a girl of the limberlost-第29部分

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Billy　capered　around　in　delight。



〃Ain't　that　pretty？〃　he　exulted。　　〃I　wish　Jimmy　and

Belle　could　see。　　We；　why　we　ist　eat　out　of　our　hands　or

off　a　old　dry　goods　box；　and　when　we　fix　up　a　lot；　we

have　newspaper。　　We　ain't　ever　had　a　nice　red　cloth　like　this。〃



Wesley　looked　straight　at　Margaret；　so　intently　that　she

turned　away；　her　face　flushing。　　He　stacked　the　dictionary

and　the　geography　of　the　world　on　a　chair；　and　lifted　Billy

beside　him。　　He　heaped　a　plate　generously；　cut　the　food；

put　a　fork　into　Billy's　little　fist；　and　made　him　eat　slowly

and　properly。　　Billy　did　his　best。　　Occasionally　greed

overcame　him；　and　he　used　his　left　hand　to　pop　a　bite　into

his　mouth　with　his　fingers。　　These　lapses　Wesley　patiently

overlooked；　and　went　on　with　his　general　instructions。　

Luckily　Billy　did　not　spill　anything　on　his　clothing　or

the　cloth。　　After　supper　Wesley　took　him　to　the　barn　while

he　finished　the　night　work。　　Then　he　went　and　sat　beside

Margaret　on　the　front　porch。　　Billy　appropriated　the

hammock；　and　swung　by　pulling　a　rope　tied　around　a　tree。　

The　very　energy　with　which　he　went　at　the　work　of

swinging　himself　appealed　to　Wesley。



〃Mercy；　but　he's　an　active　little　body；〃　he　said。　

〃There　isn't　a　lazy　bone　in　him。　　See　how　he　works

to　pay　for　his　fun。〃



〃There　goes　his　foot　through　it！〃　cried　Margaret。　

〃Wesley；　he　shall　not　ruin　my　hammock。〃



〃Of　course　he　shan't！〃　said　Wesley。　　〃Wait；　Billy；　let

me　show　you。〃



Thereupon　he　explained　to　Billy　that　ladies　wearing

beautiful　white　dresses　sat　in　hammocks；　so　little　boys

must　not　put　their　dusty　feet　in　them。　　Billy　immediately

sat；　and　allowed　his　feet　to　swing。



〃Margaret；〃　said　Wesley　after　a　long　silence　on　the

porch；　〃isn't　it　true　that　if　Billy　had　been　a　half…starved

sore　cat；　dog；　or　animal　of　any　sort；　that　you　would　have

pitied；　and　helped　care　for　it；　and　been　glad　to　see　me　get

any　pleasure　out　of　it　I　could？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Margaret　coldly。



〃But　because　I　brought　a　child　with　an　immortal　soul；

there　is　no　welcome。〃



〃That　isn't　a　child；　it's　an　animal。〃



〃You　just　said　you　would　have　welcomed　an　animal。〃



〃Not　a　wild　one。　　I　meant　a　tame　beast。〃



〃Billy　is　not　a　beast！〃　said　Wesley　hotly。　　〃He　is　a

very　dear　little　boy。　　Margaret；　you've　always　done　the

church…going　and　Bible　reading　for　this　family。　　How　do

you　reconcile　that　‘Suffer　little　children　to　come　unto　Me'

