The Going-Away of the Girl Who Has No Seeing

FROM THE JOURNAL OF OPAL WHITELEY

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ of this Chapter of the Journal

BRAVE HORATIUS, the shepherd dog.

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, a cow.

MATHILDE PLANTAGENET, a pet calf.

LARS PORSENA OF CLUSIUM, a crow.

THOMAS CHATTERTON JUPITER ZEUS, a most dear wood-rat.

LUCIAN HORACE OVID VIRGIL, a toad.

APHRODITE, the mother-pig.

SOLOMON GRUNDY, a pet pig.

ANTHONYA MUNDY, his sister.

CLEMENTINE, the Plymouth Rock hen.

ANDROMEDA, her sister hen.

NAPOLEON, the Rhode Island Red Rooster.

MENANDER EURIPIDES THEOCRITUS THUCYDIDES, a pet lamb.

Louis II, LE GRAND CONDÉ FELIX MENDELSSOHN NANNERL MOZART } wood-mice

WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY, a little bird.

Seven Years Old

Now is the fourth day come. And we are going goes to the house of the girl who has no seeing. All the morning hours there was works to do to help the mamma. Afternoon is now come, and we go.

We did. First I did make begins to get us all together. Brave Horatius was waiting by the back steps. Lars Porsena of Clusium was near unto him. Lucian Horace Ovid Virgil was under the front doorstep. Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus was back of the house in his home of sticks that he does have likes for. I did help Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus to build that home. I had sees in the woods of how other wood-rats do have their houses builded of sticks and some sticks and some more sticks. To-day, when I did squeak calls for Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus to come out of his house, he did come out, and he did crawl upon my shoulder and cuddle his nose up close to my curls.

We made a start. We went by the nursery to get Nannerl Mozart. We went on. Menander Euripides Theocritus Thucydides was playing close by the pasture-bars. He is a very jumpy lamb. He did jump a long jump to meet, us to-day, and his tail did wiggle more wiggles. We went adown the lane. We made a stop to get Solomon Grundy and his little sister Anthonya Mundy that has not got as much curl in her tail as Solomon Grundy. We went out along the road. They was a sweet picture. I made a stop to look at them all — some running ahead and some behind. They all did wear their pink ribbons that the fairies did bring. Solomon Grundy and Anthonya Mundy and Menander Euripides Theocritus Thucydides all did wear divides of the ribbon that was the ribbon that dear William Shakespeare used to wear. And they all did have joy feels as they had knows they was going on a visit to visit the girl that has no seeing. She has love for them. And we did go in a hurry on. I did feel a big amount of satisfaction that I have such a nice family.

Lars Porsena of Clusium did ride most of the way on the back of Brave Horatius. His appears are not what they was before he did lose his tailfeathers. I am praying prayers every day for him to get a new tail soon. When we were all come near to the house of the girl that has no seeing, we did walk right up to the door, and I stepped three steps back and three hops over and three steps up to the door, so she would have knows we was come. We had knows only she would be there because this day is the going-to-town day of her people. I stepped more steps. Brave Horatius barked more barks for her coming. And Solomon Grundy squealed his most nice babypig squeal. We did listen listens. She had not coming to the door. I sat on the steps to wait waits. I so did for some time long. While we did have waits I did sing to Brave Horatius and Solomon Grundy and all of them songs of Nonette and Iraouaddy and more songs Angel Father did teach me to sing. All my pets do have likes for those songs. To-day Brave Horatius did bark a bark when I was done and Solomon Grundy did squeal his babypig squeal again. I had wonders why she did not come.

After by-and-by I did go sit on the gate-post to wait waits. It was a long time. A man on a horse went by. Another man went by. He had asks what for was I sitting on the gate-post. I did tell him I was waiting waits for the coming of the girl that has no seeing. He did look away off to the hills. Then he started to say something but he swallowed it. He looked off to the hills again. Then he did say, ‘Child, she won’t come back. She is gone to the graveyard.’ I did smile a sorry smile upon him, because I had knows he did n’t know what he was talking about when he did say she won’t come back. It is not often she goes anywhere, and when she does, she always does come back. I told him I knew she would come back. I waited some more waits. Then it was time for my pets to be going back, because it would not do for the chore boy not to find Solomon Grundy and Anthonya Mundy in the pig-pen. I will go goes again to-morrow to see the girl that has no seeing, for I have knows she will come again home to-night in starlight-time.

