Little Boy Blue

“ His jacket was blue, his trousers were blue, his stockings were blue, and even his little shoes were blue.
One day Little Boy Blue’s mother said to him: “Do you want to go and visit Aunt Polly?” “Who is Aunt Polly?” asked Little Boy Blue. “Aunt Polly lives on a farm, on a high hill. She has horses, and cows, and pigs, and hens, and ducks, and geese—” “And elephants?” asked Little Boy Blue. “No, not any elephants. But she has a woolly white lamb.” “Oh, then I will go,” cried Little Boy Blue. So his mother went up-stairs and found a little blue traveling-bag. ”

“ It has been forgotten by this time that Gene lost a son while the boy was at school in Hanover—the most promising of his boys, it was said. But at the time when the grieving father brought the body of his boy home, a great many lovers of his poetry associated the child's death with the famous "Little Boy Blue." ”

“ Out of the roses lovely fairies, all in pink;
And out of the water-lily nearest the fountain,
The queen of the fairies, in a white satin dress and golden crown.
She could open the gate by herself and she led the fairies out on the green grass and they danced while Little Boy Blue played sweet music.
All night long they danced and danced, until first thing you know they heard a sound. It was the cock telling them that morning was on the way.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo
The sun is after you.
The fairies all must go to sleep,
And so must Little Boy Blue. ”

“ LITTLE BOY BLUE The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and stanch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket molds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new
And the soldier was passing fair,
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there. ”

“ During the spring they would ride through the world, scattering sunshine, laughter, and hope; mortals would see them, but they would not know who they were. During the summer and the autumn they would be invisible to mortals, and during the winter they would slumber in the Diamond Palace of his mother, the Snow Queen.
They waited to see Blue Boy and Cherry-Ripe married, and Blue Eyes gave them as a wedding present a little glass pipe, which, whenever he played it, brought the spring into the hearts of all who heard it. ”

“ The sea will not comfort you in that way; it will clasp you to a cold, cold breast, and kiss you with bitter salt lips, and carry you down where it is always dark, where you will never never see the blue sky and sunshine and flowers again."
Martin shivered and nestled closer to her; and then while the shadows of evening were gathering round them, she sat rocking herself to and fro on a stone, murmuring many tender, sweet words to him, until the music of her voice and the warmth of her bosom made him sleep. ”

“ Now one day when there was not a cloud on the great hot whitey-blue sky, nor a breath of air stirring, when it was all silent, for not even a grass-hopper creaked in the dead, yellow, motionless grass, the whole level earth began to shine and sparkle like a lake of silvery water, as Martin had never seen it shine before. He had wandered far away from home—never had he been so far—and still he ran and ran and ran, and still that whiteness quivered and glittered and flew on before him ”

“ Gentle Reader As often as I pass a little Blue-coat boy I gaze upon him lovingly: I reverence the quaint vision of a bygone age called up by the long blue gaberdine, the red leathern belt, the yellow stockings—a quaint monkish figure still to be seen in crowded London streets, still adding to their picturesqueness and ever-varying charm. ”

“ Sometimes you knew men were near by their smell—the ones who didn't stand outside when it rained and scrub the smell off them.
He smelled nothing. He looked and listened some more, his blue eyes hard and bright. He saw nothing except trees, rocks, bushes, all crowded by thick weeds. He heard nothing except the movement of greenery in the afternoon breeze, the far off baying of the dog pack, the flutter of birds, the scamper of a squirrel. ”

“ Boy Blue had never seen such a large school in all his life.
In the little country school there were only ten children.
In Mary's school there were fifty boys and girls in one room, and there were ten rooms in the school-house.
Now it was winter, and there was snow on the ground.
The children had been to school three months.
Every afternoon they had great fun coasting down the long hill behind the school-house.
One day Miss Smith said, "Children, do you know what month this is?"
"Yes, yes!" they all said. "This is December."
"Christmas comes this month," said one little girl. ”

