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Ewing, Juliana Horatia Gatty, 1841-1885

"Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men"


In one moment I made up my mind. Nurse had only put me to bed to get me
out of the way. I did not mean to trouble her, but I was determined not
to lose the chance of being Brother of Pity to a robin-redbreast.
I dressed myself as well as I could, got out unobserved, and made my way
to the summer-house. Things look a little paler by moonlight, otherwise
I could see quite well. I put on my cloak, took my spade and the handle
of the bier in my right hand, and holding the mask over my face with my
left, I made my way to the quarry field.
It was a lovely night, and as I strolled along I thought with myself
that the ground where Robin lay was too stony for my spade, and that I
must move him a little lower, where some soft earth bordered one side of
the quarry.
I was as certain as I had ever been of anything that I did not think
about this till then, but when I got to the quarry the body was gone
from the place where I had found it; and when I looked lower, on the bit
of soft earth there lay Robin, just in the place where I was settling in
my mind that I would bury him.
I could not believe my eyes through the holes in my mask, so I pulled it
off, but there was no doubt about the fact.


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