When Solomon Grundy and Anthonya Mundy did have their pink ribbons off and was again in the pigpen, the rest of us did have going to the cathedral for songs and prayers. I did pray that the girl that has no seeing may not stub her toe and fall when she comes home to-night by starlight-time. And Brave Horatius did bark Amen.

Early on this morning I went again to the house of the girl who has no seeing. There were little singings everywhere — sky and hills and the willows were whispering little whispers by Nonette. I went in a quick way down along the lane and in along the fields until I was come near unto her house. I cuddled Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus more close in my arms, and I tiptoed on the grass. Menander Euripides Theocritus Thucydides did make little jumps beside me. And Brave Horatius come a-following after. I made a stop by the window that I always do make stops by, and I rapped six raps on the window-pane. Six raps means, ‘ Come on out — we are come.’ I had no hears of her steps a-coming like they always do. I put my hands above my eyes so I could see inside the window. She was not there. Nobody was. I did tap six more raps. She did not come.

I went on around by the lilac bush. I crawled in under it to wait waits for her coming. Two men were talking by the fence. One did say, ‘ It is better so.’ I had wonders what did he mean. The other man did say, ‘A pit tea it was she could n’t have had a little sight to see that brush fire ahead.’ And I had hears of the other one say, ‘Prob able lea the smell of the smoke caused her worry about the fire coming to the house, and prob able lea she was trying to find out where it was when she walked right into it.’ And the other man did have asks if she was con chus after. And the other one did say, ‘Yes.’

I listened more listens to their queer talk. I had wonders what did it all mean. Another man did come in the gate. He came to where they was. He put his hand on a fence-post. There was a green caterpillar close by him on a bush, but he had not seeing of it. He did begin to talk. First thing he said was, ‘ When Jim went by here last even, that child was sitting on the gate-post. She was waiting for her to come back.’ He said more — he said, ‘Jim told her she was gone to the graveyard, but she said she knew she would come back.’

Why, that was what I told that man. It all did sound queer. I heard them say some more. Then I had understanding. I had knows then it was the girl that has no seeing they was having talks about, because I was waiting waits for her on yesterday when the man did tell me that. I felt queerness in my throat and I could n’t see, either. I could n’t see the green caterpillar on the leaf by the man that said it. And Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus had looks like a gray cloud in my arms. More the men said. They talked it all over again. They said she smelled the smoke of the brush fire, and not having sees of it, she did walk right into it and all her clothes did have fire — and then she ran — and her running did make the fire to burn her more — and she stubbed her toe and fell. She fell in a place where there was mud and water. She was rolling in it when they found her. And all the fire-pains that was did make her moan moans until hours after, when she died. They said she died. And I could not see Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus or Brave Horatius or anything then.

When after while I did come again in the way that goes to the house we live in, I did have sees of the little fleurs along the way that she so did love. I have thinks they were having longings for her presence. And I so was, too. But I do have thinks her soul will come again to the woods. And she will have sees of the blooming of the fleurs in the field she has loves for. I go now to write a message on a leaf for her like I do to Angel Father and Angel Mother. I will put one by the ferns and I will tie one to a branch of the singing fir tree. And I will pray that the angels may find them when they come a-walking in the woods. Then they will carry them up to her in heaven there.

In the morning of to-day, being as I could not get the fence down about the pig-pen so Aphrodite could get out to go to service in the cathedral, I did have decides to have cathedral service in the pig-pen.

