| Share page |
|
LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY 173
making these arrangements, and looked well pleased,— as most people who looked at her might have been, — for she was decidedly a wholesome, whole-hearted, chirruping little woman, as ever gladdened man's heart withal.
" Ruth, this friend is Eliza Harris; and this is the little boy I told thee of."
"I am glad to see thee, Eliza, — very," said Ruth, shaking hands, as if Eliza were an old friend she had long been expecting; "and this is thy dear boy, — I brought a cake for him," she said, holding out a little heart to the boy, who came up, gazing through his curls, and accepted it shyly.
" Where 's thy baby, Ruth ? " said Rachel.
" Oh, he 's coming; but thy Mary caught him as I came in, and ran off with him to the barn, to show him to the children."
At this moment the door opened, and Mary, an honest, rosy-looking girl, with large brown eyes, like her mother's, came in with the baby.
" Ah! ha!' said Rachel, coming up, and taking the great, white, fat fellow in her arms ; " how good he looks, and how he does grow! "
" To be sure, he does," said little bustling Ruth, as she took the child, and began taking off a little blue silk hood, and various layers and wrappers of outer garments; and having given a twitch here, and a pull there, and variously adjusted and arranged him, and kissed him heartily, she set him on the floor to collect his thoughts. Baby seemed quite used to this mode of proceeding, for he put his thumb in his mouth (as if it were quite a thing of course), and seemed soon absorbed in his own reflections, while the mother seated herself, and, taking out a long stocking of mixed blue and white yarn, began to knit with briskness.
" Mary, thee 'd better fill the kettle, had n't thee ?" gently suggested the mother.
Mary took the kettle to the well, and soon reappearing, |
||