A London Baby: The Story of King Roy
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Cry;' I meant a paper. You should ha'said what kind o' looking child he wor--what wor the colour of his eyes,and his hair, and how big he wor, and what clothes 'e 'ad h'on--all that'ud be printed and pasted up for folks to read; not that the talk aboutthe clothes 'ud do much good, fur in course they'd be made away widfirst thing."
"His clothes 'ud be stole!" exclaimed Faith. "No, I don't believe that;I don't believe that any one 'ud be so _dreadful_ wicked as to stealaway little Roy's clothes."
"Then you don't believe as nobody ha' stole _him_ away. Why, Faith, incourse ef he wor not picked up and carried off by some one he'd bebrought back afore now by the perleece--why in course yer little babyRoy is stole away."
"Oh!" exclaimed Faith. She gazed hard at the girl by her side, everyvestige of colour leaving her face, as the dreadful idea became clear toher. Presently a hand touched her rather softly.
"Look here, I'm a willin' to help yer, I am, indeed; don't 'ee go on so,Faithy--don't 'ee now--my name's Meg, and I'm a willing to help ye."
"Oh, please, Meg," answered little Faith, putting her hand into theolder girl's.
"It's a bargain, then," said Meg, squeezing the little hand very hard.
"I'll never, never go home again till I find Roy," said Faith solemnly.
"I call that plucky; and ha' yer any money?"
"No," answered Faith.
"That's rayther blue!" exclaimed Meg, indulging in a long whistle; "furI h'an't none ne'ther; but never mind, we'll get along somehow. Nowlet's set down on the grass and make up our plans--you don't mind if Ispeak a bit plain, Faithy?"
"No," answered Faith; "I don't mind nothink but to find Roy again."
"Well, it's right as you should know that little 'un ha' bin stole.Many and many a body as I could tell on, steals the well-dressed babies;they does it fur the clothes and the reward offered. My mother--she ha'stole two or three."
"Oh, how dreadful wicked she must be!" said Faith. "I hope, Meg, as weh'an't got to live wid yer mother while we're looking fur Roy?"
"No," answered Meg, shaking her head gravely; "I parted wid motheryesterday--we 'greed as it wor 'bout time fur me to purwide fur my ownself. I mayn't never see mother agen--it all comes natral. I'm realglad as we're parted, for now I won't be wallopped no more."
"I never, never thought as mothers wor like that," said Faith; "she mustbe most desp'rate wicked."
"Oh, no, she's not so werry; I ha' seen far worse nor mother."
"But to steal the babies!" said Faith.
"Bless us, Faith, heaps and heaps on 'em does that. They most timesgives the young 'uns back again. They jest watches for the `Hue andCry' and the rewards put up by the perlice stations, and then theybrings 'em back and purtends as they ha' found 'em. Mother tuk all backbut one, he--"
"Yes," said Faith eagerly.
"Well," continued Meg, speaking with a slight shade of hesitation; "that'ere little 'un--there worn't no reward offered. Mother waited andwaited, and I coaxed her ter take him back, but she got h'angered, andshe wouldn't--she 'ud never--h'all I could do--take that ere littlechild back home again."
"Oh, Meg! and ha' she got him still?" Meg indulged in a short, ratherhard laugh. "Bless yer, Faithy, not a bit o' it; that 'ere little 'untuk the fever and he died. I tuk on most bitter after he died, as I didcare fur him; yer little Roy put me in mind o' his purty ways! but he'sh'all right now, he's with Jesus now--it wor arter he died as I went toSunday-school and larned 'bout Jesus. Little Charlie's safe in the armsof Jesus this long time past now."
"Do you think," asked Faith, "as Jesus wot loves the little children,'ud help us to find our little Roy again?"
Meg looked very grave for half a minute, then she said, her facebrightening, "That's a good thought, Faithy; we'll jest tell Him allabout little Roy."
Faith sprang to her feet, "Then let's go to Him at once," she said,"let's find out His address and go to Him; we'll ask Him to lose no timein finding that werry wicked woman who has stole little Roy."
