GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
I 
GRAY LADY APPEARS 
SaraH BaRNEs hurried up the hill road so fast that by 
the time she reached the short bit of lane that turned in at 
her own gate she was quite out of breath, and oh, so 
warm! Fanning vigorously with her sun-hat did not help 
her much, for its wide rim had a rent in it, made by Jack, 
the family puppy, so that when she reached the steps of 
the porch, she sank down in a heap, only having breath 
enough to exclaim, “Oh, grandma, what do you think?” 
Old lady Barnes with a sigh dropped the checked shirt 
that she was patching into the big work-basket that 
rested on the bench beside her. This basket was already 
overflowing with other garments for both boys and girls, 
that needed everything in the way of repair from a button 
to a knee patch, or even to a whole sleeve, for with a slim 
purse and six children to keep covered neither Grandma 
Barnes’ work-basket nor her fingers knew many empty 
moments. 
Taking off her spectacles and rubbing her eyes, as if to 
see the news as well as to hear it, she said: ‘ Don’t tell 
me Tommy has got hurt in that reaping-machine, down at 
Weatherby’s. I told your pa he was too young to handle 
such a job!” 
B ui 