I brought large pieces of moss and lovely ferns. I got a wood-box so Brave Horatius could get in. After he was in the pig-pen I did use the box for an altar. I lay moss upon it and ferns about it. While I was fixing it, Lars Porsena did perch on my shoulder and he stayed there for service. Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus nestled by my side. Solomon Grundy and Anthonya Mundy, who has n’t as much curl in her tail as Solomon Grundy, these lay by their mother Aphrodite and me and all the other little pigs. I sat on a board and Clementine did perch on the edge of the feeding trough. In its middle was her sister hen Andromeda. Felix Mendelssohn did snuggle up in my right apron pocket. And in the left apron pocket was that lovely toad, Lucian Horace Ovid Virgil.

After some long time, when we all did get settled down to quietness, I did start service. It took a long time to get quietness because the dear folks were n’t use to having cathedral service in the pig-pen. After the third hymn I did preach the morning sermon. I did choose for my text: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills.’ I had to peek through the pig-pen fence to do it, for it did have more tallness than I did have. I lifted most all the congregation up to have a peek. I did lift them one at a time. And so they saw and lifted up their eyes unto the hills, but most of them did n’t. They looked in different. wavs. Some saw God’s goodness in the grass, and some did see it in the trees, and Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus did not have seeing for more than for the piece of cheese I did have hid in my sleeve for him. He gave his cheese squeak. I gave him a nibble. Then we had prayers.

Very early in the morning of to-day I did get out of my bed, and I did get dressed in a quick way. Then I climbed out the window of the house we live in. The sun was up and the birds were singing. I went my way. I did have hearing of many voices. They were the voices of earth glad for the spring. They did say what they had to say in the growing grass and in the leaves just growing out from tips of branches. The birds did have knowing, and sang what the grasses and leaves did say of the gladness of living. I, too, did feel glad feels from my toes to my curls.

I went down by the swamp — I went there to get reeds. There I saw a black bird with red upon his wings. He was going in among the rushes. I made a stop to watch him. I have thinks tomorrow I must be going in among the rushes where he did go. I shall pull off my shoes and stockings first, for mud is there and there is water. I like to go in among the rushes, where the black birds with red upon their wings do go. I like to touch finger-tips with the rushes. I like to listen to the voices that whisper in the swamp, and I do so like to feel the mud ooze up between my toes. Mud has so much of interest in it — slippery feels, and sometimes little seeds that some day will grow into plant-folk if they do get the right chance. And some were so growing this morning. And more were making begins. I did have seeing of them while I was looking looks about for reeds.

With the reeds I did find there I did go a-piping. I went adown the creek and out across the field and in along the lane. Every stump I did come to I did climb upon. By-and-by I was come near unto the house we live in. I thought, it wouId be nice to go adown the path and pipe a forest song to the mamma of the gladness of the spring. When the mamma met me piping in the path, she did turn me about to the way that does lead to the house we live in. She so did with switches. She made me to stop piping the song of the forest, but it did n’t go out of my heart.

When we was come into the house, the mamma did tell me works to do, and then she went with the little girl and the baby and some lace she was making for a skirt for the baby, all to the house of Elsie. I did make begins on the works. I like to be helps to the mamma. I like to sing while I have works to do. It does so help. After I did scrub the steps and empty the ashes and fill the wood-box and give the baby’s clothes some washes, — all as the mamma did say for me to do, — then I made prepares to take Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus to visit Dear Love. She has kind thoughts of him, and it is four whole days since she has seen him. First I brought out his nice pink ribbon that the fairies did bring to him. I hung it on a branch of willow. Then I did sit down. I had only a half a Castoria bottle full of warm water, so I did have needs to be careful in the use of it. First I did wash his beautiful white paws. I dried them on my apron as I did forget to bring his little towel. Dear Love made that little towel for him. It is like her big bath-towel. And she marked his initials on it with red ink, like big Judd has a bottle of at school. She put a dot after each letter. It is T. C. J. Z. on his bath-towel. When I do have thinks about that nice little bath-towel of his, I do give his paws a wash, and if I have not the towel with me, I do dry them with my apron. So I did to-day, and we did go our way to the little house of Dear Love, by the mill by the far woods. In our going we went among the great trees, along little paths between tall ferns, and we went over logs.

