Teddy's Button Part 14

'Tell me what the garden's like.'

Teddy does not speak; he is full of the meeting with his father, and Nancy waits a little impatiently.

'The garden is lovely,' he said at last, drawing in a breath of delight at the thought. 'It's always sunny and warm, the gra.s.s is very soft and green, and there's every flower in the world all bunched up together. The seats are made of roses, and if you want to go to sleep, the pillows are made up of violets; there's a beautiful river, and trees full of apples and oranges, and plums and pears; the banks are red--they're made of strawberries.'

'Oh,' gasped Nancy, 'how lovely!'

'There are summer-houses, and little white boats to row on the river, and gold harps hanging up on the trees; and then I think, I hope, there are lots of dogs running about, and then you can ride all day on lions, and tigers, and bears, and they won't bite you, but lick your hands.'

'Go on. What else?'

'Then we stand up and sing hymns when my Captain comes by, and we play on the harps, and blow the trumpets as much as ever we like. I think my Captain sometimes comes and sits down and talks to us and tells us stories.'

There was silence; then Nancy said, 'Is that all?'

'That's enough for you,' said Teddy, a little condescendingly. 'I think and make believe a lot more.'

'I want to go to heaven,' Nancy said thoughtfully.

Then Teddy came back to earth.

'Have you enlisted yet?' he asked.

'I'm not going to be a soldier,' said Nancy quickly.

'Well, you'll never get to heaven if you don't fight for our Captain now.

He won't let you inside the gates unless you belong to Him. Girls can fight just as much as boys.'

'Of course they can. I can fight as well as you, b.u.t.ton-boy!'

'Why don't you fight your enemy, then?'

'What enemy?'

'My enemy is called Ipse. He's a dreadful trouble to me. You've got yours--the thing inside you that makes you want to do naughty things; you've got to fight it, and do the good things instead. I've had two fights with Ipse to-day.'

'Have you? Do tell me!'

'You mustn't tell any one, then. It was in church this morning. There was an old woman in front of me, and she'd untied her bonnet, and the ribbons fell over in our pew. She went fast asleep in the sermon, and nodded her head back till it almost tumbled off her head, and Ipse thought if I would put out my hand and just give a tiny, weeny pull at the ribbon, it would come right off!'

Nancy clapped her hands. 'Why didn't you? What fun!'

'I wanted to let Ipse have his way dreadful, but I remembered I must fight him, and I did. I asked my Captain to help me, and then I put both my hands in my pockets, and screwed up my eyes tight. But I was glad when she woke up and tied her bonnet on again.'

'That was much gooder than I could have been. What's the other fight you had?'

'Uncle Jake brought some fresh honey from the hives, and he put it on a plate in the window in the kitchen. He said when he went out of the room, "Don't touch that, Teddy," as I was waiting for mother to come to church with me, and I went up and looked at it. Ipse said to me, "Just put one finger in it." And I had to fight him very hard over that, but I ran away out of the room.'

'And do you always fight him hard?'

'No; I often forget till it's too late. Mother said I must ask my Captain to make me remember. I do ask Him a lot to help me.'

'I don't think I like that sort of fighting.'

'Nancy, I wish you'd give yourself to G.o.d as His soldier.' Teddy turned round earnestly as he spoke.

'I think,' said Nancy slowly, 'I like to be naughty best.' Then she added, with quick change of tone, 'My father is coming home soon, and he'll come to see us here. Then you'll see what a grand sailor he is. He is much grander than your father was.'

'My father was an officer,' said Teddy proudly.

'So's my father; he is a first-cla.s.s petty officer'; and Nancy brought out the words slowly and with much emphasis.

'My father was a non-commissioned officer,' said Teddy, determining not to be beaten; 'he was a full sergeant.'

'My father gives orders to all the sailors, and they have to do what he tells them.'

'So did my father, and he led the soldiers through a battle.'

'My father will fight in twenty battles before he dies, and yours only fought in one.'

'My father is in heaven, and that's the grandest place to be in.'

Coming to this climax was too much for Nancy, and the thoughts of that place of which they had been having so much talk subdued their rising ire.

Teddy said reproachfully, after a minute's silence, 'Ipse was nearly getting angry with you then. You're such a dreadful girl for making me quarrel with you.'

'You won't let me say my father is as good as yours,' protested Nancy.

'He isn't better. Yes--don't get angry, Nancy; let's say they're just the same.'

And with this admission Nancy was for the time pacified.

Before they parted she looked at her little companion with solemn eyes.

'I won't promise, but I'll think about belonging to the Captain. I should like to go to heaven.'

It was one day soon after this that Teddy was straying over the fields in his happy, careless fashion; fond as he was of games with the village boys, often there were times when he liked his own society best, and he wandered on talking to himself, and gathering gra.s.s and wild-flowers as he went. His quick eyes soon noted some sheep making their way through a gap in the hedge, and from thence they were going through an open gate into the high road.

'Those are Farmer Green's sheep,' quoth he to himself. 'I'm glad of it--horrid old man he is! No, Ipse, be quiet; that isn't the way to think of him. I'll go and drive them back again!'

And he trotted off with this intention; but it is much more difficult to get sheep into their rightful place than out of it, and this Teddy found to his cost. His face was hot and red, his voice hoa.r.s.e with shouting, and then, to his consternation, Farmer Green appeared on the scene.

'You young vagabond,' he shouted, springing towards him, a thick stick in hand, 'leave my sheep alone! How dare you come on my premises? You're always after some fresh trick or other.'

Teddy stood still till he came up to him, then looked up frankly at him.

'Indeed, sir, I was trying to drive them back through their hole again.

Look, that's where they broke through.'