“But you have nothing yourself!” said Harry, who was distributing the small supply.
“Oh, I don’t want anything,” said Miss Grey.
“Nor I either,” said Harry; “I’ll give up my share.”
“You’d better not, Harry,” said Miss Grey, with a smile of thanks; “you are young.”
“Yes, and strong,” said Harry, adding his small portion to the others. “I guess I can stand it if you can.”
“Thank you, Harry; I don’t know what I should do without you.”
Then Miss Grey began her story, hoping to make the children forget their hunger. She took her cue from Harry’s bear story and added harrowing incidents and thrilling experiences, as many as she could think of, trying to remember some of the stories of adventure she had read.
When the children got tired and began to be restless, she brought out her next resource: she proposed a game, and in a few minutes the whole school was romping and shouting and enjoying the novelty of a real play in the schoolroom.
When at last they sat down warm and breathless, she began again. This time she sang them some songs; some that she remembered her mother singing to her in the nursery. But she found this a rather dangerous experiment, for the thought of that happy time contrasted with the anxieties of this, with a dozen frightened children on her hands, cut off from all the world, nearly overcame her. But she rallied again, and this time proposed a song that all could sing.
After that she told another story, making it as long and as stirring as she possibly could.