When we were come near unto the house of Dear Love, she did come to meet us. She gave me two kisses, one on each cheek, and one on the nose. She so does every time now since that day when she did give me one on each cheek and I did tell her Sadie McKinzie does give me one on the nose, too. She was so glad to see Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. We had a very nice visit. We did sit on an old log under a big tree, and there was some vines growing by that log, and we did have talks. I did tell her how I was praying on every day for her baby to come real soon. And we did see a chipmunk that has some nice stripes on its back, and I told her I was putting it into my prayer for the angels to bring a baby brush with blue fleurs on it, and a cradle-quilt with a blue bow on it, when they do bring her baby, because I did have thinks a blue fleur on its baby brush and a blue bow on its cradle-quilt would look nicer with its red hair than pink ones would look. And she had thinks like my thinks, and we saw a caterpillar. Some caterpillars grow into butterflies. All caterpillars do not. Some grow into moths.

When I was coming my way home, through the far woods from the house of Dear Love, I saw more chipmunks and I saw her husband. He was fixing a log. His hat — it was not on him. It was on a stump a little way away. He was most busy. His sleeves were up in a roll unto his arms’ middle. He made bends over as he did work at that log. A little fern by his foot had its growing up to the fringes on the legs of his overalls. The sun did come in between the grand trees, and it did shine upon his head. I so do like to see the sun shine upon the hair of the husband of Dear Love. I kept most still as I did go along, and I did look looks back. The sunbeams yet did shine upon his head.

When I did come more near unto the house we do live in, I did see a squirrel in a chêne tree. He was a lovely gray squirrel. I came more near unto the tree. I looked more looks at that gray squirrel sitting out on a limb. His tail was very bushy. It has many, many hairs on it. I did look at; his tail, and I did look at the tail of my beautiful Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. The hairs he does have on his tail, they are not so many as are the hairs on the tail of that big gray squirrel. When I did look looks from his tail to the tail of my dear Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus, I did have some wishes that there was as many hairs on his tail as are on the tail of that gray squirrel.

While I so did think, Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus did nestle more close in my arms, and I was glad for him as he is. He is so lovely and his ways are ways of gentleness. We went on along the dim trail. There by the dim trail grow the honeysuckles. I nod to them as I go that way. In the daytime I hear them talk with sunbeams and the wind. They talk in shadows with the little people of the sun. And this I have learned — grown-ups do not know the language of shadows. Angel Mother and Angel Father did know, and they taught me. I wish they were here now — here to listen with me. I do so want them. Sometimes they do seem near. I have thinks sometimes kind God just opens the gates of heaven and lets them come out to be guardian angels for a little while. I wonder if honeysuckles grow about the gates of heaven. I’ve heard they are made of precious jewels. I have thinks there will be flowers growing all about. Probably God brought the seed from heaven when he did plant the flowers here on earth. Too, I do think when angels bring babies from heaven to folks that live here below, they do also bring seeds of flowers and do scatter them about. I have thinks that they do this so the babies may hear the voices of the loving flowers and grow in the way of God.

To-day I did n’t get to finish the exploration trip over the river because, just as I was starting around the housecorner after I did do my morning work early, the mamma grabbed me. She did tie me to the wood-shed corner with a piece of clothes-line. So we could n’t play together, she did tie to another corner that very wise crow Lars Porsena of Clusium. To the corner beyond the next corner, to the corner that was the most long ways off, she did tie him. But we played peek-a-boo around the middle corner. I’d lean just as far over as I could, with the rope a-pulling back my arms. Real quick, I’d stretch my neck and peek and nod to Lars Porsena of Clusium. Then he of Clusium would flutter and say, ‘How-do-you-do,’ in squeaky crow-tones.

The day was growing warm. When it grew awful hot, my arms did have feelings too sore to lean over any more. I sat down by the wood-shed wall and I did watch the passers-by. First went along Clementine, the Plymouth Rock hen. Then along stepped Napoleon, the Rhode Island red rooster. By-and-by I did hear Solomon Grundy squeaking in the pig-pen. Then a butterfly did rest on the handle of the pump where I did have longings to be. The wee mother hummingbird never left her nest on the lower oak limb. I could see her bill. I did have hopes Brave Horatius would come marching by. I called and I did hear his whine afar off. Then I knew he was tied up, too.

