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The Baldwin Library
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LITTLE LAD JAMIE
BY
MARY D. BRINE
AUTHOR OF BONNY BONIBEL, LITTLE NEW NEIGHBOR, DAN
MY LITTLE MARGARET, ETC., ETC.
NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
31 West TWENTY-THIRD STREET
1895
Copyright, 1895,
By E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
SJPAMIE Metctctavelscesterseterstart ter stetees eels Pete betes ates ese eST ea tare eer tem UR 1
CHAPTER II.
PIPED EUG ss GO ODER Vaiantsrstsy sta stetaysta eyet a ecte ts te yksen See nop erst, (etic easptcs tates | ete SEC 6
CHAPTER III.
ANTE PATA ENT PEL ND yr sispersi pets alee gee say pe ca 0c a eRe me a eT aR 12
CHAPTER IV.
Ubean (ShopaaaGih OID GPWTGIDG | Gado agus Hono Guooousadne hove sedeub bobodo neon bak, 15
CHAPTER V.
NE WiSORIBND Stipe cttyete sess pre se eee crakereie mela His cee oe eee en op ra ape Ie eve 21
CHAPTER VI.
dN} (SAVABKes SON GGub dunk Gade dod ooW Uonedn Hbadee noe tas Rand ese Uden deed aee. 27
CHAPTER VII
LEE VVRE GRAN DIDI man eTS OU sae tesieretey srerepare Petey steric ran tie ey paren ee 383
CHAPTER VIII.
ALLELES MIB ON TUR Me wNerireyeiannt ayer narses wretave pe lacey er Grte nen eiwaraiu eect emer uve nn (sal eam 40
CHAPTER IX.
BVVPATTODIIN Gas Ru MUAUMTAt puireieryrucsareanyspersi vay ten to! itis pete eulans rs un toa Vnlaay enna 47
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
“Ou HO! On HO! I’m IN My ArrR-suip! HERE I Go!†(Pagel16)........ Frontispiece
JAMIE STOOD SOBERLY AT THE WINDOW, WATCHING.............-.. never CaO)
‘CAPTAIN JAMIE†WAS VERY, PRouD oF His SHIP...................-205+ 12
OU TKK RY OUMVBR Ye NIG OHM OMUrriiiia attr ascy hier) cer Rant arent. 18
SD ON, DVO ULV ANTES 6 ORIAN GE elerr erty errr nen reiee Men aeepererine 25
JAMIE FounD HIMSELF IN A STRANGE PLACE............. eee eeee eer 384
SULTS PAW DE AULR UTS 0 ORS | tasreetaiet ttelsteters Sag cou oonoDeMoobonabEEdCD Michie eit 42
“‘You’VE BEEN SUCH A DEAR, KIND GRAN’MA TO MEâ€............ Rercrie ioe 50
EAA eee) yea alah
CHAPTER I.
JAMIE.
Everysopy loved Jamie. He was the dearest, sunniest little
laddie you ever saw. Happy little round face just full of
dimples, and bright with the shine of his happy blue eyes;
“ooldeny hairâ€â€™â€”as mama called it—all full of waving, soft
tangles which wouldn’t stay brushed into order; a roly-poly
little form, which, to please him, mama dressed in pretty “ sailor-
suit†style (and you can’t guess how brave and manly he felt
when he stepped out of his kilts into the new suits!); and the
merriest, heartiest, most musical boy-laugh that ever made
grown folks laugh too.
Jamie was somewhere between five and six years old, and
although a real little man in ways and feelings, yet not quite
ready to give up the habit of climbing into people’s laps and
snuggling down into the love-nest of caressing arms. He had
plenty of kisses with which to “pay back†the kisses he re-
ceived, and when he was naughty he had the sweetest way of
being sorry for it that can be imagined.
1
2 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
You can guess very easily, after this description of J amie,
how hard it must have been for mama when one day she
found that she would have to take a short journey away
- from home and her dear little laddie, whom she had never left
before.
Jamie was playing being captain of a big steamer when the
maid brought a letter to mama on that morning; and while she
read it, the “captain†walked up and down the deck of his
steamer (which was the large rug in the center of the polished
floor), and shouted all kinds of orders to his invisible crew.
Now and then he made the rug slide along the floor by pushing it
with his feet after an original style of his own; and then he
played there was a great storm at sea, and he pretended he
could hardly keep his balance while walking the deck, and the °
orders to the crew were shouted faster than ever.
Oh, it was great fun for Jamie, and he was just thinkin g that
he would play at falling overboard, and letting mama be the
captain of another ship and pick him up, when he saw her put
her hand up to her eyes and wipe a tear away.
Instantly the “captain†turned into a very small, anxious
boy; and before you could have counted three, Jamie was in
his mother’s lap, pulling her hand from her eyes, and kissing
her in a fast, furious sort of way which seemed to comfort her
greatly.
“What you doin’ it for, mama?†he asked.
“Doing what, Jamie?â€
“ Cryin’ in your eyes!†he explained, anxiously.
She laughed and hugged him closely as she replied:
“Just a wee little tear, darling, because this letter tells me I
JAMIE, 3
must go and see a dear old friend who is very sick; and be-
cause, if I go, I shall have to leave my little laddie behind me F
and I don’t want to do it, Jamie—not one bit.â€
Jamie’s face grew sober enough then, and he slipped his
arms very tightly about mama’s neck.
“Ain’t goin’ to let you!†he whispered, with a suspicion of
sobs in his voice.
Mama pushed the soft yellow tangles from his forehead, and
looked into the sweet blue eyes of her sturdy little son.
“Suppose mama were sick, and wanted a friend to come
and see her, and that friend’s little boy said, ‘N o, I won’t let
her go!’—wouldn’t you be sorry for poor mama and her being
disappointed ?â€
Jamie shook his head “yes.â€
“Well, then, think how sorry my friend would be if you
didn’t let me go and see her,†said mama.
“Maybe she wouldn’t be,†Jamie said; “maybe she’s all well
now. Maybe—may—maybheâ€â€”the little voice faltered, and the
round head dropped on mama’s shoulder—“ maybe she—she
wants to see your little boy too!â€
Mama smiled to herself, and rocked back and forth with her
boy in her arms, his hands still clinging about her neck as if they
never meant to loosen.
“She’s too sick to see little boys, dear—even so dear and
good and kind-hearted a little boy as my laddie. But shell be
very glad—you can’t think how glad, Jamie—when she knows
my little boy was helpful and brave, and willing to spare mama
for a day or two, and that he didn’t even ery one little tear be-
cause I had to leave him.â€
4 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
Jamie pushed his head deeper down on the mother-heart
where he was hiding his tearful eyes.
Mama waited a moment, and as there was no reply from
Jamie, she continued:
“And Iam sure that if J can go and leave my boy of boys
for a while, and not ery for him, because I know he’d be sorry
he made poor mama ery, why, my boy of boys can be as brave
as I, and not make me sorry because he cries. Oh yes, I’m quite
sure of that.â€
Jamie’s head lifted itself, and the blue eyes were winking
tears away very rapidly for an instant; then:
“Tf I didn’t love my mama I wouldn’t ery, ’cause I—I
wouldn’t care; but if I care—I’ve jus’ got to ery, ’cause the ery-
feelin’ keeps comin’ in me, an’—an’—â€
Well, it was no use struggling any longer; those tears were
bound to come, and come they did; and mama didn’t try to
stop them, because she remembered that her wee laddie, after
all, never cried unless there was something really worth erying
for; and she didn’t blame him for his tears on this, to him, very
trying occasion.
By and by Jamie felt better; and then he sat up in mama’s
lap, and wiped the very last tear away from the blue eyes, and
smiled very bravely as he said:
“Now I’m done eryin’, mama, an’ ’m goin’ to be kind to the
sick lady, an’ low you to go an’ make her feel happy; but I tell
you what, it?s—it’s hard work to be good ’bout it!â€
Oh, what a shower of kisses came raining down from the
dear mother-lips on Jamie’s face then !—kisses on his blue eyes,
his white forehead and soft pink cheeks, and on his two rosy
JAMIE. 3
lips, which were “kissing back†with might and main. Then
the little laddie turned into a bold sailor-captain once more, and
the rug steamer proceeded on its voyage over the polished floor.
