w mother and a little
step-sister. This was joyous news, the anticipation of a new mother, and
above all a step-sister, inspired us with new ambition. The fences and
barn received a coat of whitewash, the stones were picked out of the road
in front of the house, the wood-pile was repiled and everything put into
apple-pie order. We did not know what day they would arrive. So each day
about the time the stage coach from Belfast should pass the corners, we
would perch ourselves on the fence in front of the house to watch for it,
and when it did come in sight, wonder if the folks were in it; if they
were, it would turn at the corners and come toward our house. Day after
day passed, and they did not come, and we had kind of forgotten about it.
Finally one day while we were all busy burning brush, brother Charlie came
rushing towards us shouting, "The stage coach is coming! The stage is
coming!" Well, such a scampering for the house! We didn't have time to
wash or fix up, and our appearance would certainly not inspire our city
visitors with much paternal pride or affection; we looked like charcoal
burners. Our faces, hands and clothes were black and begrimed from the
burning brush, but we couldn't help it; we were obliged to receive and
welcome them as we were. I pulled up a handful of grass and tried to wipe
my face, but the grass being wet, it left streaks all over it, and I
looked more like a bogie man than anything else. We all struggled to brush
up and smooth our hair, but it was no use, the stage coach was upon us,
the door opened, father jumped out, and as we crowded around him, he
looked at us in perfect amazement and with a kind of humiliated
expression behind a pleasant fatherly smile he exclaimed, "Well, well, you
are a nice dirty looking lot of boys. Lizzie," addressing his wife and
helping her to alight, "This is our family, a little smoky; I can't tell
which is which, so we'll have to wait till they get their faces washed to
introduce them by their names." But our new mother was equal to the
occasion for coming to each of us, and taking our dirty faces in her
hands, kissed us, saying at the same time, "Philip, don't you mind, they
are all nice, honest, hard-working boys, and I know I shall like them,
even if this country air has turned their skins black." At this moment a
tiny voice called, "Please help me out." All the boys started with a rush,
each eager to embrace the little step-sister. I was there first, and i