VALLEY

THE MANSE CHILDREN 39"Maybe you haven't more than you want yourselves,"said Jerry, looking hungrily at the tin platter."We've heaps three apiece," said Jem. "Sitdown."No more ceremony was necessary.Down they allsat on mossy stones. Merry was that feast and long.Nan and Di would probably have died of horror hadthey known what Faith and Una knew perfectly wellthat Carl had two young mice in his jacket pocket. Butthey never knew it, so it never hurt them. Wherecan folks get better acquainted than over a mealtable? When the last trout had vanished, the mansechildren and the Ingleside children were swornfriends and allies.They had always known eachother and always would.The race of Joseph recognizedits own.They poured out the history of their little pasts.The manse children heard of Avonlea and GreenGables, of Rainbow Valley traditions, and of the littlehouse by the harbour shore where Jem had been born.The Ingleside children heard of Maywater, where theMerediths had lived before coming to the Glen, ofUna's beloved, one-eyed doll and Faith's pet rooster.Faith was inclined to resent the fact that peoplelaughed at her for pettinga rooster. She liked theBlythes because they accepted it without question."A handsome rooster like Adam is just as nice a petas a dog or cat, / think," she said. "If he was acanary nobody would wonder. And I brought him