Eleanora H. Stooke

“ Jenny was a big white donkey, harnessed to a smart little market cart. She was very fat and very well groomed, and seemed, Billy thought, to understand what was said, for she turned her head slowly, and, having given her master a shrewd glance, fastened her gaze on his companion.
"We're going now, my beauty," William Brown told her, as he placed Billy's box in the back of the cart. "She doesn't like boys," he explained; "they tease her."
"I promise I won't!" exclaimed Billy. "What a fine donkey she is! I never saw such a large one before. Please, may I stroke her, Grandfather?" ”

“ By-and-by his grandfather began to talk of the plans his Exeter acquaintances were making for growing big crops of vegetables and corn next year.
"Every one's as keen as pepper to get as much as possible out of the land," he said. "We men at home mean to show our fighting men we can do our bit as well as they can. And may God prosper our labours! After all's said and done, we can't do anything without Him! The harvest's in His hands, you know, Billy! Ah! those who work on the land need to put a deal of faith in th' Almighty." ”

“ Then would Granny have been against the money having been sent?
"That must be it!" Billy decided. "Oh, how mean of her! Yes, I do call it mean! She is mean."
Though he had been so short a time at Rowley Cottage, he had discovered that Mrs. Brown had but one aim and ambition in life—to make and save money. Only the day before she had shown temper because her husband had become a subscriber to some war charity.
"You can't afford it!" she had declared. "We're only working people! Don't I slave from dawn to dusk over the housework and poultry, doing without a servant to save money? ”

“ The rain had come on again in a soft drizzle; but the streets were full of people, for it was market day. They passed the market and drove into High Street, the principal street, which surprised Billy by being so narrow and old; and a quarter of an hour later they had turned their backs on the city, and Jenny, who had been plodding along at a walk, suddenly began to trot.
"Why, she goes as fast as a pony!" exclaimed Billy, admiringly. ”

“ Billy's eyes followed the direction of the little girl's pointing finger, and saw an aeroplane coming towards them, high in the sky. It looked like a great bird in the distance, but he recognised it as an aeroplane at a glance, for he had frequently seen them pass over London. Though he knew there was little likelihood of this one being an enemy, his heart throbbed fast at the sight of it. He explained to May what it was; then Harold rushed up to them in a great state of excitement.
"An aeroplane! An aeroplane!" he cried. ”

“ The next instant he was shaking hands with Tom Turpin, back on leave from France again.
"Is there room for two on that stone?" asked the young soldier, and, Billy assenting eagerly, they sat down together. "I arrived home the day before yesterday," he continued, his blue eyes looking lovingly across the valley to Mount Farm on the opposite hill. "I can tell you it's good to be home, my boy! How beautiful everything is! 'The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.' This is a blessed land, Billy. ”

“ There was to be a prize for the prettiest bunch of wild flowers, for which May intended to compete. Billy said he would help her gather the flowers, but she shook her head.
"No one must help me," she said, "or it wouldn't be fair."
"Our marrows will grow a lot more in a week," remarked Billy. "I do hope one of us will get the prize, Harold."
"You mean you hope you will get it," laughed Harold.
"I meant what I said," Billy replied. "Grandfer says your marrow is a better shape than mine," he continued, "and that will be taken into consideration. ”

“ Billy remarked to his grandfather one evening, as they sat on the settle by the kitchen fire, Scout asleep at their feet, discussing May, who had gone home shortly before tea.
"I expect not," William Brown answered, "she's different from most children, poor dear! She learns nothing at school, but—"
"She's only backward," his wife broke in sharply. She was seated near the table, sewing by the light of an oil lamp. "You needn't speak as though she's stupid," she added, in a tone full of resentment, "for she can learn some things quick enough." ”

“ Dingle nodded.
"Mr. Singleton says if you can interest her in anything she can learn all about it quicker than most children," she said eagerly; "but if you can't it's impossible to teach her or to chain her attention. She got interested in Billy's books because there are such wonderful stories in them, and that made her want to learn to read. Then Billy began to teach her—he says it wasn't so very difficult; but I don't think he quite realises what a great matter it is—that it shows our darling's intellect is less clouded than we thought. ”