Meanwhile mama made arrangements for Jamie to stay with
grandma, in grandma’s pretty country home not far away, where
she knew her laddie would be a most welcome little visitor dur-
ing her absence. To be sure, grandma always spoiled him, and
grandpa too, whenever he went there; but the spoiling never
seemed to injure Jamie in any way, and he never took advan-
tage of it, you see, as some little folks are apt to. Grandpa
was off on a long journey now, so that Jamie would be good
company to grandma, and the ‘
‘man of the house,†as mama
explained; and Jamie straightened himself up proudly as he
thought abovt it. Jamie’s papa was not living, and it was the
one great sorrow of his sunny little heart that he could not
reach beyond the clouds and kiss that dear papa good-morning
and good-night, as he used to do only a year or two before my
story begins. But he never got up in the morning without going
straight to the window; and looking up to the sky, he would
throw a kiss from his little lips, and whisper, “ Good-mornin’,
my own dear papa up in heaven!†And before he got into his
wee bed each night it was just the same: the soft kiss was
wafted upward, and “Good-night, dear papa!†softly followed
it. Mama’s eyes were apt to be full of tears at these especial
times, but she never let her laddie know it—oh no indeed! All
he knew was that he had closer “hugs†and gentler kisses from
his precious mother just on those occasions than during other
hours of the day, even though her caresses were always many
and sweet. -
CHAPTER II.
THE ‘‘GOOD-BY.â€
WELL, the day came when the parting was to take place.
Mama took her little son to grandma’s house, and after saying
good-by in her own fond way, was driven off to the depot
again. Jamie stood soberly at the window, watching as long as
he could see the carriage, and feeling a dreadful weight on his
little heart as the wheels carried his dear one farther and
farther away.
He couldn’t remember when mama had left him before. He
didn’t feel comfortable at all in his heart or in his mind. He
loved grandma dearly, but she wasn’t precious like mama, he
thought; and there seemed to be a great empty space some-
where and somehow all about him. He couldn’t see the space,
but he felt it—oh, he felt it terribly—and he almost wished
he had “cried a little harder an’ longer, an’ not tried to be so
good bout it, an’ then maybe mama wouldn’t have gone away.
Mh-o-0-0 dear! how queer an’ uncomfor’ble he did feel!â€
Grandma came into the room and put her arms around him
presently.
“Cheer up, darling; it’s only for a few days, you know, and
you and I must cheer each other up, you see, because J miss
grandpa, and you miss mama—two big misses together. And
6
THE ‘‘GOOD-BY.†f
oh dear me! if I didn’t have you, Jamie, to be a man in the house,
how lonely I should be!â€
Jamie stood up straight and tall, and his white sailor-suit
looked very brave, even if its owner’s face did not.
“oSeuse me, gran’ma,†he said, politely; “I jus’ forgot for a
teenty minute that I promised mama I’d smile an’ smile, an’
cheer you up all I could. I jus’ was feelin’ so low down in my
heart, you know, an’ I’most had tears!â€
“You darling!†replied grandma, “as if you hadn’t a perfect
right to grieve and be lonely, you precious little laddie! Well,
when the sun comes out in my boy’s heart by and by, will he
come and put a little of it in old grandma’s heart too?â€
Jamie nodded eagerly.
“Oh yes indeed, gran’ma! You jus’ wait, an’ you'll see ll
be along soon; I’m goin’ to forget all the lonely feelin’s, yowll
see! I’m the greatest fellow for forgettin’ you ever saw!â€
With a twinkle in her eyes grandma left the room, and Jamie
stood quietly there by the window, fighting a small battle all by
himself, and gaining the victory, too, over every big tear that
persisted in coming from his heart to his eyes.
While grandma sat at her sewing a little later, she heard
quick steps coming along the hall; and before she could say
“Jack Robinson†two small arms were about her neck, and a
tight hug nearly took her breath away.
“ello, gram’ma!†exclaimed a little voice in her ear; “ find
my tears if you can! I haven’t got another single one in me,
an’ I’m dreffle glad!â€
Grandma looked surprised.
“Why, that’s really so, laddie; I don’t see even the trace of
8 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
oneâ€â€”examining the blue, serious eyes with great gravity.
“How did you get rid of them so quickly?â€
Jamie drew a deep breath.
“ Smiled ’em away, I guess,†he replied. “O gran’ma, let me
tell you, so you can try it when you're cryin’ for gran’pa: there
never was such a nice way to get rid of cry-tears as jus’ to
smile an’ smile an’ keep on smilin’ till you forget—well, ’most
forget—what you were eryiw’ ’bout; an’ then, firs’ thing you
know, you don’t have any tears left, an’ you feel jus’ as good an’
comfor’ble as can be.â€
“Why, that’s splendid advice, my little man,†said grandma;
“T shall be sure to take it, of course. Now get your little coat
and let us take a walk to the village.â€
You ought to have seen Jamie’s eyes sparkle then! When
he and mama had visited grandma last there had been a walk to
the village—not only once, but several times; and grandma had
always found something in the big store there which was pre-
sented to Jamie as a token of her love for him. He never hinted
for gifts—no indeed! But he wouldn’t have been much like
real little boys—would he ?—if he hadn’t been glad for grandma’s
presents.
So no wonder he got inside of the little coat quickly, and
covered his sunny head with the pretty Scotch cap, and was
ready in a jiffy on this occasion. It was a beautiful spring day,
and the sunbeams were just as lively and thick as they could be.
They got into Jamie’s eyes (maybe they thought they had found
a piece of sky there), and they were breathed into his little heart
with every sweet breath of air, and they frolicked about every
step he took.
THE ‘‘GOOD-BY.†9
Grandma thought, as she looked at him, that there wasn’t
another grandmother in the world who had such a pretty,
sturdy, lovable little sailor-boy for a grandson as she had. She
kept saying, “ Bless him! bless him!†in her heart as he trudged
along beside her; and I firmly believe everything was blessing
him, because he tried so hard to be a good boy, and because he
loved everybody and everything his “dear kind Jesus†sent in
his way. (I have quoted Jamie’s own expression there.)
Well, the village was reached, and the store was close at hand.
“What are we going to the store for, laddie—do you know?â€
asked grandma, laughingly.
“Tf you want me to tell honest, I can,†replied he, with a
merry twinkle in his eyes as his gaze met hers; “but if you
want to play guess, V’ll say—let’s see—l’ll say we’re goin’ to buy
somethin’ to ’muse gran’pa with when he comes home.â€
“Guess ‘honest,’ then,†said grandma, pulling his ear play-
fully.
The blue eyes sparkled more than ever, and with a little
squeeze of grandma’s hand in advance gratitude, Jamie whis-
pered:
“Were goiw ’eause you love laddie, an’ yowre goin’ to show
it the way you always do, you darliw’ gran’ma! â€
Well, when they entered the store it did seem to Jamie as
though a whole world of toys had been emptied right there—all
sorts and kinds, and at all prices, too, and every one of them
just what a boy or girl would seem to want most.
But the thing which caught Jamie’s gaze first, and held it
longest, was a fine big ship, with flowing white sail and spars,
and a beautiful deck for promenading, too.
10 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
Grandma was watching her boy, and she smiled to see how
eagerly he looked at the ship, as if there were not another thing
in the store worth looking at.
But of course he didn’t say so—he was too well bred a boy to
be hinting about what he would like when he was going to have
a present; so when presently grandma asked, “ Well, laddie,
what shall I choose for you?†he replied, “ Anything you like,
gran’ma; [ll be sure to like it.â€
“Very well; we'll look around and see what there is,†said
grandma.
And Jamie did so, although his eyes kept turning, in spite
of him, in the direction of that beautiful ship; and presently he
saw the salesman lift it from the shelf and wrap it up carefully
for some purchaser. A tiny feeling of disappointment crept
into Jamie’s heart; but he felt glad for the little unknown boy
who was going to have it, and he went over to grandma—who
was looking at some magazines—and pulling her down so that
his lips would reach her ear, he whispered:
“Say, gran’ma, there’s goin’ to be a dreffle lucky little boy
in this village to-day somewhere, ’eause somebody’s been buyin’
him that splendid ship that was over there. I saw it when we
came in, an’ oh, it was the splendidest ship you ever saw! I
wonder whether the little boy’ll like playin’ ‘captain’ as I do?â€
Grandma smiled.
“Oh yes, I’m sure he will,†said she. “ He’s right here in this
store; and as I know him J’ll introduce you to him, and you
can ask him all about it. Maybe he'll let you play with his ship
sometimes, if you ask him.†:
Jamie looked delighted.
THE ‘‘GOOD-BY.†afl:
“Oh, Dll ask him fast ’nough, grandma!†he said. ‘“ Where
is he?â€
Grandma drew him to one side of the store, and paused be-
fore a long mirror.
“Now look and see what a fine boy he is; and the very
image of my little laddie, too,†she said, laughing at Jamie’s
face as he realized that grandma had been playing a merry trick
on hin.
“Oh, oh, oh! gran’ma! Pm the boy who’s got it!†he ex-
claimed, turning and throwing his arms about her waist, and
speaking so excitedly that the people in the store turned around
to watch him.
