Big Brother Read online

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  BIG BROTHER

  ROBIN]

  "_Cosy Corner Series_"

  BIG BROTHER

  BY

  ANNIE FELLOWS-JOHNSTON

  BOSTONJOSEPH KNIGHT COMPANY1894

  COPYRIGHT, 1893BYJOSEPH KNIGHT COMPANY

  ILLUSTRATIONS]

  PAGE

  ROBIN _Frontispiece_

  "A BAREFOOT GIRL WEARING A SUNBONNET" 1

  "MRS. ESTEL WAS LISTENING TO LITTLE SCRAPS OF HISTORY," ETC. 9

  "THE LITTLE WHITE COTTAGE IN NEW JERSEY," 19

  "ROBIN FOLLOWED HIM EVERYWHERE" 21

  "STEVEN WOULD COAX HIM OVER IN A CORNER TO LOOK AT THE BOOK" 23

  "THE BLACK DANCING BEAR HAD ALWAYS TO BE PUT TO BED" 26

  "ONCE HE TOOK A BALL OF YARN TO ROLL AFTER THE WHITE KITTEN" 29

  "HE WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM THE HOUSE," ETC. 43

  "THEY COMMENCED TO BUILD A SNOW MAN" 54

  BIG BROTHER.

  Every coach on the long western-bound train was crowded withpassengers. Dust and smoke poured in at the windows and even thebreeze seemed hot as it blew across the prairie cornfields burning inthe July sun.

  It was a relief when the engine stopped at last in front of a smallvillage depot. There was a rush for the lunch counter and therestaurant door, where a noisy gong announced dinner.

  "Blackberries! blackberries!" called a shrill little voice on theplatform. A barefoot girl, wearing a sunbonnet, passed under the carwindows, holding up a basket full, that shone like great black beads.A gentleman who had just helped two ladies to alight from the stepsof a parlor car called to her and began to fumble in his pockets forthe right change.

  "Blackberries! blackberries!" sang another voice mockingly. This timeit came from a roguish-looking child, hanging half-way out of a windowin the next car. He was a little fellow, not more than three yearsold. His hat had fallen off, and his sunny tangle of curls shonearound a face so unusually beautiful that both ladies uttered anexclamation of surprise.

  "Look, papa! Look, Mrs. Estel!" exclaimed the younger of the two. "Oh,isn't he a perfect picture! I never saw such eyes, or such delicatecoloring. It is an ideal head."

  "Here, Grace," exclaimed her father, laughingly. "Don't forget yourberries in your enthusiasm. It hasn't been many seconds since you weregoing into raptures over them. They certainly are the finest I eversaw."

  The girl took several boxes from her basket, and held them up for theladies to choose. Grace took one mechanically, her eyes still fixed onthe child in the window.

  "I'm going to make friends with him!" she exclaimed impulsively."Let's walk down that way. I want to speak to him."

  "Blackberries!" sang the child again, merrily echoing the cry thatcame from the depths of the big sunbonnet as it passed on.

  Grace picked out the largest, juiciest berry in the box, and held itup to him with a smile. His face dimpled mischievously, as he leanedforward and took it between his little white teeth.

  "Do you want some more?" she asked.

  His eyes shone, and every little curl bobbed an eager assent.

  "What's your name, dear," she ventured, as she popped another one intohis mouth.

  "Robin," he answered, and leaned farther out to look into her box. "Becareful," she cautioned; "you might fall out."

  He looked at her gravely an instant, and then said in a slow, quaintfashion: "Why, no; I can't fall out, 'cause big brother's a holdin' onto my feet."

  She drew back a little, startled. It had not occurred to her that anyone else might be interested in watching this little episode. She gavea quick glance at the other windows of the car, and then exclaimed:"What is it, papa,--a picnic or a travelling orphan asylum? It lookslike a whole carload of children."

