The Oriel Window

as really a half-holiday, and Miss Lilly usually went home immediately after luncheon on half-holidays, she said

dvice as to the best way of helping the little boy and his mother

before quite so beautiful since she had come to live in the neighbourhood, thought the young girl to herself, and she sighed a little a

ain. That is, in a way, the hardest part of it all-the not knowing. It

s time, and looking up along the sunny road,

to herself. "How curious, just when I'd be

Miss Lilly that his face grew a little red, though ba

you've got back again. How did

omething that sounded like "All right, thank you, miss," but added a

hat is to say, he doesn't suffer now,

ew concerned an

sked. "I thought he'd have been running about

ook her head

she added to herself. "The kind of accident that happened to Master Ferdy," she went o

s silence did not come from indifference. He had something in his hand, a stick of some kind, and

?" she said. "Are yo

grew distinct

from one of the old sq

bit o' nonsense as I thought'd make Master Ferdy laugh. I've

f his hand a small stick, the top of which he had chippe

being of use to this poor waif and stray of a boy had been put into her mind by Ferdy himself, Jesse should turn up again, and in the new character of a possible art! For though not an artist of any kind herself, she

lence that followed it. He thought she was shocked, and he grew st

self some time; he's partial to pigs, is Master Ferdy, though no

must not say anything to put it into Jesse's scatter-brained head that he was a genius, and might make his fortune by wood-carving. Of all things, as she knew by what she had heard of him, it was important that he should learn to stick to his w

e," she said, "but I think it is go

and snout-of the whole, indeed-was excellent. You

d face gre

And there's a lot more to do to the jowl. I'm going to have a good look at old Jerry-that's the oldest porker at the f

farm-at Mr. Meare's?" said M

thy at Bollins just now," and certainly, to judge by the leisurely way in which he had been sauntering along whe

pity," sai

take me on reg'lar aft

living, then?" in

'd just as lief stop away. Cousin Tom and I don't hit it off, and it's worser when he's sober. Lo

lly shu

do in the eveni

ked uncom

a bit," he s

good way of spend

g to whistle, but a sudden remembrance of th

do else, mi

ll him about it," as she detected a slight look of disappointment on Jesse's face, "oh no, it must be a surprise. But if you call at the Watch House the first ti

's face

indly," he said. "I'll see if

ted with a friendly

he had made, and eager to tell her grandfather about it. And she was all the more pleased to see him standing a

he said, "late, that is

an hour or so with poor Ferdy, as Mrs.

as coming to meet you, Eva; it was to tell you of an invitation I have from my old friend, Mr. Linham, to spend two or three weeks with him t

alone in the least. I daresay Mrs. Ross would be glad to have me more wi

y, and the curious coincidence of meeting Jesse Piggot, an

sing the old porker's head too much, and he quite agreed with her that it would be well

lness. Now he is getting on well, though he is not a genius. But he would be able to help with the technical part of the work-the right wood to use, the proper tools, and so on. If

ne. And if he gets on well with his carving, grandfather,-and I do believe he will; you know I have always thought there was

ghts off himself and to convince his too anxious mother that feeling himself able to be of use to others would be by far the surest way of s

ham, accepting his invitation to Cornwall, and one to Mr. Ross, asking him to stop a moment

leased with anything you think would be go

people, his opinion was most highly thought of, and by no one more than b

ell asleep and had a good long nap, only awaking when the carriage bringin

tors would not yet allow him to be carried out of doors. But here again the oriel window proved of the greatest use: it could always be open at one side or the other, according to the time of day, so that it wa

the room, her arms filled with parc

ctures-outlines-that will be quite easy to copy on a slate, and the man at the shop s

"Do let me see, Chrissie! And what

kes for tea-that nice kind, you know-the fancy curly

xpressed great

se cakes are meant to be eaten while they're qui

when you're sitting up, or at the back of your neck, or into any little odd corner where the big ones don't fit in. You know you'

ine had been undoing her parcels, Mrs. Ro

id Ferdy, "everything's beautiful.

ear Draymoor, you know. Dear me, even on a fine summer's day that place looks grim an

s way-sometimes they're very, very busy, and sometimes there's not enough to do, and t

aid his mother; "but here comes tea, Ferdy. I am sure we shall all be

, at least, would have believed it possible they could be, had she, three m

with papa. And now I understand about it so much better. Miss Lilly says it isn't that the people are very poor-they earn a lot of money when they are at work, but then they spend it all instead of spreading

? Ferdy was so sensitive already, and his illness seemed to have made him even more "old-fashioned." To hear him talk as he was doing just now, one could easily have beli

sent no one seems to take any special charge of it. If your father was less bus

the boys it would be such a good thing," said Ferd

he German cakes, and his mother's spirits rose higher as she saw him e

late. He drew two or three animals without any model, and was delighted to find that Chrissie re

orrow, Chrissie. I'll study one animal's head, or perhaps a bird. If those old swallows would but settle for a bit on the window-sill, or even on one of

tantly. "But I must go now, Ferdy dear; Flowers ha

e sweet sum

eady be in bed and asleep. Now and then a late labourer came slowly along with lagging steps, or one of the village dogs, in search of a stray cat perhaps, pricked up his ears when Ferdy tapped on the window-pane. But gradually all grew very still, even the birds ceasing to twitter an

t jumped as

ollowed by Thomas to carry him up to bed. "Flowers-Thomas, do look! Isn'

," said Flowers, who did not feel any

good-natured. He pee

e even if he has come back. Such a lad for mischief never was," for Thomas had had some exper

ll be glad to see him again. Be sure you fi