“This is my very own,” said David; “it was sent to me—myself—me.”
“So it seems now; but just suppose you were to have a letter to say that someone—poor Hal himself, perhaps—or Papa—had sent ten shillings to make up the money for the pig, and directed it to you because you cared so much, would it not be a shame to have spent the money upon yourself?”
“Then they should not have sent it without saying,” said David.
Miss Fosbrook thought the same, when she saw how hard the trial was to the little boy; but she hoped she was taking the kindest course, as she said, “Now, David, in nine days time, if you are good, you will have had another sixpence. I see no chance of the tools being sold; or if they are, I could send for such a box from London. By that time, perhaps, something will have happened to show who sent the money, and why.”
“And if it is all for myself, I may have the tools!” cried David.
“You shall have them, if you really think it is right, when Monday week comes.”
CHAPTER XVI.
Ideas were slow in both entering or dying out of David’s mind; but while there they reigned supreme. Carpentry had come in as the pig had gone out, and with the more force, because a new window was being put into Mamma’s room; and George Bowles was there, with all his delightful tools, letting the little boys amuse themselves therewith, till they had hardly three sound fingers between them; and Nurse Freeman, when she dressed their wounds, could not think what was the use of a lady if she could not keep the children from hurting themselves; but Miss Fosbrook thought that it was better that boys should get a few cuts and bruises than that they should be timid and unhandy.
One evening, all the party walked to carry to Hannah Higgins’s little girl a pinafore that Annie had been making. She was a nice, tidy woman, but there was little furniture in her house, and she looked very poor. The garden was large, and in pretty good order; and there was an empty pig-sty, into which Annie peeped significantly.
“No, Miss Annie, we haven’t no pig,” said Mrs. Higgins. “Ben says, says he, ‘Mother, when I’m taken on for carter boy, see if I don’t get you a nice little pig, as will eat the garden stuff, and pay the rent.’