<3VI < 1 1 ft 1 i w 2 tj ^ ? s ^ "2, LISA AXD FREDDIE. Fiddling Freddie, Frontispiece. FIDDLING FREDDY BY NEIL FORREST. NEW YORK: ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, 770 BROADWAY, COB. 9TH St. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S71, by ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & CO., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, E. o. JENKINS, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER, SO N. WILLIAM ST.. N. Y. PZ7 FIDDLING FREDDY. . i. T^HE cold wind of November was whirl- ing the withered autumn leaves along the city streets, chasing them into corners, whisking them out again, tossing them aloft in the air, and treating them very badly, and in a manner to which they were quite unaccustomed, for all summer long they had danced on the boughs, and the sun had smiled as the wind sighed so softly through the green branches, and coaxed them down one by one ; and now that they were down, how rude it was to bluster and roar, and chase them in such a furious way. (3) FIDDLING FREDDY. But November breezes are not to be trusted ; they whisper one minute, and roar the next ; sometimes they will be so quiet and good, and then suddenly begin to howl and shriek in angry gusts, just as they were doing one cold day, when Freddy stood be- fore a large brown stone house, holding his cap in his hand, to catch a penny which a rosy little girl was trying to throw from an open window. She threw it as hard and as far as she could over the area railings, and then hurried to shut the window, for the cruel wind whispered to her ; " Go in, my little dear, I don't need your little pug nose this morning, for I mean to bite Freddy's bare feet." And the penny hopped into the street, and kept on hopping till it reached the gut- ter, and, just as Freddy stooped to pick it up, the wind knocked off his ragged cap which he had replaced on his head, and away it went, flying almost as fast as the leaves. Freddy picked up the penny hast- FIDDLING FREDDY. 5 ily, put it in his mouth, and ran after the cap. It was a very ugly cap to look at a very shabby, old worn-out little cap, with- out a brim, with the lining all ragged, and two holes in the tip-top of it. But was it all Freddy had, and he was determined not to let the wicked wind get it, just to throw it into the river. It bounced and rolled along just ahead of him, as his short legs and little bare feet trotted briskly after it ; sometimes he would almost touch it, but as he leaned over it, a sudden gust would whirl it off again, and away it went, skim- ming down the street with Freddy after it. At last he caught it, and with panting breath and glowing cheeks, he returned to his former position and joined a man who was covering his hand-organ, and preparing to lift it on his shoulder and walk away. " Can't you keep your hat on your head ?" said he gruffly to Freddy, who was now polishing the penny on his sleeve, prepara- tory to handing it to the man. FIDDLING FREDDY. " If I had a bit o' string I could, Tonio got such a thing about you ?" Tonio only grumbled some reply, which Freddy did not hear, but his tone was so cross he thought it best not to question him further, and he followed him silently till another street was reached, when Tonio again lowered his organ and ground out a tune on it. Freddy immediately began to caper and spring about in an extraordi- nary way, whirling round, leaping high in the air, waving his arm wildly above him, and every few moments clapping his other hand on top of his head to hold on his cap. If it had been some rare singing-bird, Fred- dy could not have been more anxious to prevent its flight. This hopping and whirling and leaping was Freddy's way of dancing, and when he had kept it up for a minute or so, he stop- ped as suddenly as he had begun, seized the rebellious cap in his hand, and made a sud- den dart at a gentleman who was passing by. FIDDLING FREDDY. " Eh ! what ! what's this ?" said he in a tone of surprise. " Get out with you, you rascal, or I'll have you taken up !" and on he went. Freddy did not appear to be sur- prised at all at this reception, but carried his cap to every one who passed by. Some gave him pennies, and some took no notice at all of him, and some laughed, and some scolded and said, " little nuisance !" and all hurried along. Then Freddy looked up at the windows of the houses, and when he saw anybody sitting by one, he bowed and laughed and held out his cap, and gave a few more leaps and springs, and a lady, who had a baby in her arms, tossed out two pennies, which hopped and rolled just as the other had done, and he had to hop after them. As he stooped for the last one, he put it hastily in his mouth, and, when he handed the money to Tonio, he did not give this one to him. Tonio looked at him sharply and counted the money, but Freddy pretended to be 8 FIDDLING FREDDY. looking diligently for more pennies, and did not look at Tonio, who pocketed all that had been given him, and again shoul- dered his organ. And now the wind did one good thing : it blew a bit of twine di- rectly into Freddy's face. In a minute he caught it, and, with a little cry of triumph, he passed one end of the string through a hole in his cap, and fastened it, and then tied the other end to a hole in his jacket. When this was done, he walked along proudly ; no dandy in Broadway with a silk hat felt better satisfied with himself than Freddy. At the next house before which Tonio stopped, there were two children, who clap- ped their hands, and cried, " Oh, here comes an organ man !" and they made signs to Tonio to play. They laughed heartily at Freddy's wild dance, and in a few minutes the front door was opened, and a servant appeared with sixpence for Tonio, and a request that the little boy should sing. FIDDLING FREDDY. At this Freddy looked dismayed, but To- nio told him to sing at once, and immedi- ately stopped grinding on his organ. Fred- dy only knew one song, and but few words of that. He had heard Tito, one of his boy- friends, sing it. He tried to dance again, hoping that would please the children, but they made signs to him to sing, and Tonio commanded him to do so, in an angry tone. But how was he to sing with the penny in his mouth ? However, he dared not dis- obey, and began : " My mountain home, te yortle too, My heart for thee, too lortle too, Still sighs and longs " At this point the song broke off suddenly, and Freddy went stamping round for a few minutes, as though he had gone crazy. The penny had slipped down his throat, notwith- standing his efforts to prevent it from doing so, but \hejodel was too much for him, and down went the penny. IO FIDDLING FREDDY. Poor Freddy felt as if he would choke to death, but he was determined not to let Tonio see, for fear he would know that he had kept back the money. By dint of coughing and much strangling he man- aged to get it out of his throat, and once more held it in his cheek, concealed. To- nio called to him and swore at him, but he was too much out of breath to sing again, and so they bowed to the children, who did not know what to make of Freddy's queer song and movements, and once more they walked on. . As the evening drew on, Freddy did not dance with such energy, and after awhile he only shuffled his feet on the pavement, and nobody took any notice of him. Every- body seemed to