Edith King Hall

“ Whenever you try hard to be good and obedient when you feel inclined to be naughty and wilful; whenever you try not to say the angry word, to think the unkind thought you would like to say, you would like to think; whenever you turn your back on what is mean and unmanly and follow what is true and noble; whenever you do this for His sake, then, Chris, you are fighting for Christ, you are Christ's soldier. ”

“ Granny said gently and caressingly, as he passed her. "Do you love her very much?"
"Oh, yes, my Granny!" he answered somewhat thoughtlessly, as he obeyed her directions. Then continued without pause: "I wanted to ask you—why does Cook always make rice-puddings, and tapioca-puddings, and sago-puddings for my dinner?"
"Because, my pet, I tell her to," she replied. "They are so wholesome, so good for little boys; they make them grow big."
"But I don't mind about growing big," he answered. "I would rather have roly-poly puddings for my dinner; roly-poly puddings what have lots of jam inside." ”

“ And the more we love everyone, the more we shall know of God, and the nearer we shall be to heaven; for you see, dear, to know God is Heaven, and God is Love."
I paused, and Chris looked contemplative.
"I'm going to be like the good man, who gave away the water out of his flask," he said, with the air of one taking a great resolution. "I'm going to love everyone, and Briggs too."
"I like to hear you say that," I said, stroking his head, with the tumbled, golden curls. "Now, I think you had better go to your tea. Briggs will be waiting for you." ”

“ CHAPTER IX. THE GOLDEN FARTHING.
"It's the best thing; I should not propose it unless I were fully convinced that it is so."
Uncle Godfrey, standing on the hearth-rug in the drawing-room, his hands in his pockets, was speaking with his usual decision.
I, who had just entered, feeling that I was interrupting his conversation with Granny, turned to leave.
"Please, don't go, Miss Baggerley. We should like to have the benefit of your opinion," remarked Uncle Godfrey.
"Yes, stay, my dear. I should be glad to know what you think," said Granny. ”

“ Chris inquired, as I paused.
"Yes, that's all," I replied.
"It's a very nice story," he said, patronizingly. "I like it almost as much as 'Jack the Giant Killer' and 'Jack and the Beanstalk', and better than 'Cinderella'."
"Shall I tell you what it means?" I asked.
He looked at me doubtfully.
"Are you going to scold me?" he asked, moving restlessly on my knee; "'cause I'm going to be a good boy now."
"No, my dear, I'm not going to scold you," I said reassuringly. "I only want to tell you what I mean by my story."
"Will it take long?" he asked; "'cause I'm hungry, and want my tea." ”

“ Chris, looking disappointed and injured, gave Jacky an irritable push, which resulted in an angry growl.
There was a deep sigh from the little beggar. "No one plays with me now," he said mournfully, "and Jacky growls. Naughty Jacky; I don't love you."
"Naughty Chris; it's time for you to go back to the nursery," remarked Uncle Godfrey half-smiling.
"Yes, my Chris; a few lessons, or a nice walk," Granny said, persuasively. "Now, go, like my little pet." ”

“ So loudly and so violently that the sound of his grief penetrated to the library where Granny was sitting, and brought her out into the hall, frightened and anxious to know what was wrong.
"He nearly drowned himself, that's what is the matter, mum," answered Briggs, with a certain gloomy satisfaction, in reply to the old lady's anxious questions. "It's nothing but a chance he isn't at the bottom of the deepest end of the pond at this very same minute that I speak to you!" ”

“ Hastening my steps, I turned a bend of the road, and saw a little boy lying full length on the roadside, his face buried in the dusty, long grass, as he gave vent to the loud and uncontrolled grief which had attracted my attention; whilst a few yards off stood a little wire-haired fox-terrier, regarding him with a perplexed and wondering eye.
"What is the matter, dear?" I asked the distressed little mortal, whose tears were flowing so fast. ”

