"I wish Jesus would come and help us now," she said softly. "I'm sure us
needs him quite as much as those men he was so kind to. Tell us about
the canal, Tim."
"It's boats," replied Tim. "Long boats made just the right shape. And
they've got rooms in them--quite tidy-like. The one that boy lived in
along o' his mother was as nice as--as nice as nice. And then they go
a-sailin' along--right from one end of the canal to the other."
"What for--just because they like it?"
"Oh no. They've all sorts of things they take about from one place to
another--wood often and coal. But that wasn't a coal boat--it was nice
and clean that one. And there's hosses as walks along the side of the
canals, pullin' of the boats with ropes. It's a pleasant life enough, to
my thinking--that's to say when they're tidy, civil-like folk. Some of
them's awful rough--as rough as Mick and the Missus and all o' _them_."
Duke and Pamela listened with the greatest interest. They quite forgot
to cry any more about their home in listening to what Tim told them.
"Oh, Tim," said Pamela, "I'll tell you what _would_ be nice. If us and
you could get one of those boats, and a horse to pull it, and go sailing
away till we got home to Grandpapa and Grandmamma. That would be nice,
wouldn't it, Tim?"
"Yes, missie," said Tim.
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