“Do!” and Beck threw off the sunbonnet, folded her hands round her knees, and composed herself to listen with such perfect unconsciousness of what was coming that Emily both laughed at the joke and blushed at the liberty she felt she was taking with the poor girl’s carefully hidden secret.

Becky was sure now that Emily was going to read something of her own after this artful introduction, and began to smile as the paper was produced and the first four lines read in a tone that was half timid, half triumphant.  Then with a cry she seized and crumpled up the paper, exclaiming almost fiercely,—­

“It’s mine!  Where did you get it?  How dar’st you touch it?”

Emily fell upon her knees with a face and voice so full of penitence, pleasure, sympathy, and satisfaction, that Becky’s wrath was appeased before her friend’s explanation ended with these soothing and delightful words,—­

“That’s all, dear, and I beg your pardon.  But I’m sure you will be famous if you keep on, and I shall yet see a volume of poems by Rebecca Moore of Rocky Nook, New Hampshire.”

Becky hid her face as if shame, surprise, wonder, and joy filled her heart too full and made a few happy tears drop on the hands so worn with hard work, when they ached to be holding a pen and trying to record the fancies that sung in her brain as ceaselessly as the soft sough of the pines or the ripple of the brook murmured in her ear when she sat here alone.  She could not express the vague longings that stirred in her soul; she could only feel and dimly strive to understand and utter them, with no thought of fame or fortune,—­for she was a humble creature, and never knew that the hardships of her life were pressing out the virtues of her nature as the tread of careless feet crush the sweet perfume from wild herbs.

Presently she looked up, deeply touched by Emily’s words and caresses, and her blue eyes shone like stars as her face beamed with something finer than mere beauty, for the secrets of her innocent heart were known to this friend now, and it was very sweet to accept the first draught of confidence and praise.

“I don’t mind much, but I was scared for a minute.  No one knows but Mother, and she laughs at me, though she don’t care if it makes me happy.  I’m glad you like my scribbling, but really I never think or hope of being anybody.  I couldn’t, you know! but it’s real nice to have you say I might and to make believe for a while.”

“But why not, Becky?  The Goodale girls did, and half the poets in the world were poor, ignorant people at first, you know.  It only needs time and help, and the gift will grow, and people see it; and then the glory and the money will come,” cried Emily, quite carried away by her own enthusiasm and good-will.

“Could I get any money by these things?” asked Becky, looking at the crumpled paper lying under a laurel-bush.

“Of course you could, dear!  Let me have some of them, and I’ll show you that I know good poetry when I see it.  You will believe if some bank-bills come with the paper the verses appear in, I hope?”