with　the　way　you　are　treating　Billy？〃



Margaret　arose。　　〃I　haven't　treated　that　child。　　I　have

only　let　him　alone。　　I　can　barely　hold　myself。　　He　needs

the　hide　tanned　about　off　him！〃



〃If　you'd　cared　to　look　at　his　body；　you'd　know　that　you

couldn't　find　a　place　to　strike　without　cutting　into　a　raw

spot；〃　said　Wesley。　　〃Besides；　Billy　has　not　done　a

thing　for　which　a　child　should　be　punished。　　He　is　only

full　of　life；　no　training；　and　with　a　boy's　love　of　mischief。　

He　did　abuse　your　kittens；　but　an　hour　before　I　saw　him

risk　his　life　to　save　one　from　being　run　over。　　He　minds

what　you　tell　him；　and　doesn't　do　anything　he　is　told　not　to。　

He　thinks　of　his　brother　and　sister　right　away　when

anything　pleases　him。　　He　took　that　stinging　medicine

with　the　grit　of　a　bulldog。　　He　is　just　a　bully　little　chap；

and　I　love　him。〃



〃Oh　good　heavens！〃　cried　Margaret；　going　into　the

house　as　she　spoke。



Sinton　sat　still。　　At　last　Billy　tired　of　the　swing；　came

to　him　and　leaned　his　slight　body　against　the　big　knee。



〃Am　I　going　to　sleep　here？〃　he　asked。



〃Sure　you　are！〃　said　Sinton。



Billy　swung　his　feet　as　he　laid　across　Wesley's　knee。

〃Come　on；〃　said　Wesley；　〃I　must　clean　you　up　for　bed。〃



〃You　have　to　be　just　awful　clean　here；〃　announced　Billy。　

〃I　like　to　be　clean；　you　feel　so　good；　after　the　hurt　is　over。〃



Sinton　registered　that　remark；　and　worked　with　especial

tenderness　as　he　redressed　the　ailing　places　and

washed　the　dust　from　Billy's　feet　and　hands。



〃Where　can　he　sleep？〃　he　asked　Margaret。



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know；〃　she　answered。



〃Oh；　I　can　sleep　ist　any　place；〃　said　Billy。　　〃On　the

floor　or　anywhere。　　Home；　I　sleep　on　pa's　coat　on　a　store…

box；　and　Jimmy　and　Belle　they　sleep　on　the　storebox；　too。　

〃I　sleep　between　them；　so's　I　don't　roll　off　and　crack

my　head。　　Ain't　you　got　a　storebox　and　a　old　coat？〃



Wesley　arose　and　opened　a　folding　lounge。　　Then　he

brought　an　armload　of　clean　horse　blankets　from　a　closet。



〃These　don't　look　like　the　nice　white　bed　a　little　boy

should　have；　Billy；〃　he　said；　〃but　we'll　make　them　do。　

This　will　beat　a　storebox　all　hollow。〃



Billy　took　a　long　leap　for　the　lounge。　　When　he　found

it　bounced；　he　proceeded　to　bounce；　until　he　was　tired。　

By　that　time　the　blankets　had　to　be　refolded。　　Wesley　had

Billy　take　one　end　and　help；　while　both　of　them　seemed　to

enjoy　the　job。　　Then　Billy　lay　down　and　curled　up　in　his

clothes　like　a　small　dog。　　But　sleep　would　not　come。



Finally　he　sat　up。　　He　stared　around　restlessly。　　Then　he

arose；　went　to　Wesley；　and　leaned　against　his　knee。　　He　picked

up　the　boy　and　folded　his　arms　around　him。　　Billy　sighed

in　rapturous　content。



〃That　bed　feels　so　lost　like；〃　he　said。　　〃Jimmy　always

jabbed　me　on　one　side；　and　Belle　on　the　other；　and　so　I

knew　I　was　there。　　Do　you　know　where　they　are？〃



〃They　are　with　kind　people　who　gave　them　a　fine　supper；

a　clean　bed；　and　will　always　take　good　care　of　them。〃



〃I　wisht　I　was〃　　Billy　hesitated　and　looked　earnestly

at　Wesley。　　〃I　mean　I　wish　they　was　here。〃



〃You　are　about　all　I　can　manage；　Billy；〃　said　Wesley。



Billy　sat　up。　　〃Can't　she　manage　anything？〃　he　asked；

waving　toward　Margaret。



〃Indeed；　yes；〃　said　Wesley。　　〃She　has　managed　me

for　twenty　years。〃



〃My；　but　she　made　you　nice！〃　said　Billy。　　〃I　just　love　you。　

I　wisht　she'd　take　Jimmy　and　Belle　and　make　them　nice　as　you。〃



〃She　isn't　strong　enough　to　do　that；　Billy。　　They　will

grow　into　a　good　boy　and　girl　where　they　are。〃



Billy　slid　from　Wesley's　arms　and　walked　toward

Margaret　until　he　reached　the　middle　of　the　room。　　Then　he

stopped；　and　at　last　sat　on　the　floor。　　Finally　he　lay

down　and　closed　his　eyes。　　〃This　feels　more　like　my　bed；

if　only　Jimmy　and　Belle　was　here　to　crowd　up　a　little；　so　it

wasn't　so　alone　like。〃



〃Won't　I　do；　Billy？〃　asked　Wesley　in　a　husky　voice。



Billy　moved　restlessly。　　〃Seems　likeseems　like

toward　night　as　if　a　body　got　kind　o'　lonesome　for　a

woman　personlike　her。〃



Billy　indicated　Margaret　and　then　closed　his　eyes　so

tight　his　small　face　wrinkled。



Soon　he　was　up　again。　　〃Wisht　I　had　Snap；〃　he　said。　

〃Oh；　I　ist　wisht　I　had　Snap！〃



〃I　thought　you　laid　a　board　on　Snap　and　jumped　on

it；〃　said　Wesley。



〃We　did！〃　cried　Billy〃oh；　you　ought　to　heard　him

squeal！〃　Billy　laughed　loudly；　then　his　face　clouded。



〃But　I　want　Snap　to　lay　beside　me　so　bad　nowthat　if　he

was　here　I'd　give　him　a　piece　of　my　chicken；　'