The youth and the missionary advanced towards a group of the children, whose souls, for the time being, were steeped in a see-saw. This instrument of delight consisted of a strong plank balanced on the trunk of a noble tree which had been recently felled, with many others, to thin the woods of the philanthropists park. It was an enormous see-saw! such as the ragged creatures had never before seenperhaps never conceived of, their experiences in such joys having been hitherto confined to small bits of broken plank placed over empty beer barrels, or back-yard fences. No fewer than eight children were able to find accommodation on it at one and the same time, besides one of the bigger boys to straddle in the centre; and it required the utmost vigilance on the part of a young man teacher at one end of the machine, and Hetty Frog at the other end, to prevent the little ragamuffins at either extremity from being forced off.
Already the missionarys anticipation in regard to the undoing of their labour had begun to be verified. There were at least four of the eight whose nether garments had succumbed to the effort made in mounting the plank, and various patches of flesh-colour revealed the fact that the poor little wearers were innocent of flannels. But it was summer-time, and the fact had little effect either on wearers or spectators. The missionary, however, was not so absorbed in the present but that he felt impelled to remark to Welland: That is their winter as well as summer clothing.
The bicyclist said nothing in reply, but the remark was not lost upon him.
Now, Dick Swiller, said the young man teacher, I see what youre up to. You mustnt do it!
Richard Swiller, who was a particularly rugged as well as ragged boy of about thirteen, not being in the habit of taking advice, did do it. That is, he sent his end of the plank up with such violence that the other end came to the ground with a shock which caused those who sat there to gasp, while it all but unseated most of those who were on the higher end. Indeed one very small and pinched but intelligent little boy, named by his companions Blobby, who looked as if Time, through the influence of privation and suffering, had been dwindling instead of developing him,actually did come off with a cry of alarm, which, however, changed into a laugh of glee when he found himself in his teachers arms, instead of lying busted on the ground, as he afterwards expressed it when relating the incident to an admiring audience of fellow ragamuffins in the slums of Spitalfields.
Blobby was immediately restored to his lost position, and Swiller was degraded, besides being made to stand behind a large tree for a quarter of an hour in forced inaction, so that he might have time to meditate on the evil consequences of disobedience.
Take care, Robin, said Hetty, to a very small but astonishingly energetic fellow, at her end of the see-saw, who was impressed with the notion that he was doing good service by wriggling his own body up and down, if you go on so, youll push Lilly Snow off.
Robin, unlike Dick, was obedient. He ceased his efforts, and thereby saved the last button which held his much too small waistcoat across his bare bosom.
What a sweet face the child she calls Lilly Snow hasif it were only clean, observed Welland. A little soap and water with a hair brush would make her quite beautiful.
Yes, she is very pretty, said the missionary and the kindly smile with which he had been watching the fun vanished, as he added in a sorrowful voice, her case is a very sad one, dear child. Her mother is a poor but deserving woman who earns a little now and then by tailoring, but she has been crushed for years by a wicked and drunken husband who has at last deserted her. We know not where he is, perhaps dead. Five times has her home been broken up by him, and many a time has she with her little one been obliged to sit on doorsteps all night, when homeless. Little Lilly attends our Sunday-school regularly, and Hetty is her teacher. It is not long since Hetty herself was a scholar, and I know that she is very anxious to lead Lilly to the Lord. The sufferings and sorrows to which this poor child has been exposed have told upon her severely, and I fear that her health will give way. A day in the country like this may do her good perhaps.
As the missionary spoke little Lilly threw up her arms and uttered a cry of alarm. Robin, although obedient, was short of memory, and his energetic spirit being too strong for his excitable little frame he had recommenced his wriggling, with the effect of bursting the last button off his waistcoat and thrusting Lilly off the plank. She was received, however, on Hettys breast, who fell with her to the ground.
Not hurt, Hetty! exclaimed the missionary, running forward to help the girl up.
Oh! no, sir, replied Hetty with a short laugh, as she rose and placed Lilly on a safer part of the see-saw.
Come here, Hetty, said John Seaward, and rest a while. You have done enough just now; let some one else take your place.
After repairing the buttonless waistcoat with a pin and giving its owner a caution, Hetty went and sat down on the grass beside the missionary.
How is Bobby? asked the latter, I have not found a moment to speak to you till now.
Thank you, sir, hes better; much better. I fear he will be well too soon.
How so? Thats a strange remark, my girl.
It may seem strange, sir, butyou knowfathers very fond of Bobby.
Well, Hetty, thats not a bad sign of your father.
Oh but, sir, father sits at his bedside when hes sober, an has such long talks with him about robberies and burglaries, and presses him very hard to agree to go out with him when hes well. I cant bear to hear it, for dear Bobby seems to listen to what he says, though sometimes he refuses, and defies him to do his worst, especially when he
Stay, dear girl. It is very very sad, but dont tell me anything more about your father. Tell it all to Jesus, Hetty. He not only sympathises with, but is able to saveeven to the uttermost.
Yes, thank God for that uttermost, said the poor girl, clasping her hands quickly together. Oh, I understood that when He saved me, and I will trust to it now.
And the gentleman who called on you,has he been again? asked the missionary.
No, sir, he has only come once, but he has sent his butler three or four times with some money for us, and always with the message that it is from Miss Diana, to be divided between Bobby and me. Unfortunately father chanced to be at home the first time he came and got it all, so we got none of it. But he was out the other times. The butler is an oldish man, and a very strange one. He went about our court crying.
Crying! Hetty, thats a curious condition for an oldish butler to be in.
Oh, of course I dont mean cryin out like a baby, said Hetty, looking down with a modest smile, but I saw tears in his eyes, and sometimes they got on his cheeks. I cant think whats the matter with him.
Whatever Mr Seaward thought on this point he said nothing, but asked if Bobby was able to go out.
Oh yes, he was quite able to walk about now with a little help, Hetty said, and she had taken several walks with him and tried to get him to speak about his soul, but he only laughed at that, and said he had too much trouble with his body to think about his soulthere was time enough for that!
They were interrupted at this point by a merry shout of glee, and, looking up, found that young Welland had mounted the see-saw, taken Lilly Snow in front of him, had Dick Swiller reinstated to counterbalance his extra weight, and was enjoying himself in a most hilarious manner among the fluttering rags. Assuredly, the fluttering rags did not enjoy themselves a whit less hilariously than he.