“ What's going to become of us in our old age if we don't put by now? Oh, we ought to trust Providence a bit, ought we? What cant! 'Look-out for yourself' is my motto, and it will take some beating! Don't talk to me!"
William Brown had not done so, but had allowed her to rage on. Billy was thinking how sad and ashamed he had looked, when he heard raised voices in the next room. ”

“ Billy inquired eagerly.
"You?" William Brown looked at his grandson with a slightly amused smile. "Well, I don't know about that," he said doubtfully. "Harold helps his father in his allotment garden, but he's very strong for his age, whilst you're such a delicate little chap—"
"Oh, Grandfer," Billy burst in, "I do believe I'm stronger than I look! Oh, let me help you! Let me try, at any rate! I want so much to do something to help win the war!" ”

“ You'll soon learn to find your way about in the darkness, and won't mind it—why, even little May doesn't."
"Doesn't she?" cried Billy in surprise. "How brave of her!"
"You know it says in one of the psalms, 'The Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light,'" his grandfather said thoughtfully; "and I think that, though there's a sort of cloud over May's mind, behind the cloud there's God's own light. The soul that has that light knows no fear."
CHAPTER IV. SUNDAY.
BILLY'S first Sunday in Devonshire was a beautiful day, with sunshine and a soft westerly breeze. ”

“ Meanwhile, tell me about yourself. I've heard of the great marrow you grew. I wish I'd been home in time to see it. I've just come from your grandfather's garden. It's a picture worth looking at. Your grandfather always grew good vegetables, but this year they're just splendid."
"I helped plant some of them," said Billy proudly.
"So I've heard," smiled Tom Turpin; "your grandfather says you've done a lot of real hard work."
"Thanks to your tools!" exclaimed Billy. "I couldn't have done half so much without them. I've taken great care of them, Mr. Turpin; they are as bright as bright!" ”

“ He was very quiet as he followed him and his grandfather about the garden, but he listened with the greatest attention to all that was said. William Brown showed where he intended sowing his various crops in the spring, and the bit of orchard he meant to take into the garden.
"I don't know how I'm going to do all I want to," he remarked, "but I shall just plod on bit by bit from day to day and do my best."
"That's what we're doing across in France and Flanders," Tom replied gravely.
"I want to help Grandfer," Billy said eagerly. "I do wish I was bigger and stronger. ”

“ He's gone to-day."
"Ah, poor lad!" sighed the postmaster. "I hope God will keep him safe."
"He will," the Vicar answered; "be sure He will. We know the Lord is mindful of His own—come life, come death, they're safe."
Come life, come death, they're safe! Those words, spoken by the old man with child-like faith and conviction, sounded in Billy's ears again and again during the remainder of the day, bringing joy and consolation with them. ”

“ By-and-by her master pulled her up, descended, and lit the lamps of the market cart. A minute later they were off again.
"I didn't know a donkey could go so well!" cried Billy, who was enjoying this new experience exceedingly.
"She's thinking of her supper," laughed his grandfather. "She'll have a good feed as soon as she gets home, and she knows it. Are you keeping warm, my boy?"
"Oh, yes, indeed, Grandfather! And I don't mind the rain at all! It's so soft! And so's the wind! Have we much further to go?" ”

“ Harold looked rather ashamed.
"Now you're angry," he said, "and won't come on Saturday, I suppose. Well, do as you like!"
He went off, leading May, who had listened to the conversation between the two boys in puzzled silence. Billy watched them through the orchard with a swelling heart. As they passed through the gateway into the pathfields May looked back and waved her hand.
"Good-bye, Billy!" she cried; "I'll come again to-morrow if mother'll let me! ”

“ Billy overheard Mrs. Brown grumbling to her daughter, who came to Rowley Cottage, greatly concerned, as soon as she heard of his illness. "The doctor says he's still suffering from shock to some extent, and his nerves are unstrung. I never bargained he would be as delicate as this."
"Oh, I expect he'll be all right after a bit," was the hasty response. "I can understand how the thunderstorm upset him. Of course, you can't work by day and nurse by night, mother; you've done wisely in getting Mrs. Varcoe."
At first Billy was rather in awe of Mrs. Varcoe. ”

