Part 26 (1/2)

”Are there any more of you besides Charley?”

”Me,” said the boy, ”and Emma,” patting the child he was nursing, ”and Charley.”

”Where is Charley now?”

”Out a-was.h.i.+ng,” said the boy, beginning to walk up and down again, and even as he spoke there came into the room a very little girl, childish in figure, but shrewd and older looking in the face--pretty faced, too--wearing a womanly sort of a bonnet, much too large for her, and drying her bare arms on a womanly sort of ap.r.o.n. Her fingers were white and wrinkled with was.h.i.+ng, and the soap-suds were yet smoking, which she wiped off her arms. But for this, she might have been a child, playing at was.h.i.+ng, and imitating a poor working woman with a quick observation of the truth.

She had come running from some place in the neighborhood. Consequently, though she was very light, she was out of breath, and could not speak at first, as she stood panting and wiping her arms. ”O, here's Charley!”

said the boy.

The child he was nursing stretched forward its arms and cried out to be taken by Charley. The little girl took it, in a womanly sort of manner belonging to the ap.r.o.n and the bonnet, and stood looking at us over the burden that clung to her most affectionately.

”Is it possible,” whispered my guardian, as he put a chair for the little creature, and got her to sit down with her load, the boy holding to her ap.r.o.n, ”that this child works for the rest?

”Charley, Charley!” he questioned. ”How old are you?”

”Over thirteen, sir,” replied the child.

”O, what a great age!” said my guardian. ”And do you live here alone with these babies, Charley?”

”Yes, sir,” returned the child, looking up into his face with perfect confidence, ”since father died.”

”And how do you live, Charley,” said my guardian, ”how do you live?”

”Since father died, sir, I've gone out to work. I'm out was.h.i.+ng to-day.”

”G.o.d help you, Charley!” said my guardian. ”You're not tall enough to reach the tub!”

”In pattens I am, sir,” she said quickly. ”I've got a high pair as belonged to mother. Mother died just after Emma was born,” said the child, glancing at the face upon her bosom. ”Then father said I was to be as good a mother to her as I could. And so I tried. And so I worked at home, and did cleaning, and nursing, and was.h.i.+ng, for a long time before I began to go out. And that's how I know how, don't you see, sir?”

”And do you often go out?”

”As often as I can, sir,” said Charley, opening her eyes and smiling, ”because of earning sixpences and s.h.i.+llings!”

”And do you always lock the babies up when you go out?”

”To keep 'em safe, sir, don't you see?” said Charley. ”Mrs. Blinder comes up now and then, and Mr. Gridley comes up sometimes, and perhaps I can run in sometimes, and they can play you know, and Tom ain't afraid of being locked up, are you, Tom?”

”No--o,” said Tom stoutly.

”When it comes on dark, the lamps are lighted down in the courts, and they show up here quite bright--almost quite bright. Don't they, Tom?”

”Yes, Charley,” said Tom, ”almost quite bright.”

”Then he's as good as gold,” said the little creature, oh, in such a motherly, womanly way. ”And when Emma's tired, he puts her to bed. And when he's tired he goes to bed himself. And when I come home and light the candle, and has a bit of supper, he sits up again and has it with me. Don't you, Tom?”

”O yes, Charley!” said Tom. ”That I do!” and either in this glimpse of the great pleasure of his life, or in grat.i.tude and love for Charley, he laid his face among the scanty folds of her frock, and pa.s.sed from laughing into crying.

It was the first time since our entry, that a tear had been shed among these children. The little orphan girl had spoken of their father and their mother, as if all that sorrow was subdued by the necessity of taking courage, and by her childish importance in being able to work, and by her bustling busy way. But now, when Tom cried; although she sat quite tranquil, looking quietly at us, and did not by any movement disturb a hair of the head of either of her little charges, I saw two silent tears fall down her face.

I stood at the window pretending to look out, when I found that Mrs.