be in a greater hurry than ever, and, as the streets darkened, the bright gas-lights appeared in the houses, and the rich warm curtains were dropped before the windows, hiding the children, who were always the best customers. So FIDDLING FREDDY. II Tonio concluded that it was time to go home. Freddy's feet were numbed with the cold, and as he shuffled along after Tonio, rub- bing one against the other to try and warm them, he thought about the happy children in those beautiful houses, who were always so warmly clothed, and were shielded and guarded from every evil. They did not know what it was to feel this biting wind tweak their noses and ears and feet and hands. They did not have to dance all day long to get their living. " I wonder why they have so much, and I have so little," thought the boy. " But then I'm better off than Lisa," said he to himself; "for I get plenty to eat, and she don't." And he rolled the penny round in his mouth. It was a very uncomfortable place to carry it, but his pockets had long ago become so ragged that they would not hold anything, and his cap had to be taken off 12 FIDDLING FREDDY. constantly. Besides, it had so many holes in it that a penny would have dropped through it if any one should put one in, which never happened, for, though he al- ways held it for them, the people who gave generally threw them far beyond the little old cap, into the street. On and on trotted Freddy behind Tonio and the organ, until they reached an alley, opening off one of the narrow, dirty, crowd- ed streets, far away from the broad hand- some avenues they had visited that day. Going down the alley and turning to the right, they entered a dingy old house, toiled wearily up a pair of rickety, creaking stairs, and opening a door, found themselves in a long room, with low ceiling, dirty walls, broken windows and bare floor. There were about fifteen men already in this room, and, as Tonio entered, they greeted him with mingled exclamations of welcome, derision and abuse. They spoke in different languages, some FIDDLING FREDDY. 13 in Italian, others in a French patois, and oth- ers again in English. But all were grum- bling, and seemed to have been waiting for Tonio, who sat down wearily, and began to cough violently. As soon as he recovered breath, he signed to Freddy, who went from one to the other of the men, receiving a small sum of money from each, which To- nio counted, and, adding a trifle more, told Freddy to be quick and go and buy supper. Tired as he was, he started off with alac- rity, for he was hungry, too, and he very well knew that there was no rest for him till the supper was over. On his way down stairs he stopped at the door of another room, and gave a long loud knock, calling out, " Sally, come up." This was a signal to the old woman who lived there to carry the coffee she had made up- stairs, together with such portions of the supper as she had cooked. This old woman was paid by the men to cook, wash and mend for them. 2 14 FIDDLING FREDDY. She was known as Sally, and if she had any other name, Freddy had never heard it. The men were all organ-grinders, fid- dlers, harpists, or strolling minstrels, who went about in bands. Their days were spent in much the same way as Tonio and Freddy, and at night they all assembled in this room, paying for it by joint contributions, as they did for their meals. They were a tired and a cross set of men just now, for they were hungry ; but at times, when they had supper and were rested, they were lively and jolly enough ; Freddy had never known any other home. He remembered nothing but this home and Tonio and the long, long streets no mother, no gentle or caressing voice, no playthings or amusements, only this close crowded room, or trotting be- hind the organ and dancing on the streets. But Freddy had a cheerful heart, and, as he knew nothing better, he was quite con- tented and happy. FIDDLING FREDDY. 15 There were times when Tonio was cross and would swear at him and even strike him ; but the poor child was used to swear- ing, and learned to dodge the blows. He had no one to teach him to be good, and he was like a little heathen in one respect he knew nothing about God. The men with whom he lived earned an honest living by playing on their musical instruments, and they all gained enough in this way to keep them above want ; but, though they did not steal, nor teach Freddy to, they did what was very nearly as bad : they gambled nearly every night, sitting up long after midnight over their cards. Fortunately for him, Freddy was always so tired with his day's work that he fell asleep as soon as supper was over, and never knew what took place around him after that. All the oaths and quarreling of the men were unheard while he slept peacefully ; but while this. saved him from hearing a great deal that was sinful, and his life with Tonio 16 FIDDLING FREDDY. kept him fully occupied in the daytime, and out of mischief, you may imagine that he learned little good from those around him. If he did not steal, it was more because he was afraid of Tonio than because he knew it to be wicked. He was only nine years old. At that age a child cannot be depraved ; but, alas ! for him if he is sur- rounded by those who are. When Freddy had knocked at the door, he ran off quickly to the store at the corner of the street. The old woman rose slowly from her chair, and began to bustle about the room, gathering dishes together in a basket, and lifting a large tin coffee-pot from the hot stove. A little girl, about as old as Freddy, had started when she had heard the knock, and a gleam of pleasure lit up her pale face, which a moment before had looked as though it never could smile. She was sewing horn buttons on to coarse blue shirts by the dim light which came from the window. Her dark blue eyes were swollen with crying, and the heavy lids and long black lashes drooped wearily over them. The old woman, after much clattering round the room, turned sharply upon her, and asked her why she sat there, and told her to get up at once and carry the basket and coffee-pot upstairs. The little girl rose, and, taking the heavy basket in one hand and the coffee-pot in the other, carried them slowly up the broken stairs, followed by Sally, who scolded her all the way for not going faster. When she had set them down on the table in the men's room, Sally told her to get back to her work. Closing the door behind her, the child ran quickly down the stairs, and reached the door of the house just as Freddy returned, his arms full of bundles, from the store. " Lisa," he whispered as he entered, " are you there ?" " Oh, yes, yes, Freddy ! have you got it ? Give it to me quick, or she'll come." IS FIDDLING FREDDY. " Here," said Freddy, handing her a roll, " here it is eat it up. I 'most killed my- self to-day trying to hide the penny for it. Tonio made me sing, and it got stuck in my throat. If I hadn't got it up, you wouldn't a-had your supper, Lisa." " Oh, Freddy, how good you are !" cried the little girl in a frightened whisper, eat- ing her roll voraciously. " Well, I don't know. I guess Tonio wouldn't think so if he knew I kept a penny. But I've a right to it, for it's my dancing that gets it, and I mean to bring you a roll every night, Lisa, for you're 'most starved, ain't you ?" " Yes," said Lisa, faintly. " She only gives me just the scraps left from the men's meal's. Oh, I do get so hungry!" " Don't you have coffee ?" asked Freddy. " Oh, no, never !" replied the child. Freddy thought for a moment, and then said, " I'll tell you what, Lisa ; I've seen lots of old tin cans lying round the streets FIDDLING FREDDY. 