"But we can say it all here," said Meg. "I don't know wot h'ever youmean by going to Him; we needn't go a step away from here, we can say ithere."
"But Jesus ain't here," said Faith.
"Well, yes, He is, and He isn't; I don't know how to explain--wot do youmean, Faith?"
"I mean," said Faith, "as I thought as Jesus lived somewhere, in Londonmaybe, and that we might go to Him and tell Him 'bout our little Roy. Iwor told as He worn't dead--I mean that He did die, but He woke upagain. Ef He's alive, why shouldn't He live in the place where the mostbabies 'ere, Meg?"
"Oh, dear!" answered Meg, "ain't you a queer 'un! You're a deal betterdressed than me, and you're so clean that there ain't a speck nowhere,and you look as ef you allers had yer fill o' vickles. You h'an't nevera rag nowhere, but fur h'all that I never did meet a more h'ignorantgal--where _was_ yer riz, Faith?"
"I think 'tis 'cause my mother died," said Faith. "I know as I am veryignorant; I'm ever so sorry."
"Well, never mind," replied Meg, "'tis fun rayther teaching yer, onlyyou won't mind ef I laugh now and then; why, Faith, Jesus is h'up inHeaven now. He ha' most wonderful powers of hearing tho', and ef wespeak in a whisper a'most down on earth He can tell wot we are a saying.He ain't never a living in London tho', but He's alive, and can hearwhat we say, fur h'all that."
"And will He help us?" asked Faith; "is He real sorry fur us, and willHe help us?"
"Yes, He has a most desp'rate tender heart. I know as He will answerus, fur I told Him all about Charlie, and it wor arter-wards as I larnedwot a deal He ha' done fur him."
"What did He do, Meg?"
"Why He tuk him out o' the arms o' death, and carried him straight awayup to Heaven. That's wot He does to all the dead babies, He takes 'emin His arms up to Heaven. I know a hymn 'bout that, 'tis called, `Safein the arms of Jesus.' I'll sing it fur you another time."
"But I don't want Him to take Roy to Heaven," said Faith; "I want mylittle Roy safe back again wid me. He wanted for nothink when he worwith me. I don't wish him to be tuk so far away."
"Well, we'll axe that it may be so; let's kneel down now on the grass,and I'll say the words this 'ere time, and then you'll larn how He likesto be spoke to."
So the two knelt down, Faith in front of Meg, with her hand clasped inMeg's. Over the dirty thin face of the older girl there came a queerbut expressive change. A look of hope and love and joy filled her darkeyes, as raising them to the blue sky overhead, she spoke.
"Jesus, one of the little children as you loves so well is lost. Hisname is Roy, he's about two year old; he's big fur that, Jesus, and he'swerry, werry purty. He ha' yaller 'air, and blue h'eyes. I'm feared assome woman ha' stole him for the sake o' his clothes, and the rewardoffered fur him. Please, Jesus, don't let that 'ere woman be a bithappy wid little Roy. Make her real misribble till she takes him backagain. We know that there 'ere many ways that you can love him. But,Faith here, she wants him back again, so please don't let him catch nofever, and don't take him to play wid Charlie, and the other babies yetawhile."
"That's all, Faith," said Meg, suddenly springing to her feet. "I thinkas Jesus knows werry well now wot we want, and you and me 'ull go andlook fur little Roy, too, right away."
CHAPTER NINE.
The woman who had seen Roy in the public-house, and who had beenattracted by his pretty face, bore him quickly in her arms down thestreet. He was quite contented in this queer resting-place, and beingabsolutely confident in his little mind that the woman was carrying himhome to Faith, he laid his curly head on her shoulder and droppedasleep. When she saw that he was asleep, and not before, the womanpaused to wrap her own dirty shawl a little over him. She did thispartly to shelter him, and partly to consider. Did the police see sucha woman as she was, with so well-dressed a child as Roy in her arms,they might stop to question her. She did not want them to do that; shehad by no means made up her mind how to act by this poor