Then he blushed way up to the soft tangle of his golden
“bang†(if one must give that horrid name to the pretty cluster
of hair falling over a little white forehead), and hid his face on
grandma’s arm.
How he ever got home with his large package, neither he nor
grandma could rightly tell; for it did seem as though his small
feet were treading only on air, and he had to stop every few
moments to make sure that it was really a ship which was
wrapped up so carefully, and not only a lovely dream after all.
CHAPTER III.
JAMIE AT THE POND.
Nor far from grandma’s house there was a pretty little pond,
and you reached it by following a path through the garden be-
hind the house. It was a shady, pleasant path, and grandma
often walked there with Jamie. The pond wasn’t very deep,
and she knew, besides, that if the little boy promised to be very
careful and not lean over the water so that there was danger of
his falling in, he could be safely trusted to keep his word.
So she allowed him to take his ship there as soon as possible
after it came into his proud possession; and you can imagine
what a delight it was to Jamie the first time he set the “Lady
Grace†afloat. (He had named her after mama, I ought to ex-
plain, and grandma took care to mention the compliment in her
next letter to mama.)
“Captain Jamie†was very proud of his ship, you may be
sure; and the gardener fastened a long string to its prow, so
that when the wind filled the sails and it went bravely sailing
on its voyage beyond the shore, Jamie could pull it into port
whenever and wherever he pleased.
Sometimes the little craft was laden with leaves; and it was
fine sport when the breezes would sweep the deck quite clear of
its freight before the journey was half over. Sometimes, too,
12
JAMIE AT THE POND. 13
Jamie would decide to ship-a cargo of lumber; and the amount
of twigs and chips the little vessel could carry filled the “ cap-
tain’s†soul with pride.
“Tisn’t clear weather all the time,†said J. amie, one day,
after he had delivered several cargoes safely in port. “There
ought to be some storms now ’n’ then, same as real ships have
to go through.â€
So he loaded his ship with a fresh cargo, and when it was
well offshore he vigorously jerked the string which his little
hand grasped so firmly, and presently the “ocean†was strewn
with bits of wreck, and the ship was rocking and plunging
violently.
That so delighted the “ captain†that he decided to have a reg-
ular wrecking season; and remembering a small rubber boy
which grandma had found for him among some battered toys
stored in her garret, he seized the first opportunity possible to
bring about a thrilling scene of shipwreck, in which, also, a life-
saving station should figure.
So Mr. Doll was seated comfortably leaning against the
mast, with no suspicion of danger to come. After an affection-
ate farewell from Jamie, the ship was loosed from its moorings,
and away it went over a smooth sea and under a soft blue sky.
But oh, it was a terrible shipwreck which followed ere long!
A few jerks of the long string in Jamie’s hand, and presently
the passenger was tossed overboard, and was, of course, in great
danger of drowning.
The brave “captain†on shore—now become the commander
of a life-saving station, you understand—ran wildly to and fro,
shouting orders to his imaginary men and words of encourage-
14 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
ment to the drowning passenger, until at last the mimic waves
bore the rubber victim safely to the shore, and Jamie’s rescuing
hand was ready to do the rest.
Oh, it was “ grand good funâ€â€”so Jamie told grandma when
he returned to the house, and had tucked the rescued passenger
safely away to recover strength for the next perilous voyage.
“Tt was grand good fun; but he was dreffle glad it wasn’t a real
live passenger bein’ dumped into a real ocean.â€
“Try the kitten, Master Jamie,†suggested the gardener,
laughingly.
Jamie was indignant, and straightened his little figure as he
answered :
“Do you think I’d be such a cruel boy as to tease a kitty
like that? Kitties have feelin’s same’s we have, an’ my dearest
mama never ‘lows me to tease any kind of a—alemile; an’ ’m
s’prised at you, Tom!â€
“Right you are, little master!†said Tom, humbly. “TI was
only teasin’ you a bit; it’s not Tom McCarty would tease an
animal, either—trust him for that, laddie.â€
CHAPTER IV.
THE SURPRISE FOR JAMIE.
ONE day grandma and Tom held a whispered conversation
together; and Jamie, seeing a twinkle in Tom’s eyes as the man
turned and glanced at him, felt sure that the conversation con-
cerned him. But he was writing a letter to mama, and so he
didn’t stop to ask any questions, though a happy little thrill of
curiosity began to stir his heart.
The letter to mama was slow work, because Jamie’s penman-
ship had not yet gone beyond printing, and his A’s some-
times got upside down like V’s; but he did sueceed in printing,
very fairly, two whole lines which told the dear mother that he
loved her and was being a good boy.
After grandma had pronounced the effort satisfactory, and
he had watched her inclose it in a letter she had herself written
to mama, Jamie ran out for a frolic in the garden.
What did he see there in the arbor-shaded path which
brought a laugh to his eyes and lips, and made him scamper
like a young colt in that direction? What should it be but a
strong, fine swing, hanging from secure fastenings, and swaying
gently back and forth in the merry wind! The broad seat was
hollowed out a trifle, so that the little boy could not slip from
it, no matter how high the swing might carry him. Just where
his little hands would have to grasp the rope, the rough, strong
15
16 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
strands were padded with soft kid; and that kid “padding†had
been ingeniously arranged to slide up and down the rope, so
that if Jamie wished to stand in his swing, the soft kid would
go as high as his hands were obliged to. Old Tom had also re-
membered that little feet were often apt to slip up when stand-
ing on the seat of a moving swing, and away would go the seat,
and down would go the swinger, unless the poor little hands
grasped the ropes very tightly; so on either side of the
hollowed seat Tom had fastened securely a strap under which
Jamie’s wee feet might push themselves, and all danger of a
slip-up thus be avoided.
You will see that this was a very unusual kind of swing over
which grandma and Tom had consulted, and which had been
prepared (all ready for putting up) the evening before, after
Jamie and the chickens were fast asleep.
No wonder the little laddie ran with a shout of glee and
clambered into position, and gave himself a shove with the toes
of his shoes, and another, and still another, until he began to
skim over the ground pretty fast.
He and grandma had been looking at some pictures the day
before, and among the pictures was one representing an air-ship.
Jamie had been intensely interested in it, and had decided in his
secret heart to have one as soon as he became a man. N Ow, as
he was swinging away, his quick-witted little brain turned the
swing into an “air-ship,†and presently grandma heard him
singing at the top of his voice:
“Oh ho! oh ho!
Tm in my air-ship! here I go!
Now I’m high, an’ now I’m low!
Oh ho! ho! ho! ho!â€
THE SURPRISE FOR JAMIE. 17
I don’t know which tickled grandma most, Jamie’s clever
little rhyme (oh, he was a smart laddie), or his appreciation of her
new gift to him—the swing. She peered at him through the
bushes she and Tom were busily pruning, and saw his happy
little face, wrinkled all over from chin to forehead with his
laughter, and listened with the most loving and partial ears in
the world to his song, as she thought, in her heart, “ Bless my
laddie-boy !â€
Pretty soon Jamie saw her with his sharp little eyes, and he
ealled out:
“Gran’ma! gran’ma! come an’ see me ’n’ my air-ship!â€
“ Coming, deary,†was the reply.
And high and higher went the swing, until finally two small
feet were so very close to the leaves above that grandma grew
quite nervous for her boy’s safety.
“@ran’ma, gran’ma, look at me!
Vm most a birdie in a tree!â€
sang Jamie, merrily; and grandma pulled her wits together to
see if she could equal Jamie in rhyming, and sang back again:
“Taddie, do not swing so high!
Yow ll break your nosy by and by!â€
That made Jamie laugh harder than ever; and yet, because
he saw a little real worry in dear grandma’s face (she couldn’t
help it, you know), he decided to “let the cat die,†and ceased to
work his small body backward and forward.
So the swing came to a standstill at last; and then, although
Jamie was sorely tempted to try the standing position, yet he de-
18 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
cided to wait till next time—“’cause gran’ma was so scared
*bout him.â€
“Yow’re a very kind gran’ma to little boys,†he said, gravely,
running to her presently, and snuggling into her arms. “You're
so kind to me that I love you nex’ bes’ to my beawful mama!â€
He lifted his moist little lips to hers, and patted her cheek with
his hand.
“Now I must go ’v’ find Tom,†he continued, “’cause I most
know he helped you fix my air-ship swing.â€
He found Tom working away in the garden.
“T like you very much, Tom,†said he. “I like my swing,
too; it’s a beawful swing, an’ youre a very nice man to help
gran’ma fix it. I guess you like little boys a great deal, Tom,
don’t you?†Lay
“You're right there, master laddie; I like little boys when
they’re good uns; an’. if you ain’t a good un then I never rightly
saw un!†replied Tom, hoeing away busily.
