Uncle Billy went up to the cabin with them in order to hear an account
of the party, and to walk back with Aunt Susan. John Jay fell behind. He
could not remember ever having been out so late at night before, and he
had never seen the sky so full of stars. They made him think of
something that Aunt Susan had told him. She said that if he counted
seven stars for seven nights, at the same time repeating a charm which
she taught him, and making a wish, he'd certainly get what he wanted at
the end of the week.

Now he stopped still in the path, and slowly pointing to each star with
his little black forefinger, as he counted them, solemnly repeated the
charm:

"Star-light, star bright,
Seventh star I've seen to-night;
I wish I may and I wish I might
Have the wish come true I wish to-night."

"Come on in, chile! What you gawkin' at?" called Mammy from the doorway.
John Jay made no answer. It would have broken the charm to have spoken
again before going to sleep. He hurried into the house, glad that Mammy
was so occupied with her company that she could pay no attention to him.
She stood in the door with them so long that John Jay was in bed by the
time she came in. Although he pretended to be asleep, inwardly he was in
a quiver of excitement.

"I'll count 'em every night," he thought. The wish that burned in his
little heart was a very earnest one, fraught with hopes for his coming
birthday.