“I camed jes’ as soon as I heerd him, ’deed I did. I only stopped to pick these fur you,” and he placed his hat on the table lined with leaves and filled to the brim with luscious blackberries; then he laid a great bunch of wild flowers beside them. Mrs. Warner buried her face in the fragrant flowers. How long it was since anyone had brought her flowers! Henry used to keep her supplied; but he was too busy now. “Deary me,” said grandma; “these will just take the place of the apple sauce;” and she began to pick over the berries. Ned sat at a side table and did full justice to an ample supper. When Mr. Warner called for pie his wife gave him half of one, and, notwithstanding his frown, gave the other half to Ned. After supper they both went out, but Ned soon returned and began helping clear the table. “Henry may need you, Ned,” said Mrs. Warner. “No’m, he don’t; he tole me to clear out. You put some flowers on your dress an’ go out an’ get some air. I’ll clean up.” It was a great temptation, and Mrs. Warner walked through the fields to a neighbor’s, while Ned warbled over the dishes and her husband finished the chores. A few months before this a lady from the South had brought Ned to sing in the church, and had told how anxious she was to get a home for him with Christian people who would educate him. Mrs. Warner’s heart had softened at once, and her husband was nothing loath to have a little helper and do God service at the same time. But they had not found it an easy task to train Ned up in the way he should go. A sweet-tempered little singing bird was he, as neat as a pin and as quick as a wink, but having no more idea of responsibilities than the little warblers he imitated in his throat. But his kind thoughtfulness for others gave Mrs. Warner courage to keep on with him, and, as soon as she had, with very gentle teaching, made him to understand that promptness was the one thing required by Mr. Warner, and that the lack of it often caused serious inconvenience, the little fellow began to mend his ways. [Illustration] It was hard for him to understand at first. The fact that a thing would give pleasure to some one seemed reason enough for its being done at once. In fact, some of the unpleasant things seemed to him hardly worth the doing. But Mrs. Warner was very patient, and the heart that beat under the dark skin was very loving and sweet. “Yes; I see it now,” he said one day, as he dropped the first sweet harvest apple into grandma’s lap. “It took a good while, but I understand. If you are _told_ to do a thing, you must _do it_. Then, if there’s any time left, or, if you can crowd the pleasant thing in along with it, all right. But sometimes it’s powerful hard. “There’s the sky. I s’pose he’d like to smile all the time and be bright and jolly. But sometimes God tells him to rain, and he just goes and does it, like a major.