"So he does," agreed Miss Bailey, rightly inferring from Morris's expressive pantomime that to "scup" was to swing. "But sometimes he flies up into the sky in the country, as I was reading to you. Were you ever in the country?"
"What country?" asked Morris. "Russia? I comes out of Russia."
"No, not Russia. Not any particular country. Just the open country where the flowers grow."
"No ma'an, I ain't seen it," said the child gently. "But I was once to Tompkins Square. On'y it was winter und snow lays on it. I ain't seen no flowers."
"And do none of you know anything about the country?" asked Teacher sadly.
"Oh, yiss ma'an, I know," said Eva Gonorowsky. "The country is the
Fresh Air Fund."
"Then you've been there," cried Miss Bailey. "Tell us about it, Eva."
"No ma'an, I ain't seen it," said Eva proudly. "I'm healthy. But a girl on my block she had a sickness und so she goes. She tells me all times how is the country. It's got grass stickin' right up out of it. Grass und flowers! No ma'an, I ain't never seen it: I don't know where is it even, but oh! it could to be awful pretty!"
"Yes, honey, it is," said Teacher. "Very, very pretty. When I was a little girl I lived in the country."
"All day?" asked Morris.