A Little Mother to the Others

to the children's mother. Then again he buried his face in his big hands, and his strong frame shook. After a moment's pause he took up a photograph which stood near, and looked earnes

did bully me-now that she has come and wants to take matters into her own hands, oh, Evangeline! what is to be done? The fact is, I am not fit to manage this great house, nor the

udy; clenching his hands at times, at t

ner will be served in half an hour,

ster, has arrived, and will dine

through the open window, looked across the lawns

d, there is something in her suggestion. But to deliver over those four children to her, and to take them away from the garden, and the house, and the me

bout the hands and face, came trotting up to Mr. Delaney. It was Diana. She was sobbing as

ifted her into his arms. "Why, little woman, what can be

r father a small piebald mouse, quite dead, and with a shriveled appearance. "He is as dead as he can be," repeated D

inster to-morrow and buy anot

m with grave, won

; then she buried her little, fat face

her, in a fit of despair. "Come along, little one," he said. "What can't be cure

ile; but the thought of the mo

rst?" she said. "I want to put

e, Diana? What

until Iris has settled whether they are to have a pwivate or a public funeral. Iris does not know yet about Rub-a-Dub. He was q

," said the man, his must

handkerchief, in the center of whi

d Rub-a-Dub so much; I love him still. I do hope Iris

e dinner which would be ready in a few minutes; "I'll come right along with you to the dea

and two or three beetles, and a poor crushed spider. And oh! I forgot the toad that we found this morning. It was awful hurt and Apollo had to kill it; he had to stamp on it and kill it; and

re this cannot be at all wholesome work," said the f

me or the reverse. The dead creatures had to be properly treated, and had to be burie

I should not be s'prised if Iris did

fference, Di? Tell

eral the poor dead 'un is just sewn up in dock

ens, child! do you keep

ork is give to him,-carving the names on the stones and killing the half-dead 'uns,-but course he has to do it 'cos Iris says so. Course we all obey Iris. When it is a pwiv

" said Mr. Delaney

way. Iris does not think it quite right to steal, but the rest of us don't mind. And we have banners, and Orion plays the Jew's harp, and I beat the drum, and Iris sings, and Apollo digs the grave, and the dead 'un is put into the ground, and we all cry, or pretend to cry. Sometimes I do squee

urse," said Mr. Delaney. "But now we must

er?" ask

lady indeed

's an

ou ought to lo

ht in if you like, father, and see the dead 'uns; they are all lying on this shelf. Most of them is to be buried pwivate, 'c

ldren called the dead-house. He gazed solemnly at the shelf

ome along back with me to the house at onc

t of its dead brethren, shut the door of the dead

aid, after a pause. "It's going to b

" said Mr

t Orion can't sleep well, 'cos he i

child, no! He

ed him a star. I'll show you him up in the sky if i

in, for I have to get ready for dinner. Kiss

er," said Diana. "I

y into the house. When she got close to it, a great sob came up from her little chest. She thought again of

rushed up the front stairs, and was turning down the passage which led to th

girl, I wonder?" said a h

who could be very rude when she liked. She did not wish to be interrupt

to speak to grown-up people. I expect, too, you are one of m

aunt?" asked

olman. "I am your aunt, my

n't clutch hold of my ha

for a moment, as I want to talk to you. Do you know, you rude little girl, that I have come a long way to see

aid Diana, her whole face changing, and

his untimely end, why, then, Diana felt there was a possibility of her squeezing a little corne

r poor, dear mother's death must be a terrible sorrow to

y 'bout mother, 'cos mother is not suffering any more pain, you know. I am very glad 'bout mother. I am going

zed after her with a petrified expr

ising generation. We have had our Elizabeths and our Anns, and our Lucys and our Marys, and, of course, there is Jane, my name. All these are what I call good old respectable Delaney names; but Diana and Iris make me sick. And I believe, if report tells true, that there are some still mor

gs disappeared. The eager but gentle flow of voices directed her ste

n at the open windows; some children were collected in a corner of the room. Diana had gone on her knees beside a girl a little older and slighter than herse

r, her other arm was thrown round a handsome little boy, not unlike

ntly, Diana," said Iris. "N

id Orion; "it's all about me,

ng of Chios did not want

muttered Mrs. Dol

of the children had yet seen the stout personage on the threshold of the ro

" thought M

ur misery, you heard the sound of a blacksmith's forge. Guided by the noise, you reached the place and begged the blacksmith to climb on your shoulders, and so lend you his eyes to guide you.

th was coming quickly, "yes;

ten to another word of that folly,"

ldren turne

come botherin

ted to their feet, and a flu