A Little Mother to the Others

on her journey. The summons for her to go ca

t him clasp her in his arms and feel his strong wings round her, and then she was away, beyond the lovely house and the beautiful garden, and the children sleeping quietly in their beds, and the husband who was slumbering by h

everyone thought it dreadfully sad, except Iris, who knew better. It was Fortune who b

k ways. Fortune was very fond of the children after her fashion, which was, however, as a rule, somewhat severe and exacting. But to-day, in her bitter grief, she sank down on the nearest chair, and allowed them all to crowd round her, and cried bitterly, and

bbing and crying round F

aid at last, in a very q

d at the grave littl

said, "you are

ris. "Please, Fortune, where is fa

bly see you nor anyone else. He is quite stunned, master is

soft, sweet breeze fanned her pale cheeks, an indescribable longing came over her. No one was particularly noticing her. She crept softly out of the room, ran down some passages, and at last found herself once more mounting the turret stairs to the tower. A moment later she had enter

mes said I might be, and to be like the rainbow, full of hope. And I will try to help Apollo to be the most beautiful and the bravest boy in the world; and, mother, I will do my best to help Diana to be strong and bright and full of courage; and I will do what I can for Orion-he must be grand like a giant, so that he may live up to the wonderful name you have given him. Mother, it will be very har

le thin face grew paler and paler. Presently she

. They were scattered about the bright day nursery, l

r is never coming back," said Ori

e-he had great big black eyes like his father's. H

ark to-day, Orion," said Apollo. "Now, do you think I w

sort of jerk, and her small face turning crims

g into the garden, and I don't think there is any harm in Orion playing with his Noah's ark. Come, children; c

e. She trotted up to her sister, and gave her her hand as she

said, Iris-do you know what she said?-she said that in the middle of the night, just when it was black dark, you know, a whi

me, Apollo; mother would not like us to stay in the house just because she has gone aw

an into the night nursery to fetch their hats. They then ran downstairs without anyone specially noticing them, passed

d and Orion by the other,

y had reached the garden, "we mu

quite a cheerful voice; "and don't you remember,

help giving a

ne. "It must have quite a private funer

answere

ing with a bunch i

inside, and then take your spade and dig a hole in the cemetery. We can't have a publ

led close

there? I don't believe that story 'bout mother, and if it is

you like, darlin

the little chair which mother had seen father make, and rou

aid again; "I know

ad been full of the deepest gloom, brightened. A butterfly passed the entrance to the summer-

e stray cat, whose name

believe she has had anything to eat to-day. She mus

work, all of us. Apollo, will you take the birds? You may as well clean out their cages-they are sure to wa

left it forever, was quite bright; the sun shone as brilliantly as it did every other day; a great many fresh flowers had come out; there was a very

ungry," said D

fruit lunch just for to-day. Please, Apollo, go into the other garden and pick some of the ripest strawberries. There were a g

eirs with much gusto, and just as happily as if mother had not gone away; but as to Iris, notwithstanding her brave words and her determination not to think of herself, th

sister, and glanced from

e said suddenly. "I-" His lips trembled. "Iris," he said, gazing harder

, please, Apollo

ried and we kissed her, and she cried and she said she was sorry she had ever been unkind to us; but I

I have something else to do." And then she added, lowering her tones, "You

Glad that she is d

blue sky, and she will never have any more suffering, and she will always be as happy as happy can be, and sometime or

said Apollo; "but she can't come bac

that," said Iris, with a not

am frightened when I think of it. Mother was so lovely, and to think of their putting her into the ground in a box just like

f curling hair on his sister's knee, a

not dead, she has only gone away, and she wants us all to be good, so that we may join her some day. She called me after the rainbow, and after the messenger of the gods; and you, Apollo, after the bravest and the most beautiful boy that was suppos

d yet I am not hungry. I love strawberries as a rule, but I hate them to-day. If only father would come and talk to us it would not be quite so bad; but F

that moment, "we are not surel

oor of the summer-hou

put up her hand to her f

gone away it would be hard if we were to have lessons; and if what you say is true, Iris, and mother is happy, why, it d

oice, and ran to meet her. "You are not to give us any lessons to-day, Stevie," he said. "It is a holiday, a great, big

earted, although old-fashioned, governess. She bent down now and kisse

e children-" s

venson, don't pit

evenson

said, "you don't rea

swered Iri

miserable; I have got a pain in my throat, and I cannot eat my strawbe

if it was a birthday; ought we not, Miss Stevenson?" said Diana, puckerin

, what is to become of you

ears. The four children surrounded her. They none of them felt inclined to cry at that mome

?" he said. "Don't you thi

cents!" said M

not to blame for being only worms, and sometimes they get trodden on; and Iris thought we might call them innoce

on hastily d

aordinary little creatures," she

e sorry," said Diana "Iris says

at the children as i

sons, Stevie," said Orion;

our terrible-your terrible loss that fills my mind; that and your want

very grave and silen

sterday, and I know quite what to do. Mother asked me to be a mother to the others, so I have no time to cry, nor to think of myself at all. If yo

enson ros

if ever children loved their mother you four did. Oh! how stunned I fe