19 up-to\vn, and I'll get one to-morrow and hide it behind the door ; then, when I can, I'll fill it with coffee for you. I don't mind going without once in a while, and you look out sharp the first thing in the morn- ing, will you ?" " Thank you, Freddy ; how kind you are to me. Nobody is half so good to me now as you are." " Oh, bother your good 7" cried Freddy. " Maybe I'll want it all myself, after all. But you look out for it, and perhaps you'll find it, and perhaps you won't." With these words Freddy ran off, for he dared not wait longer ; and little Lisa, hav- ing finished her roll, crept softly back to the room, and by the flickering firelight began her weary task again with a lighter heart just in time, for an instant after Sally entered ; and it was well for Lisa that she was in her place, at work. II. THE next day Tonio called Tito from his adjoining room to come and teach Freddy a song. He told Freddy he must sing as well as dance, and to hurry up and learn how to do it properly. " Well, then, " said Freddy to himself, " I must find some other way to hide Lisa's penny, or I shall choke to death some day." He had a quick ear for music, and a clear, sweet, childish yoice, and he caught several popular melodies quickly after hearing Tito sing them ; but he found it hard to remem- ber the words. " The words are of no 'count," said Tito ; " slide your voice along when you forget them." Tito was an Italian boy, who sold white mice and san in the street. He had been FIDDLING FREDDY. in America ever since he was a little child, and spoke English better than Italian. He was Freddy's best friend, and used to bring him flowers from the country in the sum- mer, when he returned from his long expe- ditions. He had a brother whom Freddy dreaded to meet, he was so tyrannical and cruel, but Tito never allowed him to beat Freddy when he was by. As soon as the song was learned, Tonio shouldered his organ, and, with Freddy fol- lowing, set off on his day's tramp. Freddy picked up the first tin tomato-can he saw lying by an ash-barrel, and he put a few stones in it, and walked along rattling it, hoping to slip a penny in by-and-by, when Tonio was not looking, and so deceive him. They had not much luck that day. No- body seemed to want to hear the music, or to see the dancing. Many a time they were ordered away from before the door of some house where they had taken their stand. "At this rate, there would be no 22 FIDDLING FREDDY. chance for Lisa," Freddy thought ; and when next they stopped he began to sing, hoping to attract more notice by doing so. His plan seemed to succeed, for a gentle- man, dressed in plain dark clothes, stopped, turned round to look at him, went on a few steps, came back, and stood listening. En- couraged by this, Freddy sang his very best and his voice rang out clearly on the frosty air. The gentleman waited till he had finished, and then, taking two or three cents from his pocket, handed them to Fred- dy, saying, at the same time " Is he your father?" pointing to Tonio. " No," answered Freddy, " I ain't got no father." " Do you think you could sing well enough to join a choir of boys and chant a Christmas carol in church ?" asked the gen- tleman, who was the young rector of a neighboring chapel. Freddy had not the least idea of what was meant, but he an- swered FIDDLING FREDDY. 23 " I can sing ' Not for Joe,' if you like.". The young man smiled and turned to Tonio. " I'm getting up some music for Christmas ," said he, " and I want a few chil- dren's voices in the choir. Your little boy seems to have a good voice. Suppose you send him round to me, and let me see what I can do with him ?" "What can you do for him ?" asked Tonio, wide-awake as to the business part of the transaction, which the other evidently had not considered. " Oh," said he, smiling, " I'll make that all right." " No," answered Tonio, " he can't go, unless you pay me six cents for every hour he stays with you, and I'll lose money by that," he grumbled. But Freddy knew better. They had not made sixpence that day, and they had been out many hours. " Well, well," said the young man, " I'll agree to that. Send him round to me at 24 FIDDLING FREDDY. four o'clock this afternoon;" and he was hurrying off when Freddy called out " Hold on, sir ! Where am I to go ?" " Oh, to be sure !" said the gentleman smiling ; " come to the door of the vestry room belonging to the church on the next block. Do you know where that is ?" " Is it the big brown stone house that rings a bell in its loft?" asked Freddy. " Yes," said the gentleman ; " I'll meet you there at four o'clock ;" and he hurried off. It was now about three o'clock, and Tonio said he would keep near the church till the hour had passed ; and when the right time came he told him to go where he had been directed, and come home as soon as he could with the money. So Tonio went off with the organ on his shoulder, walking sWeways down the street, and Freddy started alone in the direction of the church. He knew the building when he saw it, but he had never been inside of a church in his life, and had not the least idea FIDDLING FREDDY. 2$ of what it was like, or what it was for. He walked round and round it, and tried to open the iron gates. " I wonder why folks will keep their area gates locked," said he to himself. " That's a stunning big house, though ; but I don't see no bell to the front-door. How do they get in ? If I'd a long rope, now, a-hangin ' to that big bell up there, I'd pull it loud enough for them ! " Saying this, Freddy came to a little side- gate, which he tried, and found unfastened. Walking up the narrow flagged walk, he came to a door which stood ajar. " I guess this is the bestry door," said he to himself; "he said to go to the bestry door." Seeing nobody, he advanced a few steps, and found himself in a high, narrow passage- way, with a red baize door in front of him, and a flight of stairs at his side. He walked to the door and knocked, but his little knuckles made no sound on the soft materi- 3 26 FIDDLING FREDDY. al. There were two small oval glass win- dows in the door, but they were much high- er than Freddy's head. He knocked again, and, receiving no answer, turned to the stairs. " I guess I ought to go up and ring the bell, and let him know as I'm come," said he, softly. His little bare feet made no noise on the cocoa matting with which the floor was cov- ered, and, although Mr. Browning, the young rector, was sitting in the vestry room at that moment, on the other side of the baize door, he never knew that Freddy was at hand. The hands of his watch pointed to quarter past four, and he began to get im- patient. " I do not believe that little fellow will come at all," said he " I was foolish to ex- pect it. I'm sorry, too, for he had a good voice. Well ! I must give it up, and look more systematically for a choir," and he took his hat and walked toward the door. FIDDLING FREDDY. 