He sat on his rock until the grass was dry, and patiently jingled his cow-bell.

It was to young Ezra Ray, although all unwittingly, as if he himself were assisting in the operations of nature.

He watched so assiduously that it was as if he dried the dewy grass and ripened the cherries.
When the cherry party began to arrive he still sat on his rock and jingled his bell; he did not know when to stop.

But his eyes were upon the assembling people rather than upon the robins.

He watched the brave young men whose ignominy of boyhood was past, bearing ladders and tossing up shining tin pails as they came.