Part 7

"Yes," said the lady; "but I should be out of breath if I told you stories all the way; besides, I want to talk to other people as well as to you."

Willy thought that was but fair; and, after thanking the lady for her kindness, he returned to seat himself by his mamma, who told him they would soon reach Derby. This pleased him highly. "Then," said he, "I shall see my old friend Anna, the landlady's daughter at the inn. Oh! but we shall not see the blind woman and her children."

"Possibly we may," replied his mother, "for to-morrow is Sunday, and that is the day they are most likely to go to see their old mother."

Soon after they reached Derby, Willy renewed acquaintance with Anna and the landlady; and in the evening they went to walk in the Arboretum, and there they met all the family, except the blind woman herself.

"Where is she?" asked Willy's mother. "I hope not ill?"

"Oh dear, no, Ma'am," cried Martha, her eyes sparkling with joy at the good news she had to tell; "well, quite well; and she can see us all now, she is no longer blind."

"Oh, how glad I am," said Willy. "Where is she? How happy she must be, and how I should like to see her now she can see!"

"She is at the hospital," said Martha. "She was couched only about ten days ago, and is not allowed yet to go abroad in the daylight; but if you had but seen her kiss us all round when her eyes first saw, and then kneel down and thank God for restoring her sight, and preserving all her children so that she had the blessing of seeing them again. Well, I really thought we should have cried our eyes out, we were all so happy!"

"Cry for being happy!" said Willy; "why I thought people laughed when they were happy."

"So they do," said Martha; "but when they are very, very glad, they cannot laugh, and then they sometimes cry for joy."

Willy told Betsey and Johnny all about grandmamma's farm and his own little garden; and they, in return, told him all about their mother going to the hospital, and how the surgeons had done something to her eyes which made her see; and what a treat their grandmother was going to give them when mother was well enough to leave the hospital. "It is to be a grand drinking tea in the gardens," said she, "and I don't know how many nice things there will be. She is, I believe, making some of the pies and cakes already."

When they returned to the inn, there was still daylight enough for Willy to go over the landlady's garden with his friend Anna, and she showed him the apricot and peach trees, which were now full of ripe fruit, whilst, at their first visit, Willy had scarcely noticed them, seeing nothing but small green balls growing on their branches.

"I will tell you a secret," said Anna, "if you will keep it. Mamma bade me gather some of these apricots and peaches, and put them in a nice little basket, almost quite new, and cover the fruit over with fresh green leaves, as she means to give it to your mamma when she goes away, to eat while she is on the railroad."

The next morning the landlady came with her bill to be paid, and Willy was very glad when he saw his mamma take two sovereigns out of her purse, and a great many shillings, for he thought, "I hope she will have a good deal instead of a _little over_." Then Anna came with the nice basket of fruit and offered it; and Willy's mamma was much pleased, and thanked her, and gave her a pretty silver pencil-case in return, which delighted Anna.

In a few hours more Willy's travels were ended by his arrival in London; we shall therefore take leave of him, after his pleasant journey and his happy return.

THE END.

LONDON: SPOTTISWOODE and SHAW, New-street Square.