"I had a brother once--a gracious boy,Full of all gentleness,of calmest hope,Of sweet and quiet joy,--there was the look Of heaven upon his face."It was supper time when we reached home,and Bobby was at the front gate to meet me.He always hunted me all over the place when the big bell in the yard rang at meal time,because if he crowed nicely when he was told,he was allowed to stand on the back of my chair and every little while I held up my plate and shared bites with him.I have seen many white bantams,but never another like Bobby.My big brothers bought him for me in Fort Wayne,and sent him in a box,alone on the cars.Father and I drove to Groveville to meet him.The minute father pried off the lid,Bobby hopped on the edge of the box and crowed--the biggest crow you ever heard from such a mite of a body;he wasn't in the least afraid of us and we were pleased about it.You scarcely could see his beady black eyes for his bushy topknot,his wing tips touched the ground,his tail had two beautiful plumy feathers much longer than the others,his feet were covered with feathers,and his knee tufts dragged.He was the sauciest,spunkiest little fellow,and white as muslin.We went to supper together,but no one asked where I had been,and because I was so bursting full of importance,I talked only to Bobby,in order to be safe.
After supper I finished Hezekiah's trousers,and May cut his coat for me.School would begin in September and our clothes were being made,so I used the scraps to dress him.His suit was done by the next forenoon,and father never laughed harder than when Hezekiah hopped down the walk to meet him dressed in pink trousers and coat.The coat had flowing sleeves like the Princess wore,so Hezekiah could fly,and he seemed to like them.
His suit was such a success I began a sunbonnet,and when that was tied on him,the folks almost had spasms.They said he wouldn't like being dressed;that he would fly away to punish me,but he did no such thing.He stayed around the house and was tame as ever.
When I became tired sewing that afternoon,I went down the lane leading to our meadow,where Leon was killing thistles with a grubbing hoe.I thought he would be glad to see me,and he was.
Every one had been busy in the house,so I went to the cellar the outside way and ate all I wanted from the cupboard.Then I spread two big slices of bread the best I could with my fingers,putting apple butter on one,and mashed potatoes on the other.
Leon leaned on the hoe and watched me coming.He was a hungry boy,and lonesome too,but he couldn't be forced to say so.
"Laddie is at work in the barn,"he said.
"I'm going to play in the creek,"I answered.
Crossing our meadow there was a stream that had grassy banks,big trees,willows,bushes and vines for shade,a solid pebbly bed;it was all turns and bends so that the water hurried until it bubbled and sang as it went;in it lived tiny fish coloured brightly as flowers,beside it ran killdeer,plover and solemn blue herons almost as tall as I was came from the river to fish;for a place to play on an August afternoon,it couldn't be beaten.The sheep had been put in the lower pasture;so the cross old Shropshire ram was not there to bother us.
"Come to the shade,"I said to Leon,and when we were comfortably seated under a big maple weighted down with trailing grapevines,I offered the bread.Leon took a piece in each hand and began to eat as if he were starving.Laddie would have kissed me and said:"What a fine treat!Thank you,Little Sister."Leon was different.He ate so greedily you had to know he was glad to get it,but he wouldn't say so,not if he never got any more.When you knew him,you understood he wouldn't forget it,and he'd be certain to do something nice for you before the day was over to pay back.We sat there talking about everything we saw,and at last Leon said with a grin:"Shelley isn't getting much grape sap is she?""I didn't know she wanted grape sap."
"She read about it in a paper.It said to cut the vine of a wild grape,catch the drippings and moisten your hair.This would make it glossy and grow faster.""What on earth does Shelley want with more hair than she has?""Oh,she has heard it bragged on so much she thinks people would say more if she could improve it."I looked and there was the vine,dry as could be,and a milk crock beneath it.
"Didn't the silly know she had to cut the vine in the spring when the sap was running?""Bear witness,O vine!that she did not,"said Leon,"and speak,ye voiceless pottery,and testify that she expected to find you overflowing.""Too bad that she's going to be disappointed.""She isn't!She's going to find ample liquid to bathe her streaming tresses.Keep quiet and watch me."He picked up the crock,carried it to the creek and dipped it full of water.
"That's too much,"I objected."She'll know she never got a crock full from a dry vine.""She'll think the vine bled itself dry for her sake.""She isn't that silly."
"Well then,how silly is she?"asked Leon,spilling out half.
"About so?"
"Not so bad as that.Less yet!"
"Anything to please the ladies,"said Leon,pouring out more.
Then we sat and giggled a while.
"What are you going to do now?"asked Leon.
"Play in the creek,"I answered.
"All right!I'll work near you."
