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diff --git a/27567.txt b/27567.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2df516f --- /dev/null +++ b/27567.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6497 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag VI, by Louisa M. Alcott + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag VI + An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, Etc. + +Author: Louisa M. Alcott + +Release Date: December 19, 2008 [EBook #27567] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG VI *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Katherine Ward and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + +Transcriber's note: + + Hyphenation and spelling standardized. Otherwise, archaic and + variable spelling was preserved. + + Missing quotation marks were added to standardize usage. Otherwise, + the editor's punctuation style was preserved. + + Table of Contents' page numbers were updated. + + Special notation: + + Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). + + Text in bold face is enclosed by equal signs (=bold=). + + + + +AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG + +Is now full, and contains + + =I. MY BOYS=, and other stories. + =II. SHAWL-STRAPS=. Sketches of a European Trip. + =III. CUPID AND CHOW-CHOW=, and other stories. + =IV. MY GIRLS=, and other stories. + =V. JIMMY'S CRUISE IN THE PINAFORE=, and other stories. + =VI. AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING=, and other stories. + +_Six volumes neatly bound in cloth. Price, $6.00._ + +ROBERTS BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, BOSTON. + +[Illustration: AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING. + +"Suddenly Tilly threw down the axe, flung open the door, and ran +straight into the arms of the bear."--PAGE 29.] + +[Illustration: HOW IT ALL HAPPENED. + +Dolly opened the door, and started back with a cry of astonishment at +the lovely spectacle before her.--PAGE 47.] + + * * * * * + + + + +AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG. + +AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING, + Etc. + +[Illustration: SCRAP-BAG, VOL. VI.] + +BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT, + +AUTHOR OF "LITTLE WOMEN," "AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL," "LITTLE MEN," +"HOSPITAL SKETCHES." + + BOSTON: + ROBERTS BROTHERS. + 1882. + + _Copyright, 1882,_ + BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT. + + UNIVERSITY PRESS: + JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + PAGE. + I. AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING 7 + II. HOW IT ALL HAPPENED 37 + III. THE DOLLS' JOURNEY FROM MINNESOTA TO MAINE 53 + IV. MORNING-GLORIES 78 + V. SHADOW-CHILDREN 104 + VI. POPPY'S PRANKS 124 + VII. WHAT THE SWALLOWS DID 147 + VIII. LITTLE GULLIVER 163 + IX. THE WHALE'S STORY 178 + X. A STRANGE ISLAND 192 + XI. FANCY'S FRIEND 208 + + * * * * * + + + + +I. + +AN OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING. + + +Sixty years ago, up among the New Hampshire hills, lived Farmer Bassett, +with a house full of sturdy sons and daughters growing up about him. +They were poor in money, but rich in land and love, for the wide acres +of wood, corn, and pasture land fed, warmed, and clothed the flock, +while mutual patience, affection, and courage made the old farm-house a +very happy home. + +November had come; the crops were in, and barn, buttery, and bin were +overflowing with the harvest that rewarded the summer's hard work. The +big kitchen was a jolly place just now, for in the great fireplace +roared a cheerful fire; on the walls hung garlands of dried apples, +onions, and corn; up aloft from the beams shone crook-necked squashes, +juicy hams, and dried venison--for in those days deer still haunted the +deep forests, and hunters flourished. Savory smells were in the air; on +the crane hung steaming kettles, and down among the red embers copper +sauce-pans simmered, all suggestive of some approaching feast. + +A white-headed baby lay in the old blue cradle that had rocked seven +other babies, now and then lifting his head to look out, like a round, +full moon, then subsided to kick and crow contentedly, and suck the rosy +apple he had no teeth to bite. Two small boys sat on the wooden settle +shelling corn for popping, and picking out the biggest nuts from the +goodly store their own hands had gathered in October. Four young girls +stood at the long dresser, busily chopping meat, pounding spice, and +slicing apples; and the tongues of Tilly, Prue, Roxy, and Rhody went as +fast as their hands. Farmer Bassett, and Eph, the oldest boy, were +"chorin' 'round" outside, for Thanksgiving was at hand, and all must be +in order for that time-honored day. + +To and fro, from table to hearth, bustled buxom Mrs. Bassett, flushed +and floury, but busy and blithe as the queen bee of this busy little +hive should be. + +"I do like to begin seasonable and have things to my mind. Thanksgivin' +dinners can't be drove, and it does take a sight of victuals to fill all +these hungry stomicks," said the good woman, as she gave a vigorous stir +to the great kettle of cider apple-sauce, and cast a glance of +housewifely pride at the fine array of pies set forth on the buttery +shelves. + +"Only one more day and then it will be time to eat. I didn't take but +one bowl of hasty pudding this morning, so I shall have plenty of room +when the nice things come," confided Seth to Sol, as he cracked a large +hazel-nut as easily as a squirrel. + +"No need of my starvin' beforehand. _I always_ have room enough, and I'd +like to have Thanksgiving every day," answered Solomon, gloating like a +young ogre over the little pig that lay near by, ready for roasting. + +"Sakes alive, I don't, boys! It's a marcy it don't come but once a year. +I should be worn to a thread-paper with all this extra work atop of my +winter weavin' and spinnin'," laughed their mother, as she plunged her +plump arms into the long bread-trough and began to knead the dough as if +a famine was at hand. + +Tilly, the oldest girl, a red-cheeked, black-eyed lass of fourteen, was +grinding briskly at the mortar, for spices were costly, and not a grain +must be wasted. Prue kept time with the chopper, and the twins sliced +away at the apples till their little brown arms ached, for all knew how +to work, and did so now with a will. + +"I think it's real fun to have Thanksgiving at home. I'm sorry Gran'ma +is sick, so we can't go there as usual, but I like to mess 'round here, +don't you, girls?" asked Tilly, pausing to take a sniff at the spicy +pestle. + +"It will be kind of lonesome with only our own folks." "I like to see +all the cousins and aunts, and have games, and sing," cried the twins, +who were regular little romps, and could run, swim, coast and shout as +well as their brothers. + +"I don't care a mite for all that. It will be so nice to eat dinner +together, warm and comfortable at home," said quiet Prue, who loved her +own cozy nooks like a cat. + +"Come, girls, fly 'round and get your chores done, so we can clear away +for dinner jest as soon as I clap my bread into the oven," called Mrs. +Bassett presently, as she rounded off the last loaf of brown bread which +was to feed the hungry mouths that seldom tasted any other. + +"Here's a man comin' up the hill, lively!" "Guess it's Gad Hopkins. Pa +told him to bring a dezzen oranges, if they warn't too high!" shouted +Sol and Seth, running to the door, while the girls smacked their lips at +the thought of this rare treat, and Baby threw his apple overboard, as +if getting ready for a new cargo. + +But all were doomed to disappointment, for it was not Gad, with the +much-desired fruit. It was a stranger, who threw himself off his horse +and hurried up to Mr. Bassett in the yard, with some brief message that +made the farmer drop his ax and look so sober that his wife guessed at +once some bad news had come; and crying, "Mother's wuss! I know she +is!" out ran the good woman, forgetful of the flour on her arms and the +oven waiting for its most important batch. + +The man said old Mr. Chadwick, down to Keene, stopped him as he passed, +and told him to tell Mrs. Bassett her mother was failin' fast, and she'd +better come to-day. He knew no more, and having delivered his errand he +rode away, saying it looked like snow and he must be jogging, or he +wouldn't get home till night. + +"We must go right off, Eldad. Hitch up, and I'll be ready in less'n +no time," said Mrs. Bassett, wasting not a minute in tears and +lamentations, but pulling off her apron as she went in, with her mind in +a sad jumble of bread, anxiety, turkey, sorrow, haste, and cider +apple-sauce. + +A few words told the story, and the children left their work to help her +get ready, mingling their grief for "Gran'ma" with regrets for the lost +dinner. + +"I'm dreadful sorry, dears, but it can't be helped. I couldn't cook nor +eat no way, now, and if that blessed woman gets better sudden, as she +has before, we'll have cause for thanksgivin', and I'll give you a +dinner you won't forget in a hurry," said Mrs. Bassett, as she tied on +her brown silk pumpkin-hood, with a sob for the good old mother who had +made it for her. + +Not a child complained after that, but ran about helpfully, bringing +moccasins, heating the footstone, and getting ready for a long drive, +because Gran'ma lived twenty miles away, and there were no railroads in +those parts to whisk people to and fro like magic. By the time the old +yellow sleigh was at the door, the bread was in the oven, and Mrs. +Bassett was waiting, with her camlet cloak on, and the baby done up like +a small bale of blankets. + +"Now, Eph, you must look after the cattle like a man, and keep up the +fires, for there's a storm brewin', and neither the children nor dumb +critters must suffer," said Mr. Bassett, as he turned up the collar of +his rough coat and put on his blue mittens, while the old mare shook her +bells as if she preferred a trip to Keene to hauling wood all day. + +"Tilly, put extry comfortables on the beds to-night, the wind is so +searchin' up chamber. Have the baked beans and Injun-puddin' for dinner, +and whatever you do, don't let the boys git at the mince-pies, or you'll +have them down sick. I shall come back the minute I can leave Mother. Pa +will come to-morrer, anyway, so keep snug and be good. I depend on you, +my darter; use your jedgment, and don't let nothin' happen while +Mother's away." + +"Yes'm, yes'm--good-bye, good-bye!" called the children, as Mrs. Bassett +was packed into the sleigh and driven away, leaving a stream of +directions behind her. + +Eph, the sixteen-year-old boy, immediately put on his biggest boots, +assumed a sober, responsible manner, and surveyed his little +responsibilities with a paternal air, drolly like his father's. Tilly +tied on her mother's bunch of keys, rolled up the sleeves of her +homespun gown, and began to order about the younger girls. They soon +forgot poor Granny, and found it great fun to keep house all alone, for +Mother seldom left home, but ruled her family in the good old-fashioned +way. There were no servants, for the little daughters were Mrs. +Bassett's only maids, and the stout boys helped their father, all +working happily together with no wages but love; learning in the best +manner the use of the heads and hands with which they were to make their +own way in the world. + +The few flakes that caused the farmer to predict bad weather soon +increased to a regular snow-storm, with gusts of wind, for up among the +hills winter came early and lingered long. But the children were busy, +gay, and warm in-doors, and never minded the rising gale nor the +whirling white storm outside. + +Tilly got them a good dinner, and when it was over the two elder girls +went to their spinning, for in the kitchen stood the big and little +wheels, and baskets of wool-rolls, ready to be twisted into yarn for the +winter's knitting, and each day brought its stint of work to the +daughters, who hoped to be as thrifty as their mother. + +Eph kept up a glorious fire, and superintended the small boys, who +popped corn and whittled boats on the hearth; while Roxy and Rhody +dressed corn-cob dolls in the settle corner, and Bose, the brindled +mastiff, lay on the braided mat, luxuriously warming his old legs. Thus +employed, they made a pretty picture, these rosy boys and girls, in +their homespun suits, with the rustic toys or tasks which most children +nowadays would find very poor or tiresome. + +Tilly and Prue sang, as they stepped to and fro, drawing out +the smoothly twisted threads to the musical hum of the great +spinning-wheels. The little girls chattered like magpies over their +dolls and the new bed-spread they were planning to make, all white +dimity stars on a blue calico ground, as a Christmas present to Ma. The +boys roared at Eph's jokes, and had rough and tumble games over Bose, +who didn't mind them in the least; and so the afternoon wore pleasantly +away. + +At sunset the boys went out to feed the cattle, bring in heaps of wood, +and lock up for the night, as the lonely farm-house seldom had visitors +after dark. The girls got the simple supper of brown bread and milk, +baked apples, and a doughnut all 'round as a treat. Then they sat before +the fire, the sisters knitting, the brothers with books or games, for +Eph loved reading, and Sol and Seth never failed to play a few games of +Morris with barley corns, on the little board they had made themselves +at one corner of the dresser. + +"Read out a piece," said Tilly, from Mother's chair, where she sat in +state, finishing off the sixth woolen sock she had knit that month. + +"It's the old history book, but here's a bit you may like, since it's +about our folks," answered Eph, turning the yellow page to look at a +picture of two quaintly dressed children in some ancient castle. + +"Yes, read that. I always like to hear about the Lady Matildy I was +named for, and Lord Bassett, Pa's great-great-great-grandpa. He's only a +farmer now, but it's nice to know that we were somebody two or three +hundred years ago," said Tilly, bridling and tossing her curly head as +she fancied the Lady Matilda might have done. + +"Don't read the queer words, 'cause we don't understand 'em. Tell it," +commanded Roxy, from the cradle, where she was drowsily cuddled with +Rhody. + +"Well, a long time ago, when Charles the First was in prison, Lord +Bassett was a true friend to him," began Eph, plunging into his story +without delay. "The lord had some papers that would have hung a lot of +people if the king's enemies got hold of 'em, so when he heard one day, +all of a sudden, that soldiers were at the castle-gate to carry him +off, he had just time to call his girl to him, and say: 'I may be going +to my death, but I won't betray my master. There is no time to burn the +papers, and I can not take them with me; they are hidden in the old +leathern chair where I sit. No one knows this but you, and you must +guard them till I come or send you a safe messenger to take them away. +Promise me to be brave and silent, and I can go without fear.' You see, +he wasn't afraid to die, but he _was_ to seem a traitor. Lady Matildy +promised solemnly, and the words were hardly out of her mouth when the +men came in, and her father was carried away a prisoner and sent off to +the Tower. + +"But she didn't cry; she just called her brother, and sat down in that +chair, with her head leaning back on those papers, like a queen, and +waited while the soldiers hunted the house over for 'em: wasn't that a +smart girl?" cried Tilly, beaming with pride, for she was named for this +ancestress, and knew the story by heart. + +"I reckon she was scared, though, when the men came swearin' in and +asked her if she knew anything about it. The boy did his part then, for +_he_ didn't know, and fired up and stood before his sister; and he says, +says he, as bold as a lion: 'If my lord had told us where the papers be, +we would die before we would betray him. But we are children and know +nothing, and it is cowardly of you to try to fright us with oaths and +drawn swords!'" + +As Eph quoted from the book, Seth planted himself before Tilly, with the +long poker in his hand, saying, as he flourished it valiantly: + +"Why didn't the boy take his father's sword and lay about him? I would, +if any one was ha'sh to Tilly." + +"You bantam! He was only a bit of a boy, and couldn't do anything. Sit +down and hear the rest of it," commanded Tilly, with a pat on the yellow +head, and a private resolve that Seth should have the largest piece of +pie at dinner next day, as reward for his chivalry. + +"Well, the men went off after turning the castle out of window, but they +said they should come again; so faithful Matildy was full of trouble, +and hardly dared to leave the room where the chair stood. All day she +sat there, and at night her sleep was so full of fear about it, that she +often got up and went to see that all was safe. The servants thought the +fright had hurt her wits, and let her be, but Rupert, the boy, stood by +her and never was afraid of her queer ways. She was 'a pious maid,' the +book says, and often spent the long evenings reading the Bible, with her +brother by her, all alone in the great room, with no one to help her +bear her secret, and no good news of her father. At last, word came that +the king was dead and his friends banished out of England. Then the +poor children were in a sad plight, for they had no mother, and the +servants all ran away, leaving only one faithful old man to help them." + +"But the father did come?" cried Roxy, eagerly. + +"You'll see," continued Eph, half telling, half reading. + +"Matilda was sure he would, so she sat on in the big chair, guarding the +papers, and no one could get her away, till one day a man came with her +father's ring and told her to give up the secret. She knew the ring, but +would not tell until she had asked many questions, so as to be very +sure, and while the man answered all about her father and the king, she +looked at him sharply. Then she stood up and said, in a tremble, for +there was something strange about the man: 'Sir, I doubt you in spite of +the ring, and I will not answer till you pull off the false beard you +wear, that I may see your face and know if you are my father's friend or +foe.' Off came the disguise, and Matilda found it was my lord himself, +come to take them with him out of England. He was very proud of that +faithful girl, I guess, for the old chair still stands in the castle, +and the name keeps in the family, Pa says, even over here, where some of +the Bassetts came along with the Pilgrims." + +"Our Tilly would have been as brave, I know, and she looks like the old +picter down to Grandma's, don't she, Eph?" cried Prue, who admired her +bold, bright sister very much. + +"Well, I think you'd do the settin' part best, Prue, you are so patient. +Till would fight like a wild cat, but she can't hold her tongue worth a +cent," answered Eph; whereat Tilly pulled his hair, and the story ended +with a general frolic. + +When the moon-faced clock behind the door struck nine, Tilly tucked up +the children under the "extry comfortables," and having kissed them all +around, as Mother did, crept into her own nest, never minding the little +drifts of snow that sifted in upon her coverlet between the shingles of +the roof, nor the storm that raged without. + +As if he felt the need of unusual vigilance, old Bose lay down on the +mat before the door, and pussy had the warm hearth all to herself. If +any late wanderer had looked in at midnight, he would have seen the fire +blazing up again, and in the cheerful glow the old cat blinking her +yellow eyes, as she sat bolt upright beside the spinning-wheel, like +some sort of household goblin, guarding the children while they slept. + +When they woke, like early birds, it still snowed, but up the little +Bassetts jumped, broke the ice in their pitchers, and went down with +cheeks glowing like winter apples, after a brisk scrub and scramble +into their clothes. Eph was off to the barn, and Tilly soon had a great +kettle of mush ready, which, with milk warm from the cows, made a +wholesome breakfast for the seven hearty children. + +"Now about dinner," said the young housekeeper, as the pewter spoons +stopped clattering, and the earthen bowls stood empty. + +"Ma said, have what we liked, but she didn't expect us to have a real +Thanksgiving dinner, because she won't be here to cook it, and we don't +know how," began Prue, doubtfully. + +"I can roast a turkey and make a pudding as well as anybody, I guess. +The pies are all ready, and if we can't boil vegetables and so on, we +don't deserve any dinner," cried Tilly, burning to distinguish herself, +and bound to enjoy to the utmost her brief authority. + +"Yes, yes!" cried all the boys, "let's have a dinner anyway; Ma won't +care, and the good victuals will spoil if they ain't eaten right up." + +"Pa is coming to-night, so we won't have dinner till late; that will be +real genteel and give us plenty of time," added Tilly, suddenly +realizing the novelty of the task she had undertaken. + +"Did you ever roast a turkey?" asked Roxy, with an air of deep interest. + +"Should you darst to try?" said Rhody, in an awe-stricken tone. + +"You will see what I can do. Ma said I was to use my jedgment about +things, and I'm going to. All you children have got to do is to keep out +of the way, and let Prue and me work. Eph, I wish you'd put a fire in +the best room, so the little ones can play in there. We shall want the +settin'-room for the table, and I won't have 'em pickin' 'round when we +get things fixed," commanded Tilly, bound to make her short reign a +brilliant one. + +"I don't know about that. Ma didn't tell us to," began cautious Eph, who +felt that this invasion of the sacred best parlor was a daring step. + +"Don't we always do it Sundays and Thanksgivings? Wouldn't Ma wish the +children kept safe and warm anyhow? Can I get up a nice dinner with four +rascals under my feet all the time? Come, now, if you want roast turkey +and onions, plum-puddin' and mince-pie, you'll have to do as I tell you, +and be lively about it." + +Tilly spoke with such spirit, and her last suggestion was so +irresistible, that Eph gave in, and, laughing good-naturedly, tramped +away to heat up the best room, devoutly hoping that nothing serious +would happen to punish such audacity. + +The young folks delightedly trooped in to destroy the order of that prim +apartment with housekeeping under the black horse-hair sofa, "horseback +riders" on the arms of the best rocking-chair, and an Indian war-dance +all over the well-waxed furniture. Eph, finding the society of the +peaceful sheep and cows more to his mind than that of two excited +sisters, lingered over his chores in the barn as long as possible, and +left the girls in peace. + +Now Tilly and Prue were in their glory, and as soon as the breakfast +things were out of the way, they prepared for a grand cooking-time. They +were handy girls, though they had never heard of a cooking-school, never +touched a piano, and knew nothing of embroidery beyond the samplers +which hung framed in the parlor; one ornamented with a pink mourner +under a blue weeping-willow, the other with this pleasing verse, each +word being done in a different color, which gave the effect of a +distracted rainbow: + + "This sampler neat was worked by me, + In my twelfth year, Prudence B." + +Both rolled up their sleeves, put on their largest aprons, and got out +all the spoons, dishes, pots, and pans they could find, "so as to have +everything handy," as Prue said. + +"Now, sister, we'll have dinner at five; Pa will be here by that time if +he is coming to-night, and be so surprised to find us all ready, for he +won't have had any very nice victuals if Gran'ma is so sick," said Tilly +importantly. "I shall give the children a piece at noon" (Tilly meant +luncheon); "doughnuts and cheese, with apple-pie and cider will please +'em. There's beans for Eph; he likes cold pork, so we won't stop to warm +it up, for there's lots to do, and I don't mind saying to you I'm +dreadful dubersome about the turkey." + +"It's all ready but the stuffing, and roasting is as easy as can be. I +can baste first rate. Ma always likes to have me, I'm so patient and +stiddy, she says," answered Prue, for the responsibility of this great +undertaking did not rest upon her, so she took a cheerful view of +things. + +"I know, but it's the stuffin' that troubles me," said Tilly, rubbing +her round elbows as she eyed the immense fowl laid out on a platter +before her. "I don't know how much I want, nor what sort of yarbs to put +in, and he's so awful big, I'm kind of afraid of him." + +"I ain't! I fed him all summer, and he never gobbled at _me_. I feel +real mean to be thinking of gobbling him, poor old chap," laughed Prue, +patting her departed pet with an air of mingled affection and appetite. + +"Well, I'll get the puddin' off my mind fust, for it ought to bile all +day. Put the big kettle on, and see that the spit is clean, while I get +ready." + +Prue obediently tugged away at the crane, with its black hooks, from +which hung the iron tea-kettle and three-legged pot; then she settled +the long spit in the grooves made for it in the tall andirons, and put +the dripping-pan underneath, for in those days meat was roasted as it +should be, not baked in ovens. + +Meantime Tilly attacked the plum-pudding. She felt pretty sure of coming +out right, here, for she had seen her mother do it so many times, it +looked very easy. So in went suet and fruit; all sorts of spice, to be +sure she got the right ones, and brandy instead of wine. But she forgot +both sugar and salt, and tied it in the cloth so tightly that it had no +room to swell, so it would come out as heavy as lead and as hard as a +cannon-ball, if the bag did not burst and spoil it all. Happily +unconscious of these mistakes, Tilly popped it into the pot, and proudly +watched it bobbing about before she put the cover on and left it to its +fate. + +"I can't remember what flavorin' Ma puts in," she said, when she had got +her bread well soaked for the stuffing. "Sage and onions and apple-sauce +go with goose, but I can't feel sure of anything but pepper and salt for +a turkey." + +"Ma puts in some kind of mint, I know, but I forget whether it is +spearmint, peppermint, or penny-royal," answered Prue, in a tone of +doubt, but trying to show her knowledge of "yarbs," or, at least, of +their names. + +"Seems to me it's sweet marjoram or summer savory. I guess we'll put +both in, and then we are sure to be right. The best is up garret; you +run and get some, while I mash the bread," commanded Tilly, diving into +the mess. + +Away trotted Prue, but in her haste she got catnip and wormwood, for the +garret was darkish, and Prue's little nose was so full of the smell of +the onions she had been peeling, that everything smelt of them. Eager to +be of use, she pounded up the herbs and scattered the mixture with a +liberal hand into the bowl. + +"It doesn't smell just right, but I suppose it will when it is cooked," +said Tilly, as she filled the empty stomach, that seemed aching for +food, and sewed it up with the blue yarn, which happened to be handy. +She forgot to tie down his legs and wings, but she set him by till his +hour came, well satisfied with her work. + +"Shall we roast the little pig, too? I think he'd look nice with a +necklace of sausages, as Ma fixed one last Christmas," asked Prue, +elated with their success. + +"I couldn't do it. I loved that little pig, and cried when he was +killed. I should feel as if I was roasting the baby," answered Tilly, +glancing toward the buttery where piggy hung, looking so pink and pretty +it certainly did seem cruel to eat him. + +It took a long time to get all the vegetables ready, for, as the cellar +was full, the girls thought they would have every sort. Eph helped, and +by noon all was ready for cooking, and the cranberry-sauce, a good deal +scorched, was cooling in the lean-to. + +Luncheon was a lively meal, and doughnuts and cheese vanished in such +quantities that Tilly feared no one would have an appetite for her +sumptuous dinner. The boys assured her they would be starving by five +o'clock, and Sol mourned bitterly over the little pig that was not to be +served up. + +"Now you all go and coast, while Prue and I set the table and get out +the best chiny," said Tilly, bent on having her dinner look well, no +matter what its other failings might be. + +Out came the rough sleds, on went the round hoods, old hats, red cloaks, +and moccasins, and away trudged the four younger Bassetts, to disport +themselves in the snow, and try the ice down by the old mill, where the +great wheel turned and splashed so merrily in the summer-time. + +Eph took his fiddle and scraped away to his heart's content in the +parlor, while the girls, after a short rest, set the table and made all +ready to dish up the dinner when that exciting moment came. It was not +at all the sort of table we see now, but would look very plain and +countrified to us, with its green-handled knives and two-pronged steel +forks; its red-and-white china, and pewter platters, scoured till they +shone, with mugs and spoons to match, and a brown jug for the cider. +The cloth was coarse, but white as snow, and the little maids had seen +the blue-eyed flax grow, out of which their mother wove the linen they +had watched and watered while it bleached in the green meadow. They had +no napkins and little silver; but the best tankard and Ma's few wedding +spoons were set forth in state. Nuts and apples at the corners gave an +air, and the place of honor was left in the middle for the oranges yet +to come. + +"Don't it look beautiful?" said Prue, when they paused to admire the +general effect. + +"Pretty nice, I think. I wish Ma could see how well we can do it," began +Tilly, when a loud howling startled both girls, and sent them flying to +the window. The short afternoon had passed so quickly that twilight had +come before they knew it, and now, as they looked out through the +gathering dusk, they saw four small black figures tearing up the road, +to come bursting in, all screaming at once: "The bear, the bear! Eph, +get the gun! He's coming, he's coming!" + +Eph had dropped his fiddle, and got down his gun before the girls could +calm the children enough to tell their story, which they did in a +somewhat incoherent manner. "Down in the holler, coastin', we heard a +growl," began Sol, with his eyes as big as saucers. "I see him fust +lookin' over the wall," roared Seth, eager to get his share of honor. + +"Awful big and shaggy," quavered Roxy, clinging to Tilly, while Rhody +hid in Prue's skirts, and piped out: "His great paws kept clawing at us, +and I was so scared my legs would hardly go." + +"We ran away as fast as we could go, and he come growling after us. He's +awful hungry, and he'll eat every one of us if he gets in," continued +Sol, looking about him for a safe retreat. + +"Oh, Eph, don't let him eat us," cried both little girls, flying up +stairs to hide under their mother's bed, as their surest shelter. + +"No danger of that, you little geese. I'll shoot him as soon as he +comes. Get out of the way, boys," and Eph raised the window to get good +aim. + +"There he is! Fire away, and don't miss!" cried Seth, hastily following +Sol, who had climbed to the top of the dresser as a good perch from +which to view the approaching fray. + +Prue retired to the hearth as if bent on dying at her post rather than +desert the turkey, now "browning beautiful," as she expressed it. But +Tilly boldly stood at the open window, ready to lend a hand if the enemy +proved too much for Eph. + +All had seen bears, but none had ever come so near before, and even +brave Eph felt that the big brown beast slowly trotting up the door-yard +was an unusually formidable specimen. He was growling horribly, and +stopped now and then as if to rest and shake himself. + +"Get the ax, Tilly, and if I should miss, stand ready to keep him off +while I load again," said Eph, anxious to kill his first bear in style +and alone; a girl's help didn't count. + +Tilly flew for the ax, and was at her brother's side by the time the +bear was near enough to be dangerous. He stood on his hind legs, and +seemed to sniff with relish the savory odors that poured out of the +window. + +"Fire, Eph!" cried Tilly, firmly. + +"Wait till he rears again. I'll get a better shot, then," answered the +boy, while Prue covered her ears to shut out the bang, and the small +boys cheered from their dusty refuge up among the pumpkins. + +But a very singular thing happened next, and all who saw it stood +amazed, for suddenly Tilly threw down the ax, flung open the door, and +ran straight into the arms of the bear, who stood erect to receive her, +while his growlings changed to a loud "Haw, haw!" that startled the +children more than the report of a gun. + +"It's Gad Hopkins, tryin' to fool us!" cried Eph, much disgusted at the +loss of his prey, for these hardy boys loved to hunt, and prided +themselves on the number of wild animals and birds they could shoot in a +year. + +"Oh, Gad, how could you scare us so?" laughed Tilly, still held fast in +one shaggy arm of the bear, while the other drew a dozen oranges from +some deep pocket in the buffalo-skin coat, and fired them into