2/ Just as he opened it he heard the church- bell toll one. He started, and hastily looked at his watch again. It surely was not time for any service! No, evening service did not begin till seven o'clock. What was the bell ringing for ? Again it tolled one and then again, more feebly, and then came a loud peal, as though some one jerked it violently. Amazed at the unusual sound at such an hour, Mr. Browning stood, hat in hand, for a moment, and then ran upstairs up and up, and up, till he came to the belfry, where he found Freddy hard at work. He had put one foot in a loose knot of a long rope that hung there, and had taken hold of the upper portion of it that he might have a firmer hold, for he was not strong enough to move the bell with his hands alone. With every pull the bell rang, and, as the rope was shortened by its swinging, up went Freddy's leg with a jerk, nearly as high as his head ; but, by dint of clinging to the rope with both hands, he managed to swing 28 FIDDLING FREDDY. himself off the floor, and his weight brought the bell down again with another jerk. " What are you doing, child ? " gasped Mr. Browning. " Please, sir, I knocked, and I knocked, and there wasn't no bell to your front door, and all your area gates was locked, and I was afraid you'd be a waitin ' for me, so I rang your bell to let you know as I was come. But it's dreadful hard work, sir." Mr. Browning could not help laughing. " You've let every one in the neighbor- hood know, too," said he, as Freddy disen- gaged himself from the rope that hung to the still vibrating bell. "But why didn't you come right through the red door?" he asked, as they began to descend the stairs. " I didn't know as they'd let me in with- out ringin'," panted Freddy, quite breath- less with his late exertion. "Were you never in a church before?" asked the clergyman. " No," said Freddy. " What's it for ? " FIDDLING FREDDY. 29 " It is God's house," said Mr. Browning, solemnly. " It's a bustin' big one, ain't it ? " said Freddy, with wide open eyes, as he follow- ed Mr. Browning through the door into the vestry room. " Is God rich? " The young clergyman turned round hast- ily, and looked keenly into Freddy's face. He thought for a minute that he had to deal with a sharp, mischievous, probably a profane boy ; but the innocent look of won- der in his large eyes showed him that he was not. A little New York heathen that was what he was ! A poor, neglected, ignorant little child ! " What's your name ? " said Mr. Brown- ing. " Freddy." " What's your other name ? " " Haven't got no other as I knows on," answered Freddy, laughing, and showing a glistening row of white teeth. 3O FIDDLING FREDDY. " What is your father's name ? " persisted Mr. Browning. " Haven't got no father." " Nor mother?" " No ! I never had no mother." " Who was that man you were with ? " " Oh, that's Tonio. I live with him. He plays on the organ, and I dance and take the money." 11 Do you never go to God's house on Sunday?" "No! Guess he hasn't got no houses down to where I live. Never asked me to come, anyways, and nobody never took me. Guess he don't know Tonio, nor none of our men, for /never heard of him." Mr. Browning sat down in his large leather chair and leaned his head on his hand. He was a young man, and had but lately come to the city to live. This was a new experience to him. How could he teach this child ? Where and how should he begin ? FIDDLING FREDDY. 31 " You wanted me to sing, didn't you ? " asked Freddy, after a pause. "Yes," said Mr. Browning, recollecting himself. Freddy instantly struck up, " Not for Joe," which he sung in a spirited way, as taught by Tito. " Hush ! hush ! " exclaimed Mr. Brown- ing, hastily. Freddy stopped suddenly, and looked up, rather amazed, into his patron's face. Tito had said that everybody would like that song. " Don't you like it, sir? I can sing ' Home, Sweet Home,' if you'd rather," and he began that. Although many of the words were for- gotten, Freddy sang one verse of the sweet old melody, and his young voice rang clearly and sweetly through the room, with its high, arched ceiling. " Can you catch a tune quickly ? " asked Mr. Browning, thinking, at the time, how 32 FIDDLING FREDDY. pathetic a song it was in the mouth of that poor little barefooted wanderer. " Guess so," said Freddy, and Mr. Brown- ing, sitting down before a small melodeon, played a simple tune. Freddy looked with wonder at this per- formance. He had never seen any musical instrument like this before, but he was de- lighted with the sweet sounds that issued from it. " That's ever so much nicer than Tonic's organ," said he. " It's not so Zanglcdy Zangledy" " Well, now try and see if you can sing this," said Mr. Browning, encouragingly, and he played and sang a verse of the Christmas hymn. Freddy listened, and very soon joined in the melody. Mr. Browning looked pleased. " I see that you have a good ear for music," said he ; " would you like to come here and learn with a few other children, and then sing in the church on Christmas Day ? " FIDDLING FREDDY. 33 "I'd just as soon," said Freddy, "If Tonio'll let me. But you'll have to pay him for me, and you must let me out in time to get Lisa's penny." This had to be explained to Mr. Brown- ing, who heard from Freddy poor little Lisa's story. She had been brought to Sally's a year ago, by her dying mother. Sally was her grandmother, and had prom- ised to take care of her ; but she made her work very hard, was often cruel to her, and never gave her enough to eat. " Lisa sings ! " exclaimed Freddy, as he finished his story. " If you'll pay Sally for her, she could come and sing 'stead of me, and maybe you'd find her something to eat once in a while." Freddy's black eyes sparkled as he made this little plan for Lisa's benefit. It would take her away from Sally for awhile, at any rate, and maybe this grand gentleman would give her a penny for herself some- times. 34 FIDDLING FREDDY. Mr. Browning said he would go and see Sally, and ask if she would let Lisa come, but that he should want Freddy too. " What is't all for, anyway ? " asked Freddy. " Is the singin' for God ? " " Yes," replied Mr. Browning. "Will he be here next time?" said Freddy. " Lisa's dreadful ragged and dirty, and so am I. Maybe he won't let us into his big house when he sees us." " He sees you now, my little boy. He made you and Lisa, and everybody. He made the world, and everything that is in it." Freddy's eyes opened widely, and Mr. Browning went on to tell him about God. It may seem a very strange thing to chil- dren who read this that a boy of nine years old had never heard of God, but Freddy had nobody to teach him. He listened eagerly to Mr. Browning as he told him the wonderful story of God's love to us, of Christ's birth, of his thirty-three years of FIDDLING FREDDY. 