CHAPTER VI.

MAMMA'S STORY.

HOW can I describe the wonder, the gratitude, the joy, of these poor wanderers when told that a home had been provided for them, and that as soon as Mr. Bell had gained strength, he should have work on Mr. Corwin's farm?

How quickly they gathered the few articles of clothing lying about, and put them in their one trunk! How carefully the mother returned to the basket the small packages Mrs. Corwin had brought in the morning! By the time John reached the hut, they were all ready, Mrs. Bell sitting on the door-steps, holding her babe to her breast.

On reaching the cottage, they found Mrs. Blake there with a lighted lamp, her present to her new neighbors. There was no bedstead, it was true; but there was one mattrass, and plenty of clean rye straw on the chamber floor. In the lower apartment, the few articles were set up in place and gave the room a home-like appearance.

The joy was almost too much for the father weakened by sickness. He sank into a chair, and, covering his face, wept aloud. Little Aggy and Ned uttered cries of joy.

"Is this our home? May we live here? O ma, isn't God good? Didn't he hear quick when we told him how poor we were?"

Mrs. Corwin soon bade them good-by, after her husband had said they would find some wood by their door in the morning; and indeed it was a relief to the poor people to be alone, and pour out their full hearts in praise to their kind Father in heaven, who had put it into the minds of these Christian friends to help them in their hour of need.

Of course as mamma was so busy with her protégés, she could not tell the story she had promised until the next day. Would you like to hear it?

Bessie sat in her low chair, rocking Miss Prim; and Jamie lay on the floor with his arm around Flossy's neck when mamma began:—

"There was once an old house with high trees growing close to the windows. In one of the trees there was a great hole where the wood had rotted away, and in this hole there lived a family of squirrels.

"There were Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel and five children. They had funny red and gray skins, and very bright eyes, and long, bushy tails. Mrs. Squirrel was a very careful mother, who tried to teach her little ones to be kind and obedient. Mr. Squirrel was rather lazy. He liked to race up to the top of the highest trees, and look around at the landscape. When it was time for dinner, he liked to go into his parlor and find some nuts all ready for him to crack with his sharp teeth.

"Early one morning Mrs. Squirrel woke up, and said to herself, 'I'll go down to the lawn, and see what I can find for breakfast.'

"There were a great many pods hanging loosely on the branches, and often the wind blew them to the ground. There were a good many this morning; and the pretty creature worked away very busily, taking one at a time in her mouth till she had carried quite a pile of them into her closet, and covered them over with leaves. She thought her little ones were all asleep; but she was mistaken. Bob the oldest was peeping out of one corner of his eye, and he saw where she put the bean-pods.

"At last he grew so hungry, he thought he would steal one. So while his mother was on the lawn, looking for more, he pulled off the leaves, caught a long pod in his mouth, and scampered away to the top of the tree.

"But he was not quite quick enough. Mrs. Squirrel saw him, and just dropping her pod in the hole, she darted up the tree to give Bob a good whipping.

"'Catch me if you can,' Bob chirped out.

"'Never fear,' said his mother, 'I shall catch you very soon, I'm older than you; and I have raced over these trees long before you were born.'

"It took some time though before she could catch the nimble little fellow, who ran and jumped from one bough to another.

"But at last he was very tired and had to stop. He had the pod in his mouth; and he couldn't eat it while he was running, so he concluded to cry 'beat.'

"Mrs. Squirrel was very angry and took away his breakfast. 'You're a naughty, thieving Bob,' she said, 'and you shall have nothing till dinner-time.'

"Bob was very sorry and lonesome. He went slowly down the tree and sat on a bough which was near the window of the old house. The shutter was wide open, and what do you think he saw?"

"He saw Jamie," cried the little boy.

"Yes," said mamma, "he did, and Bessie too. She was sitting in her rocking-chair with a sick doll in her lap; and the doctor was giving medicine out of a bottle."

"Me, me, mamma!" shouted Jamie.

"Well, Bob looked and looked. He saw a large doll called Miss Prim on another chair and a pretty spaniel with white silky hair on the floor. He saw the bed with its snow-white counterpane, and the marble-topped bureau, and the low table where the children ate their luncheon. I suppose he said to himself, 'How very pleasant it does look in there!'

"He had nothing else to do, for his mother had forbidden him to come home till dinner, and so he went a little nearer and curled his red tail over his head to keep the sun off, and there he sat.

"The children were so busy, they didn't see Bob; and he could watch them nicely.

"'I wonder whether they quarrel?' he said to himself.

"By and by Jamie was tired of giving medicine, and he said to his sister, 'Play school now.'

"'No, I like this play best,' she answered."

[Illustration: "I WONDER WHETHER THEY QUARREL."]

"'Now,' said Bob, 'they'll get to fighting as I and my sisters do.'

"But no, when Jamie said, in a coaxing tone, 'Please, Bessie, play school,' she jumped up and answered, 'So we will.'

"Then they set all the dollies in chairs, and made Flossy curl herself on a cushion with the spelling-book close to her nose, and then Bessie rang the bell for school to begin.

"Bob looked very sober all this time, and began to whisk his tail a good deal. 'That's queer,' he said. 'I thought by this time they would have got to blows. How happy they look! I wonder what it means?'

"By and by he thought it must be dinner-time, and he went home and told his mother what he had seen.

"'My dear Bob!' she said. 'I am very glad you have seen the children. I have watched them many a time. They are always bright and happy; and this is how it is. I have found out their rule. It is only by one giving up a little, and the other giving up a little. If you, my dear Bob, will act so with your brother and sisters, we shall be the happiest family of squirrels in America.'"

"Did he do it, mamma?" asked Bessie, her face all smiles.

"I hope he did," said mamma. "Now can you tell me whose eye beside Bob's has been watching you while you play?"

"God's eye, mamma. Was he pleased with us too?"

"Yes, dear, when you are loving and kind, he is always pleased."