the +kitchen with such good aim that Eph ducked, Prue screamed, and Sol and +Seth came down much quicker than they went up. + +"Wal, you see I got upsot over yonder, and the old horse went home while +I was floundering in a drift, so I tied on the buffalers to tote 'em +easy, and come along till I see the children playin' in the holler. I +jest meant to give 'em a little scare, but they run like partridges, and +I kep' up the joke to see how Eph would like this sort of company," and +Gad haw-hawed again. + +"You'd have had a warm welcome if we hadn't found you out. I'd have put +a bullet through you in a jiffy, old chap," said Eph, coming out to +shake hands with the young giant, who was only a year or two older than +himself. + +"Come in and set up to dinner with us. Prue and I have done it all +ourselves, and Pa will be along soon, I reckon," cried Tilly, trying to +escape. + +"Couldn't, no ways. My folks will think I'm dead ef I don't get along +home, sence the horse and sleigh have gone ahead empty. I've done my +arrant and had my joke; now I want my pay, Tilly," and Gad took a hearty +kiss from the rosy cheeks of his "little sweetheart," as he called her. +His own cheeks tingled with the smart slap she gave him as she ran +away, calling out that she hated bears and would bring her ax next time. + +"I ain't afeared; your sharp eyes found me out; and ef you run into a +bear's arms you must expect a hug," answered Gad, as he pushed back the +robe and settled his fur cap more becomingly. + +"I should have known you in a minute if I hadn't been asleep when the +girls squalled. You did it well, though, and I advise you not to try it +again in a hurry, or you'll get shot," said Eph, as they parted, he +rather crestfallen and Gad in high glee. + +"My sakes alive--the turkey is burnt one side, and the kettles have +biled over so the pies I put to warm are all ashes!" scolded Tilly, as +the flurry subsided and she remembered her dinner. + +"Well, I can't help it. I couldn't think of victuals when I expected to +be eaten alive myself, could I?" pleaded poor Prue, who had tumbled into +the cradle when the rain of oranges began. + +Tilly laughed, and all the rest joined in, so good humor was restored, +and the spirits of the younger ones were revived by sucks from the one +orange which passed from hand to hand with great rapidity, while the +older girls dished up the dinner. They were just struggling to get the +pudding out of the cloth when Roxy called out, "Here's Pa!" + +"There's folks with him," added Rhody. + +"Lots of 'em! I see two big sleighs chock full," shouted Seth, peering +through the dusk. + +"It looks like a semintary. Guess Gramma's dead and come up to be buried +here," said Sol in a solemn tone. This startling suggestion made Tilly, +Prue, and Eph hasten to look out, full of dismay at such an ending of +their festival. + +"If that is a funeral, the mourners are uncommon jolly," said Eph, +drily, as merry voices and loud laughter broke the white silence +without. + +"I see Aunt Cinthy, and Cousin Hetty--and there's Mose and Amos. I do +declare, Pa's bringin' 'em all home to have some fun here," cried Prue, +as she recognized one familiar face after another. + +"Oh, my patience! Ain't I glad I got dinner, and don't I hope it will +turn out good!" exclaimed Tilly, while the twins pranced with delight, +and the small boys roared: + +"Hooray for Pa! Hooray for Thanksgivin'!" + +The cheer was answered heartily, and in came Father, Mother, Baby, aunts +and cousins, all in great spirits, and all much surprised to find such a +festive welcome awaiting them. + +"Ain't Gran'ma dead at all?" asked Sol, in the midst of the kissing and +hand-shaking. + +"Bless your heart, no! It was all a mistake of old Mr. Chadwick's. He's +as deaf as an adder, and when Mrs. Brooks told him Mother was mendin' +fast, and she wanted me to come down to-day, certain sure, he got the +message all wrong, and give it to the fust person passin' in such a way +as to scare me 'most to death, and send us down in a hurry. Mother was +sittin' up as chirk as you please, and dreadful sorry you didn't all +come." + +"So, to keep the house quiet for her, and give you a taste of the fun, +your Pa fetched us all up to spend the evenin', and we are goin' to have +a jolly time on't, to jedge by the looks of things," said Aunt Cinthy, +briskly finishing the tale when Mrs. Bassett paused for want of breath. + +"What in the world put it into your head we was comin', and set you to +gettin' up such a supper?" asked Mr. Bassett, looking about him, well +pleased and much surprised at the plentiful table. + +Tilly modestly began to tell, but the others broke in and sang her +praises in a sort of chorus, in which bears, pigs, pies, and oranges +were oddly mixed. Great satisfaction was expressed by all, and Tilly and +Prue were so elated by the commendation of Ma and the aunts, that they +set forth their dinner, sure everything was perfect. + +But when the eating began, which it did the moment wraps were off, then +their pride got a fall; for the first person who tasted the stuffing (it +was big Cousin Mose, and that made it harder to bear) nearly choked over +the bitter morsel. + +"Tilly Bassett, whatever made you put wormwood and catnip in your +stuffin'?" demanded Ma, trying not to be severe, for all the rest were +laughing, and Tilly looked ready to cry. + +"I did it," said Prue, nobly taking all the blame, which caused Pa to +kiss her on the spot, and declare that it didn't do a might of harm, for +the turkey was all right. + +"I never see onions cooked better. All the vegetables is well done, and +the dinner a credit to you, my dears," declared Aunt Cinthy, with her +mouth full of the fragrant vegetable she praised. + +The pudding was an utter failure, in spite of the blazing brandy in +which it lay--as hard and heavy as one of the stone balls on Squire +Dunkin's great gate. It was speedily whisked out of sight, and all fell +upon the pies, which were perfect. But Tilly and Prue were much +depressed, and didn't recover their spirits till the dinner was over and +the evening fun well under way. + +"Blind-man's buff," "Hunt the slipper," "Come, Philander," and other +lively games soon set every one bubbling over with jollity, and when Eph +struck up "Money Musk" on his fiddle, old and young fell into their +places for a dance. All down the long kitchen they stood, Mr. and Mrs. +Bassett at the top, the twins at the bottom, and then away they went, +heeling and toeing, cutting pigeon-wings, and taking their steps in a +way that would convulse modern children with their new-fangled romps +called dancing. Mose and Tilly covered themselves with glory by the +vigor with which they kept it up, till fat Aunt Cinthy fell into a +chair, breathlessly declaring that a very little of such exercise was +enough for a woman of her "heft." + +Apples and cider, chat and singing, finished the evening, and after a +grand kissing all round, the guests drove away in the clear moonlight +which came just in time to cheer their long drive. + +When the jingle of the last bell had died away, Mr. Bassett said +soberly, as they stood together on the hearth: "Children, we have +special cause to be thankful that the sorrow we expected was changed +into joy, so we'll read a chapter 'fore we go to bed, and give thanks +where thanks is due." + +Then Tilly set out the light-stand with the big Bible on it, and a +candle on each side, and all sat quietly in the fire-light, smiling as +they listened with happy hearts to the sweet old words that fit all +times and seasons so beautifully. + +When the good-nights were over, and the children in bed, Prue put her +arm around Tilly and whispered tenderly, for she felt her shake, and was +sure she was crying: + +"Don't mind about the old stuffin' and puddin', deary--nobody cared, and +Ma said we really did do surprisin' well for such young girls." + +The laughter Tilly was trying to smother broke out then, and was so +infectious, Prue could not help joining her, even before she knew the +cause of the merriment. + +"I was mad about the mistakes, but don't care enough to cry. I'm +laughing to think how Gad fooled Eph and I found him out. I thought Mose +and Amos would have died over it when I told them, it was so funny," +explained Tilly, when she got her breath. + +"I was so scared that when the first orange hit me, I thought it was a +bullet, and scrabbled into the cradle as fast as I could. It was real +mean to frighten the little ones so," laughed Prue, as Tilly gave a +growl. + +Here a smart rap on the wall of the next room caused a sudden lull in +the fun, and Mrs. Bassett's voice was heard, saying warningly, "Girls, +go to sleep immediate, or you'll wake the baby." + +"Yes'm," answered two meek voices, and after a few irrepressible +giggles, silence reigned, broken only by an occasional snore from the +boys, or the soft scurry of mice in the buttery, taking their part in +this old-fashioned Thanksgiving. + + + + +II. + +HOW IT ALL HAPPENED. + + +It was a small room, with nothing in it but a bed, two chairs, and a big +chest. A few little gowns hung on the wall, and the only picture was the +wintry sky, sparkling with stars, framed by the uncurtained window. But +the moon, pausing to peep, saw something pretty and heard something +pleasant. Two heads in little round nightcaps lay on one pillow, two +pairs of wide-awake blue eyes stared up at the light, and two tongues +were going like mill clappers. + +"I'm so glad we got our shirts done in time! It seemed as if we never +should, and I don't think six cents is half enough for a great red +flannel thing with four button-holes--do you?" said one little voice, +rather wearily. + +"No; but then we each made four, and fifty cents is a good deal of +money. Are you sorry we didn't keep our quarters for ourselves?" asked +the other voice, with an under-tone of regret in it. + +"Yes, I am, till I think how pleased the children will be with our tree, +for they don't expect anything, and will be so surprised. I wish we had +more toys to put on it, for it looks so small and mean with only three +or four things." + +"It won't hold any more, so I wouldn't worry about it. The toys are very +red and yellow, and I guess the babies won't know how cheap they are, +but like them as much as if they cost heaps of money." + +This was a cheery voice, and as it spoke the four blue eyes turned +toward the chest under the window, and the kind moon did her best to +light up the tiny tree standing there. A very pitiful little tree it +was--only a branch of hemlock in an old flower-pot, propped up with bits +of coal, and hung with a few penny toys earned by the patient fingers of +the elder sisters, that the little ones should not be disappointed. + +But in spite of the magical moonlight the broken branch, with its scanty +supply of fruit, looked pathetically poor, and one pair of eyes filled +slowly with tears, while the other pair lost their happy look, as if a +cloud had come over the sunshine. + +"Are you crying, Dolly?" + +"Not much, Polly." + +"What makes you, dear?" + +"I didn't know how poor we were till I saw the tree, and then I couldn't +help it," sobbed the elder sister, for at twelve she already knew +something of the cares of poverty, and missed the happiness that seemed +to vanish out of all their lives when father died. + +"It's dreadful! I never thought we'd have to earn our tree, and only be +able to get a broken branch, after all, with nothing on it but three +sticks of candy, two squeaking dogs, a red cow, and an ugly bird with +one feather in its tail;" and overcome by a sudden sense of destitution, +Polly sobbed even more despairingly than Dolly. + +"Hush, dear; we must cry softly, or mother will hear, and come up, and +then we shall have to tell. You know we said we wouldn't seem to mind +not having any Christmas, she felt so sorry about it." + +"I _must_ cry, but I'll be quiet." + +So the two heads went under the pillow for a few minutes, and not a +sound betrayed them as the little sisters cried softly in one another's +arms, lest mother should discover that they were no longer careless +children, but brave young creatures trying to bear their share of the +burden cheerfully. + +When the shower was over, the faces came out shining like roses after +rain, and the voices went on again as before. + +"Don't you wish there really was a Santa Claus, who knew what we wanted, +and would come and put two silver half-dollars in our stockings, so we +could go and see _Puss in Boots_ at the Museum to-morrow afternoon?" + +"Yes, indeed; but we didn't hang up any stockings, you know, because +mother had nothing to put in them. It does seem as if rich people might +think of poor people now and then. Such little bits of things would +make us happy, and it couldn't be much trouble to take two small girls +to the play, and give them candy now and then." + +"_I_ shall when I'm rich, like Mr. Chrome and Miss Kent. I shall go +round every Christmas with a big basket of goodies, and give _all_ the +poor children some." + +"P'r'aps if we sew ever so many flannel shirts we may be rich by-and-by. +I should give mother a new bonnet first of all, for I heard Miss Kent +say no lady would wear such a shabby one. Mrs. Smith said fine bonnets +didn't make real ladies. I like her best, but I do want a locket like +Miss Kent's." + +"I should give mother some new rubbers, and then I should buy a white +apron, with frills like Miss Kent's, and bring home nice bunches of +grapes and good things to eat, as Mr. Chrome does. I often smell them, +but he never gives _me_ any; he only says, 'Hullo, chick!' and I'd +rather have oranges any time." + +"It will take us a long while to get rich, I'm afraid. It makes me tired +to think of it. I guess we'd better go to sleep now, dear." + +"Good-night, Dolly." + +"Good-night, Polly." + +Two soft kisses were heard, a nestling sound followed, and presently the +little sisters lay fast asleep cheek against cheek, on the pillow wet +with their tears, never dreaming what was going to happen to them +to-morrow. + +Now Miss Kent's room was next to theirs, and as she sat sewing she could +hear the children's talk, for they soon forgot to whisper. At first she +smiled, then she looked sober, and when the prattle ceased she said to +herself, as she glanced about her pleasant chamber: + +"Poor little things! they think I'm rich, and envy me, when I'm only a +milliner earning my living. I ought to have taken more notice of them, +for their mother has a hard time, I fancy, but never complains. I'm +sorry they heard what I said, and if I knew how to do it without +offending her, I'd trim a nice bonnet for a Christmas gift, for she _is_ +a lady, in spite of her old clothes. I can give the children some of the +things they want anyhow, and I will. The idea of those mites making a +fortune out of shirts at six cents apiece!" + +Miss Kent laughed at the innocent delusion, but sympathized with her +little neighbors, for she knew all about hard times. She had good wages +now, but spent them on herself, and liked to be fine rather than neat. +Still, she was a good-hearted girl, and what she had overheard set her +to thinking soberly, then to acting kindly, as we shall see. + +"If I hadn't spent all my money on my dress for the party to-morrow +night, I'd give each of them a half-dollar. As I can not, I'll hunt up +the other things they wanted, for it's a shame they shouldn't have a bit +of Christmas, when they tried so hard to please the little ones." + +As she spoke she stirred about her room, and soon had a white apron, an +old carnelian heart on a fresh blue ribbon, and two papers of bonbons +ready. As no stockings were hung up, she laid a clean towel on the floor +before the door, and spread forth the small gifts to look their best. + +Miss Kent was so busy that she did not hear a step come quietly up +stairs, and Mr. Chrome, the artist, peeped at her through the balusters, +wondering what she was about. He soon saw, and watched her with +pleasure, thinking that she never looked prettier than now. + +Presently she caught him at it, and hastened to explain, telling what +she had heard, and how she was trying to atone for her past neglect of +these young neighbors. Then she said good-night, and both went into +their rooms, she to sleep happily, and he to smoke as usual. + +But his eye kept turning to some of the "nice little bundles" that lay +on his table, as if the story he had heard suggested how he might follow +Miss Kent's example. I rather think he would not have disturbed himself +if he had not heard the story told in such a soft voice, with a pair of +bright eyes full of pity looking into his, for little girls were not +particularly interesting to him, and he was usually too tired to notice +the industrious creatures toiling up and down stairs on various errands, +or sewing at the long red seams. + +Now that he knew something of their small troubles, he felt as if it +would please Miss Kent, and be a good joke, to do his share of the +pretty work she had begun. + +So presently he jumped up, and, opening his parcels, took out two +oranges and two bunches of grapes, then he looked up two silver +half-dollars, and stealing into the hall, laid the fruit upon the towel, +and the money atop of the oranges. This addition improved the display +very much, and Mr. Chrome was stealing back, well pleased, when his eye +fell on Miss Kent's door, and he said to himself, "She too shall have a +little surprise, for she is a dear, kind-hearted soul." + +In his room was a prettily painted plate, and this he filled with green +and purple grapes, tucked a sentimental note underneath, and leaving it +on her threshold, crept away as stealthily as a burglar. + +The house was very quiet when Mrs. Smith, the landlady, came up to turn +off the gas. "Well, upon my word, here's fine doings, to be sure!" she +said, when she saw the state of the upper hall. "Now I wouldn't have +thought it of Miss Kent, she is such a giddy girl, nor of Mr. Chrome, he +is so busy with his own affairs. I meant to give those children each a +cake to-morrow, they are such good little things. I'll run down and get +them now, as my contribution to this fine set out." + +Away trotted Mrs. Smith to her pantry, and picked out a couple of +tempting cakes, shaped like hearts and full of plums. There was a goodly +array of pies on the shelves, and she took two of them, saying, as she +climbed the stairs again, "They remembered the children, so I'll +remember them, and have my share of the fun." + +So up went the pies, for Mrs. Smith had not much to give, and her spirit +was generous, though her pastry was not of the best. It looked very +droll to see pies sitting about on the thresholds of closed doors, but +the cakes were quite elegant, and filled up the corners of the towel +handsomely, for the apron lay in the middle, with the oranges right and +left, like two sentinels in yellow uniforms. + +It was very late when the flicker of a candle came up stairs, and a pale +lady, with a sweet sad face, appeared, bringing a pair of red and a pair +of blue mittens for her Dolly and Polly. Poor Mrs. Blake did have a hard +time, for she stood all day in a great store that she might earn bread +for the poor children who staid at home and took care of one another. +Her heart was very heavy that night, because it was the first Christmas +she had ever known without gifts and festivity of some sort. But Petkin, +the youngest child, had been ill, times were very hard, the little +mouths gaped for food like the bills of hungry birds, and there was no +tender mate to help fill them. + +If any elves had been hovering about the dingy hall just then, they +would have seen the mother's tired face brighten beautifully when she +discovered the gifts, and found that her little girls had been so kindly +remembered. Something more brilliant than the mock diamonds in Miss +Kent's best earrings fell and glittered on the dusty floor as Mrs. Blake +added the mittens to the other things, and went to her lonely room +again, smiling as she thought how she could thank them all in a sweet +and simple way. + +Her windows were full of flowers, for the delicate tastes of the poor +lady found great comfort in their beauty. "I have nothing else to give, +and these will show how grateful I am," she said, as she rejoiced that +the scarlet geraniums were so full of gay clusters, the white +chrysanthemum stars were all out, and the pink roses at their loveliest. + +They slept now, dreaming of a sunny morrow as they sat safely sheltered +from the bitter cold. But that night was their last, for a gentle hand +cut them all, and soon three pretty nosegays stood in a glass, waiting +for dawn, to be laid at three doors, with a few grateful words which +would surprise and delight the receivers, for flowers were rare in those +hard-working lives, and kind deeds often come back to the givers in +fairer shapes than they go. + +Now one would think that there had been gifts enough, and no more could +possibly arrive, since all had added his or her mite except Betsey, the +maid, who was off on a holiday, and the babies fast asleep in their +trundle-bed, with nothing to give but love and kisses. Nobody dreamed +that the old cat would take it into her head that her kittens were in +danger, because Mrs. Smith had said she thought they were nearly old +enough to be given away. But she must have understood, for when all was +dark and still, the anxious mother went patting up stairs to the +children's door, meaning to hide her babies under their bed, sure they +would save them from destruction. Mrs. Blake had shut the door, however, +so poor Puss was disappointed; but finding a soft, clean spot among a +variety of curious articles, she laid her kits there, and kept them warm +all night, with her head pillowed on the blue mittens. + +In the cold morning Dolly and Polly got up and scrambled into their +clothes, not with joyful haste to see what their stockings held, for +they had none, but because they had the little ones to dress while +mother got the breakfast. + +Dolly opened the door, and started back with a cry of astonishment at +the lovely spectacle before her. The other people had taken in their +gifts, so nothing destroyed the magnificent effect of the treasures so +curiously collected in the night. Puss had left her kits asleep, and +gone down to get her own breakfast, and there, in the middle of the +ruffled apron, as if in a dainty cradle, lay the two Maltese darlings, +with white bibs and boots on, and white tips to the tiny tails curled +round their little noses in the sweetest way. + +Polly and Dolly could only clasp their hands and look in rapturous +silence for a minute; then they went down on their knees and revelled in +the unexpected richness before them. + +"I do believe there _is_ a Santa Claus, and that he heard us, for here +is everything we wanted," said Dolly, holding the carnelian heart in one +hand and the plummy one in the other. + +"It must have been some kind of a fairy, for we didn't mention kittens, +but we wanted one, and here are two darlings," cried Polly, almost +purring with delight as the downy bunches unrolled and gaped till their +bits of pink tongues were visible. + +"Mrs. Smith was one fairy, I guess, and Miss Kent was another, for that +is her apron. I shouldn't wonder if Mr. Chrome gave us the oranges and +the money: men always have lots, and his name is on this bit of paper," +said Dolly. + +"Oh, I'm _so_ glad! Now we shall have a Christmas like other people, and +I'll never say again that rich folks don't remember poor folks. Come and +show all our treasures to mother and the babies; they must have some," +answered Polly, feeling that the world was all right, and life not half +as hard as she thought it last night. + +Shrieks of delight greeted the sisters, and all that morning there was +joy and feasting in Mrs. Blake's room, and in the afternoon Dolly and +Polly went to the Museum, and actually saw _Puss in Boots_; for their +mother insisted on their going, having discovered how the hard-earned +quarters had been spent. This was such unhoped-for bliss that they could +hardly believe it, and kept smiling at one another so brightly that +people wondered who the happy little girls in shabby cloaks could be who +clapped their new mittens so heartily, and laughed till it was better +than music to hear them. + +This was a very remarkable Christmas-day, and they long remembered it; +for while they were absorbed in the fortunes of the Marquis of Carabas +and the funny cat, who tucked his tail in his belt, washed his face so +awkwardly, and didn't know how to purr, strange things were happening at +home, and more surprises were in store for our little friends. You see, +when people once begin to do kindnesses, it is so easy and pleasant they +find it hard to leave off; and sometimes it beautifies them so that +they find they love one another very much--as Mr. Chrome and Miss Kent +did, though we have nothing to do with that except to tell how they made +the poor little tree grow and blossom. + +They were very jolly at dinner, and talked a good deal about the Blakes, +who ate in their own rooms. Miss Kent told what the children said, and +it touched the soft spot in all their hearts to hear about the red +shirts, though they laughed at Polly's lament over the bird with only +one feather in its tail. + +"I'd give them a better tree if I had any place to put it, and knew how +to trim it up," said Mr. Chrome, with a sudden burst of generosity, +which so pleased Miss Kent that her eyes shone like Christmas candles. + +"Put it in the back parlor. All the Browns are away for a week, and +we'll help you trim it--won't we, my dear?" cried Mrs. Smith, warmly; +for she saw that he was in a sociable mood, and thought it a pity that +the Blakes should not profit by it. + +"Yes, indeed; I should like it of all things, and it needn't cost much, +for I have some skill in trimmings, as you know." And Miss Kent looked +so gay and pretty as she spoke that Mr. Chrome made up his mind that +millinery must be a delightful occupation. + +"Come on then, ladies, and we'll have a little frolic. I'm a lonely old +bachelor, with nowhere to go to-day, and I'd like some fun." + +They had it, I assure you; for they all fell to work as busy as bees, +flying and buzzing about with much laughter as they worked their +pleasant miracle. Mr. Chrome acted more like the father of a large +family than a crusty bachelor, Miss Kent's skillful fingers flew as they +never did before, and Mrs. Smith trotted up and down as briskly as if +she were sixteen instead of being a stout old woman of sixty. + +The children were so full of the play, and telling all about it, that +they forgot their tree till after supper; but when they went to look for +it they found it gone, and in its place a great paper hand with one +finger pointing down stairs, and on it these mysterious words in red +ink: + +"Look in the Browns' back parlor!" + +At the door of that interesting apartment they found their mother with +Will and Petkin, for another hand had suddenly appeared to them pointing +up. The door flew open quite as if it were a fairy play, and they went +in to find a pretty tree planted in a red box on the centre table, +lighted with candles, hung with gilded nuts, red apples, gay bonbons, +and a gift for each. + +Mr. Chrome was hidden behind one folding-door, and fat Mrs. Smith +squeezed behind the other, and they both thought it a great improvement +upon the old-fashioned Santa Claus to have Miss Kent, in the white +dress she made for the party, with Mrs. Blake's roses in her hair, step +forward as the children gazed in silent rapture, and with a few sweet +words welcome them to the little surprise their friends had made. + +There were many Christmas trees in the city that night, but none which +gave such hearty pleasure as the one which so magically took the place +of the broken branch and its few poor toys. They were all there, +however, and Dolly and Polly were immensely pleased to see that of all +her gifts Petkin chose the forlorn bird to carry to bed with her, the +one yellow feather being just to her taste. + +Mrs. Blake put on her neat bonnet, and was so gratified that Miss Kent +thought it the most successful one she ever trimmed. She was well paid +for it by the thanks of one neighbor and the admiration of another; for +when she went to her party Mr. Chrome went with her, and said something +on the way which made her heart dance more lightly than her feet that +night. + +Good Mrs. Smith felt that her house had covered itself with glory by +this event, and Dolly and Polly declared that it was the most perfect +and delightful surprise party ever seen. + +It was all over by nine o'clock, and with good-night kisses for every +one the little girls climbed up to bed laden with treasures and too +happy for many words. But as they tied their round caps Dolly said, +thoughtfully: + +"On the whole, I think it's rather nice to be poor when people are kind +to you." + +"Well, I'd _rather_ be rich; but if I can't be, it is very good fun to +have Christmas trees like this one," answered truthful Polly, never +guessing that they had planted the seed from which the little pine-tree +grew so quickly and beautifully. + +When the moon came to look in at the window on her nightly round, two +smiling faces lay on the pillow, which was no longer wet with tears, but +rather knobby with the mine of riches hidden underneath,--first fruits +of the neighborly friendship which flourished in that house until +another and a merrier Christmas came. + + + + +III. + +THE DOLLS' JOURNEY FROM MINNESOTA TO MAINE. + + +Mr. Plum lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. + +There were six little Plums, all girls, varying in ages from fourteen to +seven, and named Kate, Lucy, Susy, Lizzy, Marjory and Maggie. There was +no mamma, but Mrs. Gibbs, the housekeeper, was a kind old soul, and papa +did everything he could to make the small daughters good and happy. + +One stormy Saturday afternoon the children were all together in the +school-room, and papa busy at his desk in the library, with the door +open because he liked to hear the pleasant voices and catch glimpses of +the droll plays that went on there. + +Kate lay on the sofa reading "The Daisy Chain" for the fourth time. +Susy, Lucy and Lizzie were having a select tea party in their own +recess, the entrance to which was barricaded with chairs to keep out the +"babies," as they called the little ones, who were much offended at +being excluded and sat up in the cushioned window-seat pensively +watching the rain. + +"If it had only waited till to-morrow we should have had time for our +journey; now we can't go till next Saturday. Flora is so disappointed +she would cry if I had not taught her to behave," said Maggie with a +sigh, as she surveyed the doll on her knee in its new summer suit. + +"So is Dora. Just see how sweet she looks with her hat and cape on and +her travelling-bag all ready. Couldn't we play travel in the house? It +is such a pity to wait when the children are in such a hurry to go," +answered Marjory, settling the tiny bag that held Dora's nightcap and +gown as well as the morsels of cake that were to serve for her lunch. + +"No," said Maggie decidedly, "we can't do it, because there is no room +for carriages, and boats, and railroads, and hotels, and accidents. It +is a long journey from Minnesota to Maine, and we couldn't get it all +into one room I'm sure." + +"I don't think papa would mind our coming into the library, if we didn't +ring the car bells very loud or scream much when the accidents happen," +said Marjory, who hated to give up the plan they had been cherishing all +the week. + +"What is it, little ones? Come and tell me what is the matter," called +Mr. Plum, hearing his name and the magic word "railroad," for he was the +president of one and had his hands full just then. + +Down jumped the little girls and ran to perch on either arm of his +chair, pouring out their small tribulations as freely as if he had been +the most sympathizing of mothers. + +"We planned to take a long, long journey round the garden with our dolls +to-day, and play go to Maine and see Aunt Maria. You know she asked us, +and we looked out the way on the map and got all ready, and now it rains +and we are dreadfully disappointed," said Maggie, while Marjory sighed +as she looked at the red D. worked on the inch square travelling-bag. + +"As you can't go, why not send the dolls to make aunty a visit, and she +will send them back when they get homesick," proposed Mr. Plum, smiling, +as if a sudden idea had popped into his head. + +"Really?" cried Maggie. + +"How could we?" asked Marjory. + +"They could go and come by mail, and tell you all about their adventures +when they got back," said papa. + +Both children were speechless for a moment, then as the full splendor of +this proposition dawned upon them they clapped their hands, crying +eagerly: + +"We will! we will! Let's do it at once." + +"What? where? who?" asked Susy, Lucy and Lizzie, forgetting their tea +party to run and see what was going on. + +They were told, and in their turn exclaimed so loudly that Kate came to +join in the fun. + +After a great deal of talking and laughing, the dolls were prepared for +the long journey. They were common wooden-headed dollies, a hand long, +with stuffed bodies and stout legs ornamented with very small feet in +red and blue boots. Dora was a