35 life on earth, and of his cruel death by those he had come to save, and for whom he prayed with his dying breath. When at last he stopped speaking and looked up, there sat Freddy, with all ten of his little nuckles dug into his eyes, trying to keep out, or wipe away, the tears that li'onld come, and had made long streaks down his dirty little face. " Can't help crying," said he, with a sob : " it was so dreadful good of Jesus to leave up there, and come and be cold and hungry. It is so bad to be cold, sir. Oh ! you don't know ; and Lisa says it's worse to be hungry. And he didn't need to be, either, but just 'cause he loved us, it were dread- ful good of him. Oh, I'll sing real loud, I will, if you think he likes that song as you sung ! " Mr. Browning thought he had said enough for this time, and, looking at his watch, was surprised to see how late it was. " There, there," said he, " rim home now. 36 FIDDLING FREDDY. Here's your money, and a penny for Lisa. I'll go and see Sally, and you must, both come to-morrow at the same hour. Don't forget what I have taught you." " No sir !" called back Freddy, who had already started for the street. " I'll be sure to learn that song as you says God likes ! " and away he ran, singing, down the frosty street, rattling his money in his tin can as an accompaniment ; and as Mr. Browning stopped to lock the church door after him, he heard his clear, childish voice in the distance, shouting " the glad tidings," as he hastened home to tell all to Lisa, and give her the roll and coffee. III. B' know how to make any tune come," said Lisa, when Freddy told her about his day's adventure. It was late in the evening, and the two children were in their retreat behind the house-door, where Lisa had found the toma- to-can full of coffee, and where Freddy had joined her, bringing the roll as usual. He had talked so rapidly, and jumbled every- thing together in such a way, that Lisa could not understand at all what he was talking about. One fact alone became evi- dent to her that Freddy had told some- body she could sing, and that this somebody was coming to see Sally and ask permis- sion to have her do so. 4 (37) 38 FIDDLING FREDDY. " I never sang in all my life, Freddy. How come you to say I could ?" " Oh ! I s'posed you could, and I bet you can. It '11 be so jolly to get away from old Sally, and p'raps you '11 make money by it," replied Freddy. " But if I can't, how can I?" inquired Lisa, with a perplexed air. " You can, I tell you you can. I '11 teach you the tune, and you '11 learn it in half a shake." " Will it grind out of me, like out of an or- gan? " asked Lisa, hopefully. " Oh ! I guess so. Why, it 's nothing at all, Lisa, but just open your mouth and let it come." Lisa opened her mouth wide. " Don't seem as if 'twould," said she, after a pause, during which Freddy stood gazing down her throat, as though he expected to see the tune there. " But you do n't try," said he, impatient- ly. " Make a noise in your throat kinder FIDDLING FREDDY. 39 so," and Freddy sang gayly. "Why, it just sings itself," said he, as he finished. " Can't you let the sing come ? " " 'Course I'll let it," said Lisa. " You just tell the words, and p'raps the sing will come when I say them." " Shout the glad tidings ! " sang Freddy, half shouting the words. " Oh, hush!" cried Lisa; "Sally will hear you." " Don't care if she do," replied Freddy, stoutly. " Oh ! but / care, 'cause if she catches me here, she'll beat me," said Lisa, in a fright- ened voice. " Well, she won't catch you. It's pay- day, and she's screwing the money out of the men upstairs. She'll be busy enough awhile yet. Now, then, try again." " Shout the glad tidings," sang Lisa, in a deep voice, all on one note. " There, Freddy, it did sing that time, didn't it ? " said she, joyfully. 4O FIDDLING FREDDY. " Yes," answered Freddy, doubtfully, " but don't make such a roaring noise down low. Put your voice up a little in your throat, kinder sorter." Thus exhorted, Lisa tried again ; but this time she squeaked in such a high key that Freddy burst out laughing, threw himself, down on his back, kicked his feet high in the air, turned a somersault, and finally came right side up again. Lisa was doubt- ful, for a moment, whether this was intend- ed as a compliment to her performance, or otherwise. But her doubts were solved by Freddy, who exclaimed, in a choking voice : " Oh, my goody, Lisa ! What a screech you did give ! " And off he went again, shaking and shouting with laughter. " Oh, don't ! " he cried, as Lisa began to try again. "I'll die a-laughing. Oh dear! oh dear ! oh, my goody ! Can't you sing no other ways than that? " " Wasn't that good ? " asked Lisa, eagerly. " You told me to make my voice go high." FIDDLING FREDDY. 41 " Now see here, Lisa," said Freddy, con- trolling his laughter. " It mustn't be all high, nor all low ; half of each like, this way. Now try again." "Shout the glad tidings" sang Lisa, with two grunts and two squeaks. Off went Freddy on his back again, roll- ing over and over, in a spasm of laughter. " Oh, Lisa ! " he gasped, as soon as he could speak, "you'll be the death o' me. Oh, my goody gracious ! " and he wiped his eyes on the ragged sleeve of his jacket. " Well Freddy, I told you I couldn't ! " said poor Lisa, quite discomfited by the effect she produced on her audience. " You oughtn't to have said as I could. Now the gentleman will come, and Sally '11 beat me 'cause I can't sing." " No, she won't," said Freddy, becom- ing sober at the thought. " Don't you say one word, good or bad, when he comes, and he won't ever think to ask you, 'cause I said as you could sing lovely." 42 FIDDLING FREDDY. " But what'll he do with me up to God's house ? Nobody'll want me there if I can't sing," and the tears gathered in her eyes. She did not know, in the least, what it was that she was required to do ; but the prospect of leaving her wretched home, for even a short time, was an agreeable one to her, and Freddy had hinted at some unknown good that would happen by-and-by, if she sang for God. " Never you mind, Lisa, I'll sing loud enough for both," said Freddy. " I'll shout and yell the glad tidings so they'll all think you're singing, too." " Oh, will you, Freddy? " said Lisa, grate- fully. " Then that'll do just as well, won't it ?" " I bet it will," answered Freddy, his con- fidence in his own abilities increasing, as he saw Lisa's deficiencies in this respect. " What is the glad tidings, anyways ? " asked she. " Why, just what I told you first of all," answered Freddy. FIDDLING FREDDY. 43 " But I didn't know what you was talk- ing about," said she. " Well, lemme see," said Freddy, medita- tively. " I 'most forgot, but I know it was something mighty good. Oh, yes ; now I know. First of all, Lisa, most folks in the world is horrid wicked bad." " So they be," assented Lisa, in a tone of conviction. " Well, an ' so when they die, they've all got to go to the bad place," continued Freddy. " I dessay," said Lisa ; " but I don't think that's such dreadful glad tidings, 'cause mebbe we'll have to go 'long o' the rest." " Well, now, it don't seem as if I'd hit it just right," said Freddy, with a puzzled air ; " 'cause it did seem like glad tidings when the gentleum was a-talking. I must ha' left out something. Stop a bit, till I think. Oh, yes ! now I got him ! Nobody need to go there, after all that's it you, nor me, nor nobody ! " 44 FIDDLING FREDDY. " Why not? " asked Lisa, eagerly. "Why,* to be sure, now, that's the glad tidings ; just 'cause God (that's him as made us, you know him as lives up to the sky), he don't want us to go there ; he'd rather we'd come to live with him up to the sky." "Oh! Freddy, I don't b'lieve it! How'd we ever get there?" " Don't know ; but we would if he said so. He can do anything in all the world he likes." "Well, I don't b'lieve he'd like much to have you an ' me up to his place in our dirty old ragged clothes." " I don't know ; some folks ain't so petick- ler about dirt as you be, Lisa. Now I'd just as lieve be dirty as clean, any day," answered Freddy. " How d' you know he wants us there, anyway? " inquired Lisa, waiving the ques- tion of cleanliness. " Why, that gentleum Mr. Browning his name is he said so." FIDDLING FREDDY. 