admiration.

"Tate a bite of cacker, boy," said Herbert, offering a cracker which he
was eating with evident enjoyment.

Mammy explained, amid the good-natured laughter of the older children,
that the newcomer had no teeth and couldn't eat anything but milk.

"Oh, poor 'ittle fing!" he said, softly touching its velvet cheek. "Won't
'oo tum and pay wis Herbie?"

"No, it can't play," said Violet, "it can't walk and it can't talk."

"Where's mamma, mammy?" asked Eddie, glancing at the clock; "it's past her
time; I wonder too she didn't come to show us the new baby herself."

"She's sick, chile," returned mammy, a grave and anxious look coming into
her old eyes.

"Mamma sick?" exclaimed little Elsie, "oh, may I go to her?"

Mammy shook her head. "Not jes now, honey darlin', byme by, when she's
bettah."

"Mamma sick?" echoed Violet. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry!"

"Don't fret, chillen, de good Lord make her well again soon," said mammy,
with cheerful hopefulness, for she could not bear to see how sad each
little face had grown, how the young lips quivered, and the bright eyes
filled with tears; for dearly, dearly, they all loved their sweet, gentle