“ Mrs. Wyndham said apologetically. "I am most distressed, I am indeed. I have a new coachman who is not very bright. He has doubtless made some stupid mistake. Dear me, how unfortunate!"
"It didn't matter, 'cause I found her and I showed her the way," Chris reiterated with pride.
"Hush, my dear child!" Granny said gently. Then, for the first time becoming fully aware of his very unkempt condition, "What have you been doing, my darling?" she exclaimed with surprise; "and what do you mean by saying you met Miss Baggerley? Where did you meet her?" ”

“ You know, Chris, God wants us all to go to heaven and live with Him by and by. In His great love He has shown us all the way; it is the way that the blesséd Jesus went; a way that sometimes takes us over hard and difficult places, but that always goes up—never down. It is a way that leads us higher and higher, right away to the happy land you were singing of last Sunday. But there is one thing God has told us to do if we ever hope to reach that happy land—we must love everyone. ”

“ I can see a fly!'" he started impatiently, and stumbling over the words in his haste; "'and the fly can fly, and the fly can die, and the fly is shy, and can get to the pie, and can get on the rye! and the fly can run, and can get on the bun, all for its fun! and the fly is gay all the day, and oh, Ben! Ben! the fly is in my ear, so do put it out of my ear.'"... Chris came to a stop, and leant his head back on Granny's shoulder. ”

“ How would that do?"
"Loverly," answered the little beggar in a mollified voice, and for a moment or two there was again silence.
Then, however, I heard something like a whimper, and looking up I saw Chris's great eyes fixed on me tearfully.
"What is the matter?" I inquired.
"Will my Granny never, never be able to speak again?" he asked, digging his knuckles into his eyes. "Will she always be never able to talk?"
"Why, no, dear," I answered cheerfully. "In a day or two she will be able to talk again as well as ever." ”

“ At this startling, not to say overwhelming statement, Granny became quite white, and, holding on to a chair near at hand, did not speak.
"There is nothing for you to alarm yourself about, Mrs. Wyndham," I said quietly.—"Chris, stop crying; you are frightening Granny.—He managed to fall into the pond, trying to teach Jack to swim, but it was at the shallow end, so there was no danger." ”

“ It was a hard trial for her, because love for Chris was as part of her life, and to part with him would be a wrench that neither Uncle Godfrey nor myself could fully comprehend, with all our desire to enter into her feelings. Yet I think that she had never loved him so truly as at that moment when she gave him up. For is not our love the [Pg 277] greatest when it is the most unselfish, when it is purified by self-sacrifice, as "gold that is tried in the fire"?
It was such a bright morning when the little beggar left us ”

“ I hope he has not any mischievous idea in his little head."
"Oh, no, my dear!" she replied, almost reproachfully; "the darling is as good as gold. There never was a better child when he likes. No, no, he is not at all inclined to be troublesome to-day; I think you are mistaken."
I kept silence, for I saw that dear old Granny was not altogether pleased at my suggestion. Nevertheless, in spite of her reassuring words, I did not feel convinced that the little beggar was not going to give us some fresh proof of his remarkable powers for getting into mischief. ”

“ Is that the way for a young gentleman to speak?" she asked, not without a certain triumph.
"I don't like you!" Chris cried, stamping his foot again. "You are always cross! Nasty, cross, old Briggs!"
"Chris, I am shocked, very, very shocked," Granny said gravely. "You must stand in the corner for a quarter of an hour."
The little beggar wailed again; real, unfeigned tears this time. ”

“ By and by you will find, too, that there is no water left, for the magic will all have gone! The beauty also of your flasks will have all disappeared; the gold will have become dim, the diamonds will have lost their sparkle, and you yourself will have no power to go onwards and climb higher. ”

“ The next morning, however, the sunbeam was comparatively still; not dancing, gay, and restless, as sunbeams often are.
The little beggar was in one of his quiet moods—moods of rare occurrence with him, as you will have gathered.
"The darling is like a lamb," Granny remarked when she came downstairs; "very gentle and so good. He wants you to go and sit with him a little, if you are not busy, my dear."
"Certainly," I said, and went up to the nursery to see Chris in this edifying rôle.
I found him busy, drawing strange hieroglyphics on a large sheet of foolscap paper with a red-lead pencil. ”