blonde and Flora a brunette, otherwise +they were just alike and nearly new. Usually when people go travelling +they put on their hats and cloaks, but these pilgrims, by papa's advice, +left all encumbrances behind them, for they were to travel in a peculiar +way, and blue gingham dresses were chosen for the expedition. + +"It is possible that they may never come back. Accidents will happen you +know. Are you prepared for that?" asked Mr. Plum, pausing with the brown +paper spread out before him. + +"I am," answered Maggie firmly, as she laid Flora on the table, her +black eyes staring as if rather alarmed at this sudden start. + +Marjory hesitated a moment, clasping Dora to her bosom with a face full +of maternal anxiety. But Susy, Lucy and Lizzie cried: "Let her go, do +let her go, and if she is lost papa will give you a new doll." + +"Good-by, my darling dear. Have a splendid time, and be sure you come +back to me," whispered Marjory, with a tender farewell kiss as she gave +up her child. + +All stood watching silently while papa tied the dolls back to back with +the ribbon Kate pulled from her neck, then folded them carefully in +strong brown paper, leaving their heads out that they might see the +world as they went along. Being carefully fastened up with several turns +of cord, Mr. Plum directed the precious parcel to "Miss Maria Plum, +Portland, Maine. With care." Then it was weighed, stamped, and +pronounced ready for the post. + +"I shall write and tell aunty they are coming, because she will want to +be prepared for such distinguished visitors," said papa, taking up his +pen with a glance at the six excited little faces round him. + +Silence reigned while the letter was written, and as he sealed it up Mr. +Plum said solemnly, with his hand on the parcel: + +"For the last time, shall they go?" + +"Yes!" answered the Spartan mothers with one voice, while the other +sisters danced round them, and Kate patted the curly heads approvingly. + +"Going, going, gone!" answered papa as he whisked on his coat and hat, +and slammed the door behind him. + +The children clustered at the window to see him set out on this +momentous errand, and he often looked back waving his umbrella at them, +till he vanished round the corner, with a reassuring pat on the pocket +out of which dear Do and Flo popped their heads for a last look at their +sweet home. + +"Now let us take out poor old Lucinda and Rose Augusta to play with. I +know their feelings were hurt at our leaving them for the new dolls," +said Maggie, rummaging in the baby-house, whither Margery soon followed +her to reinstate the old darlings in the place of the departed new ones. + +"Safely off," reported Mr. Plum, when he came into tea, "and we may +expect to hear from them in a week or two. Parcels go more slowly than +letters, and this is Aunty's busy season, so wait patiently and see what +will happen." + +"We will," said the little girls; and they did, but week after week went +by and nothing was heard of the wanderers. + +We, however, can follow them and learn much that their anxious mothers +never knew. + +As soon as Flora and Dora recovered from the bewilderment occasioned by +the confusion of the post office, they found themselves in one of the +many leathern mail bags rumbling Eastward. As it was perfectly dark they +could not see their companions, so listened to the whispering and +rustling that went on about them. The newspapers all talked politics, +and some of them used such bad language that the dolls would have +covered their ears, if their hands had not been tied down. The letters +were better behaved and more interesting, for they told one another the +news they carried, because nothing is private in America, and even +gummed envelopes cannot keep gossip from leaking out. + +"It is very interesting, but I should enjoy it more if I was not +grinding my nose against the rough side of this leather bag," whispered +Dora, who lay undermost just then. + +"So should I, if a heavy book was not pinching my toes. I've tried to +kick it away, but it won't stir, and keeps droning on about reports and +tariffs and such dull things," answered Flora, with a groan. + +"Do you like travelling?" asked Dora, presently, when the letters and +papers fell asleep, lulled by the motion of the cars. + +"Not yet, but I shall when I can look about me. This bundle near by says +the mails are often sorted in the cars, and in that way we shall see +something of the world, I hope," answered Flora, cheering up, for, like +her mamma, she was of an enquiring turn. + +The dolls took a nap of some hours, and were roused by a general +tumbling out on a long shelf, where many other parcels lay, and lively +men sent letters and papers flying here and there as if a whirlwind was +blowing. A long box lay beside the dolls who stood nearly erect leaning +against a pile of papers. Several holes were cut in the lid, and out of +one of them was thrust a little black nose, as if trying to get air. + +"Dear me! what can be in it?" said Flora, who was nearest. + +"I'm a poor little alligator, going to a boy in Chicago, if you please, +and I want my mother," sobbed a voice from the box, and there was a rap +on the lid as of an agitated tail. + +"Mercy on us! I hope we shall not have to travel with the monster," +whispered Dora, trying to see over her shoulder. + +"I'm not afraid. He can't be very dreadful, for the box is not any +longer than we are. Natural history is very useful; I've heard mamma say +so, and I shall talk with him while we rest here," answered Flo, nodding +toward the eye which now took the place of the nose. + +So the little alligator told her something of his home on the banks of a +great river, where he was just learning to play happily with his +brothers and sisters, when he was caught and sent away to pine in +captivity. + +The dolls comforted him as well as they could, and a pair of baby's +shoes travelling in an envelope sympathized with him, while a shabby +bundle directed to "Michael Dolan, at Mrs. Judy Quin's, next door to Mr. +Pat Murphy, Boston, North street," told them to "Whisht and slape quite +till they came forninst the place." + +"Such low people!" whispered Do to Flo, and both stood primly silent +till they were tumbled into another mail bag, and went rattling on again +with a new set of companions. + +"I hope that poor baby will go safely and the boy be good to him," said +Flora, for the little alligator went with the live stock in some other +way. + +"Thank goodness he didn't go with us! I shall dream about that black +nose and winking eye, I'm sure. The dangers of travelling are great, but +we are safe and comfortable now, I think," and Dora settled down in a +cozy corner of the bag, wondering when they should reach Chicago. + +"I like adventures and hope we shall have some," answered Flora, +briskly, little dreaming how soon her wish was to be granted. + +A few hours later there come a bump, a crash, a cry, and then all the +mail bags rolled one over the other with the car down an embankment into +a river. + +"Now we are dead!" shrieked the poor dolls, clinging together as they +heard the splash of water, the shouting of men, the splintering of wood, +and the hiss of steam. + +"Don't be frightened, ladies, mail bags are always looked after," said a +large envelope with an official seal and the name of a Senator on it. + +"Any bones broken, dear madam?" asked a jaunty pink letter, with a scent +of musk about it, evidently a love-letter. + +"I think one foot is hurt, and my clothes are dripping," sighed Dora, +faintly. + +"Water won't hurt calico," called out a magazine full of fashion plates, +adding dolefully, as its gay colors began to run, "I shall be in a nice +mess if I ever get out of this. People will wear odd fashions if they +follow me this time." + +"Hope they will telegraph news of this accident in time for the evening +papers," said a dingy sheet called the "Barahoo Thunderbolt," as it lay +atop of the heap in its yellow wrapper. + +"Be calm, my friends, and wait with fortitude for death or deliverance, +as I do." With which philosophic remark "The St. Louis Cosmos" folded +the pages which for the first time since the paper was started, were not +dry. + +Here the water rose over the topmost letter and a moist silence +prevailed till a sudden jerk fished up the bag, and before the dolls +could recover their wits they were spread out on the floor of a mail car +to dry, while several busy men sorted and saved such papers and letters +as still held together. + +"Now we shall see something," said Flora, feeling the warm air blow over +her as they spun along, for a slight accident like this did not delay +the energetic Westerners a moment longer than absolutely necessary. + +"I can't see you, dear, but I hope you look better than I do, for the +yellow of my hair has washed into my eyes and the red of my cheeks is +quite gone, I'm sure," answered Dora, as her wet dress flopped in the +breeze and the broken foot sticking up showed her that her blue boots +were ruined. + +"I don't care a bit how I look. It's great fun now we are safe. Pop up +your head and see the wide prairie flying past. I do hope that poor baby +got away and swam home to his mother. The upset into the river was quite +to his taste, I fancy," said Flora, who was much excited by her +adventure and eager for more. + +Presently one of the men set the dolls up in the corner of a window to +dry, and there they stood viewing the fine landscape with one eye while +the other watched the scene of devastation within. Everything was in +great confusion after the accident, so it is not strange that the dolls +were not missed when they slowly slid lower and lower till a sudden +lurch of the car sent them out of the window to roll into a green field +where cows were feeding and children picking strawberries. + +"This is the end of us! Here we shall lie and mould forgotten by +everybody," said Dora, who always took a tragical view of things. + +"Not a bit of it! I see cows eating toward us and they may give us a +lift. I've heard of their tossing people up, though I don't know just +how it's done. If they don't, we are in the path and some of those +children are sure to find us," answered Flora cheerfully, though she +stood on her head with a bunch of burrs pricking her nose. + +She was right. A bright-eyed little German girl presently came trotting +along the path with a great basket full of berries on her head arranged +in pretty pottles ready for the market. Seeing the red cow sniffing at a +brown paper parcel she drove her away, picked it up and peeped in at the +open end. + +The sight of two dolls in such a place made her feel as if fairies had +dropped them there for her. She could not read the direction and hurried +home to show her treasure to her brothers and sisters of whom there were +eight. + +"What will become of us now!" exclaimed Dora, as eager hands slipped +them out of the wrapper and smoothed their damp skirts in a room that +seemed swarming with boys and girls of all sizes. + +"Don't worry, we shall get on nicely, I'm sure, and learn German of +these young persons. It is a great relief to be able to stretch one's +limbs and stand up, isn't it?" answered Flora, undismayed by anything +that had happened as yet. + +"Yes, dear, I love you but I _am_ tired of being tied to you all day. I +hope we shall live through this noise and get a little rest, but I give +up the idea of ever seeing Portland," answered Dora, staring with all +her blue eyes at the display of musical instruments about the room, and +longing to stop her ears, for several of the children were playing on +the violin, flute, horn or harp. They were street musicians, and even +the baby seemed to be getting ready to take part in the concert, for he +sat on the floor beside an immense bass horn taller than himself, with +his rosy lips at the mouth piece and his cheeks puffed out in vain +attempts to make a "boom! boom!" as brother Fritz did. + +Flora was delighted, and gave skips on her red boots in time to the +lively tooting of the boys, while the girls gazed at the lovely dolls +and jabbered away with their yellow braids quivering with excitement. + +The wrapper was laid aside till a neighbor who read English came in to +translate it. Meantime they enjoyed the new toys immensely, and even +despondent Dora was cheered up by the admiration she received; while +they in their turn were deeply interested in the pretty dolls' furniture +some of the children made. + +Beds, tables and chairs covered the long bench, and round it sat the +neat-handed little maidens gluing, tacking and trimming, while they sang +and chatted at their work as busy and happy as a hive of bees. + +All day the boys went about the streets playing, and in the evening +trooped off to the beer gardens to play again, for they lived in +Chicago, and the dolls had got so far on their way to Aunt Maria, as +they soon discovered. + +For nearly two months they lived happily with Minna, Gretchen and +Nanerl, then they set out on their travels again, and this was the way +it happened. A little girl came to order a set of furniture for her new +baby-house, and seeing two shabby dolls reposing in a fine bed she asked +about them. Her mamma spoke German so Minna told how they were found, +and showed the old wrapper, saying that they always meant to send the +dolls on their way but grew so fond of them they kept putting it off. + +"I am going as far as New York very soon and will take them along if you +like, for I think little Miss Maria Plum must have been expecting her +dolls all this time. Shall I?" asked the mamma, as she read the address +and saw the dash under "With care," as if the dollies were of great +importance to some one. + +"Ja, ja," answered Minna, glad to oblige a lady who bought two whole +sets of their best furniture and paid for it at once. + +So again the dolls were put in their brown paper cover and sent away +with farewell kisses. + +"This now is genteel and just suits me," said Dora, as they drove along +with little Clara to the handsome house where she was staying. + +"I have a feeling that she is a spoilt child, and we shall not be as +happy with her as with the dear Poppleheimers. We shall see," answered +Flora, wisely, for Clara had soon tossed the dolls into a corner and was +fretting because mamma would not buy her the big horn to blow on. + +The party started for New York in a day or two, and to the delight of +Flo and Do they were left out of the trunks for Clara to play with on +the way, her own waxen Blanche Marie Annabel being too delicate to be +used. + +"Oh my patience, this is worse than tumbling about in a mail-bag," +groaned Dora, after hours of great suffering, for Clara treated the poor +dolls as if they had no feeling. + +She amused herself with knocking their heads together, shutting them in +the window with their poor legs hanging out, swinging them by one arm, +and drawing lines with a pencil all over their faces till they looked as +if tattooed by savages. Even brave Flora was worn out and longed for +rest, finding her only comfort in saying, "I told you so," when Clara +banged them about, or dropped them on the dusty floor to be trampled on +by passing feet. + +There they were left, and would have been swept away if a little dog had +not found them as the passengers were leaving the car and carried them +after his master, trotting soberly along with the bundle in his mouth, +for fortunately Clara had put them into the paper before she left them, +so they were still together in the trials of the journey. + +"Hullo, Jip, what have you got?" asked the young man as the little dog +jumped up on the carriage seat and laid his load on his master's knee, +panting and wagging his tail as if he had done something to be praised +for. + +"Dolls, I declare! What can a bachelor do with the poor things? Wonder +who Maria Plum is? Midge will like a look at them before we send them +along;" and into the young man's pocket they went, trembling with fear +of the dog, but very grateful for being rescued from destruction. + +Jip kept his eye on them, and gave an occasional poke with his cold nose +to be sure they were there as they drove through the bustling streets of +New York to a great house with an inscription over the door. + +"I do hope Midge will be a nicer girl than Clara. Children ought to be +taught to be kind to dumb dolls as well as dumb animals," said Dora, as +the young man ran up the steps and hurried along a wide hall. + +"I almost wish we were at home with our own kind little mothers," began +Flo, for even her spirits were depressed by bad treatment, but just then +a door opened and she cried out in amazement, "Bless my heart, this man +has more children than even Mr. Poppleheimer!" + +She might well think so, for all down both sides of the long room stood +little white beds with a small pale face on every pillow. All the eyes +that were open brightened when Jip and his master came in, and several +thin hands were outstretched to meet them. + +"I've been good, Doctor, let me pat him first," cried one childish +voice. + +"Did you bring me a flower, please?" asked another feeble one. + +"I know he's got something nice for us, I see a bundle in his pocket," +and a little fellow who sat up among his pillows gave a joyful cough as +he could not shout. + +"Two dollies for Midge to play with. Jip found them, but I think the +little girl they are going to will lend them for a few days. We shall +not need them longer I'm afraid," added the young man to a rosy faced +nurse who came along with a bottle in her hand. + +"Dear no, the poor child is very low to-day. But she will love to look +at the babies if she isn't strong enough to hold 'em," said the woman, +leading the way to a corner where the palest of all the pale faces lay +smiling on the pillow, and the thinnest of the thin hands were feebly +put up to greet the Doctor. + +"So nice!" she whispered when the dolls were laid beside her, while Jip +proudly beat his tail on the floor to let her know that she owed the +welcome gift to him. + +For an hour Flo and Do lay on the arm of poor Midge who never moved +except to touch them now and then with a tender little finger, or to +kiss them softly, saying, "Dear babies, it is very nice not to be all +alone. Are you comfy, darlings?" till she fell asleep still smiling. + +"Sister, do you think this can be the Heaven we hear people talk about? +It is so still and white, and may be these children are angels," +whispered Dora, looking at the sweet face turned toward her with the +long lashes lying on the colorless cheek, and the arms outstretched like +wings. + +"No, dear, it is a hospital, I heard that man say so, and those are sick +children come to be cured. It is a sweet place, I think, and this child +much nicer than that horrid Clara," answered Flo, who was quicker to +hear, see and understand what went on than Dora. + +"I love to lie here safe and warm, but there doesn't seem to be much +breath to rock me," said Do, who lay nearest the little bosom that very +slowly rose and fell with the feeble flutter of the heart below. + +"Hush, we may disturb her," and lively Flo controlled her curiosity, +contenting herself with looking at the other children and listening to +their quiet voices, for pain seemed to have hushed them all. + +For a week the dolls lay in Midge's bed, and though their breasts were +full of saw-dust and their heads were only wood, the sweet patience of +the little creature seemed to waken something like a heart in them, and +set them thinking, for dolls don't live in vain, I am firmly persuaded. + +All day she tended them till the small hands could no longer hold them, +and through the weary nights she tried to murmur bits of lullabies lest +the dollies would not be able to sleep because of the crying or the +moans some of the poor babies could not repress. She often sent one or +the other to cheer up some little neighbor, and in this way Do and Flo +became small sisters of charity, welcomed eagerly, reluctantly returned, +and loved by all, although they never uttered a word and their dingy +faces could not express the emotion that stirred their saw-dust bosoms. + +When Saturday night came they were laid in their usual place on Midge's +arm. She was too weak to kiss them now, and nurse laid their battered +cheeks against the lips that whispered faintly, "Be sure you send 'em to +the little girl, and tell her--tell her--all about it." Then she turned +her cheek to the pillow with a little sigh and lay so still the dolls +thought she had gone to sleep. + +She had, but the sweet eyes did not open in the morning, and there was +no breath in the little breast to rock the dolls any more. + +"I knew she was an angel, and now she has flown away," said Dora softly, +as they watched the white image carried out in the weeping nurse's +arms, with the early sunshine turning all the pretty hair to gold. + +"I think that is what they call dying, sister. It is a much lovelier way +to end than as we do in the dust bin or rag-bag. I wonder if there is a +little Heaven anywhere for good dolls?" answered Flora, with what looked +like a tear on her cheek; but it was only a drop from the violets sent +by the kind Doctor last night. + +"I hope so, for I think the souls of little children might miss us if +they loved us as dear Midge did," whispered Dora, trying to kiss the +blue flower in her hand, for the child had shared her last gift with +these friends. + +"Why didn't you let her take them along, poor motherless baby?" asked +the doctor when he saw the dolls lying as she had left them. + +"I promised her they should go to the girl they were sent to, and +please, I'd like to keep my word to the little darling," answered Nurse +with a sob. + +"You shall," said the Doctor, and put them in his breast pocket with the +faded violets, for everybody loved the pauper child sent to die in a +hospital, because Christian charity makes every man and woman father and +mother to these little ones. + +All day the dolls went about in the busy Doctor's pocket, and I think +the violets did them good, for the soft perfume clung to them long +afterward like the memory of a lovely life, as short and sweet as that +of the flowers. + +In the evening they were folded up in a fresh paper and re-directed +carefully. The Doctor wrote a little note telling why he had kept them, +and was just about to put on some stamps when a friend came in who was +going to Boston in the morning. + +"Anything to take along, Fred?" asked the newcomer. + +"This parcel, if you will. I have a feeling that I'd rather not have it +knock about in a mail-bag," and the Doctor told him why. + +It was pleasant to see how carefully the traveller put away the parcel +after that, and to hear him say that he was going through Boston to the +mountains for his holiday, and would deliver it in Portland to Miss Plum +herself. + +"Now there is some chance of our getting there," said Flora, as they set +off next day in a new Russia leather bag. + +On the way they overheard a long chat between some New York and Boston +ladies which impressed them very much. Flora liked to hear the +fashionable gossip about clothes and people and art and theatres, but +Dora preferred the learned conversation of the young Boston ladies, who +seemed to know a little of everything, or think they did. + +"I hope Mamma will give me an entirely new wardrobe when I get home; and +we will have dolls' weddings and balls, and a play, and be as fine and +fashionable as those ladies down there," said Flora, after listening a +while. + +"You have got your head full of dressy ideas and high life, sister. I +don't care for such things, but mean to cultivate my mind as fast as I +can. That girl says she is in college, and named over more studies than +I can count. I do wish we were to stop and see a little of the refined +society of Boston," answered Dora, primly. + +"Pooh!" said Flo, "don't you try to be intellectual, for you are only a +wooden-headed doll. I mean to be a real Westerner, and just enjoy myself +as I please, without caring what other folks do or think. Boston is no +better than the rest of the world, I guess." + +Groans from every article in the bag greeted this disrespectful speech, +and an avalanche of Boston papers fell upon the audacious doll. But Flo +was undaunted, and shouted from underneath the pile: "I don't care! +Minnesota forever!" till her breath gave out. + +Dora was so mortified that she never said a word till they were let out +in a room at the Parker House. Here she admired everything, and read all +the evening in a volume of Emerson's Poems from the bag, for Mr. Mt. +Vernon Beacon was a Boston man, and never went anywhere without a wise +book or two in his pocket. + +Flo turned up her nose at all she saw, and devoted herself to a long +chat with the smart bag which came from New York and was full of gossip. + +The next afternoon they really got to Portland, and as soon as Mr. +Beacon had made his toilet he set out to find little Miss Plum. When the +parlor door opened to admit her he was much embarrassed, for, advancing +with a paternal smile and the dolls extended to the expected child, he +found himself face to face with a pretty young lady, who looked as if +she thought him a little mad. + +A few words explained the errand, however, and when she read the note +Aunt Maria's bright eyes were full of tears as she said, hugging the +dilapidated dolls: + +"I'll write the story of their travels, and send the dear old things +back to the children as soon as possible." + +And so she did with Mr. Beacon's help, for he decided to try the air of +Portland, and spent his vacation there. The dolls were re-painted and +re-dressed till they were more beautiful than ever, and their clothes +fine enough to suit even Flo. + +They were a good while doing this, and when all was ready, Aunt Maria +took it into her head to run out to St. Paul and surprise the children. +By a singular coincidence Mr. Beacon had railroad business in that +direction, so they set off together, with two splendid dolls done up in +a gay box. + +All that was ever known about that journey was that these travellers +stopped at the hospital in New York, and went on better friends than +before after hearing from the good Doctor all the pathetic story of +little Midge. + +The young Plums had long ago given up the hope of ever seeing Do and Flo +again, for they started in June and it was early in September when Aunt +Maria appeared before them without the least warning, accompanied by a +pleasant gentleman from Boston. + +Six kisses had hardly resounded from Aunty's blooming cheeks when a most +attractive box was produced from the Russia leather bag, and the +wandering dolls restored to the arms of their enraptured mammas. + +A small volume neatly written and adorned with a few pictures of the +most exciting incidents of the trip also appeared. + +"Every one writes or prints a book in Boston, you know, so we did both," +said Aunt Maria, laughing, as she handed over the remarkable history +which she had composed and Mr. Beacon illustrated. + +It was read with intense interest, and was as true as most stories are +nowadays. + +"Nothing more delightful can happen now!" exclaimed the children, as +they laid by the precious work and enthroned the travelled dolls in the +place of honor on the roof of the baby-house. + +But something much more delightful did happen; for at Thanksgiving time +there was a wedding at the Plums'. Not a doll's wedding, as Flo had +planned, but a real one, for the gentleman from Boston actually married +Aunt Maria. + +There were six bridesmaids, all in blue, and Flora and Dora, in the +loveliest of new pink gowns, were set aloft among the roses on the +wedding-cake, their proper place as everyone said, for there never would +have been any marriage at all but for this Doll's Journey From Minnesota +to Maine. + + + + +VI. + +MORNING-GLORIES. + + +"What's that?"--and Daisy sat up in her little bed to listen; for she +had never heard a sound like it before. + +It was very early, and the house was still. The sun was just rising, and +the morning-glories at the window were turning their blue and purple +cups to catch the welcome light. The sky was full of rosy clouds; dew +shone like diamonds on the waving grass, and the birds were singing as +they only sing at dawn. But softer, sweeter than any bird-voice was the +delicate music which Daisy heard. So airy and gay was the sound, it +seemed impossible to lie still with that fairy dancing-tune echoing +through the room. Out of bed scrambled Daisy, her sleepy eyes opening +wider and wider with surprise and pleasure as she listened and wondered. + +"Where is it?" she said, popping her head out of the window. The +morning-glories only danced lightly on their stems, the robins chirped +shrilly in the garden below, and the wind gave Daisy a kiss; but none of +them answered her, and still the lovely music sounded close beside her. + +"It's a new kind of bird, perhaps; or maybe it's a fairy hidden +somewhere. Oh, if it _is_ how splendid it will be!" cried Daisy; and she +began to look carefully in all the colored cups, under the leaves of the +woodbine, and in the wren's nest close by. There was neither fairy nor +bird to be seen; and Daisy stood wondering, when a voice cried out from +below: + +"Why, little nightcap, what brings you out of your bed so early?" + +"O Aunt Wee! do you hear it--that pretty music playing somewhere near! I +can't find it; but I think it's a fairy, don't you?" said Daisy, looking +down at the young lady standing in the garden with her hands full of +roses. + +Aunt Wee listened, smiled, and shook her head. + +"Don't you remember you said last night that you thought the world a +very stupid, grown-up place, because there were no giants and fairies in +it now? Well, perhaps there _are_ fairies, and they are going to show +themselves to you, if you watch well." + +Daisy clapped her hands, and danced about on her little bare feet; for, +of all things in the world, she most wanted to see a fairy. + +"What must I do to find them, Aunt Wee?" she cried, popping out her head +again with her cap half off, and her curly hair blowing in the wind. + +"Why, you see, they frolic all night, and go to sleep at dawn; so we +must get up very early, if we want to catch the elves awake. They are +such delicate, fly-away little things, and we are so big and clumsy, we +shall have to look carefully, and perhaps hunt a long time before we +find even one," replied Aunt Wee, very gravely. + +"Mamma says I'm quick at finding things; and you know all about fairies, +so I guess we'll catch one. Can't we begin now? It's very early, and +this music has waked me up; so I don't want to sleep any more. Will you +begin to hunt now?" + +"But you don't like to get up early, or to walk in the fields; and, if +we mean to catch a fairy, we must be up and out by sunrise every fair +morning till we get one. Can you do this, lazy Daisy?" And Aunt Wee +smiled to herself as if something pleased her very much. + +"Oh! I will, truly, get up, and not fret a bit, if you'll only help me +look. Please come now to dress me, and see if you can find what makes +the music." + +Daisy was very much in earnest, and in such a hurry to be off that she +could hardly stand still to have her hair brushed, and thought there +were a great many unnecessary buttons and strings on her clothes that +day. Usually she lay late, got up slowly and fretted at every thing as +little girls are apt to do when they have had too much sleep. She wasn't +a rosy, stout Daisy; but had been ill, and had fallen into a way of +thinking she couldn't do anything but lie about, reading fairy-tales, +and being petted by every one. Mamma and papa had tried all sorts of +things to amuse and do her good; for she was their only little daughter, +and they loved her very dearly. But nothing pleased her long; and she +lounged about, pale and fretful, till Aunt Laura came. Daisy called her +"Wee" when she was a baby, and couldn't talk plainly; and she still used +the name because it suited the cheery little aunt so well. + +"I don't see anything, and the music has stopped. I think some elf just +came to wake you up, and then flew away; so we won't waste any more time +in looking here," said Wee, as she finished dressing Daisy, who flew +about like a Will-o'-the-wisp all the while. + +"Do you think it will come again to-morrow?" asked Daisy anxiously. + +"I dare say you'll hear it, if you wake in time. Now get your hat, and +we will see what we can find down by the brook. I saw a great many +fireflies there last night, and fancy there was a ball; so we may find +some drowsy elf among the buttercups and clover." + +Away rushed Daisy for her hat, and soon was walking gayly down the green +lane, looking about her as if she had never been there before; for every +thing seemed wonderfully fresh and lovely. + +"How pink the clouds are, and how the dew twinkles in the grass! I never +saw it so before," she said. + +"Because by the time you are up the pretty pink clouds are gone, and the +thirsty grass has drank the dew, or the sun has drawn it up to fall +again at night for the flowers' evening bath," replied Wee, watching the +soft color that began to touch Daisy's pale cheeks. + +"I think we'd better look under that cobweb spread like a tent over the +white clovers. A fairy would be very likely to creep in there and +sleep." + +Daisy knelt down and peeped carefully; but all she saw was a little +brown spider, who looked very much surprised to see visitors so early. + +"I don't like spiders," said Daisy, much disappointed. + +"There are things about spiders as interesting to hear as fairy tales," +said Wee. "This is Mrs. Epeira Diadema; and she is a respectable, +industrious little neighbor. She spreads her tent, but sits under a leaf +near by, waiting for her breakfast. She wraps her eggs in a soft silken +bag, and hides them in some safe chink, where they lie till spring. The +eggs are prettily carved and ornamented, and so hard that the baby +spiders have to force their way out by biting the shell open and poking +their little heads through. The mother dies as soon as her eggs are +safely placed, and the spiderlings have to take care of themselves." + +"How do you know about it, Aunt Wee? You talk as if Mrs. Eppyra--or +whatever her name is--had told you herself. Did she?" asked Daisy, +feeling more interested in the brown spider. + +"No; I read it in a book, and saw pictures of the eggs, web, and family. +I had a live one in a bottle; and she spun silken ladders all up and +down, and a little room to sleep in. She ate worms and bugs, and was +very amiable and interesting till she fell ill and died." + +"I should like to see the book; and have a spider-bottle, so I could +take care of the poor little orphans when they are born. Good-by, ma'am. +I shall call again; for you are 'most as good as a fairy there in your +pretty tent, with a white clover for your bed." + +Daisy walked on a few steps, and then stopped to say: + +"What does that bird mean by calling 'Hurry up, hurry up?' He keeps +flying before us, and looking back as if he wanted to show me +something." + +"Let me hear what he says. I may be able to understand him, or the +bob-o-link that swings on the alder by the brook." + +Wee listened a moment, while the birds twittered and chirped with all +their hearts. Presently Wee sang in a tone very like the bob-o-link's: + + "Daisy and Wee, + Come here, and see + What a dainty feast is spread: + Down in the grass + Where fairies pass, + Here are berries ripe and red. + + "All wet with dew, + They wait for you: + Come hither, and eat your fill, + While I gayly sing, + In my airy swing, + And the sun climbs up the hill." + +"Did he really say that?" cried Daisy, watching the bob-o-link, who sat +swaying up and down on the green bough, and nodding his white-capped +head at her in the most friendly manner. + +"Perhaps I didn't translate it rightly; for it is very hard to put +bird-notes into our language, because we haven't words soft and sweet +enough. But I really think there are berries over there, and we will see +if what he says is true," said Wee. + +Over the wall they went, and there, on a sunny bank, found a bed of the +reddest, ripest berries ever seen. + +"Thank you, thank you, for telling me to hurry up, and showing me such a +splendid feast," said Daisy, with her mouth full, as she nodded back at +the birds. "These are so much sweeter than those we buy. I'd carry some +home to mamma, if I only had a basket." + +"You can pick this great leaf full, while I make you a basket," said +Wee. + +Daisy soon filled the leaf, and then sat watching her aunt plait a +pretty basket of rushes. While she waited she looked about, and kept +finding something curious or pleasant to interest and amuse her. First +she saw a tiny rainbow in a dewdrop that hung on a blade of grass; then +she watched a frisky calf come down to drink on the other side of the +brook, and laughed to see him scamper away with his tail in the air. +Close by grew a pitcher-plant; and a yellow butterfly sat on the edge, +bathing its feet, Daisy said. Presently she discovered a little ground +bird sitting on her nest, and peeping anxiously, as if undecided whether +to fly away or trust her. + +"I won't hurt you, little mother. Don't be afraid," whispered the child; +and, as if it understood, the bird settled down on her nest with a +comfortable chirp, while its mate hopped up to give her a nice plump +worm for breakfast. + +"I love birds. Tell me something about them, Aunt Wee. You must know +many things; for they like you, and come when you call." + +"Once upon a time," began Wee, while her fingers flew and the pretty +basket grew, "there was a great snow-storm, and all the country was +covered with a thick white quilt. It froze a little, so one could walk +over it, and I went out for a run. Oh, so cold it was, with a sharp +wind, and no sun or any thing green to make it pleasant! I went far away +over the fields, and sat down to rest. While I sat there, a little bird +came by, and stopped to rest also. + +"'How do you do?' said I. + +"'Chick-a-dee-dee,' said he. + +"'A cold day,' said I. + +"'Chick-a-dee-dee,' said he. + +"'Aren't you afraid of starving, now the ground is covered and the trees +are bare?' + +"'Chick-a-dee-dee, ma'am, chick-a-dee-dee!'" answered the bird in the +same cheerful tone. And it sounded as if he said, 'I shall be cared for. +I'm not afraid.' + +"'What will you eat? There's nothing here or for miles round. I really +think you'll starve, birdie,' said I. + +"Then he laughed, and gave me a merry look as he lit on a tall, dry weed +near by. He shook it hard with his little bill; when down fell a shower +of seeds, and there was dinner all ready on a snow-white cloth. All the +while he ate he kept looking up at me with his quick, bright eyes; and, +when he had done, he said, as plainly as a bird could say it: + + "'Cold winds may blow, + And snows may fall, + But well we know + God cares for all.'" + +"I like that little story, and shall always think of it when I hear the +chick-a-dee-dee." Daisy sat a moment with a thoughtful look in her eyes; +then she said slowly, as if sorry for the words: + +"It isn't a stupid, grown-up world. It's a very pleasant, young world; +and I like it a great deal better this morning than I did last night." + +"I'm glad of that; and, even if we don't find our fairy to-day, you will +have found some sunshine, Daisy, and that is almost as good. Now put in +the berries, and we'll go on." + +How they hunted! They climbed trees to peep into squirrel-holes and +birds'-nests; they chased bees and butterflies to ask for news of the +elves; they waded in the brook, hoping to catch a water-sprite; they ran +after thistle-down, fancying a fairy might be astride; they searched the +flowers and ferns, questioned sun and wind, listened to robin and +thrush; but no one could tell them any thing of the little people, +though all had gay and charming bits of news about themselves. And Daisy +thought the world got younger and happier every minute. + +When they came in to breakfast, papa and mamma looked at Daisy, and then +nodded with a smile at Aunt Wee; for, though Daisy's frock was soiled, +her boots wet, and her hair tumbled, her cheeks were rosy, eyes bright, +and voice so cheerful that they thought it better music than any in the +summer world without. + +"Hunting fairies is a pleasant play, isn't it, Daisy?" said papa, as he +tasted the berries, and admired the green basket. + +"Oh, yes! and we are going again to-morrow. Aunt Wee says we must try +seven days at least. I like it, and mean to keep on till I really find +my fairy." + +"I think you will find something better than 'little vanishers,' dear," +said mamma, filling up the bowl of bread and milk which Daisy was fast +emptying; for she certainly _had_ found an appetite. + +"There it is again!" cried Daisy, flying out of bed the next morning +still earlier than the day before. Yes, there it was, the fairy music, +as blithe and sweet as ever; and the morning-glories rung their delicate +bells as if keeping time. Daisy felt rather sleepy, but remembered her +promise to Aunt Wee, and splashed into her tub, singing the bob-o-link's +song as she bathed. + +"Where shall we go to-day?" she asked, as they went out into the garden. + +"I think we'd better try a new place; so we'll go to the farmyard; and, +while we feed the hens, I'll listen to their chat, and perhaps can learn +something from it," replied Wee soberly. + +"Do hens know about fairies? I thought they were very dull things, and +didn't care for any thing but eating corn and laying eggs," said Daisy, +surprised. + +"Oh, dear, no! they are very sensible creatures, and see a deal of the +world in their daily walks. Hunting for insects gives them an excellent +chance to see fairies, if there are any. Here is some corn for the +biddies; and, after we have fed them, we will look for eggs, and so may +find a brownie or two." + +Such a clatter as there was when they came to the barnyard; for every +thing was just awake, and in the best spirits. Ducks were paddling off +to the pond; geese to the meadow; and meek gray guinea-hens tripping +away to hunt bugs in the garden. A splendid cock stood on the wall, and +crowed so loud and clear that all the neighboring chanticleers replied. +The motherly hens clucked and scratched with their busy broods about +them, or sat and scolded in the coops because the chicks would gad +abroad. Doves cooed on the sunny roof, and smoothed their gleaming +feathers. Daisy's donkey nibbled a thistle by the wall, and a stately +peacock marched before the door with all his plumage spread. It made +Daisy laugh to see the airs the fowls put on as she scattered corn, and +threw meal and water to the chicks. Some pushed and gobbled; some stood +meekly outside the crowd, and got what they could; others seized a +mouthful, and ran away to eat it in a corner. The chicks got into the +pan entirely, and tumbled one over the other in their hurry to eat; but +the mammas saw that none went hungry. And the polite cock waited upon +them in the most gentlemanly manner, making queer little clucks and +gurgles as if he said: + +"Allow me, madam, to offer you this kernel;" or, "Here, my dear, try +that bit." And sometimes he pecked a little, with a loud quaver, +evidently saying, "Come, come, children, behave yourselves, and don't +eat like pigs." + +"What is she saying?" asked Daisy, pointing to an old gray hen in a +black turban, who was walking about alone, muttering to herself, as hens +often do in their promenades. + +"She says a cat has made a nest, and hatched three kits up on the loft, +near her own nest; and she doesn't like it, because their mewing annoys +her," said Wee, after listening a minute. + +"How nice! let's go and find them. But do you learn anything about the +fairies from the hen's chat?" + +"No: they have been so busy setting, they have had no time for picnics +yet. But they will let us know, if they discover any." + +In the barn, the cows were being milked; and Daisy had a mugful of it, +warm and sweet, out of the foaming pail. + +"We'll take some to Mrs. Purr; for, I dare say, she doesn't like to +leave the kits long, and will enjoy a sip of something comfortable," +said Wee, as Daisy climbed the ladder, and went rustling over the hay +to a corner, whence came a joyful "Mew!" What a charming sight it was, +to be sure! a snow-white cat lying in a cosy nest, and, by her, three +snow-white kits, wagging three very small gray tails. + +"There never was any thing so lovely!" cried Daisy, as she sat with the +three downy balls in her lap, while the mamma gratefully lapped the new +milk from Aunt Wee's cup. + +"Are they better than fairies?" + +"Almost: for I know about pussies, and can cuddle them; but I couldn't a +fairy, you know, and they might be afraid of me. These dears are not +afraid, and I shall have such fun with them as they grow up. What +_shall_ we name them, auntie?" + +"Snowball, Patpaw, and Wagtail would do, I think," said Wee, stroking +the cat, who rubbed against her, purring very loud. + +"Yes: I like those names for my pets. But what is Mrs. Purr saying, with +her mouth up to your ear?" asked Daisy, who firmly believed that Aunt +Wee knew every thing. + +"She tells me that when she went on a grasshopper hunt the other day, as +she ran through the meadow, she saw some lovely creatures all in blue, +with gauze wings, flying about over the river, and sitting in the +water-lilies. She thinks they may be fairies, and advises us to go and +look." + +"So we will to-morrow," said Daisy. "Ask her, please, if I may take the +kits into the house, if I'll be very careful and give them a nice big +bed to sleep in." + +"She says you may; but she must go too, else the kits will cry," said +Wee, after listening to Pussy's purr a minute. + +Much pleased with her new pets, Daisy took them in her apron, and, +followed by their confiding mamma, marched to the house, and established +them in the old cradle which used to be hers. Pussy got in also; and, +when they were settled on a soft cushion, Daisy rocked them gently to +and fro. At first Mrs. Purr opened her yellow eyes, and looked rather +anxious: but, as nothing uncomfortable happened, she composed herself, +and soon quite liked the motion; for she fell asleep, and made a pretty +picture as she lay with her downy white babies on her downy white +breast. + +When the sun rose next morning, he saw Daisy and Wee floating down the +river in their boat. "Bless me! here's company," said the sun, and began +at once to make them welcome in his most charming manner. He set the +waves to sparkling with a sudden shimmer; he shot long rays of light +through the dark hemlocks, till they looked like fairy trees; he touched +Daisy's hair and it turned to gold; he chased away the shadows that +lurked among the hills; he drew up the misty curtain that hovered over +the river; and, with the warmth of his kisses, waked the sleeping +lilies. + +"Look, look, Aunt Wee! how they open, one by one, as the light shines on +them! We shan't have to wait any longer; for they get up with the sun, +as you do." As she spoke, Daisy caught a half-open lily, and drew it up, +fragrant and dripping, fresh from its sleep. + +"They look like a fleet of fairy ships, anchored in this quiet harbor, +with sails half furled, and crews asleep. See the little sailors, in +their yellow jackets, lifting up their heads as the wind blows its +whistle, like a boatswain, to 'pipe all hands.'" + +Daisy laughed at Aunt Wee's fancy, and stirred up the crew of the +Water-sprite, as she called her flower, till the white sails were all +set, and it was ready for a summer voyage. + +"It is time we saw the fairies in blue, unless old Madam Purr deceived +us. I hope we _shall_ find one; for, though I enjoy every thing we see, +I do want my elf too." + +"What is that?" cried Wee; and Daisy flew up so quickly that the boat +rocked like a cradle. A slender creature, in a blue dress, with gauzy +wings, darted by, and vanished among the rushes that nodded by the bank. + +"Go nearer,--softly! softly!--and maybe it will fly out again. I really +think it was a fairy; for I never saw any thing like it before," +whispered Daisy, much excited. + +Wee rowed in among the green rushes and purple water-weeds, and out flew +half-a-dozen of the blue-bodied creatures. They didn't seem afraid, but +skimmed about the boat, as if curious to see what it was; and Daisy sat, +and stared with all her might. Presently one of the lovely things lit on +the lily in her hand, and she held her breath to watch it. A little +shadow of disappointment passed over her face as she looked; but it was +gone at once, and her voice was full of delight as she said softly: + +"It's not a fairy, Aunt Wee; but it is very beautiful, with its slender +blue body, its lacy wings, and bright eyes. What name does it have?" + +"We call it a dragon-fly; and it could tell you a pretty little story +about itself, could you understand it. In May the tiny eggs are dropped +on the water, and sink to the bottom, where little creatures are +born,--ugly, brown things, with six legs and no wings. They feed on +water-insects, and for a long time swim about in this state. When ready, +they climb up the stem of some plant, and sit in the sun till the ugly +brown shells drop away, and the lovely winged creatures appear. They +grow in an hour to be perfect dragon-flies, and float away to lead happy +lives in the sunshine by the river." + +As if only waiting till the story was done, the dragon-fly flew off with +a whirr, and darted to and fro, hunting for its breakfast, glittering +splendidly as it flashed among the leaves or darted close above the +water. Daisy forgot her disappointment in a minute, and went fishing for +lilies; while the turtles came up to sun themselves on the rocks, the +merry little tadpoles wiggled in the shallow places, and a wild duck +paddled by with a brood of ducklings following in her wake. + +"Oh, dear! it rains; and we can't go fairy-hunting at all," said Daisy +next morning, as the patter on the window-pane woke her up, and Aunt Wee +came in to dress her. + +"Yes, we can, dear; jump up, and see what a funny place I'll take you +to." + +Daisy thought the rain would be a capital excuse for lying in bed; for +she still liked to cuddle and drowse in her cosey, warm nest. But she +was curious to know where the curious place was; so she got up and +followed. + +"Why, Aunt Wee, this is the garret; and there isn't any thing nice or +funny here," she said, as they climbed the stairs, and came into the big +attic, filled with all manner of old things. + +"Isn't there? We'll soon see." And so they did: for Aunt Wee began to +play; and presently Daisy was shouting with fun as she sat on an old +saddle, with a hair-covered trunk for a horse, a big old-fashioned +bonnet on her head, and a red silk petticoat for a habit. Then they went +to sea in a great chest, and got wrecked on a desert island, where they +built a fort with boxes and bags, hunted bears with rusty guns, and had +to eat dried berries, herbs and nuts; for no other food could be found. +Aunt Wee got an old fiddle, and had a dancing-school, where Daisy +capered till she was tired. So they rummaged out some dusty books, and +looked at pictures so quietly that a little mouse came out of a drawer +and peeped about, thinking no one was there. + +"Let's find the nest, since we don't find any fairy," said Wee; and, +opening the drawer, she turned over the things till she came to a pair +of old velvet shoes; and there in the toe of one, nicely cuddled under a +bit of flannel, lay four pink mites, which woke up, and stretched their +tiny legs, and squeaked such small squeaks one could hardly hear them. + +"How cunning they are! I wish they would let me put them with the kits, +and have a nursery full of babies. Wouldn't it be nice to see them all +grow up?" said Daisy. + +"I'm afraid they wouldn't grow up, if Mrs. Purr lived with them," began +Wee, but got no further; for just then the cat bounced into the drawer, +and ate up the mouselings in four mouthfuls. Daisy screamed; the +mother-mouse gave a doleful squeak, and ran into a hole; and Aunt Wee +tried to save the little ones. But it was too late: Purr had got her +breakfast, and sat washing her face after it, as if she had enjoyed it. + +"Never mind, Daisy: she would have caught them by and by, and it's as +well to have them taken care of before they do any harm. There is the +bell: don't cry, but come and tell papa what a fine romp we've had." + +"It doesn't rain, but it's dreadfully wet; so we'll go to the dairy, and +see if any sprites are hiding there," said Wee next day; and to the +dairy they went. + +A pleasant place it was,--so clean and cool, and as full of sweet odors +as if the ghosts of buttercups and clover still haunted the milk which +they had helped to make. Dolly was churning, and Polly was making up +butter in nice little pats. Both were very kind, and let Daisy peep +everywhere. All round on white shelves stood the shining pans, full of +milk; the stone floor was wet; and a stream of water ran along a narrow +bed through the room, and in it stood jars of butter, pots of cream, and +cans of milk. The window was open, and hop-vines shook their green bells +before it. The birds sang outside, and maids sang inside, as the churn +and the wooden spatters kept time: + + "Brindle and Bess, + White-star and Jess-- + Come, butter, come! + Eat cowslips fine, + Red columbine-- + Come, butter, come! + Grasses green and tall, + Clover, best of all,-- + Come, butter, come! + And give every night + Milk sweet and white-- + Come, butter, come! + Make the churn go, + See the lumps grow!-- + Come, butter, come!" + +Daisy sang also, and turned the handle till she was tired; then she +helped Polly with the butter, and made four little pats,--one stamped +with a star for papa, one with a rose for mamma, a strawberry for Aunt +Wee, and a cow for herself. She skimmed a pitcher of cream with a +shallow shell, and liked the work so much she asked to have a little pan +of milk put by for her to take care of every day. Dolly promised, and +gave her a small shell and a low shelf all to herself. When she went in, +she carried her pretty pats in one hand, the cream-pot in the other, and +entered the breakfast room looking as brisk and rosy as a little +milkmaid. + +It was a lovely morning when Daisy was next roused by the fairy music, +and the ponies were standing at the door. "Are we going far?" she +asked, as Wee put on her riding-skirt, and tied back her hair. + +"Up to the mountain-top: it's only a mile; and we shall have time, if we +ride fast," answered Wee. + +Away they went, through the green lane, over the bridge, and up the +steep hillside where the sheep fed and colts frisked as they passed by. +Higher and higher climbed Dandy and Prance, the ponies; and gayer and +gayer grew Daisy and Wee, as the fresh air blew over them, and the +morning-red glowed on their faces. When they reached the top, they sat +on a tall stone, and looked down into the valley on either side. + +"This seems like a place to find giants, not fairies, it is so high and +big and splendid up here," said Daisy, as her eye roamed over river, +forest, town, and hill. + +"There are giants here; and I brought you up to see them," answered Wee. + +"Mercy, me! where are they?" cried Daisy, looking very curious and +rather frightened. + +"There is one of them." And Wee pointed to the waterfall that went +dashing and foaming down into the valley. "That giant turns the wheels +of all the mills you see. Some of them grind grain for our bread, some +help to spin cloth for our clothes, some make paper, and others saw +trees into boards. That is a beautiful and busy giant, Daisy." + +"So it is, and some day we'll go and see it work. Show me the others: I +like your giants 'most as well as those in the fairy-books." + +"On this side you'll see another, called Steam. He is a very strong +fellow; for, with the help of gunpowder, he will break the granite +mountain in pieces, and carry it away. He works in the other mills, and +takes heavy loads of stone, cloth, paper, and wood all over the country. +Then, on the right of us is a third giant, called Electricity. He runs +along those wires, and carries messages from one end of the world to the +other. He goes under the sea and through the air; he brings news to +every one; runs day and night, yet never tires; and often helps sick +people with his lively magic." + +"I like him best, I think; for he is more like a real, wonderful giant. +Is there any on that side of us?" asked Daisy, turning round to look +behind her. + +"Yes: the best and most powerful of all lives in that big house with the +bell on the roof," said Wee, smiling. + +"Why, that's only the schoolhouse." + +"Education is a long word, dear; but you know what it means, and, as you +grow older, you will see what wonders it can work. It is a noble giant; +for in this country rich and poor are helped by it, and no one need +suffer for it unless they choose. It works more wonders than any other: +it changes little children into wise, good men and women, who rule the +world, and make happy homes everywhere; it helps write books, sing +songs, paint pictures, do good deeds, and beautify the world. Love and +respect it, my little Daisy, and be glad that you live now when such +giants lend a hand to dwarfs like us." + +Daisy sat still a long time, looking all about her on the mountain-top; +and, when she rode away, she carried a new thought in her mind, which +she never forgot. + +"This is the last day of the seven, and no fairies have been found. Do +you think I _ever_ shall see one?" said Daisy, on the Sunday morning +that ended her week's hunt. + +"Not the kind you think of, for there are none such, Daisy; but you have +found two better and more beautiful ones than any fanciful sprites," +said Wee. + +"Have I? Where are they? What are their names?" + +Aunt Wee drew her to the glass, and said, as she pointed to Daisy's +face: + +"Here they are, and their names are Health and Happiness. There are many +ways of losing them, and they are hard to catch when once lost. I wanted +you to keep both, and tried to show you how. A happy, healthful hour in +the morning sweetens and brightens the whole day; and there is no +fairy-book half so wonderful as the lovely world all about us, if we +only know how to read it." + +"Then all these mornings we were hunting after health and happiness, +instead of fairies, were we?" + +"Yes: haven't you enjoyed it, and don't you think you have caught my +fairies?" + +Daisy looked from a little picture of herself, which Wee had drawn some +time ago, to her image in the glass. One was dull and sad, pale and +cross; the other, rosy, gay, and smiling,--the likeness of a happy, +hearty little girl, wide-awake and in good tune. She understood the kind +joke; and, turning, kissed Aunt Wee, as she said, gratefully: + +"I think I have caught your elves, and I'll try to keep them all my +life. But tell me one thing: was the music that woke me all a joke too?" + +"No, dear: here it is, and now it is your own; for you have learned to +wake and listen to it." + +Daisy looked, and saw Aunt Wee lean from the window, and take out of a +hollow nook, in the old tree close by, a little box. She set it on the +table, touched a spring, and the airy music sounded more beautiful than +ever. + +"Is it mine, all mine?" cried Daisy. + +"Yes: I hid it while I tried my little plan, and now you shall have it +for your own. See, here is the best elf I can give you, and she will +dance whenever you call her." + +Wee pushed a golden pin, and up sprang a tiny figure, all crimson and +gold, with shining wings, and a garland on its dainty head. Softly +played the hidden music, and airily danced the little sylph till the +silvery chime died away; then, folding her delicate arms, she sank from +sight, leaving Daisy breathless with delight. + + + + +V. + +SHADOW-CHILDREN. + + +Ned, Polly, and Will sat on the steps one sun-shiny morning, doing +nothing, except wish they had something pleasant to do. + +"Something new, something never heard of before,--wouldn't that be +jolly?" said Ned, with a great yawn. + +"It must be an amusing play, and one that we don't get tired of very +soon," added Polly gravely. + +"And something that didn't be wrong, else mamma wouldn't like it," said +little Will, who was very good for a small boy. + +As no one could suggest any thing to suit, they all sat silent a few +minutes. Suddenly Ned said, rather crossly, "I wish my shadow wouldn't +mock me. Every time I stretch or gape it does the same, and I don't like +it." + +"Poor thing, it can't help that: it has to do just what you do, and be +your slave all day. I'm glad I ain't a shadow," said Polly. + +"I try to run away from mine sometimes, but I can't ever. It will come +after me; and in the night it scares me, if it gets big and black," said +Will, looking behind him. + +"Wouldn't it be fun to see shadows going about alone, and doing things +like people?" asked Polly. + +"I just wish they would. I'd like to see ours cut capers; that would be +a jolly new game, wouldn't it?" said Ned. + +No one had time to speak; for suddenly the three little shadows on the +sunny wall behind them stood up straight, and began to bow. + +"Mercy, me!" cried Polly, staring at them. + +"By Jove, that's odd!" said Ned, looking queer. + +"Are they alive?" asked Will, a little frightened. + +"Don't be alarmed: they won't hurt you," said a soft voice. "To-day is +midsummer-day, and whoever wishes a wish can have it till midnight. You +want to see your shadows by themselves; and you can, if you promise to +follow them as they have followed you so long. They will not get you +into harm; so you may safely try it, if you like. Do you agree for the +day to do as they do, and so have your wish?" + +"Yes, we promise," answered the children. + +"Tell no one till night, and be faithful shadows to the shadows." + +The voice was silent, but with more funny little bows the shadows began +to move off in different directions. The children knew their own: for +Ned's was the tallest, and had its hands in its pockets; Polly's had a +frock on, and two bows where its hair was tied up; while Will's was a +plump little shadow in a blouse, with a curly head and a pug nose. Each +child went after its shadow, laughing, and enjoying the fun. + +Ned's master went straight to the shed, took down a basket, and marched +away to the garden, where it began to move its hands as if busily +picking peas. Ned stopped laughing when he saw that, and looked rather +ashamed; for he remembered that his mother had asked him to do that +little job for her, and he had answered,-- + +"Oh, bother the old peas! I'm busy, and I can't." + +"Who told you about this?" he asked, beginning to work. + +The shadow shook its head, and pointed first to Ned's new jacket, then +to a set of nice garden tools near by, and then seemed to blow a kiss +from its shadowy fingers towards mamma, who was just passing the open +gate. + +"Oh! you mean that she does lots for me; so I ought to do what I can for +her, and love her dearly," said Ned, getting a pleasanter face every +minute. + +The shadow nodded, and worked away as busily as the bees, tumbling heels +over head in the great yellow squash blossoms, and getting as dusty as +little millers. Somehow Ned rather liked the work, with such an odd +comrade near by; for, though the shadow didn't really help a bit, it +seemed to try, and set an excellent example. When the basket was full, +the shadow took one handle, and Ned the other; and they carried it in. + +"Thank you, dear. I was afraid we should have to give up our peas +to-day: I'm so busy, I can't stop," said mamma, looking surprised and +pleased. + +Ned couldn't stop to talk; for the shadow ran away to the woodpile, and +began to chop with all its might. + +"Well, I suppose I must; but I never saw such a fellow for work as this +shadow is. He isn't a bit like me, though he's been with me so long," +said Ned, swinging the real hatchet in time with the shadowy one. + +Polly's new mistress went to the dining-room, and fell to washing up the +breakfast cups. Polly hated that work, and sulkily began to rattle the +spoons and knock the things about. But the shadow wouldn't allow that; +and Polly had to do just what it did, though she grumbled all the while. + +"She doesn't splash a bit, or make any clatter; so I guess she's a tidy +creature," said Polly. "How long she does rub each spoon and glass. We +never shall get done. What a fuss she makes with the napkins, laying +them all even in the drawer. And now she's at the salt-cellars, doing +them just as mamma likes. I wish she'd live here, and do my work for +me. Why, what's that?" And Polly stopped fretting to listen; for she +seemed to hear the sound of singing,--so sweet, and yet so very faint +she could catch no words, and only make out a cheerful little tune. + +"Do you hear any one singing, mamma?" she asked. + +"No: I wish I did." And mamma sighed; for baby was poorly, piles of +sewing lay waiting for her, Biddy was turning things topsy-turvy in the +kitchen for want of a word from the mistress, and Polly was looking +sullen. + +The little girl didn't say any more, but worked quietly and watched the +shadow, feeling sure the faint song came from it. Presently she began to +hum the tune she caught by snatches; and, before she knew it, she was +singing away like a blackbird. Baby stopped crying, and mamma said, +smiling: + +"Now I hear somebody singing, and it's the music I like best in the +world." + +That pleased Polly; but, a minute after, she stopped smiling, for the +shadow went and took baby, or seemed to, and Polly really did. Now, baby +was heavy, and cross with its teeth; and Polly didn't feel like tending +it one bit. Mamma hurried away to the kitchen; and Polly walked up and +down the room with poor baby hanging over her arm, crying dismally, with +a pin in its back, a wet bib under its chin, and nothing cold and hard +to bite with its hot, aching gums, where the little teeth were trying to +come through. + +"Do stop, you naughty, fretty baby. I'm tired of your screaming, and +it's high time you went to sleep. Bless me! what's Miss Shadow doing +with _her_ baby?" said Polly. + +Miss Shadow took out the big pin and laid it away, put on a dry bib, and +gave _her_ baby a nice ivory ring to bite; then began to dance up and +down the room, till the shadowy baby clapped its hands and kicked +delightedly. Polly laughed, and did the same, feeling sorry she had been +so pettish. Presently both babies grew quiet, went to sleep, and were +laid in the cradle. + +"Now, I hope we shall rest a little," said Polly, stretching her arms. + +But, no: down sat the shadow, and began to sew, making her needle fly +like a real little seamstress. + +"Oh, dear!" groaned