LITTLE JAKE 
close to me. I had not heard any footsteps over the 
soft green turf, and I started, turned, and saw the 
father of my friend little Jake close to me. Shaking 
him by the hand, I tell him it is the best, and he has 
done it well. This little lad was barely ten years old, 
the flower of the home. 
' Little Lucy, our neighbour's child, told us some 
one had come to look at Jake's grave, and from what 
she said about his having come a long distance I 
made sure 'twas you. Times and again I've wished 
I could see ye once more. I'm glad you've come.' 
* Would you mind telling me about him ? Or 
would it hurt you to talk about him ? If it would, let 
it be just now.' 
' I can speak of him now without smartin', the 
time has bided by for that.' 
' Come up a piece of the valley with me, then, and 
tell me what you can.' 
' Well, ye see, he just faded away like faded 
clean away ; there ain't no other words for it. He used 
to come reg'lar to meet me comin' home when work 
was done. Pleased as possible he'd be to carry the 
basket or something ; and he'd chirrup away about 
what he'd bin doin' at school, and other little bits o' 
things, an' he'd ask me where I'd bin, and what jobs 
I'd bin at. One night I missed him, an' when I got 