“ When the winter came, they went to a city, and Blue Boy, who was growing up into a big boy, was apprenticed to a glass mender, and Rainbow and he lived together in a little room in the glass mender's house. The glass mender had a pretty daughter called Joan, and she had a tame blackbird which she kept in a wicker cage. ”

“ I slept that night in the room I used to have when I was a little boy, with the summer wind blowing in at the windows, bringing the smell of the ripe fields. I lay awake and watched the moonlight shining over the barn and the stacks and the pond, and the windmill making its old dark shadow against the blue sky. ”

“ Boy Blue learned to ride on his pony's back, and he took long rides with his father.
One day he said, "I wish I had a pony cart, then I could take Little Sister to ride.
"Fire-cracker is very strong. ”

“ But Snowball did not seem to think so.
One morning Boy Blue went out to feed her, and she would not leave her nest.
"Cluck, cluck!" said she, "I can hear my little chickens."
Boy Blue kept very still and listened.
"Peep, peep, peep," he heard.
"Yes, Snowball," he said, "I can hear your chickens, too."
All day he was busy helping John build a chicken house.
They built the house in the field near the barn.
"I know Snowball will like this house," said Boy Blue.
The next morning Snowball let him see her chickens. ”

“ Granny’s hard old hand caught Blue’s little wiry one in a grip more emphatic than her words.
Mrs. Stickney listened to her boy’s story with growing joy, until when he repeated the chief’s message she dropped into a chair and hid her face in her hands.
“What in the world’s the matter?” gasped Blue.
“Why, she’s so happy!” piped Doodles, tears trickling down his flushed cheeks.
“And you too!” rallied his brother. “Well, if you folks ain’t the queerest! ”

“ little boy screaming withfright and hiding his head between her breasts as if he was trying to burrow right into her and thewoman putting her arms round him and comforting him although she was blue with fright herself,all the time covering him up as much as possible as if she thought her arms could keep the bulletsoff him. ”

“ Blue suggested presently. “Somebody might come for a New Year’s call, you know.”
So up the stairs they climbed, and returned in their Sunday suits. Maybe the Flemings were to be there, Doodles thought.
“Say,” broke out Blue, “did I tell you that Eudora wants you to sing in the choir at St. Bartholomew’s?”
The small boy widened his eyes with a surprised “No.”
“Well, that’s the programme! Just as soon as you get a little stronger, she says. The soprano boy that sings solos is going out of town, and you can have his place.” ”

“ In spite of her labors she seemed always to be at my elbow, a ceaseless little whimpering in her throat. Her spectacles were befogged with the mist from her old blue eyes, which, like the color of old china, had faded with wetting and drying in years of family use, but she did not again give up to her grief. ”

“ They called so loudly that the still air of that autumn morning was strangely startled, and the old woodchuck in the pasture way off yonder heard the echoes and wondered.
"Little boy! little boy!" they called, "why are you sleeping? Why are you sleeping, little boy?"
Call on, dear voices! but the little boy will never hear. The dimpled hands that caressed you are indeed folded upon his breast; the lips that kissed your honest faces are sealed; the baby voice that sang your playtime songs with you is hushed, and all about him is the fragrance and the beauty of flowers. ”

“ With the first hints of spring came the brave little bluebirds, darling singers as blue as the best sky, and of course we all loved them. Their rich, crispy warbling is perfectly delightful, soothing and cheering, sweet and whisperingly low, Nature’s fine love touches, every note going straight home into one’s heart. And [139] withal they are hardy and brave, fearless fighters in defense of home. When we boys approached their knot-hole nests, the bold little fellows kept scolding and diving at us and tried to strike us in the face, and oftentimes we were afraid they would prick our eyes. ”

“ THE LITTLE BOY FOUND The little boy lost in the lonely fen,
Led by the wandering light,
Began to cry, but God, ever nigh,
Appeared like his father, in white.
He kissed the child, and by the hand led,
And to his mother brought,
Who in sorrow pale, through the lonely dale,
Her little boy weeping sought.
LAUGHING SONG When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by;
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it ”

