“Give me the lamb, and I’ll feed three hungry little girls every day as long as Boston is shut up.”
A British officer, seeing the lamb in Johnny’s arms, offered to buy it, bribing him with a bit of gold; but Johnny said “there wasn’t any gold in the land that he would exchange it for,” and so the lamb reached Boston in safety before the sheep got there. As Johnny walked along the streets he was busy looking out for some poor little girl to give it to, according to Mary’s request.
“I must wait,” he thought, “until I find some one who is almost starved.”
On the Common side he met a little girl who cried “Oh! see! see! A lamb! A live lamb in Boston Town!”
The child’s eyes rested on the little white creature, which accosted her with a plaintive bleat. Johnny Manning’s eyes were riveted on the little girl. What he thought, he never said. “Do you want it?” he asked.
“O yes! yes! Where did you get it?”
“I’ve brought it from Roxbury in my arms. Mary Robbins gave it, in Windham, for some poor little girl who was hungry in Boston. Are you hungry?”
“No,” said the child, hesitatingly.