The Oriel Window

other hand I suppose that few winds are so good that they bring nobody any harm, so possibly in some parts of the country people may have suffered that year for want

and blossoms were as fresh in July as in May; never had the birds been quite so busy and merry; and as for the butterflies, there was no counting their number or variety. Some new kinds must have come this year from butterflyland, Ferdy said to Christine one afternoon when he was lying ou

ws were considering whether it was worth while to go away over the sea again next autumn. He had heard th

ooks as if it were going to last for always," he said

, but shoo

than ever before." For she understood the little boy so well, that she knew it did him no harm to join him in his harmless fancies sometimes. "But th

d hear the grass growing. I always like to think

ll, any way we needn't think about Jack Frost or cold or winter just yet, and a d

t their dear little man, to have this lovely weather for him. It had made it possible for him to enjoy much t

gave leave at last for Ferdy to be carried out of doors and to spend some hours on the lawn, provided they waited till a special kind of couch, or "garden-bed" in Ferdy's words, was ordered and

ching their quaint doings, their flyings out and in, their "conversations," and now and then even a tiny-bird quarrel among the youngsters, came to be a favourite amusement at the times, whi

all about it, with the young man he had thought of, before he went away. His going away had turned into a much longer absenc

Brock could only come in the evening, and but for Miss Lilly's presence there might have been difficulties in the way, M

er his work, or tiring himself, and then too, though she had not actual artist talent herself, she had a very quick and correct eye. She understood Mr. Brock's directions sometim

illy's stay at the Watch House. I feel sure, dea

e Pi

poor

dy's lessons. Mrs. Ross had grown nervous since that sad birth

ld in some way or other harm little Ferdy. Flowers did not like Jesse. Indeed, a good many people besides the Watc

heevious,' and impudent," and besides all these opinions of him, which Flowers repeated to Ferdy's mother, there was always "some illness about at

remind her from time to time of what "grandfather had said." And Jesse's luck seemed to have turned. To begin with, he was now regularly employed at the farm, and a week or two after Mrs. Ross had consented to his sharing Ferdy's lessons, the Draymoor difficulty

nd there might have been some excuse for him if he had said he felt too tired "

e the most time. The busier he was in the day, the more eager he seemed that nothing should keep him from making his a

d by Ferdy and his governess, and Chri

Lilly had found it necessar

ingers rather doubtfully, she opened the door again and called to good-natured Thomas,

urly black hair cropped and his boots brushed, so that it was quite a tidy-looking Jesse who sat

m from the first. Old Jerry's head had shown him almost at once that the boy

a farm-labourer much longer. His touch is improving every day, and he will soon be able to group things better than I can do myself-much better than I could do at his age," with a little sigh,

rse, she said any change in the boy's life was a serious matter, and must wa

to come, and till it was more certain that he could make his livelihood in a different way; for what Dr. Lilly cared most about wa

and she saw by the bright look in Ferdy's face that he understoo

al talent such as I feel sure this Piggot lad has. The run of those rough folk have no idea beyond loafing about in their idle hours; and, af

hesi

e of that?" she

Jesse now, there was no encouragemen

resay it will come to his choosing a line of his own altogether. But even for those who hav

He can't carve a bit-not prettily, I mean-but he cuts out letters rather nicely

mean, dear," s

ated Ferdy, gett

t, his whole life is 'a thing of beauty.' Look at the rooms he lives in, the gardens, the ladies he sees. And as for those Draymoor folk, they'd rath

aint old saying before, and as it was ti

rdy had their own thoughts

l of sweet and pretty fancies, but these, of course, for such a mere child as he was, and espec

iness kept him from

Lilly and Christine, "but I don't mind. P'r'aps wh

governess. "I think it is wonderful to see all you can do already. Those a

e the poor little children. But oh, Miss Lilly dear, if I could make you see the beautiful things I thi

use the little fairy had to build, do y

eautiful flowers and leaves, like the real window in summer, only far, far prettier. And there are birds' nests, with them almost

he wonderful carvings there are in Italy and Germany, and indeed in England too. Not only wood-car

she felt that she had done so, for Ferdy opened his big blue

anything like that-travelling, I mean, or things well peopl

his sister to see that his quaint words made her feel very

hristine at the comical expression of a pigling which he had mounted on the back of a rather ecce

sant and very unexp

l room by good-natured Thomas. It was from Jesse to ask if he might come up, though he knew

Miss Lilly?" asked

o be quite polite and respectful, and never, as he would have called it himself, "to take fre

had already made a great change in him. The old half-defiant, half-good-natured, reckless look had left him; he

ddier than usual; but he did not forget to stop an instant at the

have you got there?" as he caught sight of some odd-shaped package

has done them. They're nothing much, I know, but still I'm a bit prou

ueer-looking parcels, Miss Lilly, at a glance from Ferdy, coming forward t

imed, "I wish

is little cry of complaint, so intereste

el with "This is a-," whatever animal it was meant to be, written upon it; there were round plates with scalloped edges, some with a very simple wreath of leaves; boxes with neat little stiff designs on the lids-in fact, the funniest

esse than any words, for as his quick eyes glanced from one to another of

Lilly, Chrissie, isn't it wonderful? Do you hear what Jesse says? It's his pu

y, you're quite right-it's wond

a field by the smithy ... an

es. And we talked a bit, and he axed how it was I never come their way, and I said how busy I was, and he might see for hisself. So he comed, and he's got on one of the fastest-with plain work like," and Jesse picked out one or two neat little boxes and plates, with stiff unfanciful patterns, carefully done. "He's lots of time just now, you see, and he's got a good eye for measuring. And then he brought one or two more, but I was afraid master wouldn't be best pl

ill be nearly as pleased as we are-he can't be quite. I do

," as Ferdy had s

eeky young rascal" out of one scrape into another, to have started

in," Eva went on. "He will help you, Jes

, but they're that quick at drawin' things to do, or fancy-like patterns that couldn't be done in wood, but'd make beautiful soft things-couldn't they be taught better? And

h with the rush of ideas that

hy it would not be possible to get teaching in it. And then there's basket work, that is another thing that can be quite

e right-down pretty," said Jesse. "And

ame much quicker than his pow

y things to copy," he sai

d," said

as he caught sight of the table covered with Jesse's exhibition. And then it had all to be explaine

y separate any work that gives signs of taste or tal

that Mr. Brock would not feel quite as h

iscourage any, Mr. Brock. Taste may grow, if not talent; and if there are only one or two boys with skill enough

t the young lady rather fanciful, but still h

consult him about-" he glanced in Jesse's direction meaningly, without the boy's noticing it. For Jesse and Ferdy were eagerly picking o