“ The blue eyes could sparkle with joy or swim in tears with equal readiness, just as the varying mood of childhood prompted. For the little one was singularly emotional for one of her hard bringing up, and was quickly moved to sorrow or pleasure by the passing events of daily life. ”

“ Little Brown Bobby said "Shoo! shoo! shoo!"
Little Brown Bobby said "Moo! moo! moo!"
This frightened them so that both of them cried,
And wished they were back at their Mammy's side!
49
PHIL'S SECRET.
I know a little girl,
But I won't tell who!
Her hair is of the gold,
And her eyes are of the blue.
Her smile is of the sweet,
And her heart is of the true.
Such a pretty little girl!—
But I won't tell who.
I see her every day,
But I won't tell where! ”

“ In Memory of a Child The angels guide him now, And watch his curly head, And lead him in their games, The little boy we led. He cannot come to harm, He knows more than we know, His light is brighter far Than daytime here below. His path leads on and on, Through pleasant lawns and flowers, His brown eyes open wide At grass more green than ours. With playmates like himself, The shining boy will sing, Exploring wondrous woods, Sweet with eternal spring. ”

“ Little blue eyes blinking at me.
Little blue eyes are closed in sleep,
Silent and deep, silent and deep,
And 'way up there in pearl-scarr'd skies,
Two little stars like baby's eyes
Are winking and blinking at me! ”

“ Blinking at the fairies who are wanting him to go;
Little boy thinking, thinking, thinking,
Little boy thinking if he will or no.
Rubs his little eye for to push the sleep away;
Better on the lawn is it? Watching spriggies play?
Minahs and starlings,
But no such darlings
As the little boy that's never been to sleep this day.
Ssh! ssh! ssh! for the big eyes gleaming,
Dee, dee, softly his mother sings;
Little boy dreaming, dreaming, dreaming,
Fluttering to bye-low on bull-fly wings.
WHISPER!
Anyone seen Micky here?
Him that lives above the ceiling. ”

“ One Spring evening they arrived rather late in a wood, and after they had made a fire and cooked their supper, Rainbow and Blue Boy went to sleep, and Blue Eyes sat by the fire for he said he wasn't sleepy.
After Rainbow had been sleeping for a few hours she woke up with a start. The moon had risen and the camp-fire had not yet gone out, but the ashes were smouldering and there by the fire sat Blue Eyes. Rainbow could see him distinctly, but he seemed to her to look different from usual; strange, beautiful, and more like a fairy Prince than a glass mender. ”

“ The Fairy raised her crooked finger to her long, pointed nose, and whispered, in a mysterious tone:
"The Blue Bird stands for happiness; and I want you [Pg 10] to understand that my little girl must be happy in order to get well. That is why I now command you to go out into the world and find the Blue Bird for her. You will have to start at once.... ”

“ But take them civilised or natural, those who love and observe little children no more expect to find that peculiar exquisite charm of the girl-child which I have endeavoured to describe in the boy, than they would expect the music of the wood-lark and the airy fairy grace and beauty of the grey wagtail in Philip Sparrow. And yet, incredible as it seems, that very quality of the miraculous little girl is sometimes found in the boy and, with it, strange to say, the boy's proper mind and spirit. ”

“ What a horror it brings to the heart of a boy! Fresh from the green fields, from the blue sky, from the fragrant woods, the babbling brook, the sounding shore, the lofty precipice, the bounding wave,—from all these he enters into the gloom, and darkness, and confinement of the school-room. Can there be any wonder that the fresh, young, boyish heart should quail, and his bounding young life droop, and his uproarious spirits flag on that dreary first day? ”

“ I once knew a little boy, a little child of three years old; one of those bright creatures whose fair loveliness seems more of heaven than of earth—even at a passing glimpse stirring our hearts, and filling them with purer and holier thought. ”