“ I daresay this Captain Foster would want to send him to sea. You write and tell him we can't give the boy up."
"Oh, Granny!" cried Billy. He made a rush at Mrs. Brown, and, clasping her around the neck, kissed her. "I thought you'd be pleased to be rid of me," he said, "but you really want me to stay. Oh, I am glad—I am glad!" ”

“ On their way home Billy asked his grandfather what Tom Turpin had meant by this remark. William Brown explained that food was likely to be very short on account of the German submarines, which were torpedoing so many food ships, and that he was doing his "bit" to help win the war by cultivating every inch of his garden, and growing as many vegetables as he could.
"The worst of it is I can get so little help," he said; "there isn't a fit man left in the village for me to employ. That means that I shall have to work doubly hard during the coming winter and spring." ”

“ Dingle proceeded, "because he's been so good to May. From the first she took to him. He's always been patient with her and never laughed at her quaint ways. Harold's always saying, 'Don't talk so silly, May!'—not that he means to be unkind, but because he gets impatient with her. Oh, I see Billy's companionship has been a great thing for May! ”

“ He never tired of watching the squirrels springing from tree to tree, and he soon grew accustomed to the sounds which at first startled him—the rustle of birds and the scuttle of rabbits in the undergrowth, the discordant cries of cock-pheasants as they rose from the ground and took wing, and the mournful hoot of the owls. ”

“ There was plenty of work to be done out-of-doors now. William Brown had the assistance of a couple of old men from the village, and with them he laboured from dawn till dark. On Saturdays Billy worked in the garden too. He helped his grandfather prepare the beds for the small seeds, making the earth as fine as possible, and learnt the different depths the various seeds had to be sown, and not to sow them too thickly.
"You'll make a rare good gardener one of these days," his grandfather told him approvingly; "your heart's in the work, I see." ”

“ I'm doing Billy's collars—such a lot there are! This hot weather a collar rarely lasts him more than a day."
"I suppose he makes a lot of extra work for you," remarked Mrs. Dingle, seating herself and taking off her hat.
"You suppose?" said her mother tartly. "As if you didn't know, when you've a boy of your own! By the way, I believe May and Harold are about here somewhere."
"They're in the garden—I've been there. They're helping net the plum-trees. Billy's a born gardener, his grandfather says." ”

“ One afternoon Billy arrived home to tea, carefully carrying a small pot containing a marrow plant, a gift from the postmaster. After tea, under the directions of his grandfather, he tilled the marrow plant out.
"Uncle John has given Harold one, too, Grandfer," he said; "so we're going to see which of us can grow the biggest marrow. The plants are as alike as two plants can possibly be."
"John Dingle took the prize for marrows at the vegetable show last year," William Brown remarked. ”

“ It was a very good dinner, but Billy did not enjoy it, for Mrs. Brown, who carved, gave him a thick slice of fat mutton which he could not eat. Noting this, his grandfather remarked that he was not getting on, and he admitted that he did not like fat meat.
"Can't you give him a cut of lean, Maria?" William Brown suggested.
"No, I can't—not without disfiguring the joint, and I'm certainly not going to do that," Mrs. Brown answered. "Billy must learn not to be so particular. If we can eat fat meat he can." ”

“ Dingle said—
"You mustn't mind if she questions you about your mother. May is backward for her age—there are many things she can't understand, though she's sharp enough in some ways. She learns hardly anything at school. She can't read, or write, or do sums. The mistress doesn't bother her to learn, for she knows she can't. Still, it's good for her to be with other children. ”

“ Mother always called me Billy."
"I like the name Billy," declared the young soldier. "My name's Tom—Tom Turpin. I've got leave from 'somewhere in France' for a few days, and am on my way home—that's a farm some miles from Exeter. My father's a farmer. I was to have been a farmer too but the year after I left school on came the war, and I enlisted right away in the Devons. ”