The wanderer and his wife

Master Sunshine was such a busy boy. Sometimes it seemed to him that the reason he did not get into as much mischief as other boys of his age was because he really had no time in which to be idle.

There was school each day, to begin with, and lessons to be prepared, and story-books to read, and the flower-garden to be cared for, and Gyp to teach new tricks to, and the pets to be tended and looked after, in fact, there were more things than I can tell you of always waiting to be done.

It was nearly one boy’s work, for instance, to take care of the Guinea fowls, the handsome, mottled hens, that never knew when they were well off, but were always running away and getting lost. If it had not been for their shrill, silly cackle, their hiding-places would never have been found. Master Sunshine pursued them every time they strayed, and brought them home triumphantly. I think he loved his sturdy family of Cochin Chinas best; for the great rooster, with his well-feathered legs and scarlet comb, always seemed to recognize him as a friend, and the plump hens laid the most delicious eggs, the exact hue of their own buff plumage. It was never any trouble to feed and water them, or to let them out of the hen-yard for a short run.

Every one knew that the Wanderer and his Wife were Master Sunshine’s property. The Wanderer was a great white gander, with a long neck and a still longer tongue, if one could measure it by the clatter it made in the world. His Wife was a patient gray goose, who waddled after him unceasingly, and was always ready to add her shrill voice to his.

It troubled their young owner not a little that the Wanderer had to wear a great yoke of light wood about his neck; but after the bird had twice run away and trampled the gardens of their neighbors, he could see that it was necessary.

Almira Jane put the matter very clearly before him. “I don’t think he does like his collar much, and it ain’t really ornamental,” said she; “but it is kinder to the neighbors to have him wear a yoke so that he cannot squeeze between the pickets in the fences to destroy the gardens.”

“But the goose may do the same mischief,” interrupted Master Sunshine anxiously.

Almira Jane shook her head wisely.

“The poor silly thing will never think of it by herself,” she answered. “All she does is to follow her mate; and if we keep him out of trouble, she will be all right, I promise you.”

It always made Almira Jane laugh when she thought of the day when Master Sunshine brought the Wanderers home. Master Sunshine had gone to old Mrs. Sorefoot, who lived down the road, to get a setting of Leghorn eggs. The old lady, whose life was being made miserable by the clamor of the pair of geese which a grandchild had brought her the week before as a particularly choice gift, told Master Sunshine that, if he would but take them away, they should be his property.

The little fellow was more delighted than I can tell you. He had always wanted to own geese, and this was such a good chance. And he made up his mind on the instant that as soon as he got them home, he would remove the queer-looking collar from the gander’s neck.

Then he set out for home, oh, so proudly!

On one arm he carried carefully the basket of eggs; under the other was the gray goose, with her legs securely tied. Behind him, led, or rather dragged, by a stout cord passed through the opening in the yoke, came the white gander, who was quite able by spreading his powerful wings to contest every step of the way. Poor Master Sunshine! What a time he did have, and how very hot and excited he was before he reached home!

Almira Jane saw him coming, and flew to meet him. Never in her life had she seen such a strange sight. The little fellow set the basket of eggs gently on the ground, laid the struggling goose on her side, and made the Wanderer fast to a fence-post, before he could answer her many questions.

Then he mopped his forehead with his small handkerchief, and drew a deep sigh of relief.

“O Almira Jane! it has been the worst time,” he said. “If you’ll just look at my stockings, I am afraid you will see that there is lots of darning to be done.”

Almira Jane surveyed the calves of his plump legs wonderingly. Sure enough, there were dozens of little round holes through which the pink skin was showing. There were even little stains of blood on the ravelled yarn.

“The old gander has nipped my legs with his sharp bill, and butted me with his yoke, and pulled on the string so I could scarcely keep my feet. The gray goose has flapped me with her wings whenever she got the chance; and in getting them safely here, I nearly fell a dozen times, and broke the whole setting of eggs,” he said excitedly.

Almira Jane looked admiringly at him. “You ain’t got much strength, but you got considerable grit,” she said proudly.

“But they didn’t know how inconvenient it was for me,” added the boy more calmly. “When they see how kind we are to them, I think they will be sorry about the way they treated me.”

Almira Jane looked at the gander critically, and cut the string that bound the gray goose’s legs, before she made any reply.

“They need their wings clipped,” she said. “That is the kindest thing we can do for them.”

Master Sunshine looked both surprised and grieved.

“You see, Sunshine,” she continued, “geese are wild birds still, though generations and generations of our grandfathers tried to tame them, yet they are not wild enough to look after themselves. When they stray away from their homes they have not wit enough either to find food which is suitable to them, or to hide themselves from dogs or wild animals who delight to worry them; so the best thing we can do is to fit them for the life we want them to lead.”

Master Sunshine nodded thoughtfully. He had great faith in Almira Jane’s knowledge, and the good sense of her arguments always satisfied his judgment.

It was not until he had gone in the house, and was well out of hearing, that Almira Jane began to laugh; and such a clear, ringing, downright, hearty laugh it was, the old Wanderer bumped his yoke against the fence to show his approval, and the gray goose joined in with high, shrill screams of delight. It really seemed as if they were trying to tell Almira Jane what they thought of their journey along the road with their new master.

There were not many houses near the pretty white cottage in which Master Sunshine lived. The Hill-top school, of which he was a pupil, was quite a half-mile away; and Tommy Dane, who lived just across the street from his home, used to walk there with him every day. Master Sunshine was very fond of Tommy, though his little friend had some ways that he did not wholly like.

The only other boy near-by was Billy Butler, a poor, half-witted idiot, who lived with his family in a tiny cottage under the side of a hill. Master Sunshine was very pitiful of Billy’s sad lot, and many an apple and slice of bread did he share with him.

Not far away was the beautiful summer house of Mr. Patterson, a city banker. The lawns and flower-beds there were always beautiful to see; and the great house with its many bay windows and broad verandas always seemed like a palace to Master Sunshine. But best of all he loved the great stable where a prancing silver horse was always riding on the weather vane.

It was at the stable that he saw his friend Jacob, who was quite as wonderful in his knowledge of animals as Almira Jane.

It took a great deal of Master Sunshine’s time just to repeat Jacob’s stories to Almira Jane; and he noticed that whenever he began to tell Jacob about what Almira Jane said Almira Jane was brought up on a Nova Scotia farm and knew everything about animals his listener would stamp on the barn floor to show his approval, and would listen to every word.

The great stable was a very pleasant place these spring days. The horses were all so well groomed, their stalls were all so perfectly clean, and, in the barn beyond, the cows looked round from their place with such friendly eyes, Master Sunshine used to wish that every one in the village would come to admire the place and to talk with Jacob. He was sure that everyone who talked to Jacob would be kind to animals ever after.