Jamie stood still right there in the path. His face was
rather grave, for he felt that he wasn’t quite so good as Tom
thought he was. He remembered many times when he had
been very naughty, and mama had had to scold him hard for
it, too. Once he had put a little, “teenty †china dolly right in the
middle of some dough mama’s cook had mixed for baking. Oh, he
remembered it very well, because it only happened in the winter
before. Cook had been cross, and Jamie didn’t like the way she
had put him out of the kitchen; and when her back had been
turned for a few moments, he pushed the dolly deep down till
the dough hid it quite out of sight, and then he smoothed the
top all over nicely again; and with great glee in his heart away
THE SURPRISE FOR JAMIE. 19
he went, as though the thought of being naughty had never en-
tered his mischievous head. But when that loaf of bread had
been baked, and was soon after cut for the table, you can ima-
gine without my telling it how naughty Jamie found his little
trick was received, both by cook andhismama. They could not
help laughing, to be sure, when the china dolly tumbled out of
the loaf in the most unexpected way; but you may be sure that
Jamie was not present while the laughing was going on—no in-
deed! All he knew about the discovery of his revenge upon
poor cook was a rather painful knowledge; and he remembered
the punishment quite vividly even now.
And yet I think the little boy felt worse at having grieved
mama so, and because he had given cook so much trouble, than
he did for being punished; and he was sorry in his own sweet,
lovable way, as usual, so that he was very soon forgiven for his
fault.
Well, as he stood there in the garden listening to the old gar-
denev’s kind praise of him, he wondered whether he ought not
to confess all those naughty things his conscience brought up
to him, even though it would make Tom say, “Why, Master
Jamie, ’m surprised at you! I thought you were a good boy,
and I find you’re only a bad un! Oh, fie on you! fie on you,
laddie!â€
His little face was so serious thinking of all this that Tom
burst out laughing, and asked what was the trouble.
“Oh, Iwas only jus’ thinkin’ that I guessed if you knew how
drefily naughty I sometimes am—you—you wouldn’t say such
nice things to me, Tom.â€
“Pooh, pooh, laddie! a mite of a boy like you! Your little
20 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
naughtinesses ain’t countin’ much agen ye, I reckon. Come,
how’d the swing go, eh?â€
““Tiptop !†shouted the little lad, merry again on the instant.
“ An’ I thank you, Tom, same’s I thanked gran’ma, for bein’ so
kind to me. Mama’ll thank you too; you see if she doesn’t!â€
“We'll thank mama for lettin’ us have her boy for these few
days,†said Tom. “It’s mighty cheerin’ to us old folks, you see.â€
Then Jamie returned to his swing, and enjoyed it until he
was called in to be made neat and dainty for the luncheon-table.
CiHpAG ec Hyak, Vie
NEW FRIENDS.
THE next day was rather chilly, and the sun was lazy about
shining out as clearly as usual, although it ought to have been
warming up the buds and blossoms, and remembering that the
springtime had plenty of work for it to do.
Grandma was writing a long letter to grandpa, and you may
be sure she was telling all about Jamie, and what a comfort he
was to her. There had come a letter from mama, for grandma,
and Jamie too, that morning, and the dear little boy was so
happy over the big round kisses which had been tucked in on a
half-sheet of paper for him that he had asked grandma to let
him send the same kind of kisses to his mother from himself.
So she found a sheet of paper, and on one half he drew the
largest round O’s he could make, and touched his sweet, rosy
lips to each one; on the other half of the paper he printed, in
good-sized letters, a line which told his mama that he loved her
lots and lots, and was being a good boy, and loved grandma too.
His style of printing was rather uneven, and ran considera-
bly up and down hill, and his capitals were generally put in the
wrong place, and all that kind of thing. But how do You sup-
pose this little boy had learned to print even as well as that?
21
22 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
We thought it was very clever of him to show a desire to learn,
and to persevere until he actually could print a little sentence
legibly. He had a box of alphabet-blocks, and some picture-
books with large and small letters in very black type. Mama
taught him his a-b-c’s in the capital letters, and after that he
had lessons each day on the small letters; though, to tell the
truth, he found the large ones much easier. Well, one day he
was found sitting quietly in a corner of the room tracing the
large letters from his picture-book upon a thin piece of paper he
had laid over the page of the book.
Mama watched him as she sat sewing by the window, and
she saw him, after he had traced the letters through, try to
make them without tracing; and the bright eyes were so clever
that they soon remembered how to copy and form the whole of
each letter, until at last he came running to mama’s side and
triumphantly showed his letters from A to G.
Of course she showed great surprise and delight, as though
it were all new to her, and that pleased Jamie very much; for
you see the little laddie had planned it all as a surprise for the
dear mother whose loyal little lover he was. Well, that is how
Jamie learned to print. And now we will go back to him as he
stands by grandma’s side watching her fold up his round kisses,
and slip them, with his printed letter and her reply to mama’s
letter, in the large envelope which would carry the good news
safe to the absent mother.
“Will my dearest mama put her mouth right straight on top
of those round O’s, gran’ma?†he questioned, anxiously; “an
did you tell her J did so to her round 0’s?â€
“Yes, laddie, I told her that, and a great deal more about the
NEW FRIENDS. 23
dearest little boy that ever came to see a grandma,†she replied,
laughing and hugging laddie at the same time.
“Mama said she didn’t ’spect to be gone more’n a day or
two; but she ain’t come back.yet, an’ it’s moren a day or two,â€
he continued, somewhat sadly.
“Yes, darling; but you know mama didn’t expect to be gone
so long when she said good-by to you. She hoped to be back in
two days; but you know her first letter told us how very sick
the poor lady has been, and mama had to stay a little longer.
Aren’t you willing, laddie dear?â€
The question had a reproachful tone in it, and Jamie’s face
turned a trifle red. He dug the toe of one little boot into the
soft rug upon which he stood, and fidgeted restlessly for a mo-
ment; theu the sun in his dear little heart shone out through the
cloud on his brow, and he nestled close to grandma’s side, pulled
her ear down to his lips, and whispered:
“Tell mama I’m wwllin’, an’ I ain’t frettin’ a bit.â€
“T will, darling,†was the reply. ‘And now you run out
and have a frolic in the garden. Better put your little coat on,
as it looks like rain.â€
Presently Jamie was ready for his run in the garden; and
as he passed the dining-room, where the waitress was setting
things in order, she called him.
“Jamie! laddie dear! don’t you want this?†and she held up
a golden orange.
“Guess I jus’ do!†answered laddie, with a run for the fruit
he dearly loved.
“Tts the only one left in the dish,†said the girl, “and ’m
sure grandma’ll be willing you should have it.â€
24 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
“Guess I better go ask her,†said Jamie. (And I will confide
to my little readers right here that there was a deep fear in
Jamie’s heart lest for some wise reason grandma should not be -
willing he should eat the orange.)
So back he went to grandma; and when he next started for
the door-step the fruit was his, to have and to hold, to eat or
give away, just as he pleased.
‘When he reached the door he was surprised to see a boy and
girl coming up the walk. He had never seen them before, and
stood bashfully wondering what they wanted.
“How do?†said the boy, seeing Jamie.
“Pretty well,†replied Jamie, shyly.
“T got a message for your granny; she home?â€
“Do you mean my gran’ma? Do you know her?â€
“Yes, I know her, an’ she knows me, an’ my sister too;
doesn’t she, Susie?â€â€”turning to the little girl, who looked
bashfully at Jamie, and nodded “yes†to her brother’s question.
“T don’t know you,†said Jamie, “an’ you don’t know me.â€
The boy laughed. He was a sturdy, good-natured little
chap, and his hair and eyes were brown as the cap he wore.
He had such a merry twinkle in his eyes that Jamie didn’t feel
in the least afraid of him; and as for the little girl, she wasn’t
any older than himself, and she smiled at him so confidingly
that he couldn’t help smiling back again.
“No,†said the boy, “you don’t know us; but I’m goin’ to in-
terduce us, you see. I’m Teddy Jones, an’ this is my little sister
Susie, an’ there’s two more of us home: a bigger sister "bout
ten, an’ a little chap next to Susie in age—guess you ’n’ he’d
make a good team, An’ we're the blacksmith’s children; ain’t
NEW FRIENDS. 25
rich folks like your folks, you see, an’ ain’t got your kind 0’
clothes; but we don’t care for that, do we, Sue?â€â€”turning to
his sister, who was looking admiringly at Jamie all this while.
She shook her head for “no,†and Teddy went on.
“An we know who you are, ’cause we heard your granny
was havin’ her daughter’s boy to visit her. We've been a-
wantin’ to see you for ever so long, but couldn’t get a chance ;
’y’ this mornin’ when dad had a message for the old lady, me
an’ Susie was glad to come, an’ we hoped we'd see you.â€
Jamie looked quite pleased, and had a little feeling of im-
portance as he stood there in the doorway looking down upon
his admiring acquaintances.
