Leslie followed over the threshold, and Prissy ran by like a squirrel, and perched herself on a stool just under the bird-cage.

“I wouldn’t keep it if ’t warn’t for her,” said Aunt Hoskins apologetically.  She was Prissy’s aunt, holding no other close domestic relation to living thing, and so had come to be “Aunt Hoskins” in the whole region round about, so far as she was known at all.  “It’s the only bird she can hear sing of a morning.  It’s as good as all outdoors to her, and I hain’t the heart to make her do without it. I’ve done without most things, but it don’t appear to me as if I could do without them.  Take a seat, do.”

“I thank you, but my friends are waiting.  I’ve brought something for Prissy, from Miss Craydocke at the hotel.”  And Leslie held out the package which Dakie Thayne, waiting at the door, had put into her hand as she came in.

“Lawful suz, Prissy! if ’t ain’t another book!” cried the good woman, as Prissy, quick to divine the meaning of the parcel, the like of which she had been made accustomed to before, sprang to her aunt’s side within hearing of her exclamation.  “If she ain’t jest the feelingest and thoughtfullest—­Well! open it yourself, child; there’s no good of a bundle if you don’t.”

Poor Prissy was thus far happy that she had not been left in the providence of her little life to utter ignorance of this greatest possible delight—­a common one to more outwardly favored children—­of a real parcel all one’s own.  The book, without the brown paper and string, would have been as nothing, comparatively.

Leslie could not but linger to see it untied.  There came out a book,—­a wonderful big book,—­Grimm’s Tales; and some little papers fell to the floor.  These were flower seeds,—­bags labeled “Petunia,” “Candytuft,” “Double Balsam,” “Portulaca.”

“Why, Prissy!” shouted Miss Hoskins in her ear as she picked them up, and read the names; “them’s elegant things!  They’ll beat your four-o’clocks all to nothin’.  It’s lucky the old Shank-high did make a clearin’ of ’em.  Tell Miss Craydocke,” she continued, turning again to Leslie, “that I’m comin’ down myself, to—­no, I can’t thank her!  She’s made a life for that ‘ere child, out o’ nothin’, a’most!”

Leslie stood hushed and penetrated in the presence of this good deed, and the joy and gratitude born of it.

“This ain’t all, you see; nor’t ain’t nothin’ new.  She’s ben at it these two year; learnin’ the child to read, an’ tellin’ her things, an’ settin’ her to hunt ’em out, and to do for herself.  She was crazy about flowers, allers, an’ stories; but, lor, I couldn’t stop to tell ’em to her, an’ I never knew but one or two; an’ now she can read ’em off to me, like a minister.  She’s told her a lot o’ stuff about the rocks,—­I can’t make head nor tail on’t; but it’d please you to see her fetchin’ ‘em in by the apern-full, an’ goin’ on about ’em, that is, if there was reely any place to put ’em afterwards.  That’s the wust on’t.  I tell you, it is jest makin’ a life out o’ pieces that come to hand.  Here’s the girl, an’ there’s the woods an’ rocks; there’s all there was to do with, or likely to be; but she found the gumption an’ the willingness, an’ she’s done it!”