l came to tell
them that his mother was dead. His eyes were red and swollen with
weeping. For half-an-hour after he came he sat in the kitchen sobbing
bitterly, and refusing to be comforted. Fly and Honeybird cried in
sympathy, and Jane would have cried too if she had not been so busy
watching him. He cried steadily, only stopping every now and then, to
wipe his nose on his sleeve. She decided she would give him the
black-bordered handkerchief she had treasured away in her drawer
upstairs; also, she would make a beautiful wreath for his mother's
coffin. But soon the terrible truth came out that there was no coffin.
Between bursts of sobs Samuel explained that his father was in gaol,
and he himself had not a penny to pay for the funeral.

"An' her laid out an' all," he wept. "The neighbours done that much
for her. In as nice a shroud as ye'd wish to wear. She had it by her
this many's the day. But sorra a coffin has she, poor soul, an' God
knows where she's goin' to get wan."

Lull was greatly distressed. "To be sure, the parish would bury the
woman," she said; "but God save us from a burial like that." She took
her teapot out of the cupboard, and gave Samuel five shillings.

"If I had more ye'd be welcome to it, but that's every penny piece I've
got," she said. Samuel thanked her kindly, and murmured something
about money-boxes. Mick responded at once.

"I'll bet ye we've got a good wee bit in them," he said joyfully. The
money-boxes were opened, and found to contain nearly ten shillings.
The children handed over their savings gladly to help Samuel in his
need. Even Jane rejoiced that she had her half-crown to give. Samuel
went away immediately after this, and not until he had been gone some
time did Jane remember the black-bordered pocket handkerchief.
However, she determined to take it to him, and also to take a wreath
for the coffin. After dinner she made the wreath in private. Lull
might have forbidden it if she had known. Then she called Mick and
Patsy, and they started for Samuel's house. He lived near the town, so
they had a long walk before they reached the squalid street. Some boys
were playing marbles when the children turned the street corner. One
of them looked up, then rose, and fled into a house. Jane thought he
looked like Samuel, but she said nothing. Patsy had led the way so
far; now he stopped, and said they must ask which was the house. They
asked some women sitting on a