45 " How does he know ? He's never been up to the sky, has he ? " "Why, no, you goose! but I guess he knows what he's talking about, mostly." " Perhaps he just made it up," said Lisa. " He didn't, either," answered Freddy, indignantly. (He had no idea of being doubted, even when he told wonderful stories.) " Well, I wish I knew all he said, then," said Lisa, uneasily. " Tell it all to me, Freddy ; I want to know about it." " Well, then, don't ask me so many ques- tions ; you don't give me time to think ; girls do always chatter so forever." Thus rebuked, Lisa clapped her hand over her mouth, and sat down in a little heap, her knees drawn up to her chin, and closely hugged to her with her other arm, waiting patiently to hear Freddy's story, when his memory should be sufficiently refreshed ; to which end he scratched his head very hard, as though that were the 46 FIDDLING FREDDY. most effectual method of polishing his wits ; then he drew a long breath, looked medita- tively into his ragged cap for a moment, slapped it sideways on his head, and began. " Here's how it is, Lisa, this is just what that gentleum said : and now don't you go and put in your word all the way along, and make me forget again." Lisa shook her head in token of her will- ingness to maintain unbroken silence. " Where was I ? how far had I got?" in- quired Freddy. " Where God was a-going to take us up to the sky," answered Lisa. " Oh, yes. Well now, you see, that's 'cause he loves us ; he can't bear to have anyone go to the bad place ; and Jesus, that's his son, he loves us, and so he came away down out of heaven, down here, for to say so. That's the way the gentleum knows it. He said as Jesus made himself into a little weeny teeny baby, just like any other baby, when he came, instead of being a great king, FIDDLING FREDDY. 47 as he might a-been if he'd chosen, you know, 'cause all the whole world belonged to him." "What did he do that for?" asked Lisa hastily, and instantly clapped her hand over her mouth again. " Just what I said !" exclaimed Freddy ; " I said looker here, Mr. Browning, what made him come so ; didn't you say as he could do whatever he liked ? ' Yes ' says Mr. Browning, ' an' he liked to do that, so as he could know just egzactly how every- body felt that lived in this here world.' " " But I guess he didn't know how it felt to be cold and hungary and tired all the time, as we be, or he wouldn't a-come that way," exclaimed Lisa. " But he afcdTknow !" cried Freddy ; " that's just what he did know. He growed up to be a man, an' he was real poor, and he didn't have no home at all, but just went round from one place to another, making folks well that was sick. Oh, he could do anything that he wanted to. And for all that the 48 FIDDLING FREDDY. world belonged to him if he'd a chosen to take it all the ships, all the shops, all the houses, and gold and silver, and everything, he didn't have anything, nor care for any- thing, but just to make folks good, and tell 'em about God, an' how he loved 'em. And I asked Mr. Browning was he ever cold and hungry, and he said ' Oh, yes, lots and lots o' times.' So you see he did know just egzackly how we feel, and he must ha' wanted us up to heaven pretty bad, or he wouldn't a-done it." u Where is he now? "asked Lisa. " Gone back home again," answered Freddy, pointing with his thumb in the direction of the sky. " Some of the horrid wicked men killed him." "Killed him!" cried Lisa, in a horrified tone. " Yes, in an awful bad way, too ; they ran nails through his hand and feet, and hung him up on a thing shaped like that and Freddy held his fingers up like a cross. How it must have hurt ; just think, Lisa, of FIDDLING FREDDY. 49 being hammered up with nails on to a big tree, and hanging and hanging there till you died." Lisa shuddered. "What did he let them do it for ? " she asked in a low tone. " If he could do all he wanted to, why didn't he kill them ?" "Then they,d all have gone straight right off to the bad place," said Freddy. "An* served 'em right," answered Lisa hotly. " Yes, but you see he didn't want to leave 'em, and he loved even the bad men who killed him he loved everybody ; an ' what's more, Mr. Browning said that he wanted to die that way, 'cause if he did, every body that loved him could go up to the sky, an ' so he let em ' kill him. But you see he made himself alive again, and he's went back now to heaven and he,s God, and he's going to let us all go live with him some time or other, if we love him." "What made him do it all, I wonder?" asked Lisa. 5 5O FIDDLING FREDDY. " Just 'cause he loves us, I tell you." " But he don't love you an me, does he, Freddy ?" " Yes, he do, he do, too ; Mr. Browning said so loves us ever and ever so much." " Why, we never did nothing for him ; what makes him love us ?" "/ don't know, I'm sure ; I shouldn't think he would a bit, but he does, and that's the glad tidings." " I didn't know as anybody loved me any more," said Lisa, after a moment's pause. " Well, he do," asserted Freddy. " Nobody's ever loved me since mother died," said Lisa, the tears gathering in her dark blue eyes. Poor child ! she had good reason to think so. The only kind words she ever heard were from Freddy. She was thankful to escape blows from Sally, and her wretched life was fast benumbing the sensitive feelings that were natural to her. This story of Freddy's wakened an old feeling in her heart a half-smothered FIDDLING FREDDY. longing for love that had lain there like a dull pain, and which now turned into a sharp agony, and, clasping both her hands over her heart, she sobbed as if it would break. " What's got you, Lisa," asked Freddy, half frightened. " Don't know, oh, I don't know !" sobbed she. " Oh, Freddy, nobody don't love me, and it hurts so !" " Yes, they do," said Freddy. " I love you. Didn't I save all my coffee for you, and tell you all 'bout the glad tidings, and get to have you go 'long o' me up to God's house, 'way from old Sally? Come now, don't cry so ! What's the use ? Get over it ! We'll both on us go to-morrow, and mebbe you'll git a penny all to yourself." Lisa looked up gratefully, but could not speak. To have had a penny of her own would have seemed a rich prospect a little while ago, but she hardly cared for it now. She felt as if something of infinite value 52 FIDDLING FREDDY. had been offered to her, but she did not know how to grasp it. Was there really anyone, anywhere, loving her ? Was there any place she could go to, that would be like her own old home, where she was so happy? Freddy seemed to be sure that Jesus loved her, but where was He ? Heaven was a great way off, and he had gone back there. How could she let Him know that she wanted to go, too ? She remembered how her mother had petted her, and called her darling, precious little Lisa ; she wondered if Jesus would love her that way. In her childish way, she wondered why she suffered so ; why she felt so wretched since Freddy had told his glad tidings. She did not know that it was her loving nature asserting itself, after long repression, that caused this pain. It was like the physical agony of a half- frozen traveler, roused by warmth to life. She longed to know more, to be very, very sure that there was some hope of love and FIDDLING FREDDY. 