A Little Mother to the Others | Page 9

sure she
will."
"If she comes back we shall see her," said Apollo; "but she can't come
back, Iris. Dead people can't come back."
"Oh, please, don't call her that," said Iris, with a note of great pain in
her voice.
"But Fortune says that mother is dead, just like anybody else, and in a
few days she will be put into the ground. Oh, Iris! I am frightened when
I think of it. Mother was so lovely, and to think of their putting her into
the ground in a box just like--like we put the poor innocent and the
other creatures, and if that is the case she can never come back--never,
never, never!"
The little boy buried his black head of curling hair on his sister's knee,
and gave vent to a great burst of tears.
"But it is not true, Apollo," said Iris. "I mean in one way it is not true--I
can't explain it, but I know. Let us forget all the dark, dreadful part--let
us think of her, the real mother, the mother that looked at us out of her
beautiful eyes; she is not dead, she has only gone away, and she wants
us all to be good, so that we may join her some day. She called me after
the rainbow, and after the messenger of the gods; and you, Apollo, after

the bravest and the most beautiful boy that was supposed ever to live;
and Diana, too, was called after a great Greek goddess; and Orion after
the most lovely star in all the world. Oh, surely we four little children
ought to try to be great, and good, and brave, if we are ever to meet our
mother again!"
"Well, it is all very puzzling," said Apollo, "and I can't understand
things the way you can, Iris, and I have an awful ache in my throat. I
am hungry, and yet I am not hungry. I love strawberries as a rule, but I
hate them to-day. If only father would come and talk to us it would not
be quite so bad; but Fortune said we were not to go to him, that he was
shut up in his study, and that he was very unhappy. She said that he felt
it all dreadfully about mother."
"Iris," said Diana's voice at that moment, "we are not surely to have any
lessons to-day?"
She had come to the door of the summer-house, and was looking in.
"Lessons?" said Iris. She put up her hand to her forehead in a dazed
manner.
"Yes; do be quick and say. Miss Stevenson is coming down the garden
path. I do think that on the very day when mother has gone away it
would be hard if we were to have lessons; and if what you say is true,
Iris, and mother is happy, why, it does not seem fair; does it? We ought
to have a whole holiday to-day, ought we not? Just as if it was a
birthday, you know."
"I think so too," said Orion, with a shout. "I don't think we need be
bothered with old Stevie to-day." He raised his voice, and ran to meet
her. "You are not to give us any lessons to-day, Stevie," he said. "It is a
holiday, a great, big holiday--it is a sort of birthday. We were all eating
strawberries, for Iris said we were not to go back to the house."
"Oh, my poor, dear, little boy!" said Miss Stevenson. She was a
kind-hearted, although old-fashioned, governess. She bent down now
and kissed Orion, and tried to take one of his very dirty little hands in

hers.
"My dear little children--" she began again.
"Please, Miss Stevenson, don't pity us," said Iris.
Miss Stevenson started.
"My dear Iris," she said, "you don't realize what it means."
"I do," answered Iris stoutly.
"And I know what Iris means," said Apollo; "I know quite well. I feel
miserable; I have got a pain in my throat, and I cannot eat my
strawberries; but Iris says we ought not fret, for mother is much better
off."
"Then, if mother is much better off, we ought to have a holiday, same
as if it was a birthday; ought we not, Miss Stevenson?" said Diana,
puckering up her face and looking, with her keen black eyes, full at her
governess.
"You poor little innocents, what is to become of you all?" said Miss
Stevenson.
She entered the summer-house as she spoke, sank down on the nearest
chair, and burst into tears. The four children surrounded her. They none
of them felt inclined to cry at that moment. Orion, after staring at her
for some little time, gave her a sharp little tap on her arm.
"What are you crying about?" he