Another Plymouth Rock hen came walking by. Over in the shade by the old root was a canard. He did have a sleepy look. And I did have a sleepy feel. I looked a short look at the sky. A merle was flying over. I looked looks afar off, then I did look near. The old black cat sat on the doorstep. He had a saucer of milk, and then he did wash his face. I would have been glad if he did come over to see me. But I have n’t made up with him since he did catch the baby robin.

I forgot the cat when a snake did crawl around the stump — one with stripes on it. I did have thinks it might at least have come nearer that I might count, the stripes on its back. But it did go under the house. A grasshopper came hopping along. I stuck out my foot and he did hop over it. Through the slats of the chicken-coop I could see the mother hen with her young ducklings. I did have longings to cuddle them in my apron, and I did want to take them down to the brook. I was having very sad feels.

The sun got hotter and hotter. And pretty soon I did have queer feels in the head and the middle. Then my nose did begin to bleed. I felt all choked up and sticky. And every time I gave my head a shake to get a good breath, my curls did get mixed up with the nosebleed. Pretty soon the mamma passing by did see my apron with blood upon it and she untied me. After she did souse me in the tub under the pump, I felt better. My arms did tingle where the rope was tied.

After that I went to bed, and near supper-time the mamma did call me to wash the stockings of the baby and the stockings of the other little girl. I had needs to climb upon a stump to hang the stockings out to dry. Then I set the table. While I was carrying in the wood, I did crawl under the house to find the snake with the stripes on his back; but he was n’t there, so I don’t know how many stripes he did have on his back. When the wood was all stacked up in the wood-box and the kindling under the stove, the mamma did say I might take the ducklings to the brook. That did make me very happy. All the way to the brook I did sing ’Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus, Te Deum laudamus.

There was rosée on the verdure everywhere this morning, and the sunbeams made all the drops to shine. And there was glory and gladness everywhere. When I did look upon it, I did have thinks to go explores down along Nonette and into forêt de Chantilly. But the mamma had not thinks like my thinks. She did tell me of the many works she did have for me to do, and I did go to do them. But as I did go about to do them, I did have thinks about the appears with rosée on them of the things that grow where Nonette flows. After morning works was done, the mamma did have me to mind the baby while she was making it a dress. I made out of the piece what was left a christening robe. I made it for a young rooster. It is n’t the first one I have made for him. But the others he has got too big to wear, and I have n’t been able to catch him yet.

Before noontime the mamma did take the little girl and the baby and the dress she was making for the baby, and they all did go to the house of her mother. She did have me to help her to take them, and when they were come to the door of the house of her mother, I did come again home.

When I did eat my bowl of bread and milk, I did have thinks I would make portraits of the folks in the pasture and pig-pen this afternoon. I put more wood in the wood-box so it would be full when the mamma came home. Then I put four white poker chips in my apron pocket — one is for the portrait of the gentle Jersey cow. I will have to draw her head in a small way so the horns can go in the picture too. I have thinks that the people who made poker chips ought to have made them with more bigness, so there would be more room to put horns on the cows’ pictures that one does draw on poker chips. One of the other three poker chips I did put into my apron pocket is to draw Aphrodite’s portrait on. And one of them is to draw Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s picture on. Now I go.

When I did get these pictures made, I did take them to a log in the near woods that has got a hollow place in it. There is room in this log for me to take naps in on rainy days, and in this log I do keep the white poker chips with pictures on them. In this log I do have a goodly number of white poker chips in rows, with portraits on them of the animal folks that do dwell here about. All my chums’ pictures are there. There are five of Mathilde Plantagenet on three poker chips. And there are seven of William Shakespeare that I did draw in automne and hiver time. And, too, there are six of dear Peter Paul Rubens that was. Nine more white poker chips in a little pile under the root of a stump are waiting waits to have portraits made on them. When I do get portraits made on most all the white poker chips I do have, then one of the logging men at the mill by the far woods does give me more white poker chips to draw more pictures of Aphrodite and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and all of us on.

