Page:The Children of the New Forest - 1847 - Marryat.djvu/110

 phrey's, and it was long before the brothers could console them. Humphrey at last said to Alice, "You hurt poor Edward's arm—you don't know how painful it is!—Come, dears, let us go into the other room, and get something to take the pain away."

These requests diverted the attention, at the same time that it roused fresh sympathy in the little girls—they all went into the sitting-room. Humphrey gave his sisters some potatoes to scrape upon a piece of linen, while he took off Edward's coat, and turned up his shirt sleeves. The scraped potatoes were then laid on the burn, and Edward said they gave him great relief. Some more were then scraped by the little girls, who could not however repress their occasional sobs. Humphrey then told them that Edward had had nothing to eat, and that they must get him some supper. This again occupied them for some time; and when the supper was ready, they all sat down to it. They went to bed early, but not before Edward had read a chapter out of the Bible, and the prayers, as old Jacob had always done; and this again caused their tears to flow afresh.

"Come, Alice, dear, you and Edith must go to bed," said Humphrey.

The little girls threw themselves into their brothers' arms; and, having wept for some time, Alice raised herself, and taking Edith by the hand, led her away to the bed-room.  

"," said Edward, "the sooner all this is over, the better. As long as poor Jacob's body remains in the cottage, there will be nothing but distress with the poor girls."

"I agree with you," replied Humphrey; "where shall we bury him?"

"Under the great oak tree, at the back of the cottage," replied 