“ No, mother, you stay here," he said decidedly, as Granny rose with the evident intention of accompanying him. "You will only tire yourself for no purpose. If he is to be found in the garden, you may rest assured that I shall find him and bring him to you as soon as possible. Just stay here quietly with Miss Baggerley, and don't worry yourself." ”

“ Granny asked nervously at this point, arriving just in time to hear the conclusion of the sergeant's explanation. "Oh, Chris, my darling, what have you been doing?"
"I'm a soldier now, my Granny," he stated proudly, with a defiant look at Briggs and myself. "He said I was, didn't you?" he asked, turning to the sergeant, who smiled again. "He's going to lend me his soldier clothes till you buy me some. He said he would."
"He'd have been here before if I could have got a lift, marm," explained the sergeant, "but it chanced nothing passed by us. ”

“ Granny said, looking fondly after the retreating little figure. 'You're ruining the little beggar'; that's what my son Godfrey tells me. But then my Chris has no father or mother, so I feel very tenderly towards him. He has such a lovable nature too, it is difficult not to spoil him. You have doubtless seen that for yourself already, have you not?
"And now, my dear," she added kindly, "I'm sure you must want your tea after your long journey, and that hot walk afterwards. ”

“ But between ourselves, my dear, I sometimes think that officers in the army are accustomed to such obedience, such implicit obedience, that they are at times inclined to carry their love of discipline too far. ”

“ Chris said more calmly, but still gravely; "it's very dan-ger-rus, and it's not sport-man-like."
"Thank you, my darling," she said simply. "Granny will remember another time."
"Shut up, Chris," said Uncle Godfrey laughing, "and don't talk nonsense."
"Well, I want somebody to play with me," he said inconsequently, as he returned to his Uncle's side. "I want someone to play with me very badly." ”

“ I said, with more confidence than I felt upon the subject.
"She was so unkind to me; she isn't a kind Briggs," he said. "Do you like her?"
Then without waiting for an answer he went on: "I love my Granny best, and Uncle Godfrey next, and you next, and Briggs last,—the most last."
"If you were good to Briggs you would love her more," I said.
"Would I?" he asked doubtfully. [Pg 180]
"Yes," I answered; "and though you are a happy little boy now, you would be still happier then. There is nothing that makes us happier than to love people very much and try to be kind to them."
"Even Briggs?" ”

“ Not eat all the day! not eat rye, not eat hay!'"
At this point, Granny stroked Chris's head and said commendingly:
"You are reading very well now, very well indeed. You have made great progress since I last heard you."
The little beggar wagged his head solemnly. "I want to read well," he stated gravely. "I want to read very well; then I shall read big books like my Uncle Godfrey."
"You are a good little boy," she said. "I am very pleased with the pains my little Chris is taking."
A suspicion crossed my mind. Was he indulging in one of the tricks of which Briggs had forewarned Granny? ”

“ This was too good an opportunity to be lost.
"Granny," he said idly, and yawning as he spoke, "I want to ask you something."
"Yes, my Chris," she said inquiringly.
"Why did the fly go to the oil?" he asked with feigned interest.
"My darling, how can I possibly tell you?" she exclaimed. "See, you are slipping right off my knee. You can't read properly so."
Chris scrambled back to his former position, and then continued reading in a desultory fashion.
"'Oil is bad for a fly. So, now I put you out of the oil, and now I say you are to get dry. Ah! ”

“ Uncle Godfrey said, without turning his head, and relaxing into a smile. "What mischief have you been up to this time?"
"I put my hats with your hats, 'cause I liked [Pg 254] them to be with yours, and I didn't want to be a baby and have my hats in the nursery," explained Chris, encouraged by something in his uncle's voice to run to his side and lay his cheek affectionately on his coat-sleeve.
"Then, in future, just you keep your hats where you are told to," Uncle Godfrey said, laughing. "Don't you be such an independent little beggar." ”