Probable Sons

ge the next day, and came down to dessert in the evening

re and talked when Maxwell was out, and she told me such lovely stories, and I saw a beautiful picture of the probable son in the best parlor, and Mrs.

her curly head on one side, she surveyed her uncle for

ell you, only, you see, Mrs. Maxwell doesn't talk about it, and

trust me," Sir Ed

it's so wonderful. They have

is eyebrows. His li

e corner of her apron and wiped her eyes, and said she had a dear son who had run away f

t b

active little brain now started another trai

ith knitted brows; "only, of course, I don't remember," and havin

nd-and confusions, and didn't come to for four hours; but he would run away, though he laid the fire and put sticks on it and drew the water for Mrs. Maxwell before he went. And Mrs. Maxwell says he may be a soldier or a sailor now for all she knows, and he may be drownded dead, or run o

rful," was

s bringing me home through the wood he asked me what we had been talking about, and he said he knew it was about the boy because he could see it in Mrs. Maxwell's

d, then sai

see, nurse does for a mother, but fathers

follow that they are

arms round me and send me off to sleep; at least, I think He does. Nurse says God likes me to call Him my Father, but of course that isn't quite the same as having a father I can see. Maxwell is a very nice father, I think. I told him I would pray for Tommy every night when I go to

child," said Sir Edward irrita

and after some moments o

you must never take Fritz with you. He is not all

ld him he wasn't to go with me. You see, no one talks to him like I do. He likes me to tell him stories, and

ight for bed, she paused a mome

night, will you ask God to make Tommy come b

u to do that," w

able sons, won't you? Do, Uncle Edward. Mrs. Maxwell said the o

eaned his arms on the chimney piece, and resting his head on them, gazed silently into the fire with a knitted

t rid of this fit of the blues. I shall have to curb that

a little white-robed figure, with bent head and closed eyes, wa

re. Bring him home very soon, please, and will you bring back all your pr

usly and firmly rejected. He told them the child was happy with her nurse, he did not wish her to mix with other children at present, and a year or

Edward is peculiar, and when he gets a

of doors were curtailed, she would lie on the tiger-skin by the hall fire wit

ay up the staircase, with her little face pressed against the windowpanes,

Millicent," he said sternly; "

gets dark, nurse will have the lamp lit and the curtains drawn, and then there are only th

u see here?" as

Fritz move a little. Now, you look out with me. I can see such a lot

the world? I th

call those David and Jon'than; they're just kissing each other, like they did in the wood, you know. Do you remember? And there's my beech-tree over there, where I sit when I'm the probable son. It's too dark for you to see all the others. I have names for them all nearly, but I like to come and watch them, and then I see the

nursery now; you have

ntly; then catching hold of her uncle'

's Maxwell's probable son, you know. I should be so glad if I were to see him coming along one day with his head hanging down, and all ragged and torn. He is sure to c

o her uncle's face for sympathy. He patted her head, the nearest approac

dining out that night, and was just leaving the house, but stopped as he

down the stairs. Milly turned round, her little fac

e Edward. I thought I saw Him l

sed on, mutter

ves in the presence of G