Suddenly he realized that he was holding the big golden
orange in plain view all that time, and his generous little heart
prompted him to give it to the girl who smiled at him so
prettily.
So he held it out, and stepped down to be nearer the chil-
dren, as he asked:
“Don’t you want this orange, little girl?â€
He wanted it very much himself, as you know, but Jamie
was an unselfish little laddie, and he offered it to the girl ag sin-
cerely and with as much pleasure as he had received it himself
when it was given to him.
There are plenty of dear little boys in the world just as dear
and sweet as our Jamie, who love, just as he did, to make other
people happy, and those are the little lads whom everybody
loves, of course; for loving makes love, you know, among both
little and grown-up people.
Well, when he offered’ the orange to small Susie, her eyes
26 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
sparkled so that Jamie knew she liked oranges as well as he did,
and how glad he was that he hadn’t held his hands behind him
so that nobody would have seen the orange and he needn’t have
given it away, but saved it to eat all by himself! Teddy was
pleased too, because his little sister was happy, and he said in
his heart that if he got a chance to “serve a good turn on the
little sailor-suit boy some day, he’d do it sure, or his name
wasv’t Ted Jones.â€
Then grandma was called and the blacksmith’s message was
given (about one of the horses being shod), and then the boy
and girl were invited by Jamie to take a turn in the fine swing.
“ve got the beawfullest one in the world!†he exclaimed, as
they ran down the garden path. “Gran’ma’n’:Tom made it
jus’ right for little boys; butâ€â€”looking at Teddy’s stout limbs
critically—“T guess you ain’t too big for it!â€
“Well, if I am,†replied Teddy, cheerfully, “I'll be a good
size to help you an’ Susie have some fun in it, anyhow, ’cause I
can push good an’ strong, an’ it’s most as much fun to help
other folks have a good time as to be a-havin’ it yourself, you
know.â€
CHAPTER VI.
THE SWING SCARE.
Now Teddy was used to harum-scarum pranks on his own
rickety swing under the apple-tree at home, and so he proceeded
to astonish Jamie by showing off all he could do in this very
fine affair of a swing.
Jamie rather envied Teddy for being able to do so much
while standing up, and he decided to show his visitors how
brave he was too, if only a little boy not half as strong and big
as Teddy. So after Susie had had her turn, and enjoyed a
gentle little swing, assisted by the gentlest of little pushes, to
her heart’s content, Master Jamie boldly mounted the board seat
and slipped his feet under the straps.
“Now go ahead an’ push real hard,†he called to Teddy, “aw
Pll show you I ain’t ’fraid a bit!â€
Whether it was because he hadn’t put his little feet quite far
enough through the straps, or because Teddy forgot how little
a chap our laddie was, I ean’t tell you; but I know that no
sooner had the swing earried Jamie high above the ground than
out went the board from under his feet, and a small pair cf
legs were struggling in the air, and a pair of little hands were
clinging tightly to the ropes, while Teddy sprang forward to
save our frightened laddie from the threatened fall.
27
28 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
“Oh dear!†remarked Jamie, when safe on the ground. He
winked back a few frightened tears and swallowed a little sob.
“Oh dear! I—I don’t—I guess stand-ups ain’t very good for
little boys like—like me. Don’t let’s swing any more; let’s go
play somethin’ else.â€
Teddy laughed.
“You had a big seare, little feller, didn’t you? Never mind;
you ain’t half killed yet. Next time you'll hit it jus’ right—
Come, Susie, you ’n’ I ’ve got to skip home; an’ we’re much
’bliged to Jamie—ain’t we ?—for lettin’ us use his swing.â€
“You may come an’ use it whenever you want to,†said
Jamie, “’cause it would be too much of a good time for me all
by myself, an’ I—I like you an’ Susie first-rate.â€
Teddy held out his hand.
“Shake, then, little Master Sailor-suit; an’ you may jus’ be
sure Susie an’ her brother Ted 711 always think a heap o’ you;
for if you are a rich boy, an’ dressed better’n J ever am like to
be, you ain’t proud ’n’ stuck-up one bit; an’—an’ it makes all
the diffrence in the world ’bout the likin’ of you, you know!
Well, good-by!†And off he went, followed by little fat Susie
as fast as her short legs would carry her.
Jamie pondered a moment, then he hastened into the sitting-
room, where grandma sat at her sewing. She looked up with a
smile.
“Well, laddie, had a nice time?†she questioned.
But Jamie’s face was a serious one as he stood beside her
passing his hand over her cheek in a loving way, and yet as
though he were hardly conscious of what he did, for his mind
was full of the question he wanted to ask. Presently:
THE SWING SCARE. 29
“Gran’ma, what’s—what’s bein’ ‘ stuck-up’?†asked he.
“Why, laddie, what a funny question! What has put that
into your noddle, I wonder?â€
“That boy said he liked me ’cause I wasn’t stuck-up; an’
what is it, gran’ma? How do little boys stick up, an’ what
makes ’em, if it isn’t nice?â€
How grandma did laugh! And she would have laughed
longer too, if Jamie’s face hadn’t been the picture of anxiety
and dismay.
“Tif? me up in your lap, gran’ma,†he pleaded, “an’ kiss me
here, where my dearest mama doesâ€â€”pulling his jacket-collar
down from under his chin with one finger, and exposing his soft,
sweet little throat, where, as he said truly, mama daily tucked
in a whole pile of loving kisses.
“Q you darling laddie,†answered grandma, “I could al-
most eat you up with kisses, I love you so!†And then she
kissed the dear little throat till it tickled Jamie, and he screamed
with laughter, and there was a speedy end of the anxious look
on his face. “There now; run away and play captain on that
large hall rug, and let me finish my sewing, so that a boy I know
of ean have a nice walk to the village with me by and by.â€
“But, gran’ma, you forgetted *bout my question!†said
Jamie, whose memory hadn’t proved as treacherous as grandma
hoped it had after their short frolic. “ What’s bein’ ‘stuck-up’?â€
“Well, I declare!†cried grandma; “yowre a great boy for
sticking, though you aren’t ‘stuck-up’ Well, laddie, Teddy
meant that you didn’t put on any disagreeable airs, and act as
if you felt yourself a great deal better than he and Susie, just
because you wore better clothes and didn’t happen to—to be a
30 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
working-man’s son; he meant that you weren’t anything else
but just a dear, kind-hearted little boy, doing to others just as
you would like others to do to you, and being a happy boy
because you were making others happy also. If you had turned
up your small nose and thought yourself too smart and fine to
be willing to play with those who were not able to look as well,
why then you would have been a very ‘stuck-up’ little boy in-
deed, and a naughty little boy in the bargain. Now do you
understand, laddie dear?â€
Jamie nodded.
“Oh yes, gran’ma, an’ I shouldn’t think it would feel
comfor’ble hereâ€â€”laying his hand wpon his breast—“to be
proud like that. I’m much obliged to Teddy for thinkin’ I
ain’t that way. He’s a nice boy, isn’t he, gran’ma? An’ so is
Susie.â€
“Susie is a dear, nice little girl,†said grandma, “and Teddy
is as good a boy as any one need want; and so long as a boy or
girl, or man or woman, is honest and kind and true to all things
good, the dear Father in heaven will love them all alike,
whether they’re rich or poor, glad or sad, high or low. Now
one more kiss; and you needn’t look as solemn as an owl over
my little sermon, you funny boy, but run and have a good play
before luncheon-time.â€
So presently there was a big steamer out in the hall (which
was, I beg Jamie’s pardon, not a hall, but the ocean at that
time), and the crew consisted of a very small and timid kitty-
eat and the little mongrel dog which belonged to Tom. To
keep that crew in order and prevent mutiny was so difficult a
task that a great deal of stern commanding and shouting was
THE SWING SCARE. 31
necessary ; and the old clock at the head of the staircase had its
seconds and minutes so scared that they ran by as fast as they
could, and counted off the hour before Jamie’s voyage was
half done, and when the luncheon-bell was rung he was greatly
surprised.
In the afternoon, when Jamie expected to have his walk with
grandma, it unfortunately happened that something prevented
his grandmother from going; and so little laddie decided to go
to the pond and have a nice time with his ship.
“Ttll be a good time to have another wreck,†thought he;
and the unlucky rubber doll was carried to the pond again to do
its share toward the coming misfortune.
If that rubber boy-doll had only been able to foresee just
how it would have a share in a kind of wreck not anticipated by
Jamie, nor included in his program, maybe it would have lost
itself in the old attic somewhere, so that Jamie would not have
troubled to hunt it up. But there it was in the little boy’s
jacket-pocket, as black and rubbery and as placid and smiling
as ever; and when the pond was reached, there was the pretty
little ship at her moorings, awaiting her passenger, and all un-
conscious of the “terrible wreck†which would soon occur at the
end of Jamie’s long string.
