But Chick died. In the midst of his spasm one morning he grew limp in Ellen’s arms and she saw that he had changed. It was mid-morning and she was alone in the cabin, but her call brought Jasper. He knelt beside her chair while she held Chick, stroking his cold hands. They were both weeping.

‘He’s gone now,’ Ellen said. ‘Jasper honey, don’t cry.’

‘Poorly all his enduren days, and never a well hour, ne’er one.’

Ellen stroked gently downward on the child’s eyelids and closed them, and settled his limbs. ‘Gone,’ she whispered.

‘I’ll take him to the bed now,’ Jasper said. ‘I’ll take him…’

‘No, no, not yet. I had him in arms so long. I couldn’t nohow put him by yet. No. Jasper honey, no, not yet, to take him away, not yet.’

‘Not one well day in three year, almost three, God knows!’

‘He never in all his time see any ease or comfort outen the earth.’

‘God knows!’

‘Bright too, ready to laugh whenever he could.’

‘He knowed us, all to the last one, and always wanted to play when he could notice.’

‘He knowed you best, Jasper, and liked you. I see him pick up his head when you’d come.’

‘I best take him, Ellie, take him to the bed. I’ll lay him out on…’

‘No, no, not yet.’

‘I’d best take him, Ellie.’

‘Always looked like you, Jasper, from the first, and look, he looks like you now.’

‘Always from the start, but hair like your’n, Ellie.’

‘And now he looks like you more. Now. He looks like you’ll look. When you’re dead, Jasper.’

‘God knows! Maybe he does.’

They were both weeping, speaking between their sobs. Jasper knelt beside Ellen’s chair, his hands at his face.

‘He knowed you best, Jasper, best of all. He knowed Hen and Nannie and Joe and Dick, but he knowed you the best and liked you first.’

‘I’ll take him now, to put him on the bed…’

‘No, no, not awhile yet. A little spell longer I’ll have him… See, he looks like you, Jasper, like you, more and more.’

‘God Almighty! He does!’

‘Like you dead…’

‘I better take him now. To put him by…’

‘No. He’s my baby I had all by myself with nobody to help. Hands offen him. Hands offen him.’

‘I best take him, Ellen, best…’

‘Hands offen him. He’s my baby I had without any to lift a hand’s stir for me. Stand offen him, Jasper Kent. And before he came… No help.’

‘You best let me lay him down now, Ellen, and rest yourself a spell.’

‘Get back a way, Jasper Kent. I maybe marked him with the way I took on afore he come. I couldn’t see to help. But he’s mine. He knowed you best and liked you, and I was glad for it. I was glad he liked you. But he’s mine and always was. I earned him all for myself. Get back offen him, Jasper Kent.’