the voice and the call
Of our Shepherd we hear.
"We will follow, we will follow
His call to our home in the sky.”
Then Ben went on with the two next verses-
"Oh, the pastures are green,
And the flowers bloom around,
By the side of still waters
He will make us lie down.
"We will follow," etc.
"Oh, that all the dear lambs
Had a heart to reply,
When the good Shepherd calls
From His home in the sky.
"We will follow," etc.
"That is very pretty, and nicely repeated too," said Kit's parents. Do you know any more? "I know a beautiful one about”
"I want to be like Jesus,
So lovely and so meek
For no one-one-
"Marked," put in Ben-
"Marked an angry word
That ever heard Him speak.”
"And I like the verse," added Ben-
"I want to be like Jesus,
Engaged in doing good,
So that of me it may be said,
He hath done what he could.”
"Now, tell us what you heard in the Sunday school from the teacher," said the mother.
"Well," began Ben, "our teacher said we were like little lambs, and Jesus is the Good Shepherd; and He came down from heaven and died for us, so that we need not die for our sins; and she told us to love Him and trust Him; and He would take His little lambs in His arms and help them, and give them all they need, and-and-" hesitated Ben.
"And one day we will go to Jesus' happy place up there, and we want to be like Jesus," said Kit.
While she was speaking, Ben rose with flushed cheeks, and pointed to the western sky where bright clouds were lying as the sun slowly descended.
"Hark! I think I can hear it!" he said, raising his head. "Perhaps the time has come! oh, perhaps!”
"What time?" they asked, wondering what the boy meant.
"Why, for Jesus to come, of course. See how bright it is! and I think I hear the sound of the trumpet! Maybe the time's come-has it?”
For a minute neither of the parents spoke. Then the mother said: "It is the sun setting, and the sound you heard was a bell far away-but one day soon Jesus will come to take us home to heaven.”
Ben sat down and watched the sky, looking rather disappointed.
"I thought it was the trumpet. Teacher said He might come any day, and that we were always to be looking for Him, ready for the trumpet sound, when we would go up to be with Jesus.”
"Do you want to go so much, Ben?" asked the mother.
"Yes, it would be nice; so nice. We often hoped that Jesus would come every night when we were hungry and it was dark and cold-didn't we Kit?"
"Yes; and Him is coming some day," said Kit, with a nod of her head.
"I wonder if folks want Him as much when they have good houses and nice dinners, and beautiful gardens?" asked Ben in a slow and thoughtful tone, as if to himself. "I wonder if Kit and I will want Him as much now!”
Mrs. Gray had not an answer ready for Ben; she was putting one or two questions to her own heart-questions she could not very easily answer. Tears filled her eyes, and she rose to put baby Harry to bed.
So Ben was very quiet, thinking over the matter till the silence was broken by the father saying: “We, ought to want the Lord as much in the bright days, as in the dark. I hope Kit and you will never stop speaking of Him. He left all the brightness and glory of heaven, and came down to this earth where all was sin and darkness. They were dark sorrowful days for Him; but He came.”
"He came to save us, teacher said," put in Ben.