That part of the pond to which grandma allowed her little
grandson to go alone was shallow and safe, because, if he had
tried, he could have waded across with a wetting only up to his
waist. But she had forbidden him to lean over the bank at all,
save in the one sloping little “cove,†as she called it, where he
kept his boat moored, and where he was sure to have firm
footing.
32 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
A little farther up the pond, and where Jamie would not
have thought of venturing, nor have found it convenient to do
so, the water was deeper, and would have reached to Jamie's
throat, had he tried wading there.
But that especial part of his “ocean†was beyond the little
lad’s knowledge, and so he had never ventured outside of safe
limits; and grandma knew she could trust his promise not to
do so.
CHAPTER VII.
THE WRECK AND THE RESCUE.
On this occasion, as always before, Jamie shipped cargoes of
wood, chips, and moss; and the cargoes were landed safely at
port, or “lost in mid-ocean,†as he pleased. He was a happy
little boy to-day—particularly happy; because with the noon
mail a letter had come to grandma from his own mama, saying
that she expected to come home in three more days, and would
stay over at the old homestead a day or so before she and Jamie
would return to New York. So now he felt perfectly contented
and happy, and sang little gleeful songs, nursery rhymes, and
“make-ups†(as he called his own cute little jingles), and sailed
his ship to and fro, and rolled about on the grass, and had a
merry time all by himself there under the trees and beside the
quiet waters. At last he decided it was time for the rubber
passenger to meet with trouble, and preparations were begun
accordingly.
“ Good-by, Mr. Doll,†said the ship’s owner. “T hope you'll
have a nico time; but most likely you won’t, ’eause this is a
time when there’s danger crossin’ the ocean. Maybe you'll wish
you hadun’t gone on a journey. Good-by.â€
Then dolly took his usual position against the mast, and the
little ship sailed gracefully out from port.
33
34 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
The “wreck†occurred right in the middle of the pond; and
after a violent rocking back and forth, and what Jamie, the
wrecker, considered a “beau’ful hard time,†over went the ship,
its sails in the water, and its passenger floating off helplessly.
Jamie danced up and down delightedly on the bank, and waited
for the current to bring his doll to shore. The ship was hauled
in as usual, and placed in the sun, that the dripping sails might
dry.
But the unfortunate passenger didn’t seem to get any nearer
to our “captainâ€; on the contrary, it was floating as far as pos-
sible in the opposite direction; and Jamie was much troubled
when finally it swept around a curve in the bank and was lost
to view.
If he followed the doll he would be treading upon forbidden
ground—he knew that very well; but if he did not follow it he
would lose his rubber playmate, and that was something dread-
ful to think of. ,
For a minute or two laddie stood irresolute; and then his
anxiety overcame him entirely, and he allowed himself to forget
erandma’s injunctions, feeling that the necessity of the case -
would excuse disobedience this time. In fact, Jamie was
naughty in good earnest, and I’m not sure but he was just a
little glad to have a good excuse to follow Mr. Doll; and so off
he started on a quick run to follow a path which led through
shrubbery and tangled grasses around to the opposite side of
the water, where he thought dolly might have floated.
He presently found himself in a strange place, where the
water looked “shinier†than where he was allowed to play, and
the trees seemed to be growing upside down under the banks.
THE WRECK AND THE RESCUE. 35
“T don’t feel comfor’ble here,†he thought, “an’ I ain’t goin’
to stay a minute after I find my doll. I got to find him some-
how, an’ gran’ma’d feel real sorry if—if I let him jus’ stay lost.
I’m ’most sure she’d like me to find him.â€
His reflections comforted him very little, however, for Jamie
knew he was not doing right; and what with that and his worry
over the lost passenger, the little fellow was really quite miser-
able at last, and was just going to turn about and hurry back to
more familiar ground, when he saw the rubber doll bobbing up
and down not far away. Jamie’s little face beamed all over, and
he ran to the edge of the pond with a stick in his eager hand, all
ready to reach for the treasure and haul it inshore. Alas! the
little feet slipped up on some wet moss, and over went Jamie
plump into the water, screaming with terror. He couldn’t get
upon his feet again (though, as you know, the depth was not
dangerous) for the reason that his little legs had gotten en-
tangled in some vines growing in the water; and he was held in
such a position that only his head was above it. He was terri-
bly frightened, and cried and screamed till his strength was
nearly gone; and there is no knowing what would have hap-
pened at last, if Teddy Jones had not chanced to make a short
eut through the woods the other side of the pond, on his way to
do an errand. He heard the terrified cries of poor Jamie, and
sprang like a deer through bushes and over fallen trees, until he
reached the bank and saw little laddie struggling to pull himself
out of the water.
It didn’t take Teddy very long to get the dripping child out
of his uncomfortable quarters and away from danger.
“How under the sun, moon, an’ stars came you in there?â€
36 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
he asked; and Jamie hung his head in shame. “Thought your
granny told you not to come to this part the pond,†continued
Teddy. “What you doin’ here, anyhow?â€
“Findin’ my rubber doll,†explained Jamie; “’cause there
was a big storm at sea, an’ a—a—awful wreck, an’ the pass’nger
was drownin’; an’ I saw him floatin’ an’ floatin’ way over here,
an’ course I had to come an’ save him.â€
Teddy was all this time squeezing the water as well as he
could out of Jamie’s suit, and made the little boy stand in the
warm sun.
“Lucky you didn’t have on your nice white clothes, isn’t
it?†he said. “This sort o’ wool suit’ll keep you from gettin’
chilled an’ wet all through; an’ if your granny’ll give you a hot
drink I don’t reckon you'll take any cold,.sonny. Now come
‘long home.â€
Jamie hesitated.
“T haven’t got my doll,†he said, pitifully.
Teddy pulled off his shoes, rolled up his trousers above his
knees, waded in as far as possible, and with a stick rescued the
cause of all Jamie’s trouble, and restored it to its uncomfortable
little master.
Then he pulled off his own dry coat and made Jamie put it
on; and as a matter of course it very nearly covered the small
boy’s body.
“There, now, you'll do till you get home,†said Teddy; “aw
you jus’ own up to granny all you’ve done—no cheatin’.â€
Jamie looked up indignantly.
“You don’t s’pose I’d try an’ ’ceive gran’ma, do you?†he
asked. ‘“T ain’t a boy like that! Guess she knows I ain’t ever
THE WRECK AND THE RESCUE. 37
told any wrong stories to her an’ my dearest mama long as
they’ve known me; so now, Teddy Jones!â€
Teddy gave a long whistle.
“Whew! sonny’s got his dander up! Oh, come now, Jamie, I
was only teasin’; don’t [know you're a fair and square little chap ?â€
Jamie felt ashamed of his angry little speech, and told Teddy
so, like a man.
“Ho! what’s a boy without spunk ’nough to stand up for
himself if a feller’s judgin’ him wrong?†was Teddy’s reply. “It
don’t hurt you any to blurt out now ’v’ then if you’ve got right
on your side. I’d no business to think, even in fun, that you’d
do so mean a thing as try to cheat your granny.â€
Jamie’s face was sober as he listened, and presently he asked:
“Do you ever be real naughty ’cause it’s fun, Teddy? Ido
sometimes, when our cook plagues me; an’—awn’ I try to think
up things to be bad ’bout to tease her, an’ I can’t help it, ’eause
she seolds so it tempers me all over, from my head to my feet.
Mama says I am very naughty those times; but it’s real fun
when I’m doin’ it, an’ it doesn’t seem as if I’d ever be sorry;
am’—an’—then—an’ then pretty soon the sorry time comes, an’
I ain’t happy any more, an’ I don’t like myself at all; so I go an’
say, ‘’Scuse me, Ann; I’m sorry for teasin’ you;’ an’ I get up in
my dearest mama’s lap, an’ I whisper a few little things in her
ear, aw then she kisses me, an’—O Teddy, you don’t know what
a diff'renee I feel here! â€â€”laying his little hand on his heart,
and lifting his shining blue eyes to Teddy’s face.
Teddy put his arm around his little companion’s neck and
gave him a sympathetic squeeze as he replied:
“Quess I know how good it feels, too; but somehow it
38 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
doesn’t keep me from forgettin’ again; an’ I s’pose I’m a reg’lar
nuisance of a boy, take me all ’round, for now ’n’ then dad gives
me an out~n’-out trouncin’; an’ it does me—an’ him too—a heap
0’ good, so I ain’t complainin’.â€
Jamie felt very badly at the idea of Teddy’s ever being
whipped, so he tried to comfort his friend by repeating the
compliment grandma had paid him awhile before.
