Ole Mammy's Torment

t was Sunday, for he thought of the long, hot walk down to Brier Crook church. To his great surprise, Mammy did not

smell of clover and ripening orchards filled the heated air. The hens clucked ar

a John of Patmos might have looked, remembering some vision of the opened heavens. The lights, the music, the white-robed figures, and above all, that wonderful fountain looking as if it must have sprung from some "sea of glass mingled

the ap

after he had gone to bed, and when Mammy was drowsing on the doorstep, he raised himself to his knees, and looked through a wide hole in the wall where the chinking had dropped out

night came at last; and, as he counted the stars for the seventh time, the li

red that the long-looked-for day had come. Somehow, a feeling of expectancy made it seem different from other days. He

time, for he had a faint hope that the birthday Santa Claus whom he had met at Miss

anned the table quickly. There was a better breakfast than usual-bacon and eggs this morning. There was no napkin on the table under which some gift might lie i

ed it safely on his plate, he rolled his eyes around the table. "Did yo

y now, plenty big enough to keep out o' mischief an' take keer o' yo' clothe

John Jay consoled himself by thinking that he would probably

watching the road. Every cloud of dust that tokened an approaching traveller raised a new hope. Many people went

in the yard, while he took a swim in the pond. But the pleasure did not last long. He could only splash an

or something to do to occupy the time. A wide plank leaned up against the little shed at one side of t

y the help of an overturned chicken-coop, which he dragged across the yard, he managed to climb to the top of the shed. Squatting

lly rubbed the plank from one end to the other. Then he greased the underside of the little board on which he intended to sit. The result was all he could wish. He slid down the plank at a speed that took his breath. Up he climbed from the coop to the shed, carrying his board

d gone by when Bud remarked,

nswered John Jay; "but if I had another lit

. Then he caught sight of the big dish-pan, w

took the united strength of both boys to get Ivy to the top of the shed, but at last she was seated, with John Jay just behind her on his little board, his legs thrown protectingly around the pan. They shot

by myself," announced Bud from t

to one side to watch the performanc

around to one side, and spilled the luckless Bud out on the chicken-coop. Usually he made very little fuss when he was hurt, but this time he set up such a roar that John Jay was frightened. Wh

d, and began crying harder than before, fee

the loss of a little white front tooth, and soon dried Bud's tears

" he cautioned; "for I sut'n'ly don't want to ketch a lickin' on my

s head was always interesting to these children, for it never came back from Rosehaven empty. The cook always saved the scraps for Sheba's hungry little charges. This evening John Jay kept his eyes fixed on it expectantly, as he followed it up

am, a handful of cookies, and half of an apple pie. That was all. John Jay looked at them a moment

he contents of the basket beside the corn bread left from dinner. Before they were through eatin

ble. "Put Ivy to bed as soon as you wash her face, John Jay, an' go yo'self when the prop

sat down on the door-step to wait once more for the birthday San

way, somebody'll be prancing along about sundown." In the week just passed,

id, after a long pause and an anxi

tting on the steps of the porch at Rosehaven with a guitar on his knee, and smili

ed dismally over in the woods. The children stopped talking, and sat in anxious silence. Presently

" asked John Jay savagel

ah," sobbed the little fellow, strangely wrought

areless, grown-up air. "If anything comes I'll wak

but the day was spoiled, and he went to b

to help him, but in his desperation he determined to appeal to them once more. So he picked out the s

ght, sta

ar I've se

ay and I w

come true I

he thud of a horse's hoofs on the wooden bridge, far down the road. Nearer and louder it came. Somebody was prancing by at last. He stood up, straining his eyes in his

sank as the hoof-beats went on down the road, Bookity book! Bookity book! growing fai

n he went in and shut the door,-shut the door on all his bright hopes, on all his fond dreams, on the day

moment, whispering brokenly, "They wasn't anybody livin' that cared 'bout it's bein' my buthday!" Then t