Polly. "I promised to hem those handkerchiefs for +Ned, and so I must; but I do think handkerchiefs are the most pokey +things in the world to sew. I dare say you think you can sew faster than +I can. Just wait a bit, and see what I can do, miss," she said to the +shadow. + +It took some time to find her thimble and needles and spools, for Polly +wasn't a very neat little girl; but she got settled at last, and +stitched away as if bent on beating her dumb friend. + +Little Will's shadow went up to the nursery, and stopped before a basin +of water. "Oh! ah! ain't this drefful?" cried Will, with a shiver; for +he knew he'd got to have his face washed, because he wouldn't have it +done properly when he got up, but ran away. Now, Will was a good child; +but this one thing was his great trouble, and sometimes he couldn't bear +it. Jane was so rough. She let soap get in his eyes, and water run down +his neck, and she pinched his nose when she wiped him, and brushed his +hair so hard that really it _was_ dreadful; and even a bigger boy would +have found it hard to bear. He shivered and sighed: but Jane came in; +and, when he saw that the shadow stood still and took the scrubbing like +a little hero, he tried to do the same, and succeeded so well that Jane +actually patted his head and called him "a deary;" which was something +new, for old Nurse Jane was always very busy and rather cross. + +Feeling that nothing worse could possibly happen to him, Will ran after +his shadow, as it flitted away into the barn, and began to feed the +chickens. + +"There, now! I forgetted all about my chickeys, and the shadow 'membered +'em; and I'm glad of it," said Will, scattering dabs of meal and water +to the chirping, downy little creatures who pecked and fluttered at his +feet. Little shadow hunted for eggs, drove the turkeys out of the +garden, and picked a basket of chips: then it went to play with Sammy, +a neighbor's child; for, being a small shadow, it hadn't many jobs to +do, and plenty of active play was good for it. + +Sammy was a rough little boy and rather selfish: so, when they played +ball, he wanted to throw all the time; and, when Will objected, he grew +angry and struck him. The blow didn't hurt Will's cheek much, but it did +his little feelings; and he lifted his hand to strike back, when he saw +his shadow go and kiss Sammy's shadow. All his anger was gone in a +minute, and he just put his arm round Sammy's neck and kissed him. This +kiss for a blow made him so ashamed that he began to cry, and couldn't +be comforted till he had given Will his best marble and a ride on his +pony. + +About an hour before dinner, the three shadows and the children met in +the garden, and had a grand game of play, after they had told each other +what they had been doing since they parted. Now, the shadows didn't +forget baby even then, but got out the wagon, and Miss Baby, all fresh +from her nap, sat among her pillows like a queen, while Ned was horse, +Polly footman, and Will driver; and in this way she travelled all round +the garden and barn, up the lane and down to the brook, where she was +much delighted with the water sparkling along and the fine splash of the +stones they threw in. + +When the dinner-bell rang, mamma saw four clean, rosy faces and four +smooth heads at the table; for the shadow-children made themselves neat, +without being told. Every one was merry and hungry and good-natured. +Even poor baby forgot her teeth, and played a regular rub-a-dub with her +spoon on her mug, and tried to tell about the fine things she saw on her +drive. The children said nothing about the new play, and no one observed +the queer actions of their shadows but themselves. They saw that there +was no gobbling, or stretching over, or spilling of things, among the +shadows; but that they waited to be helped, served others first, and ate +tidily, which was a great improvement upon the usual state of things. + +It was Saturday afternoon: the day was fine, and mamma told them they +could go for a holiday frolic in the woods. "Don't go to the pond, and +be home early," she said. + +"Yes, mamma; we'll remember," they answered, as they scampered away to +get ready. + +"We shall go through the village, and Mary King will be looking out; so +I shall wear my best hat. Mamma won't see me, if I slip down the back +way; and I do so want Mary to know that my hat is prettier than hers," +said Polly, up in her little room. + +Now Polly was rather vain, and liked to prink; so she got out the new +hat, and spent some time in smoothing her braids and putting on her +blue ribbons. But when all was ready, and the boys getting impatient, +she found her shadow, with a sun-bonnet on, standing by the door, as if +to prevent her going out. + +"You tiresome thing! do you mean that I mustn't wear my hat, but that +old bonnet?" asked Polly. + +The shadow nodded and beckoned, and patted its head, as if it was all +right. + +"I wish I hadn't promised to do as you do; then I could do as I like, +and not make a fright of myself," said Polly, rather sulkily, as she put +away the hat, and tied on the old bonnet with a jerk. + +Once out in the lovely sunshine, she soon forgot the little +disappointment; and, as they didn't go through the village, but by a +green lane, where she found some big blackberries, she was quite +contented. Polly had a basket to hold fruit or flowers, Ned his +jackknife, and Will a long stick on which he rode, fancying that this +sort of horse would help his short legs along; so they picked, whittled, +and trotted their way to the wood, finding all manner of interesting +things on the road. + +The wood was full of pleasant sights and sounds; for wild roses bloomed +all along the path, ferns and scarlet berries filled the little dells, +squirrels chattered, birds sang, and pines whispered musically +overhead. + +"I'm going to stop here and rest, and make a wreath of these pretty wild +roses for baby: it's her birthday, and it will please mamma," said +Polly, sitting down on a mound of moss, with a lapful of flowers. + +"I'm going to cut a fishing-pole, and will be back in a minute." And Ned +went crashing into the thickest part of the wood. + +"I shall see where that rabbit went to, and maybe I'll find some +berries," said Will, trotting down the path the wild rabbit had gone. + +The sound of the boys' steps died away, and Polly was wondering how it +would seem to live all alone in the wood, when a little girl came +trudging by, with a great pail of berries on her arm. She was a poor +child: her feet were bare, her gown was ragged, she wore an old shawl +over her head, and walked as if lame. Polly sat behind the ferns, and +the child did not see her till Polly called out. The sudden sound +startled her; and she dropped her pail, spilling the berries all over +the path. The little girl began to cry, and Polly to laugh, saying, in a +scornful tone: + +"How silly to cry for a few berries!" + +"I've been all day picking 'em," said the girl; "and I'm so tired and +hungry; 'cause I didn't dare to go home till my pail was full,--mother +scolds if I do,--and now they're all spoilt. Oh, dear! dear me!" And +she cried so hard that great tears fell on the moss. + +Polly was sorry now, and sat looking at her till she saw her shadow down +on its knees, picking up the berries; then it seemed to fold its little +handkerchief round the girl's bruised foot, and give her something from +its pocket. Polly jumped up and imitated the kind shadow, even to giving +the great piece of gingerbread she had brought for fear she should be +hungry. + +"Take this," she said gently. "I'm sorry I frightened you. Here are the +berries all picked up, and none the worse for falling in the grass. If +you'll take them to the white house on the hill, my mamma will buy them, +and then your mother won't scold you." + +"Oh, thank you, miss! It's ever so good. I'll take the berries to your +mother, and bring her more whenever she likes," said the child +gratefully, as she walked away munching the gingerbread, and smiling +till there were little rainbows in her tears. + +Meanwhile Ned had poked about in the bushes, looking for a good pole. +Presently he saw a willow down by the pond, and thought that would give +him a nice, smooth pole. He forgot his promise, and down he went to the +pond; where he cut his stick, and was whittling the end, when he saw a +boat by the shore. It was untied, and oars lay in it, as if waiting for +some one to come and row out. + +"I'll just take a little pull across, and get those cardinal-flowers for +Polly," he said; and went to the boat. + +He got in, and was about to push off, when he saw his shadow standing on +the shore. + +"Don't be a fool; get in, and come along," he said to it, remembering +his promise now, but deciding to break it, and ask pardon afterwards. + +But the shadow shook its head; pointed to the swift stream that ran +between the banks, the rocks and mud on the opposite side, and the leaky +boat itself. + +"I ain't afraid: mamma won't mind, if I tell her I'm sorry; and it will +be such fun to row alone. Be a good fellow, and let me go," said Ned, +beckoning. + +But the shadow would not stir, and Ned was obliged to mind. He did so +very reluctantly, and scolded the shadow well as he went back to Polly; +though all the time he felt he was doing right, and knew he should be +glad afterwards. + +Will trotted after the rabbit, but didn't find it; he found a +bird's-nest instead with four little birds in it. He had an empty cage +at home, and longed for something to put in it; for kittens didn't like +it, and caterpillars and beetlebugs got away. He chose the biggest bird, +and, holding him carefully, walked away to find Polly. The poor +mother-bird chirped and fluttered in great distress; but Will kept on +till his little shadow came before him, and tried to make him turn +back. + +"No, no, I want him," said Will. "I won't hurt him, and his mother has +three left: she won't mind if I take one." + +Here the mother-bird chirped so loud it was impossible to help seeing +that she _did_ care very much; and the shadow stamped its foot and waved +its hand, as if ordering the young robber to carry back the baby-bird. +Will stood still, and thought a minute; but his little heart was a very +kind one, and he soon turned about, saying pleasantly: + +"Yes, it _is_ naughty, and I won't do it. I'll ask mamma to get me a +canary, and will let this birdie stay with his brothers." + +The shadow patted him on the shoulder, and seemed to be delighted as +Will put the bird in the nest and walked on, feeling much happier than +if he had kept it. A bush of purple berries grew by the path, and Will +stopped to pick some. He didn't know what they were, and mamma had often +told him never to eat strange things. But they smelt so good, and looked +so nice, he couldn't resist, and lifted one to his mouth, when little +shadow motioned for him to stop. + +"Oh, dear! you don't let me do any thing I want to," sighed Will. "I +shall ask Polly if I tarn't eat these; and, if she says I may, I shall, +so now." + +He ran off to ask Polly; but she said they were poisonous, and begged +him to throw them away. + +"Good little shadow, to keep me safe!" cried Will. "I like you; and I'll +mind better next time, 'cause you are always right." + +The shadow seemed to like this, and bobbed about so comically it made +Will laugh till his eyes were full of tears. Ned came back, and they +went on, having grand times in the wood. They found plenty of berries to +fill the basket; they swung down on slender birches, and got rolls of +white bark for canoes; they saw all sorts of wild-wood insects and +birds; and frolicked till they were tired. As they crossed a field, a +cow suddenly put down her head and ran at them, as if she was afraid +they meant to hurt her calf. All turned, and ran as fast as they could +toward the wall; but poor Will in his fright tumbled down, and lay +screaming. Ned and Polly had reached the wall, and, looking back, saw +that their shadows had not followed. Ned's stood before Will, +brandishing his pole; and Polly's was flapping a shadowy sun-bonnet with +all its might. As soon as they saw that, back they went,--Ned to +threaten till he broke his pole, and Polly to flap till the strings came +off. As if anxious to do its part, the bonnet flew up in the air, and +coming down lit on the cross cow's head; which so astonished her that +she ran away as hard as she could pelt. + +"Wasn't that funny?" said Will, when they had tumbled over the wall, and +lay laughing in the grass on the safe side. + +"I'm glad I wore the old bonnet; for I suppose my best hat would have +gone just the same," said Polly thankfully. + +"The calf doesn't know its own mother with that thing on," laughed Ned. + +"How brave and kind you were to come back and save me! I'd have been +deaded if you hadn't," said Will, looking at his brother and sister with +his little face full of grateful admiration. + +They turned towards home after this flurry, feeling quite like heroes. +When they came to the corner where two roads met, Ned proposed they +should take the river-road; for, though the longest, it was much the +pleasantest. + +"We shan't be home at supper-time," said Polly. "You won't be able to do +your jobs, Ned, nor I mine, and Will's chickens will have to go to bed +hungry." + +"Never mind: it's a holiday, so let's enjoy it, and not bother," +answered Ned. + +"We promised mamma we'd come home early," said Will. + +They stood looking at the two roads,--one sandy, hot, and hilly; the +other green and cool and level, along the river-side. They all chose the +pleasant path, and walked on till Ned cried out, "Why, where are our +shadows?" + +They looked behind, before, and on either side; but nowhere could they +see them. + +"They were with us at the corner," said Will. + +"Let's run back, and try to find them," said Polly. + +"No, let 'em go: I'm tired of minding mine, and don't care if I never +see it again," said Ned. + +"Don't say so; for I remember hearing about a man who sold his shadow, +and then got into lots of trouble because he had none. We promised to +follow them, and we must," said Polly. + +"I wish," began Ned in a pet; but Polly clapped her hand over his mouth, +saying: + +"Pray, don't wish now; for it may come to pass as the man's wish in the +fairy tale did, and the black pudding flew up and stuck tight to his +wife's nose." + +This made Ned laugh, and they all turned back to the corner. Looking up +the hilly road, they saw the three shadows trudging along, as if bent on +getting home in good time. Without saying a word, the children followed; +and, when they got to the garden gate, they all said at once: + +"Aren't you glad you came?" + +Under the elm-tree stood a pretty tea-table, covered with bread and +butter, custards, and berries, and in the middle a fine cake with +sugar-roses on the top; and mamma and baby, all nicely dressed, were +waiting to welcome them to the birthday feast. Polly crowned the little +queen, Ned gave her a willow whistle he had made, and Will some pretty, +bright pebbles he had found; and Miss Baby was as happy as a bird, with +her treasures. + +A pleasant supper-time; then the small duties for each one; and then the +go-to-bed frolic. The nursery was a big room, and in the evening a +bright wood fire always burned there for baby. Mamma sat before it, +softly rubbing baby's little rosy limbs before she went to bed, singing +and telling stories meanwhile to the three children who pranced about in +their long nightgowns. This evening they had a gay time; for the shadows +amused them by all sorts of antics, and kept them laughing till they +were tired. As they sat resting on the big sofa, they heard a soft, +sweet voice singing. It wasn't mamma; for she was only talking to baby, +and this voice sang a real song. Presently they saw mamma's shadow on +the wall, and found it was the shadow-mother singing to the +shadow-children. They listened intently, and this is what they heard: + + "Little shadows, little shadows, + Dancing on the chamber wall, + While I sit beside the hearthstone + Where the red flames rise and fall. + Caps and nightgowns, caps and nightgowns, + My three antic shadows wear; + And no sound they make in playing, + For the six small feet are bare. + + "Dancing gayly, dancing gayly, + To and fro all together, + Like a family of daisies + Blown about in windy weather; + Nimble fairies, nimble fairies, + Playing pranks in the warm glow, + While I sing the nursery ditties + Childish phantoms love and know. + + "Now what happens, now what happens? + One small shadow's tumbled down: + I can see it on the carpet, + Softly rubbing its hurt crown. + No one whimpers, no one whimpers; + A brave-hearted sprite is this: + See! the others offer comfort + In a silent, shadowy kiss. + + "Hush! they're creeping; hush! they're creeping, + Up about my rocking-chair: + I can feel their loving fingers + Clasp my neck and touch my hair. + Little shadows, little shadows, + Take me captive, hold me tight, + As they climb and cling and whisper, + 'Mother dear, good night! good night!'" + +As the song ended, the real children, as well as the shadows, lovingly +kissed mamma, and said "Good-night;" then went away into their rooms, +said their prayers, and nestled down into their beds. Ned slept alone in +the room next that which Polly and Will had; and, after lying quiet a +little while, he called out softly: + +"I say, Polly, are you asleep?" + +"No: I'm thinking what a queer day we've had," answered Polly. + +"It's been a good day, and I'm glad we tried our wish; for the shadows +showed us, as well as they could, what we ought to do and be. I shan't +forget it, shall you?" said Ned. + +"No: I'm much obliged for the lesson." + +"So is I," called out Will, in a very earnest, but rather a sleepy, +little voice. + +"I wonder what mamma will say, when we tell her about it," said Ned. + +"And I wonder if our shadows will come back to us at midnight, and +follow us as they used to do," added Polly. + +"I shall be very careful where I lead my shadow; 'cause he's a good +little one, and set me a righter zarmple than ever I did him," said +Will, and then dropped asleep. + +The others agreed with him, and resolved that their shadows should not +be ashamed of them. All were fast asleep; and no one but the moon saw +the shadows come stealing back at midnight, and, having danced about the +little beds, vanish as the clock struck twelve. + + + + +VI. + +POPPY'S PRANKS. + + +She wasn't a wilfully naughty child, this harum-scarum Poppy, but very +thoughtless and very curious. She wanted to see every thing, do every +thing, and go every where: she feared nothing, and so was continually +getting into scrapes. + +Her pranks began early; for, when she was about four, her mamma one day +gave her a pair of green shoes with bright buttons. Poppy thought there +never was any thing so splendid, and immediately wanted to go to walk. +But mamma was busy, and Poppy couldn't go alone any farther than the +garden. She showed her shoes to the servants, the cat, the doves, and +the flowers; and then opened the gate that the people in the street +might see the trim little feet she was so proud of. Now Poppy had been +forbidden to go out; but, when she saw Kitty Allen, her neighbor, +playing ball down the street, she forgot every thing but the desire to +show her new shoes; and away she went marching primly along as vain as a +little peacock, as she watched the bright buttons twinkle, and heard the +charming creak. Kitty saw her coming; and, being an ill-natured little +girl, took no notice, but called out to her brother Jack: + +"Ain't some folks grand? If I couldn't have red shoes for my best, I +wouldn't have any, would you?" + +They both laughed, and this hurt Poppy's feelings dreadfully. She tossed +her head, and tried to turn up her nose; but, it was so very small, it +couldn't be very scornful. She said nothing, but walked gravely by, as +if she was going on an errand, and hadn't heard a word. Round the corner +she went, thinking she would wait till Kitty was gone; as she didn't +like to pass again, fearing Jack might say something equally trying. An +organ-man with a monkey was playing near by; and Poppy was soon so busy +listening to the music, and watching the sad-looking monkey, that she +forgot home, shoes, and Kitty altogether. + +She followed the man a long way; and, when she turned to go back, she +took the wrong street, and found herself by the park. Being fond of +dandelions, Poppy went in, and gathered her hands full, enjoying herself +immensely; for Betsy, the maid, never let her play in the pond, or roll +down the hill, or make dirt-pies, and now she did all these things, +besides playing with strange children and talking with any one she +pleased. If she had not had her luncheon just before she started, she +would have been very hungry; for dinner-time came, without her knowing +it. + +By three o'clock, she began to think it was time to go home, and boldly +started off to find it. But poor little Poppy didn't know the way, and +went all wrong. She was very tired now, and hot and hungry, and wanted +to see mamma, and wondered why she didn't come to the brown house with +the white garden-gate. On and on she went, up streets and down, amusing +herself with looking in the shop-windows, and sitting to rest on +doorsteps. Once she asked a pleasant-faced little girl to show her the +way home; but, as she didn't know in what street it was, and said her +father's name was "papa," the girl couldn't help her: so she gave her a +bun and went away. Poppy ate her bun, and began to wonder what would +become of her; for night was coming on, and there didn't seem to be any +prospect of finding mamma or home or bed. Her courage was all gone now; +and, coming to a quiet place, she sat down on some high steps, and cried +till her little "hankchif," as she called it, was all wet. + +Nobody minded her: and she felt very forlorn till a big black dog came +by, and seemed to understand the matter entirely; for he smelt of her +face, licked her hands, and then lay down by her with such a friendly +look in his brown eyes that Poppy was quite comforted. She told him her +story, patted his big head; and then, being fairly tired out, laid her +wet cheek on his soft back, and fell fast asleep. + +It was quite dark when she woke; but a lamp was lighted near by, and +standing under it was a man ringing a great bell. Poppy sat up, and +wondered if anybody's supper was ready. The man had a paper; and, when +people stopped at the sound of the bell, he read in a loud voice: + +"Lost! a little girl, four years old; curly brown hair, blue eyes; had +on a white frock and green shoes; calls herself Poppy." + +He got no farther; for a little voice cried out of the dark, in a tone +of surprise: + +"Why, dats me!" + +The people all turned to look; and the big man put his bell in his +pocket, took her up very kindly, and said he'd carry her home. + +"Is it far away?" asked Poppy, with a little sob. + +"Yes, my dear; but I am going to give you some supper fust, along of my +little girl. I live close by; and, when we've had a bite, we'll go find +your ma." + +Poppy was so tired and hungry, she was glad to find herself taken care +of, and let the man do as he liked. He took her to a funny little house, +and his wife gave her bread and molasses on a new tin plate with letters +all round the edge. Poppy thought it very fine, and enjoyed her supper, +though the man's little girl stared at her all the time with eyes as +blue as her mug. + +While she ate, the man sent word to her father that she was found; and, +when both papa and mamma came hurrying in all out of breath with joy, +there sat Miss Poppy talking merrily, with her face well daubed with +molasses, her gown torn, her hands very dirty, and her shoes--ah, the +pretty new shoes!--all spoiled with mud and dust, scratched, and half +worn out, the buttons dull, and the color quite gone. No one cared for +it that night; for little runaway was kissed and petted, and taken home +to her own cosey bed as tenderly as if she had done nothing naughty, and +never frightened her parents out of their wits in her life. + +But the next day,--dear me! what a sad time it was, to be sure! When +Poppy woke up, there hung the spoilt shoes over the mantle-piece; and, +as soon as she was dressed, papa came in with a long cord, one end of +which he tied round Poppy's waist, and the other to the arm of the sofa. + +"I'm very sorry to have to tie you up, like a little dog; but I must, or +you will forget, and run away again, and make mamma ill." + +Then he went away without his morning kiss, and Poppy was so very +unhappy she could hardly eat her breakfast. She felt better by and by, +and tried to play; but the cord kept pulling her back. She couldn't get +to the window; and, when she heard mamma passing the door, she tried to +run and meet her, but had to stop halfway, for the cord jerked her over. +Cousin Fanny came up, but Poppy was so ashamed to be tied that she +crept under the sofa and hid. All day she was a prisoner, and was a very +miserable little girl; but at night she was untied, and, when mamma took +her in her lap for the first time that day, Poppy held her fast, and +sobbed very penitently-- + +"O mamma! I drefful sorry I runned away. Fordive me one time more, and I +never will adain;" and she never did. + +Two or three years after this, Poppy went to live in the country, and +tried some new pranks. One day she went with her sister Nelly to see a +man plough, for that sort of thing was new to her. While the man worked, +she saw him take out a piece of something brown, and bite off a bit. + +"What's that?" asked Poppy. + +"Tobaccer," said the man. + +"Is it nice?" asked Poppy. + +"Prime," said the man. + +"Could you let me taste it?" asked curious Poppy. + +"It will make you sick," said the man, laughing. + +"It doesn't make _you_ sick. I'd like to try," said Poppy, nothing +daunted. + +He gave her a piece; and Poppy ate it, though it didn't taste good at +all. She did it because Cy, her favorite playfellow, told her she'd die +if she did, and tried to frighten her. + +"You darsn't eat any more," he said. + +"Yes, I dare. See if I don't." And Poppy took another piece, just to +show how brave she was. Silly little Poppy! + +"I ain't sick, and I shan't die, so now." + +And Poppy pranced about as briskly as ever. But the man shook his head, +Nelly watched her anxiously, and Cy kept saying: + +"Ain't you sick yet, say?" + +For a little while Poppy felt all right; but presently she grew rather +pale, and began to look rather pensive. She stopped running, and walked +slower and slower, while her eyes got dizzy, and her hands and feet very +cold. + +"Ain't you sick now, say?" repeated Cy; and Poppy tried to answer, "Oh, +dear! no;" but a dreadful feeling came over her, and she could only +shake her head, and hold on to Nelly. + +"Better lay down a spell," said the man, looking a little troubled. + +"I don't wish to dirty my clean frock," said Poppy faintly, as she +glanced over the wide-ploughed field, and longed for a bit of grass to +drop on. She kept on bravely for another turn; but suddenly stopped, +and, quite regardless of the clean pink gown, dropped down in a furrow, +looking so white and queer that Nelly began to cry. Poppy lay a minute, +then turned to Cy, and said very solemnly: + +"Cy, run home, and tell my mother I'm dying." + +Away rushed Cy in a great fright, and burst upon Poppy's mamma, +exclaiming breathlessly: + +"O ma'am! Poppy's been and ate a lot of tobacco; and she's sick, layin' +in the field; and she says 'Come quick, 'cause she's dyin.'" + +"Mercy on us! what will happen to that child next?" cried poor mamma, +who was used to Poppy's mishaps. Papa was away, and there was no +carriage to bring Poppy home in; so mamma took the little wheelbarrow, +and trundled away to get the suffering Poppy. + +She couldn't speak when they got to her; and, only stopping to give the +man a lecture, mamma picked up her silly little girl, and the procession +moved off. First came Cy, as grave as a sexton; then the wheelbarrow +with Poppy, white and limp and speechless, all in a bunch; then mamma, +looking amused, anxious and angry; then Nelly, weeping as if her tender +heart was entirely broken; while the man watched them, with a grin, +saying to himself: + +"Twarn't my fault. The child was a reg'lar fool to swaller it." + +Poppy was dreadfully sick all night, but next day was ready for more +adventures and experiments. She swung on the garret stairs, and tumbled +down, nearly breaking her neck. She rubbed her eyes with red peppers, to +see if it _really_ would make them smart, as Cy said; and was led home +quite blind and roaring with pain. She got into the pigsty to catch a +young piggy, and was taken out in a sad state of dirt. She slipped into +the brook, and was half drowned; broke a window and her own head, +swinging a little flat-iron on a string; dropped baby in the coal-hod; +buried her doll, and spoilt her; cut off a bit of her finger, chopping +wood; and broke a tooth, trying to turn heels over head on a haycock. +These are only a few of her pranks, but one was nearly her last. + +She wanted to go bare-footed, as the little country boys and girls did; +but mamma wasn't willing, and Poppy was much afflicted. + +"It doesn't hurt Cy, and it won't hurt me, just for a little while," she +said. + +"Say no more, Poppy. I never wish to see you barefooted," replied mamma. + +"Well, you needn't: I'll go and do it in the barn," muttered Poppy, as +she walked away. + +Into the barn she went, and played country girl to her heart's content, +in spite of Nelly's warnings. Nelly never got into scrapes, being a +highly virtuous young lady; but she enjoyed Poppy's pranks, and wept +over her misfortunes with sisterly fidelity. + +"Now I'll be a bear, and jump at you as you go by," said Poppy, when +they were tired of playing steam-engine with the old winnowing machine. +So she got up on a beam; and Nelly, with a peck measure on her head for +a hat, and a stick for a gun, went bear-hunting, and banged away at the +swallows, the barrels, and the hencoops, till the bear was ready to eat +her. Presently, with a loud roar, the bear leaped; but Nelly wasn't +eaten that time, for Poppy cried out with pain: + +"Oh! I jumped on a pitchfork, and it's in my foot! Take it out! take it +out!" + +Poor little foot! There was a deep purple hole in the sole, and the +blood came, and Poppy fainted away, and Nelly screamed, and mamma ran, +and the neighbors rushed in, and there was _such_ a flurry. Poppy was +soon herself again, and lay on the sofa, with Nelly and Cy to amuse her. + +"What did the doctor say to mamma in the other room about me?" whispered +Poppy, feeling very important at having such a bustle made on her +account. Nelly sniffed, but said nothing; Cy, however, spoke up briskly: + +"He says you might have lockjaw." + +"Is that bad?" asked Poppy gravely. + +"Oh, ain't it, though! Your mouth shuts up, and you can't open it; and +you have fits and die." + +"Always?" said Poppy, looking scared, and feeling of her mouth. + +"'Most always, I guess. That's why your ma cried, and Nelly keeps +kissin' you." + +Cy felt sorry, but rather enjoyed the excitement, and was sure, that, if +any one ever _could_ escape dying, it would be Poppy, for she always +"came alive" again after her worst mishaps. She looked very solemn for a +few minutes, and kept opening and shutting her mouth to see if it wasn't +stiff. Presently she said, in a serious tone and with a pensive air: + +"Nelly, I'll give you my bead-ring: I shan't want it any more. And Cy +may have the little horse: he lost his tail; but I put on the lamb's +tail, and he is as good as ever. I wish to give away my things 'fore I +die; and, Nelly, won't you bring me the scissors?" + +"What for?" said Nelly, sniffing more than ever. + +"To cut off my hair for mamma. She'll want it, and I like to cut +things." + +Nelly got the scissors; and Poppy cut away all she could reach, giving +directions about her property while she snipped. + +"I wish papa to have my pictures and my piece of poetry I made. Give +baby my dolly and the quacking duck. Tell Billy, if he wants my +collection of bright buttons, he can have 'em; and give Hattie the +yellow plaster dog, with my love." + +Here mamma came in with a poultice, and couldn't help laughing, though +tears stood in her eyes, as she saw Poppy's cropped head and heard her +last wishes. + +"I don't think I shall lose my little girl yet, so we won't talk of it. +But Poppy must keep quiet, and let Nelly wait on her for a few days." + +"Are fits bad, mamma? and does it hurt much to die?" asked Poppy +thoughtfully. + +"If people are good while they live, it is not hard to die, dear," said +mamma, with a kiss; and Poppy hugged her, saying softly: + +"Then I'll be very good; so I won't mind, if the jawlock does come." + +And Poppy _was_ good,--oh, dreadfully good! for a week. Quite an angel +was Poppy; so meek and gentle, so generous and obedient, you really +wouldn't have known her. She loved everybody, forgave her playmates all +their sins against her, let Nelly take such of her precious treasures as +she liked, and pensively hoped baby would remember her when she was +gone. She hopped about with a crutch, and felt as if she was an object +of public interest; for all the old ladies sent to know how she was, the +children looked at her with respectful awe as one set apart and doomed +to fits, and Cy continually begged to know if her mouth was stiff. + +Poppy didn't die, though she got all ready for it; and felt rather +disappointed when the foot healed, the jaws remained as active as ever, +and the fits didn't come. I think it did her good; for she never forgot +that week, and, though she was near dying several times after, she never +was so fit to go as she was then. + +"Burney's making jelly: let's go and get our scrapings," said Poppy to +Nellie once, when mamma was away. + +But Burney was busy and cross, and cooks are not as patient as mothers; +so when the children appeared, each armed with a spoon, and demanded +their usual feast, she wouldn't hear of it, and ordered them off. + +"But we only want the scrapings of the pan, Burney: mamma always lets us +have them, when we help her make jelly; don't she, Nelly?" said Poppy, +trying to explain the case. + +"Yes; and makes us our little potful too," added Nelly, persuasively. + +"I don't want your help; so be off. Your ma can fuss with your pot, if +she chooses. I've no time." + +"_I_ think Burney's the crossest woman in the world. It's mean to eat +all the scrapings herself; isn't it Nelly?" said Poppy, very loud, as +the cook shut the door in their faces. "Never mind: I know how to pay +her," she added, in a whisper, as they sat on the stairs bewailing their +wrongs. "She'll put her old jelly in the big closet, and lock the door; +but we can climb the plum tree, and get in at the window, when she takes +her nap." + +"Should we dare to eat any?" asked Nelly, timid, but longing for the +forbidden fruit. + +"_I_ should; just as much as ever I like. It's mamma's jelly, and she +won't mind. I don't care for old cross Burney," said Poppy, sliding down +the banisters by way of soothing her ruffled spirit. + +So when Burney went to her room after dinner, the two rogues climbed in +at the window; and, each taking a jar, sat on the shelf, dipping in +their fingers and revelling rapturously. But Burney wasn't asleep, and, +hearing a noise below, crept down to see what mischief was going on. +Pausing in the entry to listen, she heard whispering, clattering of +glasses, and smacking of lips in the big closet; and in a moment knew +that her jelly was lost. She tried the door with her key; but sly Poppy +had bolted it on the inside, and, feeling quite safe, defied Burney from +among the jelly-pots, entirely reckless of consequences. Short-sighted +Poppy! she forgot Cy; but Burney didn't, and sent him to climb in at the +window, and undo the door. Feeling hurt that the young ladies hadn't +asked him to the feast, Cy hardened his heart against them, and +delivered them up to the enemy, regardless of Poppy's threats and +Nelly's prayers. + +"Poppy proposed it, she broke the jar, and I didn't eat _much_. O +Burney! don't hurt her, please, but let me 'splain it to mamma when she +comes," sobbed Nelly, as Burney seized Poppy, and gave her a good +shaking. + +"You go wash your face, Miss Nelly, and leave this naughty, naughty +child to me," said Burney; and took Poppy, kicking and screaming, into +the little library, where she--oh, dreadful to relate!