A Peep Behind the Scenes

an door. She crept out of bed, and, putting her dress ov

,' she said; 'I'll

ack, and Toby put his mo

me for the horses; we've been up all night packing; three of the waggons is lo

going, Toby?'

e before, master says, and it will take us nearly a week to get

d, Toby?' said t

houlders, and said,

this concern is ever a

ne before they could start; the crockery had all to be taken from the shelf and stowed away in a safe place, lest the jolting over the rough and uneven field should thr

y strewn with dirty pieces of paper, broken boxes, and old rags, which had been left behind by the show-people; besides a quantity of orange-peel and cocoa-nut and oyster shells, which had been thrown into the mud the night before. Very dirty and untidy and forlorn it looked, as Rosalie gazed at it from the door of the caravan. Then a waggon jolted past, laden with the largest of the numerous whirligigs, the wooden horses and elephants peeping out from the waterproof covering which had been thrown over them. Then a large swing

alcade set forth. The jolting over the rough ground was very great, and much tried the poor sick woman, who was shaken from side to side of her wretched bed. Then outsid

front of the neighbouring houses; and they would undoubtedly have broken the branches to atoms had not their keeper driven them off

ng against the stoppage for some time, he went up to the manager of the wild-beast show, and addressed him in su

hants and camels, and followed by a large crowd of children, who accompanied them to the outskirts of the town. Here,

lose, stagnant air of the fair. She opened the upper part of the door, and stood looking out, watching Toby, who was driving, a

village school, and they gathered round the caravans with open eyes and mouths, staring curiously at the smoke coming from the small chimneys, and at Rosalie, who was peeping out from between

ee to tree, and the bees gathering honey from the flowers in the gardens. Her mother was better to-day, an

r Rosalie and her mother. The child ate of it eagerly-the fresh air had given her an appetite-but the poor woman could not touch it. As soon as she was dressed, she crept,

ar, and lavender. As the wind blew softly over them, it wafted their sweet fragrance to the sick woman sitting on the caravan steps. The quiet stillness of the country was very refreshing and soothing

hed her child at play with a mother's love and tenderness. She was knitting a little red sock for one of those tiny feet to wear. Click! click! click! went her knitting-needles; but she kept her eyes on the child, ready to run to him at the first alarm, to pick him up if he should fall, or to soothe him if he should

f her song

Thy face a

ll I tur

e Thy voice

come

e when life

est Friend

shine of t

come

Me-oh, do

d My blood

ing to re

come t

ome withou

arms at o

re I hear

come

ild began to cry, and the careful mother flew to his side to discover what had pained him. It was only the loss of his ball, which he had thrown too high, and whic

the child's fears, and ran immedia

hilly road. She brought it to the young mother, who thanked her for her kindness, and then gazed lovingly and pityingly into her face. She was a mother, and she thought of the happy life her child led, compared with that of this poor little wanderer. Wit

mammie have it? I've had some bread and cheese; but she

ted countrywoman; 'give her that, chi

he caravan; with the young woman standing by, and talking to them as they ate, and now and the

you sing,' said

o hear me, and he almost knows that hymn now. Often when he is at play I hear him singi

new it,' sa

I'll give you a card with it on; our clergyma

ct type. There were two holes pierced through the top of the card, and a piece of blue ribbon had been

has done so many nice things for us. Mrs. Leslie reads aloud in one of the cottages once a week; and we all take

s face. She had turned deadly pale, and was leanin

n. 'I'm afraid you've turned faint; and how you do tremble! L

aid her on her bed. But she was obliged to leave her in a minute or two, as

in front of the wild-beast show, which was just passing through. The young woman took her little boy in her arms, and hel

orse was soon put in the caravan, and they were just starting, when the young woman gathered a nosegay of the lovely flowers in her garden, and handed them to Rosali

e door with her child in her arms, whilst Rosalie lea

r, and came into the mai

rch, Rosalie?' asked

d Rosalie; 'it's just a

hurch, with tre

ouses near it?'

a garden; but I can't see it very well,

Rosalie, and run and have

aised herself on her elbow to see as much as she could through the open window. But she could onl

should find fault with him for stopping; but Rosalie often got down from the caravan, to gather wild flower

ked her mother, when she was se

d gravel walk all up to the door. And in the garden there was a lady; such a pretty

see you,

saw her before." And then her mamma looked up and smiled at me; and she was just coming to speak to me when I turned fr

er child's account with

n her pillow and si

behind them, and Toby announced, '

that house, or that I told you to go and look at it, or about what that young

' asked Rosalie, with

,' said her mother fretf

ammie dear,'

other gently, a minute or two afterwards; 'not

yes closed. What was she thinking of? What was it she had to tell her? For some time Rosalie sat quite still, musing on what her

sweet-briar and cabbage-roses and southernwood filled the caravan with their fragrance. Then Rosalie took

olitary cottages. When night came, they drew up on the outskirts of a small ma