The chore boy does have objects to my drawing pictures on his poker chips that he does hide in the barn. One day when I was in the barn singing songs to William Shakespeare, I did find the poker chips of the chore boy where he did hide them away. I had not knows whose they were, but the white ones all did lay there in a heap having askings for pictures to be drawn on them. So I did take some of them, and I did make portraits of Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus, and Louis II, le Grand Condé, and Brave Horatius. Then I did put them back in their places again. The day that was after that, I did take some more and I did make portraits on them. On them I did make portraits of Lars Porsena of Clusium and Lucian Horace Ovid Virgil and Nannerl Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn. Then I did carry them back to their place in the barn. They did look satisfaction looks there in that corner with portraits on them.

Then next day, when I was going down our lane by the barn, the chore boy did come by the gate. When I came through, he did give my curls a pull. He did say in a cross way, ‘What for did you mark up my nice poker chips with your old pictures?’ Then I did have knows they was his poker chips there in the barn. I did tell him the white ones had wants to have portraits on them, and it was to give them what they had wants for. I told him he better draw pictures on what white ones was left that did not have pictures on. I had thinks they would be lonesome. But the chore boy did not have thinks like my thinks. He said he had more knows what poker chips want than I have thinks. He says poker chips want to be on a table in a game with men. I have thinks he has not knows what he is talking about. I have knows white poker chips do have wants for portraits to be drawed on them — portraits of Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus and Brave Horatius and Lars Porsena of Clusium and all the rest.

After I did put the four new portraits in the old log, I did follow a path that leads to a path that leads to a path that goes to the house of Elsie. I so went because I did have a little longing to rock again the baby’s cradle. Elsie was making for her young husband a whipped cream cake. He has such a fondness for them. And she does make them for him as often as there is cream enough. She was stirring things together in the most big yellow bowl. She did stir them in a quick way. While she so did, the baby did have a wakeup. She said I might rock it in its cradle. I went in a quick way to do so. I did give its cradle little touches on its corner with my fingers, and it did rock in a gentle way. As the cradle so did rock back and forth in that gentle way, I did sing to the dear baby in it a little song. I did sing to it le chant de fleurs that Angel Father did teach me to sing, of hyacinthe, éclaire, nenufar, rose, iris et dauphinelle et oleandre et romarin, lis, eglantier, anemone, narcisse, et souci. I did sing it four times over, and the baby did go to sleeps again. I do so love to watch it in its cradle.

Afterwards I went to look for thoughts. Every day now I do look for thoughts in flowers. Sometimes they are hidden away in the flower-bell, and sometimes I find them on a wild rose, and sometimes they are among the ferns, and sometimes I climb away up in the trees to look looks for them. So many thoughts do abide near unto us. They come from heaven and live among the flowers and the ferns, and often I find them in the trees. I do so love to go on searches for the thoughts that do dwell near about.

Lola has got her white silk dress that she did have so much wants for, and it has a little ruffle around the neck and one around each sleeve like she had wants for it to have. It is nice she is a great lady now. She so did say at school she would be a great lady when she did have her white silk dress on. And too at school she did say the children would gather around her and sing, and they did. And she did say at school, when the children would gather around her and sing when she does have her white silk dress on — she did say then she would stand up and stretch out her arms and bestow her blessing on all of them like the deacon does to the people in the church in the mill town — but she did n’t. She did n’t even raise up her hands. She stayed asleep in that long box the whole time the children was marching around her and singing, ‘Nearer My God to Thee,’ and more songs. She did just lay there in that long box with her white silk dress on and her eyes shut and her hands folded and she was very still all the time.

Her sister did cry. I did walk up to her and touch her hand where she did sit in the rocking-chair. I did have asks if it was a white silk dress she was having wants for, too. And she patted my hand and I told her, maybe she would get a white silk dress soon too, and how nice it was Lola did have hers, what she had wants for, and the ruffles in its neck and sleeves. And Lola’s sister did pat me on the head and went out to her kitchen, and I did go out of doors again.