--gave her a good +spanking, and locked her up. + +Mamma never whipped, and Poppy was in a great rage at such an indignity. +The minute she was left alone, she looked about to see how she could be +revenged. A solar lamp stood on the table; and Poppy coolly tipped it +over, with a fine smash, calling out to Burney that she'd have to pay +for it, that mamma would be very angry, and that she, Poppy, was going +to spoil every thing in the room. But Burney was gone, and no one came +near her. She kicked the paint off the door, rattled the latch, called +Burney a "pig," and Cy "a badder boy than the man who smothered the +little princes in the Tower." Poppy was very fond of that story, and +often played it with Nelly and the dolls. Having relieved her feelings +in this way, Poppy rested, and then set about amusing herself. Observing +that the spilt oil made the table shine, she took her handkerchief and +polished up the furniture, as she had seen the maids do. + +"Now, that looks nice; and I know mamma will be pleased 'cause I'm so +tidy," she said, surveying her work with pride, when she had thoroughly +greased every table, chair, picture-frame, book-back, and ornament in +the room. Plenty of oil still remained; and Poppy finished off by +oiling her hair, till it shone finely, and smelt--dear me, how it did +smell! If she had been a young whale, it couldn't have been worse. Poppy +wasn't particular about smells; but she got some in her mouth, and +didn't like the taste. There was no water to wash in; and her hands, +face, and pinafore were in a high state of grease. She was rather lonely +too; for, though mamma had got home, she didn't come to let Poppy out: +so the young rebel thought it was about time to surrender. She could +write pretty well, and was fond of sending penitent notes to mamma, +after being naughty: for mamma always answered them so kindly, and was +so forgiving, that Poppy's naughtiest mood was conquered by them sooner +than by any punishment; and Poppy kept the notes carefully in a little +cover, even after she was grown up. There was pen, ink, and paper in the +room; so, after various trials, Poppy wrote her note:-- + + "dear Mamma. + + "i am sorry i Took bernys gelli. i have braked The lamP. The oyl + maks A bad smel. i tHink i wil Bee sik iF i stay HeRe anny More. + i LoVe yoU--your Trying To Bee GooD + + popy." + +When she had finished, she lowered her note by a string, and bobbed it +up and down before the parlor window till Nelly saw and took it in. +Every one laughed over it; for, besides the bad spelling and the funny +periods, it was covered with oil-spots, blots, and tear marks; for Poppy +got tender-hearted toward the end, and cried a few very repentant tears +when she said, "I love you; your trying-to-be-good Poppy." + +Mamma went up at once, and ordered no further punishment, but a thorough +scrubbing; which Poppy underwent very meekly, though Betsey put soap in +her eyes, pulled her hair, and scolded all the time. They were not +allowed any jelly for a long while; and Cy teased Poppy about her +hair-oil till the joke was quite worn out, and even cross Burney was +satisfied with the atonement. + +When Poppy was eight, she got so very wild that no one could manage her +but mamma, and she was ill; so Poppy was sent away to grandpa's for a +visit. Now, grandpa was a very stately old gentleman, and every one +treated him with great respect; but Poppy wasn't at all afraid, and +asked all manner of impolite questions. + +"Grandpa, why don't you have any hair on the top of your head?"--"O +grandpa! you _do_ snore _so_ loud when you take naps!"--"What makes you +turn out your feet so, when you walk?" and such things. + +If grandpa hadn't been the best-natured old gentleman in the world, he +wouldn't have liked this: but he only laughed at Poppy, especially when +she spoke of his legs; for he was rather proud of them, and always wore +long black silk stockings, and told every one that the legs were so +handsome an artist put them in a picture of General Washington; which +was quite true, as any one may see when they look at the famous picture +in Boston. + +Well, Poppy behaved herself respectably for a day or two; but the house +was rather dull, she missed Nelly, wanted to run in the street, and +longed to see mamma. She amused herself as well as she could with +picture-books, patchwork, and the old cat; but, not being a quiet, +proper, little Rosamond sort of a child, she got tired of hemming neat +pocket-handkerchiefs, and putting her needle carefully away when she had +done. She wanted to romp and shout, and slide down the banisters, and +riot about; so, when she couldn't be quiet another minute, she went up +into a great empty room at the top of the house, and cut up all sorts of +capers. Her great delight was to lean out of the window as far as she +could, and look at the people in the street, with her head upside down. +It was very dangerous, for a fall would have killed her; but the danger +was the fun, and Poppy hung out till her hands touched the ledge below, +and her face was as red as any real poppy's. + +She was enjoying herself in this way one day, when an old gentleman, +who lived near, came home to dinner, and saw her. + +"What in the world is that hanging out of the colonel's upper window?" +said he, putting on his spectacles. "Bless my soul! that child will kill +herself. Hallo, there! little girl; get in this minute!" he called to +Poppy, flourishing his hat to make her see him. + +"What for?" answered Poppy, staring at him without moving an inch. + +"You'll fall, and break your neck!" screamed the old gentleman. + +"Oh, no, I shan't!" returned Poppy, much flattered by his interest, and +hanging out still further. + +"Stop that, instantly, or I'll go in and inform the colonel!" roared the +old gentleman, getting angry. + +"I don't care," shouted Poppy; and she didn't, for she knew grandpa +wasn't at home. + +"Little gipsy! I'll settle her," muttered the old man, bustling up to +the steps, and ringing the bell, as if the house was on fire. + +No one was in but the servants; and, when he'd told old Emily what the +matter was, she went up to "settle" Poppy. But Poppy was already +settled, demurely playing with her doll, and looking quite innocent. +Emily scolded; and Poppy promised never to do it again, if she might +stay and play in the big room. Being busy about dinner, Emily was glad +to be rid of her, and left her, to go and tell the old gentleman it was +all right. + +"Ain't they crosspatches?" said Poppy to her doll. "Never mind, dear: +_you_ shall hang out, if I can't. I guess the old man won't order you +in, any way." + +Full of this idea, Poppy took her long-suffering dolly, and, tying a +string to her neck, danced her out of the window. Now this dolly had +been through a great deal. Her head had been cut off (and put on again); +she had been washed, buried, burnt, torn, soiled, and banged about till +she was a mournful object. Poppy loved her very much; for she was two +feet tall, and had once been very handsome: so her trials only endeared +her to her little mamma. Away she went, skipping and prancing like +mad,--a funny sight, for Poppy had taken off her clothes, and she hadn't +a hair on her head. + +Poppy went to another window of the room for this performance, because +in the opposite house lived five or six children, and she thought they +would enjoy the fun. + +So they did, and so did the other people; for it was a boarding-house, +and all the people were at home for dinner. They came to the windows, +and looked and laughed at dolly's capers, and Poppy was in high feather +at the success of her entertainment. + +All of a sudden she saw grandpa coming down the street, hands behind +his back, feet turned out, gold-headed cane under his arm, and the +handsome legs in the black silk stockings marching along in the most +stately manner. Poppy whisked dolly in before grandpa saw her, and +dodged down as he went by. This made the people laugh again, and grandpa +wondered what the joke was. The minute he went in out flew dolly, +dancing more frantically than ever; and the children shouted so loud +that grandpa went to see what the matter was. The street was empty; yet +there stood the people, staring out and laughing. Yes; they were +actually looking and laughing at _his_ house; and he didn't see what +there was to laugh at in that highly respectable mansion. + +He didn't like it; and, clapping on his hat, he went out to learn what +the matter was. He looked over at the house, up at the sky, down at the +ground, and through the street; but nothing funny appeared, for Poppy +and dolly were hidden again, and the old gentleman was puzzled. He went +in and sat down to watch, feeling rather disturbed. Presently the fun +began again: the children clapped their hands, the people laughed, and +every one looked over at the house, in what he thought a very +impertinent way. This made him angry; and out he rushed a second time, +saying, as he marched across the street: + +"If those saucy young fellows are making game of me, I'll soon stop +it." + +Up to the door he went, gave a great pull at the bell, and, when the +servant came, he demanded why every one was laughing at his house. One +of the young men came and told him, and asked him to come in and see the +fun. Poppy didn't see grandpa go in, for she hid, and when she looked +out he was gone: so she boldly began the dancing; but, in the midst of a +lively caper, dolly went bounce into the garden below, for the string +fell from Poppy's hand when she suddenly saw grandpa at the window +opposite, laughing as heartily as any one at her prank. + +She stared at him in a great fright, and looked so amazed that every one +enjoyed that joke better than the other; and poor Poppy didn't hear the +last of it for a long time. + +Her next performance was to fall into the pond on the Common. She was +driving hoop down the hill, and went so fast she couldn't stop herself; +so splashed into the water, hoop and all. How dreadful it was to feel +the cold waves go over her head, shutting out the sun and air! The +ground was gone, and she could find no place for her feet, and could +only struggle and choke, and go down, down, with a loud roaring sound in +her ears. That would have been the end of Poppy, if a little black boy +hadn't jumped in and pulled her out. She was sick and dizzy, and looked +like a drowned kitten; but a kind lady took her home in a carriage. +After that mishap grandpa thought he wouldn't keep her any longer, for +fear she should come to some worse harm. So Miss Poppy was sent home, +much to her delight and much to mamma's also; for no matter where she +went, or how naughty she was, mamma was always glad to see the little +wanderer back, and to forgive and forget all Poppy's pranks. + + + + +VII. + +WHAT THE SWALLOWS DID. + + +A man lay on a pile of new-made hay, in a great barn, looking up at the +swallows who darted and twittered above him. He envied the cheerful +little creatures; for he wasn't a happy man, though he had many friends, +much money, and the beautiful gift of writing songs that everybody loved +to sing. He had lost his wife and little child, and would not be +comforted; but lived alone, and went about with such a gloomy face that +no one liked to speak to him. He took no notice of friends and +neighbors; neither used his money for himself nor others; found no +beauty in the world, no happiness anywhere; and wrote such sad songs it +made one's heart ache to sing them. + +As he lay alone on the sweet-smelling hay, with the afternoon sunshine +streaming in, and the busy birds chirping overhead, he said sadly to +himself: + +"Happy swallows, I wish I were one of you; for you have no pains nor +sorrows, and your cares are very light. All summer you live gayly +together; and, when winter comes, you fly away to the lovely South, +unseparated still." + +"Neighbors, do you hear what that lazy creature down there is saying?" +cried a swallow, peeping over the edge of her nest, and addressing +several others who sat on a beam near by. + +"We hear, Mrs. Skim; and quite agree with you that he knows very little +about us and our affairs," answered one of the swallows with a shrill +chirp, like a scornful laugh. "We work harder than he does any day. Did +he build his own house, I should like to know? Does he get his daily +bread for himself? How many of his neighbors does he help? How much of +the world does he see, and who is the happier for his being alive?" + +"Cares indeed!" cried another; "I wish he'd undertake to feed and teach +my brood. Much he knows about the anxieties of a parent." And the little +mother bustled away to get supper for the young ones, whose bills were +always gaping wide. + +"Sorrows we have, too," softly said the fourth swallow. "He would not +envy _me_, if he knew how my nest fell, and all my children were killed; +how my dear husband was shot, and my old mother died of fatigue on our +spring journey from the South." + +"Dear neighbor Dart, he _would_ envy you, if he knew how patiently you +bear your troubles; how tenderly you help us with our little ones; how +cheerfully you serve your friends; how faithfully you love your lost +mate; and how trustfully you wait to meet him again in a lovelier +country than the South." + +As Skim spoke, she leaned down from her nest to kiss her neighbor; and, +as the little beaks met, the other birds gave a grateful and approving +murmur, for Neighbor Dart was much beloved by all the inhabitants of +Twittertown. + +"I, for my part, don't envy _him_," said Gossip Wing, who was fond of +speaking her mind. "Men and women call themselves superior beings; but, +upon my word, I think they are vastly inferior to us. Now, look at that +man, and see how he wastes his life. There never was any one with a +better chance for doing good, and being happy; and yet he mopes and +dawdles his time away most shamefully." + +"Ah! he has had a great sorrow, and it is hard to be gay with a heavy +heart, an empty home; so don't be too severe, Sister Wing." And the +white tie of the little widow's cap was stirred by a long sigh as Mrs. +Dart glanced up at the nook where her nest once stood. + +"No, my dear, I won't; but really I do get out of patience when I see so +much real misery which that man might help, if he'd only forget himself +a little. It's my opinion he'd be much happier than he now is, wandering +about with a dismal face and a sour temper." + +"I quite agree with you; and I dare say he'd thank any one for telling +him how he may find comfort. Poor soul! I wish he could understand me; +for I sympathize with him, and would gladly help him if I could." + +And, as she spoke, kind-hearted Widow Dart skimmed by him with a +friendly chirp, which did comfort him; for, being a poet, he _could_ +understand them, and lay listening, well pleased while the little +gossips chattered on together. + +"I am so tied at home just now, that I know nothing of what is going on, +except the bits of news Skim brings me; so I enjoy your chat immensely. +I'm interested in your views on this subject, and beg you'll tell me +what you'd have that man do to better himself," said Mrs. Skim, settling +herself on her eggs with an attentive air. + +"Well, my dear, I'll tell you; for I've seen a deal of the world, and +any one is welcome to my experience," replied Mrs. Wing, in an important +manner; for she was proud of her "views," and very fond of talking. "In +my daily flights about the place, I see a great deal of poverty and +trouble, and often wish I could lend a hand. Now, this man has plenty of +money and time; and he might do more good than I can tell, if he'd only +set about it. Because he is what they call a poet is no reason he should +go moaning up and down, as if he had nothing to do but make songs. We +sing, but we work also; and are wise enough to see the necessity of +both, thank goodness!" + +"Yes, indeed, we do," cried all the birds in a chorus; for several more +had stopped to hear what was going on. + +"Now, what I say is this," continued Mrs. Wing impressively. "If I were +that man, I'd make myself useful at once. There is poor little Will +getting more and more lame every day, because his mother can't send him +where he can be cured. A trifle of that man's money would do it, and he +ought to give it. Old Father Winter is half starved, alone there in his +miserable hovel; and no one thinks of the good old man. Why don't that +lazy creature take him home, and care for him, the little while he has +to live? Pretty Nell is working day and night, to support her father, +and is too proud to ask help, though her health and courage are going +fast. The man might make hers the gayest heart alive, by a little help. +There in a lonely garret lives a young man studying his life away, +longing for books and a teacher. The man has a library full, and might +keep the poor boy from despair by a little help and a friendly word. He +mourns for his own lost baby: I advise him to adopt the orphan whom +nobody will own, and who lies wailing all day untended on the poor-house +floor. Yes: if he wants to forget sorrow and find peace, let him fill +his empty heart and home with such as these, and life won't seem dark to +him any more." + +"Dear me! how well you express yourself, Mrs. Wing; it's quite a +pleasure to hear you; and I heartily wish some persons could hear you, +it would do 'em a deal of good," said Mrs. Skim; while her husband gave +an approving nod as he dived off the beam, and vanished through the open +doors. + +"I know it would comfort that man to do these things; for I have tried +the same cure in my small way, and found great satisfaction in it," +began little Madame Dart, in her soft voice; but Mrs. Wing broke in, +saying with a pious expression of countenance: + +"I flew into church one day, and sat on the organ enjoying the music; +for every one was singing, and I joined in, though I didn't know the +air. Opposite me were two great tablets with golden letters on them. I +can read a little, thanks to my friend, the learned raven; and so I +spelt out some of the words. One was, 'Love thy neighbor;' and as I sat +there, looking down on the people, I wondered how they could see those +words week after week, and yet pay so little heed to them. Goodness +knows, _I_ don't consider myself a perfect bird; far from it; for I know +I am a poor, erring fowl; but I believe I may say I _do_ love my +neighbor, though I _am_ 'an inferior creature.'" And Mrs. Wing bridled +up, as if she resented the phrase immensely. + +"Indeed you do, gossip," cried Dart and Skim; for Wing was an excellent +bird, in spite of the good opinion she had of herself. + +"Thank you: well, then, such being the known fact, I may give advice on +the subject as one having authority; and, if it were possible, I'd give +that man a bit of my mind." + +"You have, madam, you have; and I shall not forget it. Thank you, +neighbors, and good night," said the man, as he left the barn, with the +first smile on his face which it had worn for many days. + +"Mercy on us! I do believe the creature heard every thing we said," +cried Mrs. Wing, nearly tumbling off the beam, in her surprise. + +"He certainly did; so I'm glad I was guarded in my remarks," replied +Mrs. Skim, laughing at her neighbor's dismay. + +"Dear me! dear me! what did I say?" cried Mrs. Wing, in a great twitter. + +"You spoke with more than your usual bluntness, and some of your +expressions were rather strong, I must confess; but I don't think any +harm will come of it. We are of too little consequence for our +criticisms or opinions to annoy him," said Mrs. Dart consolingly. + +"I don't know that, ma'am," returned Mrs. Wing, sharply: for she was +much ruffled and out of temper. "A cat may look at a king; and a bird +may teach a man, if the bird is the wisest. He may destroy my nest, and +take my life; but I feel that I have done my duty, and shall meet +affliction with a firmness which will be an example to that indolent, +ungrateful man." + +In spite of her boasted firmness, Mrs. Wing dropped her voice, and +peeped over the beam, to be sure the man was gone before she called him +names; and then flew away, to discover what he meant to do about it. + +For several days, there was much excitement in Twittertown; for news of +what had happened flew from nest to nest, and every bird was anxious to +know what revenge the man would take for the impertinent remarks which +had been made about him. + +Mrs. Wing was in a dreadful state of mind, expecting an assault, and the +destruction of her entire family. Every one blamed her. Her husband +lectured; the young birds chirped, "Chatterbox, chatterbox," as she +passed; and her best friends were a little cool. All this made her very +meek for a time; and she scarcely opened her bill, except to eat. + +A guard was set day and night, to see if any danger approached; and a +row of swallows might be seen on the ridgepole at all hours. If any one +entered the barn, dozens of little black heads peeped cautiously over +the edges of the nests, and there was much flying to and fro with +reports and rumors; for all the birds in the town soon knew that +something had happened. + +The day after the imprudent conversation, a chimney-swallow came to call +on Mrs. Wing; and, the moment she was seated on the beam, she began: + +"My dear creature, I feel for you in your trying position,--indeed I do, +and came over at once to warn you of your danger." + +"Mercy on us! what is coming?" cried Mrs. Wing, covering her brood with +trembling wings, and looking quite wild with alarm. + +"Be calm, my friend, and bear with firmness the consequences of your +folly," replied Mrs. Sooty-back, who didn't like Mrs. Wing, because +she prided herself on her family, and rather looked down on +chimney-swallows. "You know, ma'am, I live at the great house, and am in +the way of seeing and hearing all that goes on there. No fire is lighted +in the study now; but my landlord still sits on the hearth, and I can +overhear every word he says. Last evening, after my darlings were +asleep, and my husband gone out, I went down and sat on the andiron, as +I often do; for the fireplace is full of oak boughs, and I can peep out +unseen. My landlord sat there, looking a trifle more cheerful than +usual, and I heard him say, in a very decided tone: + +"'I'll catch them, one and all, and keep them here; that is better than +pulling the place down, as I planned at first. Those swallows little +know what they have done; but I'll show them I don't forget.'" + +On hearing this a general wail arose, and Mrs. Wing fainted entirely +away. Madam Sooty-back was quite satisfied with the effect she had +produced, and departed, saying loftily: + +"I'm sorry for you, Mrs. Wing, and forgive your rude speech about my +being related to chimney-sweeps. One can't expect good manners from +persons brought up in mud houses, and entirely shut out from good +society. If I hear any thing more, I'll let you know." + +Away she flew; and poor Mrs. Wing would have had another fit, if they +hadn't tickled her with a feather, and fanned her so violently that she +was nearly blown off her nest by the breeze they raised. + +"What shall we do?" she cried. + +"Nothing, but wait. I dare say, Mrs. Sooty-back is mistaken; at any +rate, we can't get away without leaving our children, for they can't fly +yet. Let us wait, and see what happens. If the worst comes, we shall +have done our duty, and will all die together." + +As no one could suggest any thing better, Mrs. Dart's advice was taken, +and they waited. On the afternoon of the same day, Dr. Banks, a +sand-swallow, who lived in a subterranean village over by the great +sand-bank, looked in to see Mrs. Wing, and cheered her by the following +bit of news: + +"The man was down at the poor-house to-day, and took away little Nan, +the orphan baby. I saw him carry her to Will's mother, and heard him ask +her to take care of it for a time. He paid her well, and she seemed glad +to do it; for Will needs help, and now he can have it. An excellent +arrangement, I think. Bless me, ma'am! what's the matter? Your pulse is +altogether too fast, and you look feverish." + +No wonder the doctor looked surprised; for Mrs. Wing suddenly gave a +skip, and flapped her wings, with a shrill chirp, exclaiming, as she +looked about her triumphantly: + +"Now, who was right? Who has done good, not harm, by what you call +'gossip'? Who has been a martyr, and patiently borne all kinds of blame, +injustice, and disrespect? Yes, indeed! the man saw the sense of my +words; he took my advice; he will show his gratitude by some good turn +yet; and, if half a dozen poor souls are helped, it will be my doing, +and mine alone." + +Here she had to stop for breath; and her neighbors all looked at one +another, feeling undecided whether to own they were wrong, or to put +Mrs. Wing down. Every one twittered and chirped, and made a great noise; +but no one would give up, and all went to roost in a great state of +uncertainty. But, the next day, it became evident that Mrs. Wing was +right; for Major Bumble-bee came buzzing in to tell them that old Daddy +Winter's hut was empty, and his white head had been seen in the sunny +porch of the great house. + +After this the swallows gave in; and, as no harm came to them, they had +a jubilee in honor of the occasion. Mrs. Wing was president, and +received a vote of thanks for the good she had done, and the credit she +had bestowed upon the town by her wisdom and courage. She was much +elated by all this; but her fright had been of service, and she bore her +honors more meekly than one would have supposed. To be sure, she cut +Mrs. Sooty-back when they met; assumed an injured air, when some of her +neighbors passed her; and said, "I told you so," a dozen times a day to +her husband, who got so many curtain lectures that he took to sleeping +on the highest rafter, pretending that the children's noise disturbed +him. + +All sorts of charming things happened after that, and such a fine summer +never was known before; for not only did the birds rejoice, but people +also. A good spirit seemed to haunt the town, leaving help and happiness +wherever it passed. Some unseen hand scattered crumbs over the barn +floor, and left food at many doors. No dog or boy or gun marred the +tranquillity of the birds, insects, and flowers who lived on the great +estate. No want, care, or suffering, that love or money could prevent, +befell the poor folk whose cottages stood near the old house. Sunshine +and peace seemed to reign there; for its gloomy master was a changed man +now, and the happiness he earned for himself, by giving it to others, +flowed out in beautiful, blithe songs, and went singing away into the +world, making him friends, and bringing him honor in high places as well +as low. + +He did not forget the wife and little child whom he had loved so well; +but he mourned no longer, for cheerful daisies grew above their graves, +and he knew that he should meet them in the lovely land where death can +never come. So, while he waited for that happy time to come, he made his +life a cheery song,--as every one may do, if they will; and went about +dropping kind words and deeds as silently and sweetly as the sky drops +sunshine and dew. Every one was his friend, but his favorites were the +swallows. Every day he went to see them, carrying grain and crumbs, +hearing their chat, sharing their joys and sorrows, and never tiring of +their small friendship; for to them, he thought, he owed all the content +now his. + +When autumn leaves were red, and autumn winds blew cold, the inhabitants +of Twittertown prepared for their journey to the South. They lingered +longer than usual this year, feeling sorry to leave their friend. But +the fields were bare, the frosts began to pinch, and the young ones +longed to see the world; so they must go. The day they started, the +whole flock flew to the great house, to say good-by. Some dived and +darted round and round it, some hopped to and fro on the sere lawn, some +perched on the chimney-tops, and some clung to the window ledges; all +twittering a loving farewell. + +Chirp, Dart, and Wing peeped everywhere, and everywhere found something +to rejoice over. In a cosey room, by a bright fire, sat Daddy Winter and +Nell's old father, telling stories of their youth, and basking in the +comfortable warmth. In the study, surrounded by the books he loved, was +the poor young man, happy as a king now, and learning many things which +no book could teach him; for he had found a friend. Then, down below was +Will's mother, working like a bee; for she was housekeeper, and enjoyed +her tasks as much as any mother-bird enjoys filling the little mouths of +her brood. Close by was pretty Nell, prettier than ever now; for her +heavy care was gone, and she sung as she sewed, thinking of the old +father, whom nothing could trouble any more. + +But the pleasantest sight the three gossips saw was the man with Baby +Nan on his arm and Will at his side, playing in the once dreary nursery. +How they laughed and danced! for Will was up from his bed at last, and +hopped nimbly on his crutches, knowing that soon even they would be +unneeded. Little Nan was as plump and rosy as a baby should be, and +babbled like a brook, as the man went to and fro, cradling her in his +strong arms, feeling as if his own little daughter had come back when he +heard the baby voice call him father. + +"Ah, how sweet it is!" cried Mrs. Dart, glad to see that he had found +comfort for his grief. + +"Yes; indeed: it does one's heart good to see such a happy family," +added Mrs. Skim, who was a very motherly bird. + +"I don't wish to boast; but I _will_ say that I am satisfied with my +summer's work, and go South feeling that I leave an enviable reputation +behind me." And Mrs. Wing plumed herself with an air of immense +importance, as she nodded and bridled from her perch on the window-sill. + +The man saw the three, and hastened to feed them for the last time, +knowing that they were about to go. Gratefully they ate, and chirped +their thanks; and then, as they flew away, the little gossips heard +their friend singing his good-by: + + "Swallow, swallow, neighbor swallow, + Starting on your autumn flight, + Pause a moment at my window, + Twitter softly your good-night; + For the summer days are