HAPTER II

Our Angel Boy

"I had a brother once--a gracious boy,
Full of all gentleness, of calmest hope,
Of sweet and quiet joy,--there was the look
Of heaven upon his face."

It was supper time when we reached home, and Bobby was at the front
gate to meet me. He always hunted me all over the place when the big
bell in the yard rang at meal time, because if he crowed nicely when he
was told, he was allowed to stand on the back of my chair and every
little while I held up my plate and shared bites with him. I have seen
many white bantams, but never another like Bobby. My big brothers
bought him for me in Fort Wayne, and sent him in a box, alone on the
cars. Father and I drove to Groveville to meet him. The minute father
pried off the lid, Bobby hopped on the edge of the box and crowed--the
biggest crow you ever heard from such a mite of a body; he wasn't in
the least afraid of us and we were pleased about it. You scarcely
could see his beady black eyes for his bushy topknot, his wing tips
touched the ground, his tail had two beautiful plumy feathers much
longer than the others, his feet were covered with feathers, and his
knee tufts dragged. He was the sauciest, spunkiest little fellow, and
white as muslin. We went to supper together, but no one asked where I
had been, and because I was so bursting full of importance, I talked
only to Bobby, in order to be safe.

After supper I finished Hezekiah's trousers, and May cut his coat for
me. School would begin in September and our clothes were being made,
so I used the scraps to dress him. His suit was done by the next
forenoon, and father never laughed harder than when Hezekiah hopped
down the walk to meet him dressed in pink trousers and coat. The coat
had flowing sleeves like the Princess wore, so Hezekiah could fly, and
he seemed to like them.

His suit was such a success I began a sunbonnet, and when that was tied
on him, the folks almost had spasms. They said he wouldn't like being
dressed; that he would fly away to punish me, but he did no such thing.
He stayed around the house and was tame as ever.

When I became tired sewing that afternoon, I went down the lane leading
to our meadow, where Leon was killing thistles with a grubbing hoe. I
thought he would be glad to see me, and he was. Every one had been
busy in the house, so I went to the cellar the outside way and ate all
I wanted from the cupboard. Then I spread two big slices of br