And there was Brave Horatius by the steps, and I saw a yellow butterfly, and a little way away there was a mudpuddle. By the mud-puddle was a guêpe. She came. She went. Every time she did come she did take a bit of mud. I did watch. When she was gone away a little hole was where she did take the mud. She did make comes again. It was for mud she did come every time. Last time I did follow after. It was a difficulty — the following after. She was so little a person and the way she did go — it was a quick way. And I had seeing she was making a cradle of mud for a baby guêpe to be. Then I went a little way back. I saw a white butterfly. I have wonders if Lola will wear her white silk dress to school when fall-time is come. I saw one more white butterfly. I looked more looks about. Among the grasses on a little bush there was a katydid. And its green was a pretty greenness. Its wings — they were folded close. And it was washing its front feet. I have thinks katydids do keep their feet most clean. They do wash them again and more times. I so do like to keep watches of the way the katydid does clean its face with its front foot. I have thinks to be a katydid would be an interest life.

When morning works was done, then I did go calling on the folks that wear sun-bonnets. I thought I better keep my sun-bonnet on my head being as I was going calling on sun-bonnet folks. First I went to the garden to visit the pea family. I shook hands all down the row and back up the other row. Then I went to call on their neighbors the beans. I did tell them about this day being the crowning day of Louis XIV in 1654 and the going-away day of Robert de Bruce in 1329. Then I did go out across the fields to have talks with Aphrodite and Solomon Grundy and Michael Angelo Sanzio Raphael. Then it was I saw the chore boy near unto the barn. He had a long stick. He was knocking down the homes of the swallows. There were broken cradles on the ground and there were grown-up swallows about with distresses in their flying. That did make me to have so sad feels. I did tell him how dear are swallows, but he would have no listens.

Afterwards I did go goes to the house of Sadie McKinzie. As I did go along, I did have seeing of a little thing in the road ahead. It was a very little thing and it made little moves. They were only flutterings. It went not away from where it was. I did go in a hurry on. When I was come to it, I did have seeing it was a little bird. It was a little bird that was hurt by the step of a cow. I have thinks it was making a try to make a go across the road. I cuddled it up and I felt feels in my apron pocket and there was some mentholatum. And I gave it some applys and we went to the hospital. And I put it there on moss in a little soap-box room where nothing can come and bring it more hurts. And it did have likes for the water I gave it to drink in a thimble, and more likes it did have for the food I gave it to eat. I named it William Makepeace Thackeray.

Then I did go goes on to the house of Sadie McKinzie, and Brave Horatius and Lars Porsena of Clusium went goes with me. Lars Porsena of Clusium did ride part ways on the back of Brave Horatius. When we was come to the house of Sadie McKinzie, she was having troubles. Just when she did have her clothes all hung out, then the clothes-line did break and they all had falls on the ground. While she did gather them up, she did have talks to herself. She did say, ‘’T is a folly to fret; grief’s no comfort.’ When her bread gets burns in the oven and the chickens bother on the porch and the clothes boil over on the stove and everything seems to go wrong, Sadie McKinzie has a way of saying, '’T is a folly to fret; grief’s no comfort.’

While she was giving more washouts to them clothes that did have a fall while the clothes-line did break, she did sing. She sings on days when sunshine is. She sings on days when rain is. Sadie McKinzie always sings before the summer rain as does the robin.

To-day when she did have them clothes part hung on the line again, then it was the man hat wears gray neckties and is kind to mice did come by on his way to the mill town. He had asks if there was anything she was having needs of that he could bring back. And she did say bacon and some soda and some more things what she had needs of for to cook with. While she told him, he did write it down. I breathed a big breathe when I did see him write it down, for he does write in the way that the fairies write. I said, ‘Oh!’ He did turn himself around. He did say, ‘What is it, little one?’ And I did tell him all in one breath. I did tell him, ‘ Oh, it’s that you write in the way the fairies write that put things for me by the old log where the moss-box is.’ Then he did smile and he looked a long look out the door. I have thinks he was thinking of the long-ago time when the fairies did teach him to write their way.

