Dreamikins went off to her lessons in great excitement. Miss Fletcher did not expect too much from her that morning; she knew how she would miss her little companions, and was extra kind and cheerful.
In a very few days a letter arrived addressed to, "Miss Emmeline Broughton." Dreamikins opened it with trembling fingers, and got her uncle to read it to her.
"OUR DARLING DREAMIKINS,—We are going to write between us, and you need not guess who does it, because Freda writes best, and Daffy spells best, and we've got our spelling-book and dictionary on the table, and Nurse tells us some. We are not doing lessons yet. Our governess is away. We are in a big hotel, and there are two boys who play with us and Bertie. We are going to give a penny to an old flowerwoman to get a cup of tea. She says she suffers from thirst, but tea does not agree with her; but she will get a glass of something else instead, and we are wondering if she is like your man, and means beer. Dear Dreamikins, we miss you so. Tell Fibo we are trying to keep the Commandments, but Nurse makes us knit mittens for soldiers, and we would rather do frocks for Miss Fletcher's sister's children; but we have to do Nurse's way. Nurse says a goat is not wickeder than a sheep except that it is mischievous. She says we are more like goats than sheep. We asked her which she was, and she said she wasn't either of them. Ask Fibo where she'll stand when they are sorted out. But she lets us put our pennies in a box for orphan children, to get them into a Home. Daffy and me are going to the Zoo with a man who is our Cousin John. He is in the War. He says they sent him home because the shells are too fond of him. He has a hole in his arm; he showed it to us. Edmund has gone back to school. Mums says he must not come to stay with us again. Kiss Shylock for us, and give Fibo a good big hug—one for Daffy and one for me. When we grow up we mean to build a house to take in strangers. Daffy and me saw a poor old man who was blue-coloured, he was so cold. He was selling papers. Nurse would not let us speak to him, but we kissed our hands to him. There is a waiter here who has sixteen children. Would you not like so many brothers and sisters to play with? We would. Good-bye, darling Dreamikins. Have you still got Er? And please tell Fibo we are looking out for a letter with pictures from him. We love him next to you. We think he has an angel's heart, he is so kind.—Your loving friends,
"FREDA and DAFFY.
"P.S.—We told Cousin John about the little door, and the day we first found it. He said it was a wonderful find, and we think it was too."
Of course Dreamikins never rested till she had written a letter too.
"MY SWEET FREDA AND DAFFY,—Fibo is writing this for me in my very own words, for I can't do it as quick as I ought, and the pen won't go so fast as my tongue. I have heaps and heaps and heaps to tell you. Kontities has happened. I must tell you, I nearly went to heaven the other day. Fancy, I might have been there to-day instead of writing this letter—having fun with all the angels and harps! But Er and a strange man stopped me going. I was walking home from the post office, and in the lane a dear, tiny little mouse was lying in the middle of the road. I was just esgamining him very carefully, when all in a minute a great big motorcar came rushing at me, and it made such a noise that my head felt silly, and I didn't know what to do. And then I was snatched out of the way by a man. Er gave me a pull too, and my hat flew off, and, do you know, when the car stopped, there it was in a mash in the road! Fancy, if I had been mashed like my hat! But it wouldn't have hurt my soul a tiny little bit. Fibo says I must never stop in the middle of the road again, even if I see a dead camel or effelunt. I like Mrs. Bone. I wented to see her, and she made me laugh. Fibo and I are going to be dreffully busy. We have some darling little robins who hop and skip on the window-ledge. We are making a little house for them, and we mean to put their breakfes in it. It is made of wood, and is called Redbreast Inn. It has a big, open door, and a red roof with a chimley, and Mrs. Robin will want to live in it. We had some snow yesterday. I think it is the little angels tearing the clouds into bits and throwing them down for fun, but Er shakes his head and says they never tear things in heaven. I am making a coat for Grinder, he is so cold, and then I am going to make one for Drab and for Whiskers; they do look so funny! I tied a pocky-hanker round Drab, and she arched her back and sweared. Fibo lets me make hot toast for tea all myself. And we think a Pixie lives in the chimley; there is a coorious noise when we listen, and Mrs. Daw says it may be a bird, but Fibo and me knows better. He is called Shicketty Shock, and he is hiding his bags of gold there. One day he'll tumble down, and then I'll catch him quick. Miss Fletcher and me miss you very much, and she lets me put your two chairs up, and then I pretend you're there and I say things to you. Last night I had a dream. Fibo says it was a dream, but I think Er pulled a bit of me out of my body and we flew to London. I thought you was both with me talking in a shop full of Christmas things. Do you remember doing it? How many kisses shall I make on the paper for you? Freda is first, then Daffy. Fibo is going to write to you all hisself soon. Good-bye. Good-bye. And don't you think this is a nice long letter from your—
"DREAMIKINS.
"P.S.—This is a sekret I am riting it myself. Er is two grav for me and he says God wants him to cary up por solders in batle so he is going to moro. I am so glad. I am going to have a little old mery angel wuman, she will mak me laff like Mrs. Bone only much beter. I will tell you how we get on togever in my nex leter."
Dreamikins got her new angel; so she informed her uncle, and she named her Meribah. Fibo told her that the name did not suit an angel, that it meant "quarrelling" or "strife." Dreamikins was undaunted.
"She does quarrel with Satan when he tries to come near me. She pushes him away. And I like the name, Fibo, because she is so merry."
Meribah lived with Dreamikins quite a long time, and then one day, when Fibo and his little niece were talking together, Dreamikins looked up at him with soft, pitying eyes:
"What a pity it is, Fibo, that you have no nice angels to talk to you, and 'muse you when I aren't here," she said.
"Well," said Fibo, leaning back in his chair, "I think we may have our guardian angels in the same way that you have; but when you get older, my Dreamikins, I hope your heart and thoughts will be occupied with Somebody better than angels. I think angels may guard and keep our bodies from dangers, but I have Somebody Who guards and keeps my soul—yes—and Who takes possession of it, if I am willing."