IT was just such another day as when the Sunday School children had played about in the meadows six weeks before. The rays of the sun were very hot, though a gentle breeze stirred the branches of the trees around. Far in the distance was a dark line of cloud, but it was so far away that one did not notice it.
Little Kit was looking rather pale; and when Ben ran in from school the mother said-
"You might take Kit for a ride in the perambulator, Ben. Be back in time for tea." She could trust him perfectly with Kit now, as he had proved himself very careful, and after tucking the little girl comfortably into the "coach," she put pieces of bread and jam into their hands, and they started off toward the country.
Ben was very anxious to show Kit a bird's nest he had discovered in a bush on the outskirts of a wood some distance away, but there would be plenty of time to reach the place and get back for tea, if they were quick. So he ran along the shady side of the road, pushing Kit merrily.
"The nest is empty now, Kit, but you'll like to see where the young birds were hatched. It was such a cozy warm place.”
"Something like my little crib, Ben.”
"Very much like that, Kit, and you look like a little bird yourself at night, with your head peeping out and your eyes shining bright like beads.”
Kit laughed, "I wonder if angels watch over little birds at night?”
"Well-father said not one of them falls to the ground without God knowing it, so maybe they are watched over. Folks say that little 'birds' praise Him by their singing; anyhow it sounds as if they chirped something solemn at night when the sun has gone down. I've heard them in that wood over there.”
"It's nice to think of little birds thanking Him, isn't it?" said Kit.
"Yes; and we ought never to forget to thank Him also, for we've got far more nice things than they.”
As they passed along the hedgerow and neared the wood, Jim Snow sprang out upon them with a howl which caused Kit to scream with terror, whereupon he set up his mocking laugh.
"I saw the young lady and her coachman coming along, and I thought I'd make her jump," he cried; "ha! ha!”
"How could you be so cruel, Jim? see how frightened she is," said Ben, indignantly. "Big boys like you ought not to frighten little girls. Never mind, Kit; he will not do it again.”
"Don't you be too sure," cried Jim, as he disappeared behind the bushes.
It would have been wiser if Ben had turned homeward after this little affair, but he was so anxious to show Kit the bird's nest. He watched till Jim ran off to the little stream where he had found the nestling for Kit a short time before, and then wheeled her onward. At the stream, Jim joined Eliza (his sister next in age to himself) who was in charge of a little girl about a year old. He spoke to her as if ordering her home, and then stopped to watch her proceedings for a few minutes. She had taken the shoes and socks off the baby and was going to teach it to walk in the water.
Poor little thing, it was grasped roughly round the waist, while its tiny feet were jumped up and down on the stones in the stream.
"I shan't go home till I've given Jane a bath, shall I, darling?" Jane screamed, and Eliza shook her.
“I'm not going to stand any of that, so stop at once," she said, and, while trying to get a firmer hold of the child, it fell sideways into the stream.
Of course, Jane screamed louder, and Eliza took her or tugged her up the bank as best she could; all her little garments dripping with water.
"Won't you catch it," cried Jim, with a whistle.
"Don't tell, Jim, and I'll wring out her things, and they'll dry before I get home.”
"Won't I though; you told about me the other day, didn't you? But I must be off, wishing you good luck," and he ran away in the direction Ben and Kit had gone, leaving Jane to her fate.
Eliza did her utmost to dry the clothes, and all the way home was planning the best method of getting over her scrape, if her mother should find it out.
On went Ben with his little charge, quite unaware that they were being followed by Jim, who was very curious to know their proceedings. A short distance up the road, on the side of the hill, Ben came to a gate, which was attached to a post by a chain slipped over it; he raised this, and pushed the perambulator into the meadow, and, lifting Kit out, told her to take his hand, while he pushed the "coach" up the rising ground, past some straggling bushes.
"Now, we'll leave it here for a few minutes, Kit, while we scramble through this little hole in the fence into the wood, and you'll hear the birds sing, if you be quiet, and I'll show you the little nest Will Grant showed me. We mustn't stay many minutes, because I promised to be back before father comes home to tea. I'll take the shawl on my arm, in case you would like to sit on it.”
They scrambled through the little hole, and Ben searched about for the bush. It was not so easy to find as he imagined, and it took him nearly a quarter of an hour before he hit on the right spot.
Kit did not mind the delay, for she was busy filling her hands with all sorts of weeds and leaves and flowers, to take home to her mother. At last the nest was found, which Will Grant had left hoping the bird might lay more eggs in it, and Ben lifted Kit to see it and feel it.
"What's that?" cried Ben.
They listened.
"Sounds like funder," said Kit.
A low distant roar was heard, which suddenly seemed to break over their heads. At the same moment a shrill whistle sounded near them, and a tall man broke through the bushes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Be off, sharp now. You are disturbing the beasts, and you're `trespassing.'”
Ben started, and Kit clung to him.
"What beasts, Sir? Are there any wild beasts about?" and Ben glanced round with a scared look.
"No, no, rabbits and hares, and such like, which we want kept quiet. Another thing is, traps have been set all over the wood, and if you got your legs caught in them, it would be awkward.”
"It would never do for this little girl to get caught. Would you please tell us where they are?"
"Oh, all about; never come here any more. It takes all my time keeping the public off.”
"We have nothing to do with 'publics.' Father and mother wouldn't allow us to go inside one," said Ben secretly rather afraid of the tall man, and wishing to be civil.
"No, no; I was making no reference to the public houses," (saloons or bars) answered he, with a laugh. "I daresay you are decent little folks, but you ought not to be here. What did you come for?”
"I came to show this little girl a real bird's nest in a bush here, but I won't come again. You see, she was brought up in Peters Street and never saw one before.”
"Hum! she's a pretty little thing, and you ought to take her home at once; there's a storm coming. See!" A flash of lightning lighted up the wood showing up for an instant every leaf and branch; then followed a peal of thunder.
"It isn't safe to stay here; what are you going to do?”
"The 'coach' is just outside the fence, I'll put Kit in and run home.”
The man hesitated; he had a kindly face when off duty; and the little pair touched a chord in his heart.
"If the storm is heavy, just stop at the little red brick cottage along the road; my wife stays there; tell her I sent you; I have to go a little further before I turn in.”
He helped them through the bushes, saying, as he did so, "I can't think how you'll get along; the storm is going to be heavy; but you musn't stay here.”
"We were saying coming along that God takes care of sparrows, so He is sure to look after us. We are not afraid. You might have been awful cross with us for coming in this here wood, instead of that you are helping us, you see. It must be Jesus, taking care of us.”
"I wish I never had to deal with worse characters than you," said Michael Craig, for this was his name. "Go into the cottage as you pass. Good-bye.”
Again the children scrambled through the little hole in the fence, and ran to the place they had left the perambulator; but to their dismay, it was gone.