When he did start to go, I heard him say to Sadie McKinzie, ‘I guess I will have to change my writing.’ I most slipped off the chair I was sitting on the edge of. I had feels I better speak to him about it. I had feels of the sorry feels the fairies would feel when they had knowing he was not going to write in the way they did teach him to write. When he did tell me good-bye I did say, ‘Please don’t change your writing because you write the way the fairies do. I have thinks the way they write is lovely.’ And he did smile his gentle smile. Then I did tell him how sorry I knowed the fairies would feel if he wrote not on in their way. Then he did say he guessed it would be a pretty hard thing — trying to write another way from that the fairies did teach him to write. I have thinks it would so be. And to-night in my prayers I will thank God the fairies did teach the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice to write in their way. It is a very beautiful way. Some of the letters are like ripples on the water. I have longings to write as the fairies write.

The waters of the brook lap and lap. They come in little ripples over gray stones. They are rippling a song. It is a gentle song. It is a good-bye song to Lars Porsena of Clusium. The time now is when there is no Lars Porsena of Clusium. It was only on yesterday. It was near eventime when the mamma was gone to the house of her mother. I was making a go across the cornfield to see the tree-folks in the lane. Brave Horatius did follow after me. Lars Porsena of Clusium was going on a way ahead. His movements did look queer with his tail-fathers not growed out yet. He went on. He came a little way back to see if we was coming. Then he started on in a hurry way. I was watching him with joy feels in my heart. I was having thinks how nice it would be when he does get his new tail-feathers all growed out.

Brave Horatius did give a queer bark, and he pulled the corner of my apron. I looked looks about. There the chore boy was in a corner of the cornfield with a gun. He was pointing it out on the field. I had thinks he had not seeing of my dear Lars Porsena out there. I run a quick run to keep him from pulling that thing on the gun that makes the noise and pains. I hollered hollers at him about Lars Porsena of Clusium crossing the cornfield. When I was come to where the chore boy was, I did tell him he must not shoot that old gun — a ball in it might go so far as my dear Lars Porsena of Clusium.

He just laughed a laugh and he said — he did — that Lars Porsena was nothing but a crow. And then he pointed that gun right at my own dear Lars Porsena of Clusium. The noise was a big awful cal lamb of tea. I had feels I was killed dead when I saw him fall. I ran a quick run. When I was come to him I found he was making little flutterings. When I did go to pick him up he was wet with much blood. I felt the shivers of his pains. I wrapped my apron around him so he would not have cold feels. There was much wetness upon my apron as I did go along. It was wetness of blood. The sky was more gray, and before I was come to the house we live in, the raindrops were coming down in a slow, sad way. I have thinks the sky was crying tears for the hurts of Lars Porsena of Clusium. And I was too.

I had longs for the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice to be come back again. He and other mill folks and Dear Love and her husband and Sadie McKinzie and her husband are all away gone until to-morrow eventime. I had not knows what to do for Lars Porsena of Clusium. This was not like that time he lost his tail. I did cuddle him up close in my arms and I washed off some of the blood, but more and more came. And sleepy feels were upon him. I wrapped my apron more close around him and I did sing songs to him about Ave Maria and ‘Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus.’

After the mamma was gone to bed and sleeps, I did take Lars Porsena of Clusium to bed with me. He was so sleepy. I cuddled him up in my arms and we both did go to sleep, for tired feels was upon us. When I had wakeups early on this morning, my own dear Lars Porsena was very cold, and he was very dead, and stiffness was upon him. I did have queer feels in my throat and pains feels all up and down me. I so did want him alive again to go explores.

When the mamma was most awake I climbed out the bedroom window with him in a quick way. I went on. I did go until I was come to the lane. And I did go on down our lane until I was come to the tall fir tree, Good King Edward I. I lay Lars Porsena of Clusium near unto King Good Edward I, and I said a little prayer and I covered him over with moss. I now go to have his funeral at Dreux. Brave Horatius too does wait waits, and quiet is upon him. He has longs for Lars Porsena of Clusium to come perch on his back. And the winds are calling, and between the callings of the wind the willows do call down by the creek. They beckon and call to the soul of Lars Porsena of Clusium.

(To be concluded)