The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-01
TINKER.
BY q. II. VAUGHAN.

BY q. II. VAUGHAN.
Now T am going to tell you about my
birthday. l had been thinking OF II for
such a long time. and it seemed as II
il would never come. But at last IT d.d
come. Meta and Dolly and / all share
the same bedroom. Meta and Dolly are
older than / am All the time we were
dressing they kept talking secrets. but
didn't mind that day, because / knew
they were talking of what they were
going To give me. Mother called me into
her room before / went downstairs, 20
wish me Many happy returns" She took
me on her knee by the window, and talk
ed as nobody but mother can. She look
ed out of the window across the fields 10
the hin with the windmill standing up
against the sky, and the miller's house
close by. 1t is a white house built Of
stone.
That house is built very well because
II is on a HILL and il has 10 stand great
many storms of wind and rain said
mother. in her dear, sweet voice. She
stopped a moment, and j wondered what
made her talk about the mll-hOuse Then
she went on: 'You are eight years old
to-day, little Nell. and l want you to
understand that you are building house
every day. only you must be careful 10
put in good stones" / thought Of my
box Of bricks in the nursery, and won
dered more than ever what mother could
mean. But 1 began TO see a little when
she said: IF you are Kind TO others, and
unsoldsh, you will be building with good
wearing stones. Think OF others before
yourself"
What a happy morning It wasl They
all gave me presents, Meta and Dolly and
little Roy: even Sophy in the kitchen
made rag doll for me, which / called
Tommy. Mother gave me one Of her hens,
a black one, with a greenish gloss on her
feathers. and just a little scrap OF crest.
We called her Tinker"
1--WE gardened all the morning-al our
gardens are in row. First Franks the
is away at school. so we take II In turns
10 keep il tidy for HIM, then Meta's.
then Dolly's; then mine in the corner
with the hawthorn hedge one side, ana
the maple hedge another. The roots OF
the hedges want 50 much space ana nois-
ture underground that they don't leave
ANYTHING else much chance. but still
have a cabbage-rose and turf Of rlb-
bon grass We had very busy time, and
] put Tinker in a coop close 10 my gar
den. so that / could look at her very
often. t ran into the house and got some
maize for her, and gave her so much that
Dolly said she would die OF oVer-eauns.
But wanted TO make her fond Of me.
We worked till the dinner-bell rang
IL must put Tinker back In the hem
house" | said, throwing down my rake
in great hurry.
Don't stay now: you'll have time after
wards" Meta said.
Meta always gives orders. so I said
Goodbye" 10 Tinker. and told her rot
10 feel lonely while we were some IN to
dinner.
W. 49, ,~oir,, j., tla afternoon IN the
farm. TO play in the hay Mrs Brookes
asked US 10 come early. so that we might
have n nice long time before tea. j am
ashamed to say that I was thinking so
much about going that / forgot all about
moor Tinker. We love going TO the farm.
When I grow up l mean TO be farmers
wife. so that L can feed the chickens. But
Mrs. BroOkes laughed when / told her
and said there were other things 20 do
besides feeding chickens.
We did not get home iii bedtime, and
We were all so tirodl Roy was so sleepy
that he had 10 be carried nearly all the
way home. We went off 70 sleep directly
We were in bed-at least. ] know | did.
but I woke ND before IL was light, be-
cause i heard a dreadful screaming. /
got very frightened. and listened. lying
quite still. The noise came from the gar
den. Then all at once ] thought Of poor
Tinker. who had been shut up in the coop
by my garden since the morning. hadn't
once thought of her.
called 10 Meta and Dolly. but they
were fast asleep; but at last Meta woke
up. after l had tugged great many
times at her counterpart. our beds are
close together, so that / can reach hers
without getting out of mine.
What's the matter, Nell?' she said |
very sleepily.
Don't YOU hear that dreadful noise?'' |
/ said. half crying.
Meta sat up in bed. Then she got out |
OF bed and went 10 the window. She |
peeped out at the side Of the blind ~ |
she couldn't see anything. 'I'll go ana |
call father" she said. But when father |
came he couldn't see anything either. so |
he said he would go into the garden and /
find out what IL was.
So he went downstairs and out at the |
front door. with his walking-stick. / like
the garden very much In the daytime /
but could not have gone across the lawn
In the dark as father dd-and all the /
time felt so hot and ashamed. When |
mother came In to tell us not TO be /
frightened told her how had forgotten
all about Tinker. and left her close to
the hedge by my garden. Soon we heard
fathers stick beating something The |
screaming stopped then. After that IA
Their came back into the house.
Ii was Tinker he said. that had been
screaming, and he had killed a hedgehog
When | saw poor Tinker next morning
all her little crest was gone and there
was a pink patch on the top OF her
little black head In the scullery, floating
I'm a pail OF wafer was the hedgehog. |
l shuddered as | thought OF the dread
full death that dear Tinker nearly had,
and all through my fault Nell" said
mother. If you had put a good stone