  Yes, there they were, dozens of them, it seemed; fair faces andfreckled ones, some dimpled and some thin; all bearing the marks of along journey on soot-streaked features and grimy hands, but allwonderfully merry and good-natured.

  Just then a tired-looking man swung himself down the steps, and stoodlooking around him, knitting his brows nervously. He heard the girl'squestion, and then her father's reply: "I don't know, my dear, I amsure; but I'll inquire if you wish."

  The man's brows relaxed a little and he answered them without waitingto be addressed. "They are children sent out by an aid society in theEast. I am taking them to homes in Kansas, mostly in the country."

  "You don't mean to tell me," the old gentleman exclaimed in surprise,"that you have the care of that entire car full of children! How doyou ever manage them all?"

  The man grinned. "It does look like a case of the old woman that livedin a shoe, but there are not as many as it would seem. They can spreadthemselves over a good deal of territory, and I'm blessed if some of'em can't be in half a dozen places at once. There's a little Englishgirl in the lot--fourteen years or thereabouts--that keeps a prettysharp eye on them. Then they're mostly raised to taking care ofthemselves." Some one accosted him, and he turned away. Grace lookedup at the bewitching little face, still watching her with eagerinterest.

  "Poor baby!" she said to herself. "Poor little homeless curly head! IfI could only do something for you!" Then she realized that even theopportunity she had was slipping away, and held up the box. "Here,Robin," she called, "take it inside so that you can eat them withoutspilling them."

  "All of 'em?" he asked with a radiant smile. He stretched out hisdirty, dimpled fingers. "_All_ of 'em," he repeated with satisfactionas he balanced the box on the sill. "All for Big Brother and me!"

  Another face appeared at the window beside Robin's, one very much likeit; grave and sweet, with the same delicate moulding of features.There was no halo of sunny curls on the finely shaped head, but thepersistent wave of the darker, closely cut hair showed what it hadbeen at Robin's age. There was no color in the face either. The linesof the sensitive mouth had a pathetic suggestion of suppressedtrouble. He was a manly-looking boy, but his face was far too sad fora child of ten.

  "Gracie," said Mrs. Estel, "your father said the train will not startfor fifteen minutes. He has gone back to stay with your mother. Wouldyou like to go through the car with me, and take a look at the littlewaifs?"

  "Yes, indeed," was the answer. "Think how far they have come. I wishwe had found them sooner."

  A lively game of tag was going on in the aisle. Children swarmed overthe seats and under them. One boy was spinning a top. Two or threewere walking around on their hands, with their feet in the air. Thegayest group seemed to be in the far end of the car, where two seatsfull of children were amusing themselves by making faces at eachother. The uglier the contortion and more frightful the grimace, thelouder they laughed.

  In one corner the English girl whom the man had mentioned sat mendinga little crocheted jacket, belonging to one of the children. She wasindeed keeping a sharp eye on them.

  "'Enry," she called authoritatively, "stop teasing those girls, Hisay. Pull the 'airs from your hown 'ead, and see 'ow you like thatnaow! Sally, you shall not drink the 'ole enjuring time. Leave the cupbe! No, Maggie, Hi can tell no story naow. Don't you see Hi must beplying my needle? Go play, whilst the car stops."

  Robin smiled on Grace like an old friend when she appeared at thedoor, and moved over to make room for her on the seat beside him. Hehad no fear of strangers, so he chattered away in confiding babyfashion, but the olde
r boy said nothing. Sometimes he smiled when shetold some story that made Robin laugh out heartily, but it seemed toher that it was because the little brother was pleased that helaughed, not because he listened.

  Presently Mrs. Estel touched her on the shoulder. "The time is almostup. I am going to ask your father to bring my things in here. As youleave at the next station, I could not have your company much longer,anyhow. I have all the afternoon ahead of me, and I want something toamuse me."

  "I wish I could stay with you," answered Grace, "but mamma is such aninvalid I cannot leave her that long. She would be worrying about meall the