53 happiness for her. But Sally's voice was heard, as she descended the stairs to her own room, and in an instant Lisa sprang up, and, without even a look at Freddy, ran away to her miserable bed, where she was lying, apparently in a deep sleep, when Sally came in. But many long hours passed before she slept that night. Long after the old wo- man's snores told of her heavy slumbers, Lisa lay with her eyes fixed on the starry sky, wondering what heaven was like. It must be very bright, she thought, if so much light shone through. One star shed its soft beams on the earth more brightly than the rest perhaps that was the place where Jesus was. He loved her ! This thought filled her poor, lonely, aching little heart. She could go and live up there with Him, Freddy said, if she loved Him. Oh, how she longed to go ! But the bright star shone on steadily and beautifully, and as her blue eyes slowly 54 FIDDLING FREDDY. closed, it led her weary little heart nearer and nearer to Jesus ; and so He gave his beloved sleep. True to his promise, Mr. Browning set out the next day, to find Old Sally's room, and ask for Lisa. But this was a much more diffi- cult matter than he anticipated. Freddy's directions had not been very explicit, in the first place, and when Mr. Browning had managed by great perseverance to find the right street, he was puzzled to know which of the many houses was the one which Freddy had described, when he said : " Oh, you can't miss it ! it's got a door with one hinge broke, and a heap of ashes in front. The steps is mostly tumbling down, too, and Tito's got a great big cage hanging out a winder, with his mocking- bird in it. Leastways, it will be there, if he hasn't took it in by the time you come. But, anyways, you'll know the house when you come to it ; it's red brick, and the chimbleys is kinder shaky like." FIDDLING FREDDY. 55 But, unfortunately for Mr. Browning-, Tito had "took in" the mocking-bird, and the shaky condition of the door and chimneys was by no means peculiar to one house. Ash-heaps seemed to prevail greatly throughout the length and breadth of the street, and rickety steps formed an entrance to at least twenty houses. But Mr. Browning was not easily daunted. He had been interested in the bright-eyed boy who had sung- so well, and spoken so earnestly of his little companion, and he determined in his own mind, after his conversation with Freddy, that if it were a possible thing, he would reclaim some of these poor ignorant children from the heathen darkness in which they had been brought up. But his patience was sorely tried, as he went groping up flight after flight of rick- ety stairs, in search of Sally's room, and descended again without finding her. It was a difficult matter for one, unaccustom- ed to it, to make these descents, so numer- 56 FIDDLING FREDDY. ous were the pit-falls, in the shape of water- pails, scrubbing-brushes, flat-irons and coal- scuttles, with which the stairs were strewn. He was just about to give it up in despair, when he suddenly encountered Freddy him- self, who had not gone out on his day's tramp, owing to Tonic's illness. He had been suddenly seized with an attack on his lungs the previous night, and Freddy was now on his way to get some " doctor's stuff," at the nearest druggist's, as he told Mr. Browning. " I knowed you'd come," said he, " an' Lisa she's all ready for you. Old Sally's a tough one, I te\\ you ; but money '11 fetch her." This was delivered with a knowing wink, intended to serve as encouragement to the clergyman, who was yet unacquainted with Sally's peculiarities of disposition. Mr. Browning followed the direction of Freddy's pointing finger, and soon knocked at the right door. There was a sound of FIDDLING FREDDY. 57 rubbing and scrubbing and splashing, but nobody answered his repeated knocks, and at last he opened the door. A dense vapor filled the room, rising from a large tin boil- er on the stove, and from an iron pot where a cabbage was cooking. Before a washtub in the middle of the room, with her back to Mr. Browning, stood Sally. She was busily employed washing, and was bending so far over, or rather into her tub, that little was visible of her, except a pair of black worsted legs, in carpet slippers, and a blue flannel petti- coat. On Mr. Browning's entrance, the legs wheeled round briskly, and a large frilled white cap and pair of red, bare arms emerged from the tub. " G'long !" said she. " Git out ! G'way with yer, and shut that there door behind yer !" This was not a flattering reception ; in fact, considering the trouble Mr. Browning 58 FIDDLING FREDDY. had taken to find her, it might be consid- ered a disappointment. " G'long, I say ! We don't want none o' yer trax, nor yer Bibles, neither ! Nor yer company ! Nor yer sarse ! Git out, I say !' : and her manner became more and more ex- cited every moment, as she talked herself into a fury. " I'll tell ye all ye want to know. We don't go to church, nor we don't mean to ; nor we ain't none on us baptized, nor we don't mean to be and, if yer don't clear out, /'// baptize ye with a bucket o' hot water !" Mr. Browning stood aghast, \vith the door-latch in his hand. He was strongly tempted to clear out, as Sally advised, but was unwilling to beat so inglorious a re- treat. It was evident she took him for a Bible-reader, or city missionary, and equal- ly evident that as such he would not be tolerated. " But, my good woman " he began. FIDDLING FREDDY. 59 " None o' yer good womanings to me !" she cried, in a loud, high voice ; " I'll show yer the sort o' good woman I be in a min- ute, if yer don't clear out !" " Have you a little girl here named Lisa ?" he asked quickly, retreating a step as Sally advanced. " Yes, I have ; and she's the plague and torment of my life. What do yer want with her?" " Will you hire out her time ?" asked Mr. Browning, trying to choose the words that would make the quickest impression. " What to do ?" asked Sally. " To sing," answered Mr. Browning. Now it was no uncommon thing for the children of that neighborhood to hire them- selves out to strolling bands of musicians, and their parents often received quite large sums of money for their services, and Sally began to think she had been too hasty in denouncing Mr. Browning. " If ye mean business, ye may wallc in," 60 FIDDLING FREDDY. said she, more moderately, wiping a stool with her wet apron for him to sit down upon. And now followed a long discussion, dur- ing which Mr. Browning was so disgusted with the old woman's avarice and violence that he was almost resolved to let the whole plan go, and he would have taken his de- parture had he not caught sight of Lisa's pale little face. There was a longing, wist- ful look in her eyes which touched his heart. He thought she looked like some little, gentle, hunted animal, and he sighed as he thought what her life must be with this dreadful old woman. So he yielded to the exorbitant price which Sally set on her services, and the arrangement was con- cluded after much debate. Lisa's eyes lit up with a sudden joy ; but when Mr. Browning turned toward her she ran swiftly out of the room, fearing that he would ask her to sing, and knowing that her only safety lay in flight. She ran down- FIDDLING FREDDY. 