The only other boy near-by was Billy Butler, a poor, half-witted idiot, who lived with his family in a tiny cottage under the side of a hill.  Master Sunshine was very pitiful of Billy’s sad lot, and many an apple and slice of bread did he share with him.

Not far away was the beautiful summer house of Mr. Patterson, a city banker.  The lawns and flower-beds there were always beautiful to see; and the great house with its many bay windows and broad verandas always seemed like a palace to Master Sunshine.  But best of all he loved the great stable where a prancing silver horse was always riding on the weather vane.

It was at the stable that he saw his friend Jacob, who was quite as wonderful in his knowledge of animals as Almira Jane.

It took a great deal of Master Sunshine’s time just to repeat Jacob’s stories to Almira Jane; and he noticed that whenever he began to tell Jacob about what Almira Jane said—­Almira Jane was brought up on a Nova Scotia farm and knew everything about animals—­his listener would stamp on the barn floor to show his approval, and would listen to every word.

The great stable was a very pleasant place these spring days.  The horses were all so well groomed, their stalls were all so perfectly clean, and, in the barn beyond, the cows looked round from their place with such friendly eyes, Master Sunshine used to wish that every one in the village would come to admire the place and to talk with Jacob.  He was sure that everyone who talked to Jacob would be kind to animals ever after.

CHAPTER III.

The rainy day.

The sky was all leaden and overcast when Master Sunshine woke up one morning.  The fast-falling rain-drops were so big and so close together that it almost seemed as if some great sky-ocean was pouring down upon the earth.  It was too wet for him to go to school, and he had to make up his mind to enjoy a quiet day in-doors.

Almira Jane put on her waterproof and rubbers, and attended to the hens and the geese; and in order to pay her back for doing his work, Master Sunshine polished the silver spoons and forks with whitening, and rubbed them with a chamois-skin until they fairly gleamed.  Then after he had tidied up the wood-shed, and cut paper in a fancy pattern for the dresser shelves, he decided that he was a bit tired of doing things, and he curled up in the big crimson arm-chair by the dining-room window with a new story-book.

Presently Lucy’s voice arose in a fretful wail.

Master Sunshine, I am sorry to say, shut his ears to her pitiful cry.  He was so comfortable and cosey and the story-book was so interesting.

The wail became louder and louder.  It was evident that Lucy was on her way down-stairs.  In a moment she was in the room by his side, and by this time her wail had grown to a terrified scream.

“O Suns’ine! take zem kitty off!” she begged.