William Henry Giles Kingston

“ I was sure Pecksy would learn to love you,” she exclaimed; and Pecksy looked up into the kind old lady’s face, and seemed perfectly satisfied that no harm would come to it.
“Oh, I wish Norman would be fond of the little bird too,” she said, “but he does not seem to care about it, and thinks it beneath his notice; and yet I have heard of many boys—not only little ones, but big boys, and even grown-up men—who were fond of birds, and have tamed them, and taught them to come to them, and learn to trust and love them.” ”

“ Mr Maclean was a Highland gentleman who preferred spending his days among his native moors and heathery hills, to living in a town and mixing in the world.
Norman whispered to Fanny that he thought he was an old farmer, when he first saw him in his tartan shooting-coat and trowsers, with a bonnet on his head, a plaid over his shoulders, and a thick stick in his hand. Old as he was, however, he could walk many a mile over those heathery hills he loved so well, and not only Norman, but Norman’s papa, might have had some difficulty in keeping up with him. ”

“ Norman, instead of thanking his papa, hugged the football and made towards the door, eager to go out on the lawn and kick it about. At the same time, he looked with a jealous eye at Fanny’s beautiful doll, which she was fondly caressing. Though he had declared that he did not care for dolls, he could not help thinking it prettier than his own great, brown ball, and, as he had never been taught to restrain any of the evil feelings which rose in his heart, he at once began to be jealous of his sister, because the present she had received was of more value than his. ”

“ Poor Fanny who had never before seen a person in a passion, stood by trembling at a little distance while Master Norman walked up and down shouting out that he would whip any one who came in his way, and that the ugly dog would soon learn what to expect if he dared to bark at him again. Fanny entreated him to be quiet. “I am sure Trusty had no wish to frighten you, Norman,” she said, “if you will keep your whip quiet and call to him he will come up wagging his tail and soon be friends with you.” ”

“ We will all pray, that you will be enabled to keep to your good resolutions, but you must also pray for yourself. Then remember, my dear child, that God’s eye is upon you, that nothing you can think, or say, or do, is unknown to Him, that He is aware of every thought which enters your mind, that He sees even the most trifling thing you do, and hears every word you utter. He wishes you to be happy, and if you try to obey Him, He will enable you to be so. He is more loving than your papa or mamma, or your sister, or I can be.”
Norman listened attentively to all his grandmamma said. ”

“ Mrs Leslie and her mamma admired the doll, which was indeed a very handsome one, and very superior to poor Nancy.
“There, Norman, you will not be ashamed to walk out with her, I am sure,” she said. “But I hope Nancy will not think that she will make me forget her, for I should not like to hurt her feelings. What name shall we give her? for she would not like to be called ‘The New Doll,’ shall it be Emma or Julia or Lucy? I think Lucy is a very pretty name—shall she be called Lucy, granny? Norman do you like that name? it sounds so soft and so nice for a young lady doll as she is.” ”

“ Fanny, her countenance beaming with pleasure, carefully unwrapped the parcel, and exhibited a beautiful doll with a wax head and shoulders and wax hands looking exactly, she thought, as if they were real flesh.
“Oh, thank you, papa, thank you,” she exclaimed running up and kissing him. “Look granny! look mamma! see what a lovely little girl she is, with such fair soft hair and such blue bright eyes, she must surely be able to see out of them.” ”

“ Norman, who heard his ring at the door, ran down to meet him, and was much disappointed to find that he had not brought a new football.
“I thought, papa, that you would have remembered that my football is spoilt,” he exclaimed, “and would have brought another.”
“But who spoilt it, let me ask?” said Captain Vallery. “As you spoilt the football, you should be the person to mend it, and you should not expect me to bring you a new one.”
“But I cannot mend it, papa,” said Norman.
“People often find that they cannot remedy the harm they have done,” observed his papa. ”

“ Fanny burst into a fit of merry laughter, at which Norman got very angry.
“Don’t you know that there are no elephants or tigers in this part of the world?” inquired Fanny. “The only wild animals are deer, and I always think how cruel it is to shoot such beautiful creatures, when I hear of people hunting them.”
“Perhaps papa and I will go out and shoot them, only women and girls think shooting cruel,” said Norman scornfully.
“A little boy should not speak disrespectfully of the tender feelings of women and girls,” observed Mrs Leslie. ”

“ I will beat Trusty too, if he barks at me—you’ll see if I don’t—and he will soon find out who is master. I am a brave boy, papa says so, and I want to be a man as soon as I can.”
“But brave and good boys do not beat either women or dogs, and I hope you wish to be good as well as brave,” said Fanny gently.
“So I am, when I have my own way,” exclaimed Norman, “and my own way I intend to have that I can tell you. Now, Fanny, go and find my whip, or make Susan give it to you if she has got it, and if she will not, tell her that my papa will make her when he comes home.” ”

“ Their poor mamma, from her constant watching by his bedside, was herself made ill, and even granny required rest and fresh air.
What an active attentive little nurse did Fanny make, and how pleasantly and gently she talked to Norman, telling him all sorts of things which she could think of, to interest him. She daily brought him his meals; he said that he would rather take them from her than from any one else, as the tea and broth and pudding always tasted nicer when she gave them to him.
She had not liked to talk of Robby and Alec for fear of reminding him of Pecksy. ”

“ Robby was running off to call some of the servants, who might he thought stop the young gentlemen better than he could, when at that instant he saw his grandfather pulling down the loch and close to the mouth of the stream formed by the waterfall. Just as he was beckoning to him to make haste that he might land and stop the boys, he heard a cry, and saw Norman slipping down the side of a smooth rock wet with the spray of the waterfall. ”

