Poor ole Jackie.
“Pore ole Jackie.”
“Pore little ole Jackie, so lonesome.”
He reached up for him and took him, and faintly recalled, as he gave him comfort, a multitude of fire-tipped candles (and bristling needles) and a strong green smell, a dog more gaily colored and much larger, over which he puzzled, and his father’s huge face, smiling, saying, “It’s a dog.” His father too remembered how he had picked out the dog with great pleasure and had given it too soon, and here it was now too late. Comforting gave him comfort and a deep yawn, taking him by surprise, was half out of him before he could try to hide it. He glanced anxiously at his father.
“Gettin sleepy, uh?” his father said; it was hardly even a question.
He shook his head.
“Time you did. Time we all got to sleep.”
He shook his head.
“You’re not skeered any more are you?”
He considered lying, and shook his head.
“Boogee man, all gone, scared away, huh?”
He nodded.
“Now go on to sleep then, son,” his father said. He saw that the child very badly did not want him to go away, and realized suddenly that he might have lied about being scared, and he was touched, and put his hand on his son’s forehead. “You just don’t want to be lonesome,” he said tenderly; “just like little ole Jackie. You just don’t want to be left alone.” The child lay still.
“Tell you what I’ll do,” his father said, “I’ll sing you one song, and then you be a good boy and go on to sleep. Will you do that?” The child pressed his forehead upward against the strong warm hand and nodded.
“What’ll we sing?” his father asked.
