“I didn’t want to leave mother all alone, but she was so glad to have me come, and Miss Perkins is going to stay with her while we are away. Mrs. Welch brought mother some lovely strawberries and some eggs, and she’ll have a feast to-morrow. Oh, Benny, aren’t they good? Now tell me everything, I want so much to hear.” And Benny proceeded to tell his experiences to a very much interested little girl, who was properly indignant, pleased, or proud, as the case might be.
“And oh, Benny,” said Kitty, when he had told of Mr. Welch’s kindness, “Jennie is so dear; she just begged to have me come, and we have had such a good time to-day.” The fact of the matter was that Jennie’s quiet sympathies had been so aroused by Benny’s account of his delicate little sister that she had implored her parents to ask Kitty to come and make her a visit, and would not rest till her mother had taken her to town to see Kitty, and Mrs. Jordan’s consent was then won without much difficulty.
Three very happy children they were who went down to see the collie puppies, and who laughed to see the tiny speckled pigs with curly tails, and who viewed the poultry yard with much pride, Jennie, growing ecstatic over the broods of pretty downy chickens. It was while she was cuddling a yellow duckling that they were summoned to the house to help Mrs. Welch to make ice cream. Benny made himself most useful, pounding the ice and turning the freezer with a good will.
“Is it anybody’s birthday? It’s just like a festival,” said Kitty. “Strawberries and ice cream and cake. Think of it, Benny; I didn’t know people ever had such things just in an everyday way; I thought they only had them when they had festivals or parties or something.”
“I suppose it is somebody’s birthday,” said Mrs. Welch, laughing, “but I don’t know just whose. We make ice cream very often in summer, for we’ve an icehouse full of ice, and plenty of cream. Suppose we celebrate your birthday to-day?”
Kitty, very much pleased at the suggestion, looked up with a radiant smile.
“Oh, then she’ll have to have some birthday gifts,” said Jennie, and she ran off to have a consultation with her father, the result of which was that at suppertime Kitty’s plate was piled high with packages, not of very much value, but they represented great bounty to Kitty, who so seldom had anything new. First there was a cunning little china tea set from Jennie, then a small doll from Mollie, a little box of candy from Mr. Welch, and a handkerchief from Joe, while Mrs. Welch placed before her a big frosted cake on which the name “Kitty” was outlined with little pink candies.
Kitty looked from one to the other in speechless joy, and Benny was so overcome with gratitude at such kindness that he turned to Joe, who sat next him, and hugged him in the most energetic manner.
For once in his life Benny had all the ice cream and strawberries that he could eat. It would not be well to state how many saucerfuls he ate, for the statement might seem a doubtful one, and it is still a greater surprise that he was not made ill.
The peaceful Sabbath came with a soft, blue sky, with orioles and wrens singing in the flowering honeysuckles which grew around the porch; with sweet odors wafted up from the roses in the garden; with everything so fair, so quiet, so beautiful, that Benny and Kitty both felt a new reverence for the day, and they started off for Sunday-school as happy as possible. Mrs. Welch had dressed Kitty in one of the pretty little white dresses that Jennie had outgrown, had put upon her feet a pair of nice tan shoes which were too small for Jennie, had curled the little maid’s fair hair so that when she appeared with her sweet little face shining with pleasure, even Mr. Welch gave her an admiring glance, and said, “Well, little one, you look as sweet as that rosebud pinned on your frock.”