over, + All your duties are well done, + And the happy homes you builded + Have grown empty, one by one. + + "Swallow, swallow, neighbor swallow, + Are you ready for your flight? + Are all the feather cloaks completed? + Are the little caps all right? + Are the young wings strong and steady + For the journey through the sky? + Come again in early spring-time; + And till then, good-by, good-by!" + + + + +VIII. + +LITTLE GULLIVER. + + +Up in the light-house tower lived Davy, with Old Dan the keeper. Most +little boys would have found it very lonely; but Davy had three friends, +and was as happy as the day was long. One of Davy's friends was the +great lamp, which was lighted at sunset, and burnt all night, to guide +the ships into the harbor. To Dan it was only a lamp; but to the boy it +seemed a living thing, and he loved and tended it faithfully. Every day +he helped Dan clear the big wick, polish the brass work, and wash the +glass lantern which protected the flame. Every evening he went up to see +it lighted, and always fell asleep, thinking, "No matter how dark or +wild the night, my good Shine will save the ships that pass, and burn +till morning." + +Davy's second friend was Nep, the Newfoundland, who was washed ashore +from a wreck, and had never left the island since. Nep was rough and +big, but had such a loyal and loving heart that no one could look in his +soft brown eyes and not trust him. He followed Davy's steps all day, +slept at his feet all night, and more than once had saved his life when +Davy fell among the rocks, or got caught by the rising tide. + +But the dearest friend of all was a sea-gull. Davy found him, with a +broken wing, and nursed him carefully till he was well; then let him go, +though he was very fond of "Little Gulliver," as he called him in fun. +But the bird never forgot the boy, and came daily to talk with him, +telling all manner of wild stories about his wanderings by land and sea, +and whiling away many an hour that otherwise would have been very +lonely. + +Old Dan was Davy's uncle,--a grim, gray man, who said little, did his +work faithfully, and was both father and mother to Davy, who had no +parents, and no friends beyond the island. That was his world; and he +led a quiet life among his playfellows,--the winds and waves. He seldom +went to the main land, three miles away; for he was happier at home. He +watched the sea-anemones open below the water, looking like +fairy-plants, brilliant and strange. He found curious and pretty shells, +and sometimes more valuable treasures, washed up from some wreck. He saw +little yellow crabs, ugly lobsters, and queer horse-shoes with their +stiff tails. Sometimes a whale or a shark swam by, and often sleek black +seals came up to bask on the warm rocks. He gathered lovely sea-weeds of +all kinds, from tiny red cobwebs to great scalloped leaves of kelp, +longer than himself. He heard the waves dash and roar unceasingly; the +winds howl or sigh over the island; and the gulls scream shrilly as they +dipped and dived, or sailed away to follow the ships that came and went +from all parts of the world. + +With Nep and Gulliver he roamed about his small kingdom, never tired of +its wonders; or, if storms raged, he sat up in the tower, safe and dry, +watching the tumult of sea and sky. Often in long winter nights he lay +awake, listening to the wind and rain, that made the tower rock with +their violence; but he never was afraid, for Nep nestled at his feet, +Dan sat close by, and overhead the great lamp shone far out into the +night, to cheer and guide all wanderers on the sea. + +Close by the tower hung the fog-bell, which, being wound up, would ring +all night, warningly. One day Dan found that something among the chains +was broken; and, having vainly tried to mend it, he decided to go to the +town, and get what was needed. He went once a week, usually, and left +Davy behind; for in the daytime there was nothing to do, and the boy was +not afraid to stay. + +"A heavy fog is blowing up: we shall want the bell to-night, and I must +be off at once. I shall be back before dark, of course; so take care of +yourself, boy," said Dan. + +Away went the little boat; and the fog shut down over it, as if a misty +wall had parted Davy from his uncle. As it was dull weather, he sat and +read for an hour or two; then fell asleep, and forgot everything till +Nep's cold nose on his hand waked him up. It was nearly dark; and, +hoping to find Dan had come, he ran down to the landing-place. But no +boat was there, and the fog was thicker than ever. + +Dan never had been gone so long before, and Davy was afraid something +had happened to him. For a few minutes he was in great trouble; then he +cheered up, and took courage. + +"It is sunset by the clock; so I'll light the lamp, and, if Dan is lost +in the fog, it will guide him home," said Davy. + +Up he went, and soon the great star shone out above the black-topped +light-house, glimmering through the fog, as if eager to be seen. Davy +had his supper, but no Dan came. He waited hour after hour, and waited +all in vain. The fog thickened, till the lamp was hardly seen; and no +bell rung to warn the ships of the dangerous rocks. Poor Davy could not +sleep, but all night long wandered from the tower to the door, watching, +calling, and wondering; but Dan did not come. + +At sunrise he put out the light, and, having trimmed it for the next +night, ate a little breakfast, and roved about the island hoping to see +some sign of Dan. The sun drew up the fog at last; and he could see the +blue bay, the distant town, and a few fishing-boats going out to sea. +But nowhere was the island-boat with gray Old Dan in it; and Davy's +heart grew heavier and heavier, as the day passed, and still no one +came. In the afternoon Gulliver appeared: to him Davy told his trouble, +and the three friends took counsel together. + +"There is no other boat; and I couldn't row so far, if there was: so I +can't go to find Dan," said David sorrowfully. + +"I'd gladly swim to town, if I could; but it's impossible to do it, with +wind and tide against me. I've howled all day, hoping some one would +hear me; but no one does, and I'm discouraged," said Nep, with an +anxious expression. + +"I can do something for you; and I will, with all my heart. I'll fly to +town, if I don't see him in the bay, and try to learn what has become of +Dan. Then I'll come and tell you, and we will see what is to be done +next. Cheer up, Davy dear: I'll bring you tidings, if any can be had." +With these cheerful words, away sailed Gulliver, leaving Nep and his +master to watch and wait again. + +The wind blew hard, and the broken wing was not quite well yet, else +Gulliver would have been able to steer clear of a boat that came swiftly +by. A sudden gust drove the gull so violently against the sail that he +dropped breathless into the boat; and a little girl caught him, before +he could recover himself. + +"Oh, what a lovely bird! See his black cap, his white breast, +dove-colored wings, red legs and bill, and soft, bright eyes. I wanted a +gull; and I'll keep this one, for I don't think he is much hurt." + +Poor Gulliver struggled, pecked and screamed; but little Dora held him +fast, and shut him in a basket till they reached the shore. Then she put +him in a lobster pot,--a large wooden thing, something like a cage,--and +left him on the lawn, where he could catch glimpses of the sea, and +watch the light-house tower, as he sat alone in this dreadful prison. If +Dora had known the truth, she would have let him go, and done her best +to help him; but she could not understand his speech, as Davy did, for +very few people have the power of talking with birds, beasts, insects, +and plants. To her, his prayers and cries were only harsh screams; and, +when he sat silent, with drooping head and ruffled feathers, she thought +he was sleepy: but he was mourning for Davy, and wondering what his +little friend would do. + +For three long days and nights he was a prisoner, and suffered much. The +house was full of happy people, but no one took pity upon him. Ladies +and gentlemen talked learnedly about him; boys poked and pulled him; +little girls admired him, and begged his wings for their hats, if he +died. Cats prowled about his cage; dogs barked at him; hens cackled over +him; and a shrill canary jeered at him from the pretty pagoda in which +it hung, high above danger. In the evening there was music; and the poor +bird's heart ached as the sweet sounds came to him, reminding him of the +airier melodies he loved. Through the stillness of the night, he heard +the waves break on the shore; the wind came singing up from the sea; the +moon shone kindly on him, and he saw the water-fairies dancing on the +sand. But for three days no one spoke a friendly word to him, and he +pined away with a broken heart. + +On the fourth night, when all was quiet, little Gulliver saw a black +shadow steal across the lawn, and heard a soft voice say to him: + +"Poor bird, you'll die, if yer stays here; so I'se gwine to let yer go. +Specs little missy'll scold dreffle; but Moppet'll take de scoldin for +yer. Hi, dere! you is peart nuff now, kase you's in a hurry to go; but +jes wait till I gits de knots out of de string dat ties de door, and den +away you flies." + +"But, dear, kind Moppet, won't you be hurt for doing this? Why do you +care so much for me? I can only thank you, and fly away." + +As Gulliver spoke, he looked up at the little black face bent over him, +and saw tears in the child's sad eyes; but she smiled at him, and shook +her fuzzy head, as she whispered kindly: + +"I don't want no tanks, birdie: I loves to let you go, kase you's a +slave, like I was once; and it's a dreffle hard ting, I knows. I got +away, and I means you shall. I'se watched you, deary, all dese days; and +I tried to come 'fore, but dey didn't give me no chance." + +"Do you live here? I never see you playing with the other children," +said the gull, as Moppet's nimble fingers picked away at the knots. + +"Yes: I lives here, and helps de cook. You didn't see me, kase I never +plays; de chilen don't like me." + +"Why not?" asked Gulliver, wondering. + +"I'se black," said Moppet, with a sob. + +"But that's silly in them," cried the bird, who had never heard of such +a thing. "Color makes no difference; the peeps are gray, the seals +black, and the crabs yellow; but we don't care, and are all friends. It +is very unkind to treat you so. Haven't you any friends to love you, +dear?" + +"Nobody in de world keres fer me. Dey sold me way from my mammy when I +was a baby, and I'se knocked roun eber since. De oder chilen has folks +to lub an kere fer em, but Moppet's got no friends;" and here the black +eyes grew so dim with tears that the poor child couldn't see that the +last knot was out. + +Gulliver saw it, and, pushing up the door, flew from his prison with a +glad cry; and, hopping into Moppet's hand, looked into the little dark +face with such grateful confidence that it cleared at once, and the +brightest smile it had worn for months broke over it as the bird nestled +its soft head against her cheek, saying gently: + +"I'm your friend, dear; I love you, and I never shall forget what you +have done for me to-night. How can I thank you before I go?" + +For a minute, Moppet could only hug the bird, and cry; for these were +the first kind words she had heard for a long time, and they went +straight to her lonely little heart. + +"O my deary! I'se paid by dem words, and I don't want no tanks. Jes lub +me, and come sometimes to see me ef you can, it's so hard livin' in dis +yere place. I don't tink I'll bar it long. I wish I was a bird to fly +away, or a oyster safe in de mud, and free to do as I's a mind." + +"I wish you could go and live with Davy on the island; he is so kind, so +happy, and as free as the wind. Can't you get away, Moppet?" whispered +Gulliver, longing to help this poor, friendless little soul. He told her +all his story; and they agreed that he should fly at once to the island, +and see if Dan was there; if not, he was to come back, and Moppet would +try to get some one to help find him. When this was done, Davy and Dan +were to take Moppet, if they could, and make her happy on the island. +Full of hope and joy, Gulliver said good-by, and spread his wings; but, +alas for the poor bird! he was too weak to fly. For three days he had +hardly eaten any thing, had found no salt water to bathe in, and had sat +moping in the cage till his strength was all gone. + +"What shall I do? what shall I do?" he cried, fluttering his feeble +wings, and running to and fro in despair. + +"Hush, birdie, I'll take kere ob you till you's fit to fly. I knows a +nice, quiet little cove down yonder, where no one goes; and dare you kin +stay till you's better. I'll come and feed you, and you kin paddle, and +rest, and try your wings, safe and free, honey." + +As Moppet spoke, she took Gulliver in her arms, and stole away in the +dim light, over the hill, down to the lonely spot where nothing went but +the winds and waves, the gulls, and little Moppet, when hard words and +blows made heart and body ache. Here she left the bird, and, with a +loving "Good-night," crept home to her bed in the garret, feeling as +rich as a queen, and much happier; for she had done a kind thing, and +made a friend. + +Next day, a great storm came: the wind blew a hurricane, the rain +poured, and the sea thundered on the coast. If he had been well, +Gulliver wouldn't have minded at all; but, being sick and sad, he spent +an anxious day, sitting in a cranny of the rock, thinking of Davy and +Moppet. It was so rough, even in the cove, that he could neither swim +nor fly, so feeble was he; and could find no food but such trifles as he +could pick up among the rocks. At nightfall the storm raged fiercer than +ever, and he gave up seeing Moppet; for he was sure she wouldn't come +through the pelting rain just to feed him. So he put his head under his +wing, and tried to sleep; but he was so wet and weak, so hungry and +anxious, no sleep came. + +"What has happened to Davy alone on the island all this while? He will +fall ill with loneliness and trouble; the lamp won't be lighted, the +ships will be wrecked, and many people will suffer. O Dan, Dan, if we +could only find you, how happy we should be!" + +As Gulliver spoke, a voice cried through the darkness: + +"Is you dere, honey?" and Moppet came climbing over the rocks, with a +basket full of such bits as she could get. "Poor birdie, is you +starvin'? Here, jes go at dis, and joy yourself. Dere's fish and tings I +tink you'd like. How is you now, dear?" + +"Better, Moppet; but, it's so stormy, I can't get to Davy; and I worry +about him," began Gulliver, pecking away at his supper: but he stopped +suddenly, for a faint sound came up from below, as if some one called, +"Help, help!" + +"Hi! what's dat?" said Moppet, listening. + +"Davy, Davy!" called the voice. + +"It's Dan. Hurrah, we've found him!" and Gulliver dived off the rock so +reckless that he went splash into the water. But that didn't matter to +him; and he paddled away, like a little steamer with all the engines in +full blast. Down by the sea-side, between two stones, lay Dan, so +bruised and hurt he couldn't move, and so faint with hunger and pain he +could hardly speak. As soon as Gulliver called, Moppet scrambled down, +and fed the poor man with her scraps, brought him rain-water from a +crevice near by, and bound up his wounded head with her little apron. +Then Dan told them how his boat had been run down by a ship in the fog; +how he was hurt, and cast ashore in the lonely cove; how he had lain +there half dead, for no one heard his shouts, and he couldn't move; how +the storm brought him back to life, when he was almost gone, and the +sound of Moppet's voice told him help was near. + +How glad they all were then! Moppet danced for joy; Gulliver screamed +and flapped his wings; and Dan smiled, in spite of pain, to think he +should see Davy again. He couldn't understand Gulliver; but Moppet told +him all the story, and, when he heard it, he was more troubled for the +boy than for himself. + +"What will he do? He may get killed or scared, or try to come ashore. Is +the lamp alight?" he cried, trying to move, and falling back with a moan +of pain. + +Gulliver flew up to the highest rock, and looked out across the dark +sea. Yes, there it was,--the steady star shining through the storm, and +saying plainly, "All is well." + +"Thank heaven! if the lamp is burning, Davy is alive. Now, how shall I +get to him?" said Dan. + +"Never you fret, massa: Moppet'll see to dat. You jes lay still till I +comes. Dere's folks in de house as'll tend to you, ef I tells em who and +where you is." + +Off she ran, and soon came back with help. Dan was taken to the house, +and carefully tended; Moppet wasn't scolded for being out so late; and, +in the flurry, no one thought of the gull. Next morning, the cage was +found blown over, and every one fancied the bird had flown away. Dora +was already tired of him; so he was soon forgotten by all but Moppet. + +In the morning it was clear; and Gulliver flew gladly to the tower where +Davy still watched and waited, with a pale face and heavy heart, for the +three days had been very hard to bear, and, but for Nep and Shine, he +would have lost his courage entirely. Gulliver flew straight into his +bosom, and, sitting there, told his adventures; while Davy laughed and +cried, and Nep stood by, wagging his tail for joy, while his eyes were +full of sympathy. The three had a very happy hour together, and then +came a boat to carry Davy ashore, while another keeper took charge of +the light till Dan was well. + +Nobody ever knew the best part of the story but Moppet, Davy, and +Gulliver. Other people didn't dream that the boy's pet gull had any +thing to do with the finding of the man, or the good fortune that came +to Moppet. While Dan lay sick, she tended him, like a loving little +daughter; and, when he was well, he took her for his own. He did not +mind the black skin: he only saw the loneliness of the child, the tender +heart, the innocent, white soul; and he was as glad to be a friend to +her as if she had been as blithe and pretty as Dora. + +It was a happy day when Dan and Davy, Moppet, Gulliver, and Nep sailed +away to the island; for that was still to be their home, with stout +young Ben to help. + +The sun was setting; and they floated through waves as rosy as the rosy +sky. A fresh wind filled the sail, and ruffled Gulliver's white breast +as he sat on the mast-head crooning a cheery song to himself. Dan held +the tiller, and Davy lay at his feet, with Nep bolt upright beside him; +but the happiest face of all was Moppet's. Kneeling at the bow, she +leaned forward, with her lips apart, her fuzzy hair blown back, and her +eyes fixed on the island which was to be her home. Like a little black +figure-head of Hope, she leaned and looked, as the boat flew on, bearing +her away from the old life into the new. + +As the sun sunk, out shone the lamp with sudden brightness, as if the +island bade them welcome. Dan furled the sail; and, drifting with the +tide, they floated in, till the waves broke softly on the shore, and +left them safe at home. + + + + +IX. + +THE WHALE'S STORY. + + +Freddy sat thinking on the seat under the trees. It was a wide, white +seat, about four feet long, sloping from the sides to the middle, +something like a swing; and was not only comfortable but curious, for it +was made of a whale's bone. Freddy often sat there, and thought about it +for he was very much interested in it, and nobody could tell him any +thing of it, except that it had been there a long time. + +"Poor old whale, I wonder how you got here, where you came from, and if +you were a good and happy creature while you lived," said Freddy, +patting the old bone with his little hand. + +It gave a great creak; and a sudden gust of air stirred the trees, as if +some monster groaned and sighed. Then Freddy heard a strange voice, very +loud, yet cracked and queer, as if some one tried to talk with a broken +jaw. + +"Freddy ahoy!" called the big voice. "I'll tell you all about it; for +you are the only person who ever pitied me, or cared to know any thing +about me." + +"Why, can you talk?" asked Freddy, very much astonished and a little +frightened. + +"Of course I can, for this is a part of my jaw-bone. I should talk +better if my whole mouth was here; but I'm afraid my voice would then be +so loud you wouldn't be able to hear it. I don't think any one but you +would understand me, any way. It isn't every one that can, you know; but +you are a thoughtful little chap, with a lively fancy as well as a kind +heart, so you shall hear my story." + +"Thank you, I should like it very much, if you would please to speak a +little lower, and not sigh; for your voice almost stuns me, and your +breath nearly blows me away," said Freddy. + +"I'll try: but it's hard to suit my tone to such a mite, or to help +groaning when I think of my sad fate; though I deserve it, perhaps," +said the bone, more gently. + +"Were you a naughty whale?" asked Freddy. + +"I was proud, very proud, and foolish; and so I suffered for it. I dare +say you know a good deal about us. I see you reading often, and you seem +a sensible child." + +"No: I haven't read about you yet, and I only know that you are the +biggest fish there is," replied Freddy. + +The bone creaked and shook, as if it was laughing, and said in a tone +that showed it hadn't got over its pride yet: + +"You're wrong there, my dear; we are not fishes at all, though stupid +mortals have called us so for a long time. We can't live without air; we +have warm, red blood; and we don't lay eggs,--so we are _not_ fishes. We +certainly _are_ the biggest creatures in the sea and out of it. Why, +bless you! some of us are nearly a hundred feet long; our tails alone +are fifteen or twenty feet wide; the biggest of us weigh five hundred +thousand pounds, and have in them the fat, bone, and muscle of a +thousand cattle. The lower jaw of one of my family made an arch large +enough for a man on horseback to ride under easily, and my cousins of +the sperm-family usually yield eighty barrels of oil." + +"Gracious me, what monsters you are!" cried Freddy, taking a long +breath, while his eyes got bigger and bigger as he listened. + +"Ah! you may well say so; we are a very wonderful and interesting +family. All our branches are famous in one way or another. Fin-backs, +sperms, and rights are the largest; then come the norwhals, the +dolphins, and porpoises,--which last, I dare say, you've seen." + +"Yes: but tell me about the big ones, please. Which were you?" cried +Freddy. + +"I was a Right whale, from Greenland. The Sperms live in warm places; +but to us the torrid zone is like a sea of fire, and we don't pass it. +Our cousins do; and go to the East Indies by way of the North Pole, +which is more than your famous Parrys and Franklins could do." + +"I don't know about that; but I'd like to hear what you eat, and how you +live, and why you came here," said Freddy, who thought the whale rather +inclined to boast. + +"Well, we haven't got any teeth,--our branch of the family; and we live +on creatures so small, that you could only see them with a microscope. +Yes, you may stare; but it's true, my dear. The roofs of our mouths are +made of whalebone, in broad pieces from six to eight feet long, arranged +one against the other; so they make an immense sieve. The tongue, which +makes about five barrels of oil, lies below, like a cushion of white +satin. When we want to feed, we rush through the water, which is full of +the little things we eat, and catch them in our sieve, spurting the +water through two holes in our heads. Then we collect the food with our +tongue, and swallow it; for, though we are so big, our throats are +small. We roam about in the ocean, leaping and floating, feeding and +spouting, flying from our enemies, or fighting bravely to defend our +young ones." + +"Have you got any enemies? I shouldn't think you could have, you are so +large," said Freddy. + +"But we have, and many too,--three who attack us in the water, and +several more that men use against us. The killer, the sword-fish, and +the thrasher trouble us at home. The killer fastens to us, and won't be +shaken off till he has worried us to death; the sword-fish stabs us with +his sword; and the thrasher whips us to death with his own slender, but +strong and heavy body. Then, men harpoon us, shoot or entrap us; and +make us into oil and candles and seats, and stiffening for gowns and +umbrellas," said the bone, in a tone of scorn. + +Freddy laughed at the idea, and asked, "How about candles? I know about +oil and seats and umbrellas; but I thought candles were made of wax." + +"I can't say much on that point: I only know that, when a sperm whale is +killed, they make oil out of the fat part as they do of ours; but the +Sperms have a sort of cistern in their heads, full of stuff like cream, +and rose-colored. They cut a hole in the skull, and dip it out; and +sometimes get sixteen or twenty barrels. This is made into what you call +spermaceti candles. _We_ don't have any such nonsense about us; but the +Sperms always were a light-headed set." + +Here the bone laughed, in a cracked sort of roar, which sent Freddy +flying off the seat on to the grass, where he stayed, laughing also, +though he didn't see any joke. + +"I beg your pardon, child. It isn't often that I laugh; for I've a +heavy heart somewhere, and have known trouble enough to make me as sad +as the sea is sometimes." + +"Tell me about your troubles; I pity you very much, and like to hear you +talk," said Freddy, kindly. + +"Unfortunately we are very easily killed, in spite of our size; and have +various afflictions besides death. We grow blind; our jaws are deformed +sometimes; our tails, with which we swim, get hurt; and we have +dyspepsia." + +Freddy shouted at that; for he knew what dyspepsia was, because at the +sea-side there were many sickly people who were always groaning about +that disease. + +"It's no laughing matter, I assure you," said the whale's bone. "We +suffer a great deal, and get thin and weak and miserable. I've sometimes +thought that's the reason we are blue." + +"Perhaps, as you have no teeth, you don't chew your food enough, and so +have dyspepsia, like an old gentleman I know," said Freddy. + +"That's not the reason; my cousins, the Sperms, have teeth, and +dyspepsia also." + +"Are they blue?" + +"No, black and white. But I was going to tell you my troubles. My father +was harpooned when I was very young, and I remember how bravely he +died. The Rights usually run away when they see a whaler coming; not +from cowardice,--oh, dear, no!--but discretion. The Sperms stay and +fight, and are killed off very fast; for they are a very headstrong +family. We fight when we can't help it; and my father died like a hero. +They chased him five hours before they stuck him; he tried to get away, +and dragged three or four boats and sixteen hundred fathoms of line from +eight in the morning till four at night. Then they got out another line, +and he towed the ship itself for more than an hour. There were fifteen +harpoons in him: he chewed up a boat, pitched several men overboard, and +damaged the vessel, before they killed him. Ah! he was a father to be +proud of." + +Freddy sat respectfully silent for a few minutes, as the old bone seemed +to feel a great deal on the subject. Presently he went on again: + +"The Sperms live in herds; but the Rights go in pairs, and are very fond +of one another. My wife was a charming creature, and we were very happy, +till one sad day, when she was playing with our child,--a sweet little +whaleling only twelve feet long, and weighing but a ton,--my son was +harpooned. His mamma, instead of flying, wrapped her fins round him, and +dived as far as the line allowed. Then she came up, and dashed at the +boats in great rage and anguish, entirely regardless of the danger she +was in. The men struck my son, in order to get her, and they soon +succeeded; but even then, in spite of her suffering, she did not try to +escape, but clung to little Spouter till both were killed. Alas! alas!" + +Here the poor bone creaked so dismally, Freddy feared it would tumble to +pieces, and bring the story to an end too soon. + +"Don't think of those sorrowful things," he said; "tell me how you came +to be here. Were you harpooned?" + +"Not I; for I've been very careful all my life to keep out of the way of +danger: I'm not like one of my relations, who attacked a ship, gave it +such a dreadful blow that he made a great hole, the water rushed in, and +the vessel was wrecked. But he paid dearly for that prank; for a few +months afterward another ship harpooned him very easily, finding two +spears still in him, and a wound in his head. I forgot to mention, that +the Sperms have fine ivory teeth, and make ambergris,--a sort of stuff +that smells very nice, and costs a great deal. I give you these little +facts about my family, as you seem interested, and it's always well to +improve the minds of young people." + +"You are very kind; but will you be good enough to tell about yourself?" +said Freddy again; for the bone seemed to avoid that part of the story, +as if he didn't want to tell it. + +"Well, if I must, I must; but I'm sorry to confess what a fool I've +been. You know what coral is, don't you?" + +"No," said Freddy, wondering why it asked. + +"Then I must tell you, I suppose. There is a bit in the house +there,--that rough, white, stony stuff on the table in the parlor. It's +full of little holes, you know. Well, those holes are the front doors of +hundreds of little polypes, or coral worms, who build the great branches +of coral, and live there. They are of various shapes and colors,--some +like stars; some fine as a thread, and blue or yellow; others like +snails and tiny lobsters. Some people say the real coral-makers are +shaped like little oblong bags of jelly, closed at one end, the other +open, with six or eight little feelers, like a star, all around it. The +other creatures are boarders or visitors: these are the real workers, +and, when they sit in their cells and put out their feelers, they make +all manner of lovely colors under the water,--crimson, green, orange, +and violet. But if they are taken up or touched, the coral people go in +doors, and the beautiful hues disappear. They say there are many coral +reefs and islands built by these industrious people, in the South Seas; +but I can't go there to see, and I am contented with those I find in the +northern latitudes. I knew such a community of coral builders, and used +to watch them long ago, when they began to work. It was a charming +spot, down under the sea; for all manner of lovely plants grew there; +splendid fishes sailed to and fro; wonderful shells lay about; crimson +and yellow prawns, long, gliding green worms, and purple sea-urchins, +were there. When I asked the polypes what they were doing, and they +answered, 'Building an island,' I laughed at them; for the idea that +these tiny, soft atoms could make any thing was ridiculous. 'You may +roar; but you'll see that we are right, if you live long enough,' said +they. 'Our family have built thousands of islands and long reefs, that +the sea can't get over, strong as it is.' That amused me immensely; but +I wouldn't believe it, and laughed more than ever." + +"It does seem very strange," said Freddy, looking at the branch of coral +which he had brought out to examine. + +"Doesn't it? and isn't it hard to believe? I used to go, now and then, +to see how the little fellows got on, and always found them hard at it. +For a long while there was only a little plant without leaves, growing +slowly taller and taller; for they always build upward toward the light. +By and by, the small shrub was a tree: flying-fish roosted in its +branches; sea-cows lay under its shadow; and thousands of jolly little +polypes lived and worked in its white chambers. I was glad to see them +getting on so well; but still I didn't believe in the island story, and +used to joke them about their ambition. They were very good-natured, and +only answered me, 'Wait a little longer, Friend Right.' I had my own +affairs to attend to; so, for years at a time, I forgot the +coral-workers, and spent most of my life up Greenland way, for warm +climates don't agree with my constitution. When I came back, after a +long absence, I was astonished to see the tree grown into a large +umbrella-shaped thing, rising above the water. Sea-weed had washed up +and clung there; sea-birds had made nests there; land-birds and the +winds had carried seeds there, which had sprung up; trunks of trees had +been cast there by the sea; lizards, insects, and little animals came +with the trees, and were the first inhabitants; and, behold! it _was_ an +island." + +"What did you say then?" asked Freddy. + +"I was angry, and didn't want to own that I was wrong; so I insisted +that it wasn't a real island, without people on it. 