“Well, you ain’t very bad, Teddy, ’cause my gran’ma said
you were as nice a boy as anybody need want; an’ she likes you
a great deal—honest, she does!â€
Teddy laughed, and enjoyed the compliment hugely.
“Oh well,†he said, “all J want is to grow up a man like my
dad. Everybody likes him, an’ he’s clean an’ honest clear
through; an’ we children wouldn’t darst to tell a lie, or steal, or
do a mean, deceitful thing, even if we wanted to. But we never
would want to; for ’tisn’t bein’ rich an’ wearin’ good clothes that
makes a man anythin’ great (so dad says, an’? mammy too), half
so much as bein’ true an’ honest an’ kind in your heart. Yovll
be a good man, Jamie, I’m sure o’ that! â€â€”looking kindly down
on the grave little face beside him.
“Tf I love the dear Jesus, I will,†replied Jamie; “for papa
did, an’ he was a good man—mama says so; an’ mama does, an?
she’s the bestest lady in the world. O Teddy â€â€”Jamie bright-
ened up into a host of dimples as he spoke—“ my dearest mama
is comin’ home so soon—jus’ in a day or two—an’ I’m goin’ to
show her to you. Won’t you be glad to see my pretty mama,
Teddy? I ’most feel sure she'll say you're a nice boy.â€
Teddy felt disappointed that he would so soon lose his dear
little playfellow, and yet he did not cloud Jamie’s pleasure by
THE WRECK AND THE RESCUE. 39
telling him so—no indeed; he entered into Jamie’s joyous
anticipations with all his kind heart, and when the homestead
gate was reached the little boy had almost forgotten that he had
a sorrowful confession to make to grandma. Perhaps he would
quite have forgotten it, in the joy of thinking about his mother,
if it had not been for the damp, uncomfortable feeling of the
little suit under Teddy’s big jacket. But although he was
dreadfully afraid of the punishment he deserved, yet he had no
idea of shrinking from duty; and so, after Teddy had gone up
the road, our little laddie presented his forlorn, funny little
figure (in the coat three or four sizes too large for him, and his
hands quite lost to view in the sleeves) before grandma’s
astonished gaze.
“Why, what in the world—†began grandma, looking at him
over her spectacles; and then before she could finish her sen-
tence, Jamie ran and shut the door tight, so that nobody’s ears
save grandma’s could possibly hear his confession.
/ And therefore I cannot tell you about what happened in that
room; but I know that in half an hour the dear old lady and her
little laddie came out into the hall hand in hand, and, at Jamie’s
especial request, carried the rubber dolly up the garret stairs,
and shut it up in the very bottom of the deepest trunk to be
found, and then grandma locked the trunk and took out the
‘key, and all further temptation to rescue a drowning pas-
senger at the cost of disobedience and danger was at once re-
moved. Not that Jamie would have disobeyed again, but he felt
in his repentant heart as though he and that “ passenger†would
never be quite the same friends again, or at least not until the
next visit with grandma.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE BONFIRE.
THE next morning Jamie heard that little Susie had taken a
cold and was-sick. Teddy had passed the gate early, and, see-
ing Tom, had mentioned the fact, and also asked how Jamie
was after his wetting of the day before.
Grandma felt sorry for Susie, and asked Jamie if he didn’t
want to take Ted’s jacket back himself, instead of its being seut
by Tom, as she had intended, and then he could ask how Susie
was getting on.
He jumped at the idea; and as the blacksmith’s cottage
was just in plain view across the fields, there was no danger to
Jamie in the going.
“T want to take my story-book with the big picksures in it
to little Susie,†he said, “’cause she'll be mused with it, an’ then
Teddy’ll be glad.â€
“Right, darling,†was grandma’s ready answer; “and here is
the book all waiting for its kind service to the sick girlie. You
ean trot right along this minute.â€
She tucked his feet into his high rubber boots—because the
field was rather soft and marshy in places—and slipped his
heavier jacket on; and after crowning the fair head with its
40
THE BONFIRE. 41
Scotch cap, she tilted up the dimpled chin, placed a kiss on it,
and one also on the rosy mouth and blue eyes, and then
watched the sturdy little figure prancing away over the field,
with Teddy’s coat over one arm, and the gift-book for Susie
under the other.
Before he quite reached the cottage Jamie noticed a white
smoke soaring up from above some bushes at the other end of
the field, and there came a sound of childish voices from the
same direction. Curiosity led him to go a little way and see
what it was all about; and he soon saw a little fellow, not
much taller than himself, and a girl who was nearly as tall as
Teddy.
They had piled a lot of chips together, and were having a
small bonfire.
The boy looked up as Jamie approached.
“Hello! yowre the boy our Teddy likes, ain’t you?†he
asked, while the girl drew back a little shyly.
“Yes, ’m Jamie; an’ I like Teddy too. May I watch you fix
your fire?â€
“ Ain’t anythin’ to hender,†replied the boy, whose name was
Jackie. “That Ted’s coat you got? He telled us ’bout you
tumblin’ in the water. J’ve been in lots o’ times, an’ didn’t
seare a mite, an’ I ain’t any bigger’n you!â€
Jamie felt quite humiliated at the idea of a boy no larger
than he being so bold and brave as not to be afraid of falling
into a pond, while he himself was so cowardly that he had
yelled at the top of his voice. So he didn’t want to talk about
that subject any longer, and turned it aside by saying:
“Tve got a book for little Susie ‘cause she’s sick.†He laid
42 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
the coat on the ground, and handed the book to the girl (whose
name was Sallie) to look at.
She turned the leaves with a pleased look on her face, and
found her tongue at last.
“Guess Susie’ll like it,†she said. And Jackie, who was fan-
ning the bonfire into a brisk blaze, added his opinion that
““Susie’d be much ’bliged.â€
“T's a beau’ful book!†said laddie. “I’m ‘most sure she'll
like it much as I did. Can I give it to her my very own self?â€
“Reckon so,†said Sallie; “she’s a-lyin’ on the bed frettin’
’eause she can’t come an’ see the fire.â€
“What you makin’ it for?†asked Jamie.
“Jus? nothin’ but fun,†replied Jack, swinging his cap vigor-
ously over the blaze, and sending the smoke high and higher
until his brown, closely cropped head was almost hidden behind
the wall of smoke. “Its real fun,†he continued. ‘You jus’
pile on the chips—there’s a lot in the basket—an’ then you fan
this way, ’n’ bimeby, when it gets good an’ big, you make
b’lieve there’s a house afire; an’ we're goin’ to put the basket—
it’s only a leaky old thing mammy doesn’t want—right on top
of the sticks, an’ cracky! won’t it blaze!â€
Jackie chuckled with the anticipation, and Jamie felt as
though he would like no better fun than to help throw on those
chips himself. But he remembered how many times his mother
had warned him not to play with fire, and had told him how
dangerous it was for little boys to try and build bonfires, even
though big boys were foolish enough to risk the danger. He
wished in his heart that mama had never forbidden it, because
he did want to help with this especial fire so much, and Jackie
THE BONFIRE. 43
was having such a splendid time over it! There were the chips
all ready to be picked up and flung in upon the blaze Jack had
started so finely; there was the big basket which would make
such a beautiful “house afireâ€; and there were Jack and Sally
enjoying the play so much! Jamie looked wistfully at them
and at the chips, and fairly longed to “pitch right in,†as Jack
urged him so, and “have fun too.â€
But, you see, beside all the things which were so tempting to
laddie there were mama’s words, as plain as could be: “I hope
you will remember, laddie dear, never to play with fire; because
itis avery naughty, dangerous thing for little boys to do. Will
you remember that it will grieve mama very much if you dis-
obey her?â€
And Jamie had promised to “rememberâ€; and he did so
now, this very moment, though it made him a wee bit sorry ; for
if there is one thing above another that little boys like to do, it
is to make a bonfire whenever they have a chance.
Well, mama’s words gained the victory over the great temp-
tation of the chips and the blaze, and Jamie said presently :
“It looks like real fun, but—but it isn’t nice for little boys
to do, is 1t?â€
Jackie looked up scornfully, and then went on fanning.
“Ts it, Jack?†repeated Jamie.
“No, ’tain’t nice for boys what’s afeard of gettin’ hurt!†was
the snappy reply. “Sallie an’ I ain’t that kind, though.â€
“ain’t that kind, either, in my feelin’s,†said Jamie, his quick
little temper coming to the surface, because he felt that Jack
was making fun of him. “But my dearest mama said it would
grieve her if I ever did, an’ I guess I ain’t goin’ to grieve her
44. LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
for all the old fires in the world; so now!â€â€”straightening his
small figure, and walking off as fast as he could.
