"And did she send you here to-day?"

"Well! however could she, bein' as how she's dead? I s'posed you knowed
that. She died after I got well; she only waited for me to git up,
anyhow."

O God! these poor mothers! they bite back the cry of their pain, and
fight death with love so long as they have a shred of strength for the
battle!

"What's your name, dear boy?"

"Patsy."

"Patsy what?"

"Patsy nothin'! just only Patsy; that's all of it. The boys calls me
'Humpty Dumpty' and 'Rags,' but that's sassy."

"But all little boys have another name, Patsy."

"Oh, I got another, if yer so dead set on it,--it's Dinnis,--but Jim
says 't won't wash; 't ain't no 'count, and I wouldn't tell yer nothin'
but a sure-pop name, and that's Patsy. Jim says lots of other fellers
out to the 'sylum has Dinnis fur names, and they ain't worth shucks,
nuther. Dinnis he must have had orful much boys, I guess."

"Who is Jim?"

"Him and I's brothers, kind o' brothers, not sure 'nuff brothers. Oh, I