Johnny fixed his round eyes full upon his neighbour, and slowly retreating backwards, as if rather afraid, replied, “No; you Tommy Stings.”
Tommy would have been angry at the speech, if he could have helped laughing at it; but the manner and look of the child, half resolute, half frightened, were so irresistibly comic, that Tommy Stings put the best face upon the matter, and appeared good-humoured for once in his life. He was certainly in a mood more amiable than usual, having that morning been engaged to go as an errand-boy in a neighbouring town, where, under the eye of a strict master, we may hope that his conduct may improve, and that he may cease to deserve the title bestowed upon him by little Johnny.
“I have come to give you good news, dear Minnie,” said Polly, after joining in the laugh which her little brother had occasioned; “we have had a letter from the Crimea, and my dear father is well.”
“I am so glad of that!” cried Minnie, who was ever ready to rejoice with the rejoicing.
“And you looked so bright when I first saw you,” said Polly, “that I suspect that you have some good news of your own to give me in return.”
“You are quite right; I have famous news, dear Polly. The squire’s lady was here late last evening; you know how kind she is. She wants to place her baby’s foster-brother in some cottage near her, and, to my joy, has fixed upon ours!”
“And will she pay well?”
“Oh, more than we could have ventured to hope. We really shall now be quite comfortable. My mother is so much pleased; I do not think that I have seen her so well or so cheerful ever since our great troubles last year. How good God has been to us!” added the little girl, her eyes glistening with bright tears of gratitude and pleasure; “He has always raised up friends for us in our need.”
“Yes, Minnie, and you, who are a friend to all who require one, are never likely to be in want of a friend.”
“I shall so enjoy having a dear little child to look after; I am sure that it will be a pleasure rather than a trouble.”