Page 28 - Fairbrass

when they looked upon him ; and he never
ceased to marvel at the affectionate solicitude

of his eldest sister, who, at the sacrifice of
her own pleasures, made him her especial

care, who never tired of anticipating his
smallest wish, and who, if she had not had
many other things to do, would have followed

him about like a faithful spaniel. But there

was an odd and a painful thing’ about his
life in the house. Kind, gentle, and loving as
all there were to him, no one ever spoke to

him. They talked and chattered to each other

(for they were a large family) quickly and
loudly enough, and Fairbrass could hear and
understand—but to him no word was ever said.

Now, in the garden all was so different.
There everything talked to him, and he

could answer them back (in the house he
never was able to speak), so it is no wonder

that he loved the dear old garden, and spent
as much of his time in it as he could.

His first friends, the graceful twin-sister
Poplar-trees, not only told him, in their

soft, silvery voices, the names of all the