“ Robby soon got up, and felt more vexed at the way he had been treated by the young master, than hurt by his tumble. Fanny had gone round into the garden, where she sat down on a bench in the shade, and planed her bird by her side, quite unaware of what had happened. The bird, which was unusually tame, seemed from the first to understand that she was to be its future mistress. It came at once to the bars of the cage, and put out its beak to receive the seed with which old Alec had provided her, that she might feed it. ”

“ Fanny was going back to the house, feeling unable to bear any longer with her little brother, when she caught sight of Trusty, at the further end of the walk, scratching away with might and main in the ground near her garden. Norman saw him too, and felt very uncomfortable. If he did not drive the dog away, what he had done would certainly be discovered; but he dare not go near him without his whip, for Trusty was apt to snarl if he attempted to catch him.
“What can Trusty be about?” she exclaimed, going towards her garden. ”

“ That young gentleman, considering he had gained a triumph, shouted out—
“Now you may go and play by yourself, I do not want to have anything more to do with the stupid trap and bat.”
“It is very ungrateful in you to say that, Norman, after your papa brought it down expressly for you,” said Mrs Vallery. “Stay and play on, and try if you cannot do better; and, Fanny, let me ask you not to laugh at the little fellow if he does not manage to hit the ball as often as you do.” ”

“ Fanny was going up to Norman to lead him towards the house, but he hung back, so Susan took him by the arm.
“Come along, young gentleman,” she said in the stern voice she knew how to assume, “you will require to wash your hands well after your gardening,” and she pointed back at the ground he had upturned. “Are you not ashamed of yourself?” she whispered. Fanny had run on a little way lest Susan should again ask questions. “If you are not ashamed you ought to be,” continued Susan, “your sweet sister is an angel, and I should like you just to ask yourself what you are.” ”

“ I have been thinking what I should write, and I have made up my mind to put simply, ‘Here lies Pecksy, the feathered friend of Fanny Vallery.’ If I was to write when he died, or how he was killed, or anything of that sort, it might remind me of what I want to forget. Don’t you think that will be very nice.”
“Oh yes,” answered Norman, “I like your idea. I will dig the grave. I will go and ask the gardener to lend me a spade or a pickaxe, or a hoe or some tool to dig with, and we will set out at once.” ”

“ The laird began at length to wind up the line, in vain the poor fish swam here and there, it could not get the sharp hook out of its mouth. Sandy, laying in his oars, got the landing-net ready. The rod was so light that it could not have borne the weight of the fish, but by putting the net beneath it he easily lifted it into the boat.
“Oh, what a fine fish,” exclaimed Fanny, as she examined the large loch trout which had been caught; “what delicate colours it has! How beautifully it is marked on the back!” ”

“ Norman laughed at her exclamations of surprise and delight.
“Oh, this is nothing,” he observed, “we have come all the way from India by a steamer, through the Suez Canal and then along the Mediterranean and right through France.”
“You are a young traveller; Fanny knows that. Perhaps some day she may make the same journey,” observed Mrs Leslie. “Still you should not despise your sister, because she has not seen as much as you have.” ”

“ The subject of this conversation had been standing at some distance, with his head cast down, unwilling to approach his grandmamma, for he was afraid that he might receive another scolding, and was beginning to harden his heart to resist it.
“Come here, my dear Norman,” said Mrs Leslie. “You know how I love you, for you are my only little grandson, and how anxious I am that you should be good and happy, and prosper in this world. This makes me very glad to hear what Fanny has been telling me, my dear child. ”

“ The number of rocks which had fallen from the mountains above supplied seats of every shape, to suit the taste of those who chose to occupy them.
From the knoll a still better view than below, of the waterfall and the surrounding scenery, was obtained, and everybody agreed that it was the most perfect place for a picnic imaginable. Fanny and her young friends were delighted, and while the servants brought up the hampers, and some of the party were spreading the cloth, they employed themselves in conveying jugs of water from the bright stream which flowed by. ”

“ Fanny, with Norman pushing behind, soon dragged the carriage up the hill. He then declared that he was tired, and getting in told her to move on.
As the ground was tolerably smooth, she was able to do so at a speed which satisfied the young gentleman.
“Capital,” he cried out, flourishing his stick, “my horse draws fast, go on, go on; now see if you can’t gallop.”
Fanny exerted herself to the utmost, and the air being pure and fresh she felt in good spirits. ”

“ Fanny lifted her head from her hands, and turned her eyes towards the little bird. She got up from her chair, and examined it carefully.
“Give it something to eat, perhaps that will make it move about,” suggested Norman.
Fanny shook her head. She tried to open its beak, but could not succeed.
“O Norman, it already feels quite cold. It cannot open its beak, and its legs are stiff. It will never hop about any more, or pick up crumbs, or come flying to me, or sing in the morning to wake me up; poor, dear, little Pecksy is really dead.” ”

“ It is far more difficult to teach a child what it ought to do, though I trust the good example set by our dear Fanny will have its due effect, while we must continue to pray without ceasing that the heart of your child may be changed.”
“I fear he has a very bad heart now,” sighed Mrs Vallery, “I am always in dread that he should do something wrong.”
“All children have bad seeds in their hearts, and it is our duty by constant and careful weeding to root them out, and to impress also on the child from its earliest days the necessity of endeavouring to do so likewise. ”