Two Little Travellers / A Story for Girls

ere reddening

the gray d

themselves on t

llows round

way, sweet

the gray do

his land of

southern

is warm and

us, away

Weat

the last note Joan utte

r! the star! God has sended it soon, hasn't He? He must have been listen

ing anxiously into the darkness, b

, pointing with her finger. "It's comi

e shadows, a small bright light not unlike the twinkle of a tiny

Speak up!" called ou

the gnarled tree-roots and spreading branches, yet kept straight on-and in a

ut who the forlorn-looking little objects really were, he gave expression to his astonishment in a long whistle, which frightened the birds in the trees, the rabbits within their burrow

them with such kindly, quizzical scrutiny was not that of either gipsy, tramp, or poacher; for in spite of his lofty scorn

rst in the dusk. 'They're tramps,' says I to myself, 'or gipsy weans.' But then, when I got

gsters," struck in Joan stou

ould think ye were the little angels whose pretty speeches my missis was divertin' me with all the time I was at my t

od. If God hadn't sended you to find us, I s'pose robin redbreast wou

as moved at the thought of the anxiety and distress these small creatures must

she says silly things sometimes, it's because she's so litt

at what was for them such an unusual hour in the mazes of Copsley Wood-frankly owning up to m

I heard some kind o' singin' as I came up the hill. It was that fetched me into the wood. I had b

vely. "We were askin' God to send a star

a light really did shine. We didn't know at the time that it was only the matches you were striking for your pipe, and Joan thought (in fact, we both thought-for a m

the couple lurking there. And into the big farmer's eyes a sudden moisture had sprung as he heard these little ones expressing in simple speech

beside you, in the darkest forest as well as in the starry sky. An' now we must be movin', or the ladies'll be sendin' the pol

it failed to find its accustomed perch among the pines, a

turned towards the children. "I was never reckoned much o' a star," he said, with

carry her myself," added Darby, as if doing so were a mere trifle instead of a feat of w

he farmer cradled her comfortably in his strong arms; a

arine's eggs, and the bantam's too?" Joan cri

ill lingered, and there, just where Darby ha

orward to seize it. But in the dusk he did not notice a long, twisted tree-root that straggled between him and his desire. His toe caught

s amusement at sight of Darby's deplorable and moist condition. "You forget that y

burst from the little creature in his arms, indicated that what was a joke to hi

that it was all an accident. Here, rub down your clothes wi' this wisp o' grass, an' I'll

der, and Darby's small hand clinging closely to his, t

man stretched himself, hitched up on his shoulder a bag, from which peeped the tail of a pheasant and the

edly as she rearranged the faded scarlet shawl more closely round her s

for this many a day, an' I'll have them yet," he growled, "as sure as yer name's Moll! See if I don't!

who was softly sobbing; Aunt Catharine, wearing her garden-hat and strongest boots; Nurse Perry, Mary the cook; and Green the gardener, armed with a stout

g. They must be punished, if by no other means they could be taught obedience, which is the first if not the chief lesson of life. Still, it was a pity, thought the big, soft-hearted man; and the confiding eyes of the children followed him

urneying

by a

then helped Perry to undress, bath, and put them to bed. "She's sure to punish us somehow to-morrow though she's saying nothing about it

not bear the idea of either Darby or Joan being put to any avoidable pain. They had been very disobedient certainly, she was obliged to admit, and must be taught somehow to do as they were told-Darby especially, who should have been so much wiser than Joan. She would herself have cheerfully borne the penalty of

ew day, when the nursery door was thrown wide open, and Aunt Catharine sailed into the room, arrayed in all the glory of a Paisley-pattern morning-gown and black crochet breakfast-cap. Now, Miss Turner was one of those people sometimes to be met w

rself solemnly in a chair between the two cribs, and looking from one child to the ot

what that meant as well as what was indicated by

ded her tangled curls towards her aunt, and, sweetly smiling, murm

pause for a while; t

ses; because there is nothing you could say that would make your sin appear

direction of the door. "I'd love to see a 'hena!' There's a picter

hyenas here. Aunt Catharine means 'heenyus,' and that's a thing

d Miss Turner, "and it is my duty to punish you. I have therefore

yes flashed, his cheeks were scarlet, his

should set your sister a good example instead of leading her at your heels into every mischief you can devise-you are to have an additional punishment. I desire that while you are in bed you shall occupy yourself with your Catechism. And to-morrow, before breakfast, I will hear you repeat the fifth comm

imself about

e Miss Turners were both old maids when he was a kid; and people can't be old maids and parents as well! Oh, if daddy hadn't gone away, or if mother wa

eaten her breakfast of porridge and milk, she tumbled off t

bed on a fine day when he was quite well, only stiff and aching all over. Outside the air was balmy and still. The garden was ablaze with late dahlias, hollyhocks, and asters; and down by the to

as abroad and mother dead. If they had only not been left at Firgrove with Aunt Catharine! There were plenty of pleasant places in the world besides Firgrove. Could not he and Joan go away somewhere, just themselves together, where they would want only to be good, because there should be no temptation to be naughty; where there should be no Catechism, no Aunt Catharine, and no more punishment, especia

ut Darby did not know that he was only going over a well-beaten track. He just knew that he was wishful of finding some pleasant spot

arture on the morrow; and from the dovecot in the yard came the soft, continuous cooing of Auntie Alice's pigeons as they strutted about the flags or preened their feathers in the sun. The distant barking of Mr. Grey'

Nothing much; only a snatch here and there from that old hymn she

shall

sin and so

in that

ever

a Father

canno

this ha

come

ye doubti

till

it not occurred to him sooner? The Happy Land! that's where they would go. It was far, far a

ted over to the window, where she was occupying herself happily in catching and shutti

er nimble little fingers another captive to its dungeon,

quite a motherly manner. "Has you got a pain, Darby? or was you dre

ng to stay here any longer. I've 'cided where we'll go. We'll go to the Happy Land-that place nurse is often singing about, where we shall always be good

ime dropping the pill-box, from which the autumn flies crawled lazily,

nd sparkling eyes, for he was terribly excited over h

head that set all her curls bobbing up and down like daffodils in a March breeze-"yes, I'm c

toes in the blankets, and in earnest, subdued tones the two

with a thrill of thankfulness that early on Monday morning the aunts were going away to spend a couple of nights at Denescroft, as grannie's charming, China-rose-trimmed cottage was called. That would be their chance! Nurse would be almost entirely

hurch as usual. In the evening Auntie Alice remarked to her sister how very quiet the little ones had been all day. Aunt Catharine also had noticed their subdued deme

et-carriage and Billy, waiting to take his mistresses to the station. "Cheer up, Darby," she

be very, very happy," he added, with a look of exultation in his e

an out of a tousle of sunny hair. "Goo

ling her ample figure comfortably into the little basket-chaise. "Don't dirty that nice

ittle travellers stepped bravely out at the front door, down the gravelled drive, through th

ty! By another route, along which Billy and the basket-carriage had vanished, was the station; but who ever heard of

of the surrounding pasture-lands. Many a time Darby and Joan had sat on the garden wall watching the dingy barge-boat come and go. They had listened curiously to the voices of the man and boy on board chatting to each other, or shouting to the pat

high, wide dome of the azure sky. The hilltops were bathed in a warm, soft glow; the placid waters of the canal sparkled, dimpled,

ey say, rise the walls of the Beautiful City. That radiance is assuredly reflected from its st

n to take them on board when he stopped to get his vessel through the lock; or, better still, they would slip in unnoticed when he was otherwise engaged. Without a thoug

hat Darby and Joan set o