here had been from these
parts, though there have been many since, I believe. Neither he nor I
had ever been out of the town, and he was full of it that we must go.
He had brought his Saturday wage with him, and we would work hard
afterwards. Well, you see, the landlord had been that day, and had
said he must have the rent by Tuesday, or he'd turn us out. I'd got
some of it laid by, and was looking to Ben's wages to make it up. But
I couldn't bear to see his face pining for a bit of fresh air, and so
I thought I could stay at home and work on Monday for what would make
up the rent, and he need never know. So I pretended that I didn't
want to go, and couldn't be bothered with the fuss; and at last I set
him off on Monday without me. It was late at night when he came back
like one wild. He'd got flowers in his hat, and flowers in all his
button-holes; he'd got his handkerchief filled with hay, and was
carrying something under his coat. He began laughing and crying, and
'Eh, Bill!' he said, 'thou hast been a fool. Thou hast missed summat.
But I've brought thee a bit of green, lad, I've brought thee a bit of
green.' And then he lifted up his coat, and there was the plant, which
some woman had given him. We didn't sleep much that night. He spread
the hay over the bed, for me to lay my face on, and see how the fields
smelt, and then he began and told me all about it; and after that,
when I was tired with work, or on a Sunday afternoon, I used to say,
'Now, Ben, tell us a bit about the country.' And he liked nothing
better. He used to say that I should go, if he carried me on his back;
but the LORD did not see fit. He took cold at work, and went
off three months afterwards. It was singular, the morning he died he
called me to him, and said, 'Bill, I've been a dreaming about that
trip that thou didst want to go after all. I dreamt--' and then he
stopped, and said no more; but, after a bit, he opened his eyes wide,
and pulled me to him, and he said, 'Bill, my lad, there's such
flowers in heaven, such flowers!' And so the LORD took him.
But I kept the bit of green for his sake."

Here followed another fit of coughing, which brought my father from
the end of the bed to forbid his talking any more.

"I have got to see another patient in the yard," he said, "and I will
leave my son here. He shall read you a chapter or two till I come
back; he is a good reader for his age."

And so my father went. I was, as he said, a good reader