The book was left in Sallie’s hands, for Jamie was too indig-
nant at the moment to think of it.
However, Sallie shouted after him that she would give it to
Susie; and then she scolded Jack for being rude to the little boy
Teddy was so fond of.
“Tf Teddy finds it out, yowll ketch it!†she said, by way of a
last comforting word; and she left her brother to enjoy the fire
all by himself, while she carried Jamie’s gift to the cottage.
Somehow little Jackie Jones failed to enjoy his bonfire much
after that, and so he stamped it out ere long, and followed Jamie
home; and there was a private meeting of two little figures
out at grandma’s back gate, and then a good romp in the
swing under the arbor trellis. The simple fact was that Jack
in his heart felt a greater liking and respect for Jamie, just
because the latter had been brave enough to stand up for his
mother’s request even at the risk of being considered “a
coward,†than would have been possible if our little lad had
yielded to temptation and put mother and her wishes quite out
of his way.
And Jamie, who hated to feel that anybody was angry with
him, was only too glad to “be frien’s†with Jack the very mo-
ment chance gave him opportunity.
“Did Susie like the book?†he presently asked Jack.
“T didn’t take time to go an’ see,†said Jack, “I was in sech
a hurry to ketch up to you. I say, Jamie, Sallie said Teddy’d
give it to me good if he knew I’d made fun o’ you; but I guess
he won’t now you ’n’ me’s frien’s agin; an’ if he does, I won’t
THE BONFIRE. 45
mind it much, ’cause I was mean to you—an’ you were awful
good to give your nice book to our Susie.â€
Jamie was pleased with the kind words, but they made him
feel embarrassed too, and he didn’t know what to say. But the
happy thought came that it would be fun to play ship with the
large hall rug, and the polished oak floor would be the ocean as
usual, and Jackie would make a splendid big whale, which the
captain of the ship would catch and haul on board.
So he proposed it to Jack, who was delighted to be a whale
or anything else that would give him a chance to play in the
large, wide hall, where he had never dared to dream of entering
before, though he knew it was hung with pictures, and had a
great wide staircase in it with carved railings, and a statue
holding a colored lamp in its hand.
Presently grandma heard a terrific racket as she sat sewing
in the room above; and looking over the balusters, what should
she see but Jackie sprawling on the floor, striking out with
arms and legs as though in deep water, holding between his
teeth the end of a long cord, while the other was in laddie’s
hand, and the make-believe ship having a hard time sliding
over the floor-ocean with every pull of the big whale Captain
Jamie was endeavoring to haul on board.
Grandma laughed so she nearly lost her balanee as she
watched the comical scene.
“Well, well, well, I wonder what that boy of mine will think
of next?†she thought. “Bless his dear heart!â€
But I’m quite sure she wasn’t sorry when the noisy play
was done, and the famous whale—“the very biggest ever
caught in that ocean,†Jamie said—had turned into a boy
46 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
again, and remembered that “his folks would be wonderiw’
where he was.â€
When the little boys separated soon after, Jackie took the
short eut over the fields, and Jamie’s parting words were shouted
out after him:
“Good-by, Jackie! I like you better ’n’ better, an’ you
made the bestest whale I ever saw!â€
CHAPTER IX.
WAITING FOR MAMA.
AND now we come to the close of our story of little lad
Jamie. It was the evening before “his dearest mama†was to
arrive. Right after breakfast on the next morning he was to
drive with grandma to the railroad station to meet her. All
day long he had been restlessly happy, trying to be patient
and good as a little boy could be; but he did long for bedtime
to come, so as to “hurry up the morning.â€
he had climbed upon grandma’s lap, and kissed her, and
caressed her with his little restless hands, as though his heart
was so overflowing with love and happiness that it couldn’t be
shut up inside the small body. He had tried to enjoy the sail-
ing of his ship, first on the pond and then (to be nearer home,
so that he could be told the time every few minutes by the kind
old Tom) in the big tub of water near the stable door. But the
ship failed to amuse him as much as usual, and he had gone to
the swing. A few turns of that satisfied him, and then he had
to run back to Tom and ask again what time it was.
He had a number of toys in the sitting-room, and for a while
47
48 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
he was an expressman, a locomotive engineer, a stableman, a
soldier and drummer, and all sorts of things besides. But
finally the desire to know the time again took possession of
our laddie, and of course the toys were forgotten.
So the day had passed; and finally, when the longed-for bed-
time arrived, never was there a more willing “ go-to-bed boy†in
the world.
When the soft white night-dress was on, and the little
prayer said at grandma’s knee, he lifted his blue eyes happily
to the kind face above him, and said:
“Tsn’t it good to feel that the dear, great God was once a
little boy like me, gran’ma? Let me tell you somethin’: once I
didwt know that, an’ I told mama that maybe God didn’t have
time to pay ’tention to little boys, ’eause there were so many big
folks that needed Him; an’ my mama she told me all ’bout it;
ai’ ever since I’ve been sure that He used to be a little boy I’ve
felt that He’ll ’scuse me for ever bein’? naughty; an’—I want to
whisper somethin’ in your ear, gran’maâ€â€”drawing her head
down to his lips—“I guess He used to love His mama so dearly
that He is glad I love mine, an’ He'll take good care of her while
she’s comin’ back to me, won’t He?â€
Grandma nodded, and wiped a tear from her eyes, and as-
sured Jamie that there never was a moment of either day or
night when Jesus was not keeping watch and ward over the
earth and all its people; and that every little child was called a
lamb of the kind Shepherd's flock, and especially loved and
watched over by Him. Then, while she snuggled him close in
her lap (as they sat there in the quiet shadows—the two who
loved each other so), grandma told her little lad several of the
WAITING FOR MAMA. 49
beautiful stories about children which are found in the “ Book
which is best of all booksâ€; and he listened with all his heart in
his beautiful eyes, and the pretty new moon began to shine, and
sent a few beams in at the window to make a lovely picture of
Jamie and grandma at the happy bedtime hour.
After the talk was finished, Jamie was snuggled into bed;
and at his especial request the favorite toys he was to leave be-
hind him—all handy for the next visit to the homestead—were
brought up from the sitting-room and placed on the bed to sleep
with him through the night, “’cause he felt so happy,†he ex-
plained, when grandma couldn’t help laughing at his funny
desire, and at the sight of the toys arranged in such solemn
order along the counterpane, while the little lord and master
of them all lay back contentedly on his pillow, all ready to
slip away to the land of happy dreams just as soon as he
should close his eyes.
“Good-night, my darling!†said grandma, presently, kissing
Jamie a great many times, and wondering silently what she
should do after he had gone back to the city with his mama;
and the old homestead would be too quiet a place to suit her,
she was sure.
“Good-night, gran’ma dearest!†replied Jamie. “Have I
been a pretty good boy to-day?â€
“The best in the world, laddie, little sweetheart; and ?’m
going to tell mama to-morrow what a comfort you have been all
the time since you came. Now one more kiss, and yow’ll be
sound asleep in a jiffy after I go down.â€
“Gran’ma!â€
“Yes, deary.â€
a0 LITTLE LAD JAMIE.
“Will you please tell me what time it is?â€
Grandma laughed.
“The same old question, laddie, isn’t it? Well, it is—half-
past sleepy-time—that means half-past seven o’clock; and the
morning won’t come until you are sound asleep, you know, so
snuggle down and hurry off to the land o’ nod.â€
“ All right, gran’ma,†said the drowsy little voice; and pres-
ently she started down the stairs.
She had only gotten a few steps down before again she heard
the sweet sound of “Gran’ma! Gtr-a-n’ma!â€
“Well, Jamie, boy, what is it now?â€â€”putting her head in at
the door. :
Jus’ somethin’ I wanted to tell you ’fore I forgetted it,†re-
plied Jamie, lifting his golden head from the pillow and looking
earnestly at her with his serious eyes. “I jus’ wanted to say
you’ve been such a dear, kind gran’ma to me; an’ I love you,
gran’ma, a great deal. I thought maybe you'd like to know it
over again. That's all, gran’ma dear. Good-night. I guess
mornin’ ’Il soon be here, ’cause I’m so sleepy.â€
And then—after grandma had gone straight up to the little
bed, and kissed him many times more in return for his sweet,
loving speech—little laddie settled his soft round cheek upon
the pillow, and was fast asleep before he knew that he had even
closed his eyes.
So we leave him dreaming of the “to-morrow†and the re-
turn of the “dearest mamaâ€; and the little tin soldiers on the
bed, and the soft white moonshine about the room, will keep
faithful watch over our little lad Jamie.
SMe hana Tie an pean i ae ett" 9 BP Ri va Fiala dain al oe 2m Mined he aS FAO EET aye PE Ebi nd O SE Care pee Oh