6l stairs into the yard and hid behind the pump, where she remained trembling till Mr. Browning, drawing freer breath, de- scended the creaking stairs, and passed into the street. 6 IV. ""]" TALLOA, Sally!" cried Freddy, ar- JLJL riving at the top of the stairs in a breathless condition, owing to the rate at which he had run to the druggist's and back, in hopes of hearing a portion of the interview between her and Mr. Browning. " Halloa ! Are you going to let Lisa come with me to-day to sing ?" " She may go where she likes," muttered Sally, " 'long as she brings me money. But, mind ye ! I'll know if a single penny's miss- ing, an' if it is " Sally's raised fist finished her sentence for her. Lisa shrank back, cowing, but Freddy seemed to consider this brutal permission the climax of his hopes. " Of all the girls in our town, there's none o' them up to Sally," he sang, executing a (62) FIDDLING FREDDY. 63 dance of triumph in the middle of the floor. " Give us a bit o' soap, Sally," said he ; " we're going among folks, an' got to scrub ;" and he took a piece that lay by the tub. Sally made no objection, and Freddy, call- ing to Lisa to follow, ran down to the pump in the yard, and began vigorously to work its handle. " Hold your head under, Lisa so now just keep still a minute," and he gave her such a showering, that before the minute was over she looked like a little drowned mouse. " That's right," said he, " scrub away ; feels awful cold, don't it ? Never mind now you pump for me." " F-f-f-f-f-f-reddy, d-d-d-d-d-don't p-p-p-p- pump s-so hard," exclaimed Lisa, with chat- tering teeth, as she withdrew her head. Freddy's energy had nearly taken away her breath, but she took her place at the handle, and he was soon sputtering and chattering at a great rate, but still bravely resolved to "scrub up for folks." 64 FIDDLING FREDDY. Pump-water in November is apt to be cold. You may try it, if you don't believe it, and see what you think about it. Freddy did not often venture his precious head un- der that spout, but this was a great occa- sion, and he felt that it demanded a toilet. He produced a rough crash towel on which he and Lisa rubbed and scrubbed all the dirt off their faces, and all the soap into their eyes, at which point Freddy stopped and began a vigorous attack on "his hair with a small wooden pocket-comb, which he had once found in the street, and which was re- served more for ornament than use among his chief treasures. When every hair stood on end on his head, and Lisa's short curls shone with the unusual friction, he declared they did look lovely. " Come on, now, let's run, and that'll warm us better nor blankets," said he, and off they started. The clock was striking four as the two children presented themselves at the door FIDDLING FREDDY. 65 of the chapel. Freddy assumed all the air of a complete man of the world and per- fectly at home in all its ways, and thor- oughly acquainted with men and manners. He saw that Lisa regarded him as an oracle, and considered him an embodiment of all wisdom and knowledge under the sun. He determined to preserve her respect, and in patronizing tone said, " Come on, Lisa ! Don't be scared ! I know the way. That's the stairs up to the bell ; this is the door we go in at." " Is the bell hung up near the sky for God to hear when folks want to get into heaven ?" asked Lisa. " I 'spose so," answered Freddy, hurry- ing along to avoid any more questions. It would not do to admit that there were any subjects on which he was ignorant. But she dragged back a little. " Let's go ring it then," said she. But Freddy pulled her forward, and pushed open the baize door. Mr. Browning was 6* 66 FIDDLING FREDDY. in the room, and several children were also there. " Here we are, sir," said Freddy, " and here's Lisa ; I've taught her the tune, an' she's bound to sing it most lovely." Lisa squeezed his hand as a sign to say nothing about her singing. Mr. Browning welcomed them both kindly, and said, as they knew the tune, he would teach them the words before they sang all together. So he arranged the children in a row be- fore him, and told them to repeat the lines after him. The six children who were in the room when Freddy and Lisa entered, were from a neighboring institution, where they had been carefully drilled to recite to- gether at the same moment and in the same key. The instant Mr. Browning finished reading two lines, they began, and in clear tones echoed his words with precision, as a clock sometimes suddenly strikes loudly and as suddenly stops. " Oh, my goody !" exclaimed Freddy, FIDDLING FREDDY. 67 taken by surprise, looking along the line of children, who stood motionless, with their hands tightly folded under their blue check aprons. " I don't think you repeated the words," said Mr. Browning ; " I want you to learn them perfectly now try again," and again he repeated the lines. Lisa listened eagerly, and gathered cour- age to say what she remembered of them in a very low voice, but checked herself, as the six children suddenly concluded while she was but halfway through. Not a word had Freddy said. He was absorbed in watching the others, looking at them before and behind, as though searching for some- thing. He evidently thought they were set off like machinery, or pulled, like Tito's puppets, by a concealed wire or string. He stood balancing on his toes, his eyes fixed on their mouths, and, as they all shut with a snap at the same moment, he drew a long breath. 68 FIDDLING FREDDY. " Well, I never !" said he, lost in wonder. Again and again Mr. Browning repeated the hymn, till even little Lisa had learned it ; but the mechanical precision of the six perfectly overcame Freddy, and paralyzed him for the time. He could do nothing but watch them, starting when they began, and gasping as they concluded. " But, Freddy, you'll learn nothing this way," said Mr. Browning, smiling. " I want you to learn the words perfectly." " I'll sing for you, sir, all you want," an- swered Freddy ; " but I can't fire away as them fellows do not if I was to live a hun- dred years, sir. But never you mind about the words ; I'll make 'em up as I go along, if I don't know 'em." Mr. Browning tried to show him that the beauty of the hymn lay in the words ; but Freddy, although he assented respectfully, evidently continued to think that the words were of " no 'count." But when Mr. Brown- ing explained their meaning, and told in FIDDLING FREDDY. 69 simple language the message of peace and good-will, how greedily little Lisa listened, how she hastened to accept it ! Her blue eyes had a happy light, such as Freddy had never seen there before. " How nice she do look," said he to him- self. " It's all the soap she rubbed into her eyes that makes 'em so bright." Lisa, however, kept perfectly silent ; and Mr. Browning, weary at last of the mono- tonous chanting of the six children, and of Freddy's stupidity about the words, began to think that teaching was hard work. Lit- tle did he guess the effect that his instruc- tions had on the quiet, timid little girl be- fore him. But the singing now began, and Freddy was once more self-assured. His fresh, sweet voice rose clearly, and soared far above the dull steady grind that the others kept up, but no sound came from Lisa's lips. " I don't hear you," said Mr. Browning ; " sing louder." And every few moments he 7