the children." They then talked
of the old woman.

Mr. Burke said he would, on his own responsibility, have the cottage
put to rights. "It should have been done before," he added. "And I will
see that she receives some help from the parish for the children; she
has had a little for herself all along. And my wife shall send her some
soup, and, may be, I could find something for Edward to do, if it be
but to frighten away the birds from the crops; so let that matter
trouble you no more, Mr. Fairchild."

Story of Henry's Adventure

[Illustration: Kind Mrs. Burke gave him a piece of bread and honey]

Henry Fairchild sat with William and James Burke for some time under
the shade of the building, and had the pleasure of hearing the two
brothers sparring on each side of him, though they did not come to
blows again. Whatever one said the other contradicted; if one said such
a thing _is_, the other said, "I am sure it is _not_;" or, "There you
go--that's just you." "Nonsense" was a favourite word of James's.
"Nonsense, Will," was his constant answer to everything his brother
proposed; and they used many words which Henry did not understand.

All this time Tom did not appear, and his brothers did not seem to
think about him.

After a while William said:

"Let us go into the cornfield, and see what the men are about; this
yard is very dull."

"No," said James, "let us show Master Fairchild the young bull."

"No! no!" cried Henry, "I do not want to see it."

Both the boys laughed outright at Henry's cry of "I do not want to see
it;" and then they assured him that the creature was well tied up--he
was in the cattle stall, just opposite to them, and could not hurt
them; and they laughed again till Henry was ashamed, and said that he
would go with them to look at him.

The cattle stall was a long, low, and narrow building, which ran one
whole side of the yard. At some seasons it was filled with cattle, each
one having a separate stall, and being tied in it, but at this time
there was no creature in it but this bull.

Now it must be told that, whilst the boys were in the barn, and just
about the time in which James and William had been scuffling with each
other and making much noise, Tom, who had not yet taken the trouble to
wash himself, had got to the top of the cattle shed, and had been
amusing himself by provoking the bull through an air-hole in the roof.

First he had thrown down on his head a quantity of