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    Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
    Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears: 
    To me the meanest flower that blows can give
    Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.

Wordsworth.

OUR FIELD

There were four of us, and three of us had godfathers and godmothers.  Three each.  Three times three make nine, and not a fairy godmother in the lot.  That was what vexed us.

It was very provoking, because we knew so well what we wanted if we had one, and she had given us three wishes each.  Three times three make nine.  We could have got all we wanted out of nine wishes, and have provided for Perronet into the bargain.  It would not have been any good Perronet having wishes all to himself, because he was only a dog.

We never knew who it was that drowned Perronet, but it was Sandy who saved his life and brought him home.  It was when he was coming home from school, and he brought Perronet with him.  Perronet was not at all nice to look at when we first saw him, though we were very sorry for him.  He was wet all over, and his eyes shut, and you could see his ribs, and he looked quite dark and sticky.  But when he dried, he dried a lovely yellow, with two black ears like velvet.  People sometimes asked us what kind of dog he was, but we never knew, except that he was the nicest possible kind.

When we had got him, we were afraid we were not going to be allowed to have him.  Mother said we could not afford him, because of the tax and his keep.  The tax was five shillings, but there wanted nearly a year to the time of paying it.  Of course his keep began as soon as he could eat, and that was the very same evening.  We were all very miserable, because we were so fond of Perronet—­at least, Perronet was not his name then, but he was the same person—­and at last it was settled that all three of us would give up sugar, towards saving the expense of his keep, if he might stay.  It was hardest for Sandy, because he was particularly fond of sweet things; but then he was particularly fond of Perronet.  So we all gave up sugar, and Perronet was allowed to remain.

About the tax, we thought we could save any pennies or half-pennies we got during the year, and it was such a long time to the time for paying, that we should be almost sure to have enough by then.  We had not any money at the time, or we should have bought a savings-box; but lots of people save their money in stockings, and we settled that we would.  An old stocking would not do, because of the holes, and I had not many good pairs; but we took one of my winter ones to use in the summer, and then we thought we could pour the money into one of my good summer ones when the winter came.