'Wait a little +longer,' answered the polypes; and went on, building broader and broader +foundations. I flounced away in a rage, and didn't go back for a great +while. I hoped something would happen to the coral builders and their +island; but I was so curious that I couldn't keep away, and, on going +back there, I found a settlement of fishermen, and the beginning of a +thriving town. Now I should have been in a towering passion at this, if +in my travels I hadn't discovered a race of little creatures as much +smaller than polypes as a mouse is smaller than an elephant. I heard two +learned men talking about diatoms, as they sailed to Labrador; and I +listened. They said these people lived in both salt and fresh water, and +were found in all parts of the world. They were a glassy shell, holding +a soft, golden-yellow substance, and that they were so countless that +banks were made of them, and that a town here in these United States was +founded on them. They were the food of many little sea-animals, who, in +turn, fed us big creatures, and were very interesting and wonderful. I +saved up this story; and, when the polypes asked if they hadn't done +what they intended, I told them I didn't think it so very remarkable, +for the tiny diatoms made cities, and were far more astonishing animals +than they. I thought that would silence them; but they just turned +round, and informed me that my diatoms were plants, not animals,--so my +story was all humbug. Then I _was_ mad; and couldn't get over the fact +that these little rascals had done what we, the kings of the sea, +couldn't do. I wasn't content with being the biggest creature there: I +wanted to be the most skilful also. I didn't remember that every thing +has its own place and use, and should be happy in doing the work for +which it was made. I fretted over the matter a long while, and at last +decided to make an island myself." + +"How could you?" asked Freddy. + +"I had my plans; and thought them very wise ones. I was so bent on +outdoing the polypes that I didn't much care what happened; and so I +went to work in my clumsy way. I couldn't pile up stones, or build +millions of cells; so I just made an island of myself. I swam up into +the harbor yonder one night; covered my back with sea-weed; and lay +still on the top of the water. In the morning the gulls came to see what +it was, and pecked away at the weeds, telling me very soon that they +knew what I was after, and that I couldn't gull them. All the people on +shore turned out to see the wonder also; for a fisherman had carried the +tidings, and every one was wild to behold the new island. After staring +and chattering a long while, boats came off to examine the mystery. +Loads of scientific gentlemen worked away at me with microscopes, +hammers, acids, and all sorts of tests, to decide what I was; and kept +up such a fire of long words that I was 'most dead. They couldn't make +up their minds; and meanwhile news of the strange thing spread, and +every sort of person came to see me. The gulls kept telling them the +joke; but they didn't understand, and I got on capitally. Every night I +dined and fed and frolicked till dawn; then put on my sea-weeds, and +lay still to be stared at. I wanted some one to come and live on me; +then I should be equal to the island of the polypes. But no one came, +and I was beginning to be tired of fooling people, when I was fooled +myself. An old sailor came to visit me: he had been a whaler, and he +soon guessed the secret. But he said nothing till he was safely out of +danger; then he got all ready, and one day, as I lay placidly in the +sun, a horrible harpoon came flying through the air, and sunk deep into +my back. I forgot every thing but the pain, and dived for my life. Alas! +the tide was low; the harbor-bar couldn't be passed; and I found +hundreds of boats chasing me, till I was driven ashore down there on the +flats. Big and strong as we are, once out of water, and we are perfectly +helpless. I was soon despatched; and my bones left to whiten on the +sand. This was long ago; and, one by one, all my relics have been +carried off or washed away. My jaw-bone has been used as a seat here, +till it's worn out; but I couldn't crumble away till I'd told some one +my story. Remember, child, pride goeth before a fall." + +Then, with a great creak, the bone tumbled to pieces; and found a +peaceful grave in the long green grass. + + + + +X. + +A STRANGE ISLAND. + + +One day I lay rocking in my boat, reading a very famous book, which all +children know and love; and the name of which I'll tell you by and by. +So busily was I reading, that I never minded the tide; and presently +discovered that I was floating out to sea, with neither sail nor oar. At +first I was very much frightened; for there was no one in sight on land +or sea, and I didn't know where I might drift to. But the water was +calm, the sky clear, and the wind blew balmily; so I waited for what +should happen. + +Presently I saw a speck on the sea, and eagerly watched it; for it drew +rapidly near, and seemed to be going my way. When it came closer, I was +much amazed; for, of all the queer boats I ever saw, this was the +queerest. It was a great wooden bowl, very cracked and old; and in it +sat three gray-headed little gentlemen with spectacles, all reading +busily, and letting the boat go where it pleased. Now, right in their +way was a rock; and I called out, "Sir, sir, take care." + +But my call came too late: crash went the bowl, out came the bottom, and +down plumped all the little gentlemen into the sea. I tried not to +laugh, as the books, wigs, and spectacles flew about; and, urging my +boat nearer, I managed to fish them up, dripping and sneezing, and +looking like drowned kittens. When the flurry was over, and they had got +their breath, I asked who they were, and where they were going. + +"We are from Gotham, ma'am," said the fattest one, wiping a very wet +face on a very wet handkerchief. "We were going to that island yonder. +We have often tried, but never got there: it's always so, and I begin to +think the thing can't be done." + +I looked where he pointed; and, sure enough, there was an island where I +had never seen one before. I rubbed my eyes, and looked again. Yes: +there it was,--a little island, with trees and people on it; for I saw +smoke coming out of the chimney of a queerly-shaped house on the shore. + +"What is the name of it?" I asked. + +The little old gentleman put his finger on his lips, and said, with a +mysterious nod: + +"I couldn't tell you, ma'am. It's a secret; but, if you manage to land +there, you will soon know." + +The other old men nodded at the same time; and then all went to reading +again, with the water still dropping off the ends of their noses. This +made me very curious; and, as the tide drifted us nearer and nearer, I +looked well about me, and saw several things that filled me with a +strong desire to land on the island. The odd house, I found, was built +like a high-heeled shoe; and at every window I saw children's heads. +Some were eating broth; some were crying; and some had nightcaps on. I +caught sight of a distracted old lady flying about, with a ladle in one +hand, and a rod in the other; but the house was so full of children +(even up to the skylight,--out of which they popped their heads, and +nodded at me) that I couldn't see much of the mamma of this large +family: one seldom can, you know. + +I had hardly got over my surprise at this queer sight, when I saw a cow +fly up through the air, over the new moon that hung there, and come down +and disappear in the woods. I really didn't know what to make of this, +but had no time to ask the old men what it meant; for a cat, playing a +fiddle, was seen on the shore. A little dog stood by, listening and +laughing; while a dish and a spoon ran away over the beach with all +their might. If the boat had not floated up to the land, I think I +should have swam there,--I was so anxious to see what was going on; for +there was a great racket on the island, and such a remarkable collection +of creatures, it was impossible to help staring. + +As soon as we landed, three other gentlemen came to welcome the ones I +had saved, and seemed very glad to see them. They appeared to have just +landed from a tub in which was a drum, rub-a-dub-dubbing all by itself. +One of the new men had a white frock on, and carried a large knife; the +second had dough on his hands, flour on his coat, and a hot-looking +face; the third was very greasy, had a bundle of candles under his arm, +and a ball of wicking half out of his pocket. The six shook hands, and +walked away together, talking about a fair; and left me to take care of +myself. + +I walked on through a pleasant meadow, where a pretty little girl was +looking sadly up at a row of sheep's tails hung on a tree. I also saw a +little boy in blue, asleep by a haycock; and another boy taking aim at a +cock-sparrow, who clapped his wings and flew away. Presently I saw two +more little girls: one sat by a fire warming her toes; and, when I asked +what her name was, she said pleasantly: + +"Polly Flinders, ma'am." + +The other one sat on a tuft of grass, eating something that looked very +nice; but, all of a sudden, she dropped her bowl, and ran away, looking +very much frightened. + +"What's the matter with her?" I asked of a gay young frog who came +tripping along with his hat under his arm. + +"Miss Muffit is a fashionable lady, and afraid of spiders, madam; also +of frogs." And he puffed himself angrily up, till his eyes quite +goggled in his head. + +"And, pray, who are you, sir?" I asked, staring at his white vest, green +coat, and fine cravat. + +"Excuse me, if I don't give my name, ma'am. My false friend, the rat, +got me into a sad scrape once; and Rowley insists upon it that a duck +destroyed me, which is all gammon, ma'am,--all gammon." + +With that, the frog skipped away; and I turned into a narrow lane, which +seemed to lead toward some music. I had not gone far, when I heard the +rumbling of a wheelbarrow, and saw a little man wheeling a little woman +along. The little man looked very hot and tired; but the little woman +looked very nice, in a smart bonnet and shawl, and kept looking at a new +gold ring on her finger, as she rode along under her little umbrella. I +was wondering who they were, when down went the wheelbarrow; and the +little lady screamed so dismally that I ran away, lest I should get into +trouble,--being a stranger. + +Turning a corner, I came upon a very charming scene, and slipped into a +quiet nook to see what was going on. It was evidently a wedding; and I +was just in time to see it, for the procession was passing at that +moment. First came a splendid cock-a-doodle, all in black and gold, like +a herald, blowing his trumpet, and marching with a very dignified step. +Then came a rook, in black, like a minister, with spectacles and white +cravat. A lark and bullfinch followed,--friends, I suppose; and then the +bride and bridegroom. Miss Wren was evidently a Quakeress; for she wore +a sober dress, and a little white veil, through which her bright eyes +shone. The bridegroom was a military man, in his scarlet uniform,--a +plump, bold-looking bird, very happy and proud just then. A goldfinch +gave away the bride, and a linnet was bridesmaid. The ceremony was very +fine; and, as soon as it was over, the blackbird, thrush and nightingale +burst out in a lovely song. + +A splendid dinner followed, at which was nearly every bird that flies; +so you may imagine the music there was. They had currant-pie in +abundance; and cherry-wine, which excited a cuckoo so much, that he +became quite rude, and so far forgot himself as to pull the bride about. +This made the groom so angry that he begged his friend, the sparrow, to +bring his bow and arrow, and punish the ruffian. But, alas! Sparrow had +also taken a drop too much: he aimed wrong, and, with a dreadful cry, +Mr. Robin sank dying into the arms of his wife, little Jane. + +It was too much for me; and, taking advantage of the confusion that +followed, I left the tragical scene as fast as possible. + +A little farther on, I was shocked to see a goose dragging an old man +down some steps that led to a little house. + +"Dear me! what's the matter here?" I cried. + +"He won't say his prayers," screamed the goose. + +"But perhaps he was never taught," said I. + +"It's never too late to learn: he's had his chance; he won't be pious +and good, so away with him. Don't interfere, whatever you do: hold your +tongue, and go about your business," scolded the goose, who certainly +had a dreadful temper. + +I dared say no more; and, when the poor old man had been driven away by +this foul proceeding, I went up the steps and peeped in; for I heard +some one crying, and thought the cross bird, perhaps, had hurt some one +else. A little old woman stood there, wringing her hands in great +distress; while a small dog was barking at her with all his might. + +"Bless me! the fashions have got even here," thought I; for the old +woman was dressed in the latest style,--or, rather, she had overdone it +sadly; for her gown was nearly up to her knees, and she was nearly as +ridiculous an object as some of the young ladies I had seen at home. She +had a respectable bonnet on, however, instead of a straw saucer; and her +hair was neatly put under a cap,--not made into a knob on the top of her +head. + +"My dear soul, what's the trouble?" said I, quite touched by her tears. + +"Lud a mercy, ma'am! I've been to market with my butter and eggs,--for +the price of both is so high, one can soon get rich nowadays,--and, +being tired, I stopped to rest a bit, but fell asleep by the road. +Somebody--I think it's a rogue of a peddler who sold me wooden nutmegs, +and a clock that wouldn't go, and some pans that came to bits the first +time I used them--somebody cut my new gown and petticoat off all round, +in the shameful way you see. I thought I never should get home; for I +was such a fright, I actually didn't know myself. But, thinks I, my +doggy will know me; and then I shall be sure I'm I, and not some +boldfaced creature in short skirts. But, oh, ma'am! doggy _don't_ know +me; and I ain't myself, and I don't know what to do." + +"He's a foolish little beast; so don't mind him, but have a cup of tea, +and go to bed. You can make your gown decent to-morrow; and, if I see +the tricksy peddler, I'll give him a scolding." + +This seemed to comfort the old woman; though doggy still barked. + +"My next neighbor has a dog who never behaves in this way," she said, as +she put her teapot on the coals. "He's a remarkable beast; and you'd +better stop to see him as you pass, ma'am. He's always up to some funny +prank or other." + +I said I would; and, as I went by the next house, I took a look in at +the window. The closet was empty, I observed; but the dog sat smoking a +pipe, looking as grave as a judge. + +"Where is your mistress?" asked I. + +"Gone for some tripe," answered the dog, politely taking the pipe out of +his mouth, and adding, "I hope the smoke doesn't annoy you." + +"I don't approve of smoking," said I. + +"Sorry to hear it," said the dog, coolly. + +I was going to lecture him on this bad habit; but I saw his mistress +coming with a dish in her hand, and, fearing she might think me rude to +peep in at her windows, I walked on, wondering what we were coming to +when even four-legged puppies smoked. + +At the door of the next little house, I saw a market-wagon loaded with +vegetables, and a smart young pig just driving it away. I had heard of +this interesting family, and took a look as I passed by. A second tidy +pig sat blowing the fire; and a third was eating roast-beef, as if he +had just come in from his work. The fourth, I was grieved to see, looked +very sulky; for it was evident he had been naughty, and so lost his +dinner. The little pig was at the door, crying to get in; and it was +sweet to see how kindly the others let him in, wiped his tears, tied on +his bib, and brought him his bread and milk. I was very glad to see +these young orphans doing so well, and I knew my friends at home would +enjoy hearing from them. + +A loud scream made me jump; and the sudden splash of water made me run +along, without stopping to pick up a boy and girl who came tumbling down +the hill, with an empty pail, bumping their heads as they rolled. +Smelling something nice, and feeling hungry, I stepped into a large room +near by,--a sort of eating-house, I fancy; for various parties seemed to +be enjoying themselves in their different ways. A small boy sat near the +door, eating a large pie; and he gave me a fine plum which he had just +pulled out. At one table was a fat gentleman cutting another pie, which +had a dark crust, through which appeared the heads of a flock of birds, +all singing gayly. + +"There's no end to the improvements in cooking, and no accounting for +tastes," I added, looking at a handsomely-dressed lady, who sat near, +eating bread and honey. + +As I passed this party, I saw behind the lady's chair a maid, with a +clothes-pin in her hand, and no nose. She sobbingly told me a bird had +nipped it off; and I gave her a bit of court-plaster, which I +fortunately had in my pocket. + +Another couple were dividing their meat in a queer way; for one took all +the fat, and the other all the lean. The next people were odder still; +for the man looked rather guilty, and seemed to be hiding a three-peck +measure under his chair, while he waited for his wife to bring on some +cold barley-pudding, which, to my surprise, she was frying herself. I +also saw a queer moonstruck-looking man inquiring the way to Norridge; +and another man making wry faces over some plum-pudding, with which he +had burnt his mouth, because his friend came down too soon. + +I ordered pease-porridge hot, and they brought it cold; but I didn't +wait for any thing else, being in a hurry to see all there was to be +seen on this strange island. Feeling refreshed, I strolled on, passing a +jolly old gentleman smoking and drinking, while three fiddlers played +before him. As I turned into a road that led toward a hill, a little +boy, riding a dapple-gray pony, and an old lady on a white horse, with +bells ringing somewhere, trotted by me, followed by a little girl, who +wished to know where she could buy a penny bun. I told her the best were +at Newmarch's, in Bedford Street, and she ran on, much pleased; but I'm +afraid she never found that best of bake-shops. I was going quietly +along, when the sound of another horse coming made me look round; and +there I saw a dreadful sight,--a wild horse, tearing over the ground, +with fiery eyes and streaming tail. On his back sat a crazy man, beating +him with a broom; a crazy woman was behind him, with her bonnet on wrong +side before, holding one crazy child in her lap, while another stood on +the horse; a third was hanging on by one foot, and all were howling at +the top of their voices as they rushed by. I scrambled over the wall to +get out of the way, and there I saw more curious sights. Two blind men +were sitting on the grass, trying to see two lame men who were hobbling +along as hard as they could; and, near by, a bull was fighting a bee in +the most violent manner. This rather alarmed me; and I scrambled back +into the road again, just as a very fine lady jumped over a +barberry-bush near by, and a gentleman went flying after, with a ring in +one hand and a stick in the other. + +"What very odd people they have here!" I thought. Close by was a tidy +little house under the hill, and in it a tidy little woman who sold +things to eat. Being rather hungry, in spite of my porridge, I bought a +baked apple and a cranberry-pie; for she said they were good, and I +found she told the truth. As I sat eating my pie, some dogs began to +bark; and by came a troop of beggars, some in rags, and some in old +velvet gowns. A drunken grenadier was with them, who wanted a pot of +beer; but as he had no money, the old woman sent him about his business. + +On my way up the hill, I saw a little boy crying over a dead pig, and +his sister, who seemed to be dead also. I asked his name, and he sobbed +out, "Johnny Pringle, ma'am;" and went on crying so hard I could do +nothing to comfort him. While I stood talking to him, a sudden gust of +wind blew up the road, and down came the bough of a tree; and, to my +surprise, a cradle with a baby in it also. The baby screamed dreadfully, +and I didn't know how to quiet it; so I ran back to the old woman, and +left it with her, asking if that was the way babies were taken care of +there. + +"Bless you, my dear! its ma is making patty-cakes; and put it up there +to be out of the way of Tom Tinker's dog. I'll soon hush it up," said +the old woman; and, trotting it on her knee, she began to sing: + + "Hey! my kitten, my kitten, + Hey! my kitten, my deary." + +Feeling that the child was in good hands, I hurried away, for I saw +something was going on upon the hill-top. When I got to the hill-top, I +was shocked to find some people tossing an old woman in a blanket. I +begged them to stop; but one of the men, who, I found, was a Welchman, +by the name of Taffy, told me the old lady liked it. + +"But why does she like it?" I asked in great surprise. + +"Tom, the piper's son, will tell you: it's my turn to toss now," said +the man. + +"Why, you see, ma'am," said Tom, "she is one of those dreadfully nice +old women, who are always fussing and scrubbing, and worrying people to +death, with everlastingly cleaning house. Now and then we get so tired +out with her that we propose to her to clean the sky itself. She likes +that; and, as this is the only way we can get her up, we toss till she +sticks somewhere, and then leave her to sweep cobwebs till she is ready +to come back and behave herself." + +"Well, that is the oddest thing I ever heard. I know just such an old +lady, and when I go home I'll try your plan. It seems to me that you +have a great many queer old ladies on this island," I said to another +man, whom they called Peter, and who stood eating pumpkin all the time. + +"Well, we do have rather a nice collection; but you haven't seen the +best of all. We expect her every minute; and Margery Daw is to let us +know the minute she lights on the island," replied Peter, with his mouth +full. + +"Lights?" said I, "you speak as if she flew." + +"She rides on a bird. Hurrah! the old sweeper has lit. Now the cobwebs +will fly. Don't hurry back," shouted the man; and a faint, far-off voice +answered, "I shall be back again by and by." + +The people folded up the blanket, looking much relieved; and I was +examining a very odd house which was built by an ancient king called +Boggen, when Margery Daw, a dirty little girl, came up the hill, +screaming, at the top of her voice: + +"She's come! she's come!" + +Every one looked up; and I saw a large white bird slowly flying over the +island. On its back sat the nicest old woman that ever was seen: all the +others were nothing compared to her. She had a pointed hat on over her +cap, a red cloak, high-heeled shoes, and a crutch in her hand. She +smiled and nodded as the bird approached; and every one ran and nodded, +and screamed, "Welcome! welcome, mother!" + +As soon as she touched the ground, she was so surrounded that I could +only see the top of her hat; for hundreds and hundreds of little +children suddenly appeared, like a great flock of birds,--rosy, happy, +pretty children; but all looked unreal, and among them I saw some who +looked like little people I had known long ago. + +"Who are they?" I asked of a bonny lass, who was sitting on a cushion, +eating strawberries and cream. + +"They are the phantoms of all the little people who ever read and loved +our mother's songs," said the maid. + +"What did she write?" I asked, feeling very queer, and as if I was going +to remember something. + +"Songs that are immortal; and you have them in your hand," replied the +bonny maid, smiling at my stupidity. + +I looked; and there, on the cover of the book I had been reading so +busily when the tide carried me away, I saw the words "Mother Goose's +Melodies." I was so delighted that I had seen her I gave a shout, and +tried to get near enough to hug and kiss the dear old soul, as the swarm +of children were doing; but my cry woke me, and I was _so_ sorry to find +it all a dream! + + + + +XI. + +FANCY'S FRIEND. + + +It was a wagon, shaped like a great square basket, on low wheels, and +drawn by a stout donkey. There was one seat, on which Miss Fairbairn the +governess sat; and all round her, leaning over the edge of the basket, +were children, with little wooden shovels and baskets in their hands, +going down to play on the beach. Away they went, over the common, +through the stony lane, out upon the wide, smooth sands. All the +children but one immediately fell to digging holes, and making ponds, +castles, or forts. They did this every day, and were never tired of it; +but little Fancy made new games for herself, and seldom dug in the sand. +She had a garden of sea-weed, which the waves watered every day: she had +a palace of pretty shells, where she kept all sorts of little +water-creatures as fairy tenants; she had friends and playmates among +the gulls and peeps, and learned curious things by watching crabs, +horse-shoes, and jelly-fishes; and every day she looked for a mermaid. + +It was of no use to tell her that there were no mermaids: Fancy firmly +believed in them, and was sure she would see one some day. The other +children called the seals mermaids; and were contented with the queer, +shiny creatures who played in the water, lay on the rocks, and peeped at +them with soft, bright eyes as they sailed by. Fancy was not satisfied +with seals,--they were not pretty and graceful enough for her,--and she +waited and watched for a real mermaid. On this day she took a breezy run +with the beach-birds along the shore; she planted a pretty red weed in +her garden; and let out the water-beetles and snails who had passed the +night in her palace. Then she went to a rock that stood near the quiet +nook where she played alone, and sat there looking for a mermaid as the +tide came in; for it brought her many curious things, and it might +perhaps bring a mermaid. + +As she looked across the waves that came tumbling one over the other, +she saw something that was neither boat nor buoy nor seal. It was a +queer-looking thing, with a wild head, a long waving tail, and something +like arms that seemed to paddle it along. The waves tumbled it about, so +Fancy could not see very well: but, the longer she looked, the surer she +was that this curious thing was a mermaid; and she waited eagerly for it +to reach the shore. Nearer and nearer it came, till a great wave threw +it upon the sand; and Fancy saw that it was only a long piece of kelp, +torn up by the roots. She was very much disappointed; but, all of a +sudden, her face cleared up, she clapped her hands, and began to dance +round the kelp, saying: + +"I'll make a mermaid myself, since none will come to me." + +Away she ran, higher up the beach, and, after thinking a minute, began +her work. Choosing a smooth, hard place, she drew with a stick the +outline of her mermaid; then she made the hair of the brown marsh-grass +growing near by, arranging it in long locks on either side the face, +which was made of her prettiest pink and white shells,--for she pulled +down her palace to get them. The eyes were two gray pebbles; the neck +and arms of larger, white shells; and the dress of sea-weed,--red, +green, purple, and yellow; very splendid, for Fancy emptied her garden +to dress her mermaid. + +"People say that mermaids always have tails; and I might make one out of +this great leaf of kelp. But it isn't pretty, and I don't like it; for I +want mine to be beautiful: so I won't have any tail," said Fancy, and +put two slender white shells for feet, at the lower edge of the fringed +skirt. She laid a wreath of little star-fish across the brown hair, a +belt of small orange-crabs round the waist, buttoned the dress with +violet snail-shells, and hung a tiny white pebble, like a pearl, in +either ear. + +"Now she must have a glass and a comb in her hand, as the song says, +and then she will be done," said Fancy, looking about her, well pleased. + +Presently she found the skeleton of a little fish, and his backbone made +an excellent comb; while a transparent jelly-fish served for a glass, +with a frame of cockle-shells round it. Placing these in the hands of +her mermaid, and some red coral bracelets on her wrists, Fancy +pronounced her done; and danced about her, singing: + + "My pretty little mermaid, + Oh! come, and play with me: + I'll love you, I'll welcome you; + And happy we shall be." + +Now, while she had been working, the tide had crept higher and higher; +and, as she sung, one wave ran up and wet her feet. + +"Oh, what a pity I didn't put her farther up!" cried Fancy; "the tide +will wash her all away; and I meant to keep her fresh, and show her to +Aunt Fiction. My poor mermaid!--I shall lose her; but perhaps she will +be happier in the sea: so I will let her go." + +Mounting her rock, Fancy waited to see her work destroyed. But the sea +seemed to pity her; and wave after wave came up, without doing any harm. +At last one broke quite over the mermaid, and Fancy thought that would +be the end of her. But, no: instead of scattering shells, stones, and +weeds, the waves lifted the whole figure, without displacing any thing, +and gently bore it back into the sea. + +"Good by! good by!" cried Fancy, as the little figure floated away; +then, as it disappeared, she put her hands before her face,--for she +loved her mermaid, and had given all her treasures to adorn her; and now +to lose her so soon seemed hard,--and Fancy's eyes were full of tears. +Another great wave came rolling in; but she did not look up to see it +break, and, a minute after, she heard steps tripping toward her over the +sand. Still she did not stir; for, just then, none of her playmates +could take the place of her new friend, and she didn't want to see them. + +"Fancy! Fancy!" called a breezy voice, sweeter than any she had ever +heard. But she did not raise her head, nor care to know who called. The +steps came quite close; and the touch of a cold, wet hand fell on her +own. Then she looked up, and saw a strange little girl standing by her, +who smiled, showing teeth like little pearls, and said, in the breezy +voice: + +"You wanted me to play with you, so I came." + +"Who are you?" asked Fancy, wondering where she had seen the child +before. + +"I'm your mermaid," said the child. + +"But the water carried her away," cried Fancy. + +"The waves only carried me out for the sea to give me life, and then +brought me back to you," answered the new comer. + +"But are you really a mermaid?" asked Fancy, beginning to smile and +believe. + +"I am really the one you made: look, and see if I'm not;" and the little +creature turned slowly round, that Fancy might be sure it was her own +work. + +She certainly was very like the figure that once lay on the sand,--only +she was not now made of stones and shells. There was the long brown hair +blowing about her face, with a wreath of starry shells in it. Her eyes +were gray, her cheeks and lips rosy, her neck and arms white; and from +under her striped dress peeped little bare feet. She had pearls in her +ears, coral bracelets, a golden belt, and a glass and comb in her hands. + +"Yes," said Fancy, drawing near, "you _are_ my little mermaid; but how +does it happen that you come to me at last?" + +"Dear friend," answered the water-child, "you believed in me, watched +and waited long for me, shaped the image of the thing you wanted out of +your dearest treasures, and promised to love and welcome me. I could not +help coming; and the sea, that is as fond of you as you are of it, +helped me to grant your wish." + +"Oh, I'm glad, I'm glad! Dear little mermaid, what is your name?" cried +Fancy, kissing the cool cheek of her new friend, and putting her arms +about her neck. + +"Call me by my German cousin's pretty name,--Lorelei," answered the +mermaid, kissing back as warmly as she could. + +"Will you come home and live with me, dear Lorelei?" asked Fancy, still +holding her fast. + +"If you will promise to tell no one who and what I am, I will stay with +you as long as you love and believe in me. As soon as you betray me, or +lose your faith and fondness, I shall vanish, never to come back again," +answered Lorelei. + +"I promise: but won't people wonder who you are? and, if they ask me, +what shall I say?" said Fancy. + +"Tell them you found me on the shore; and leave the rest to me. But you +must not expect other people to like and believe in me as you do. They +will say hard things of me; will blame you for loving me; and try to +part us. Can you bear this, and keep your promise faithfully?" + +"I think I can. But why won't they like you?" said Fancy, looking +troubled. + +"Because they are not like you, dear," answered the mermaid, with salt +tears in her soft eyes. "They have not your power of seeing beauty in +all things, of enjoying invisible delights, and living in a world of +your own. Your Aunt Fiction will like me; but your Uncle Fact won't. He +will want to know all about me; will think I'm a little vagabond; and +want me to be sent away somewhere, to be made like other children. I +shall keep out of his way as much as I can; for I'm afraid of him." + +"I'll take care of you, Lorelei dear; and no one shall trouble you. I +hear Miss Fairbairn calling; so I must go. Give me your hand, and don't +be afraid." + +Hand in hand the two went toward the other children, who stopped +digging, and stared at the new child. Miss Fairbairn, who was very wise +and good, but rather prim, stared too, and said, with surprise: + +"Why, my dear, where did you find that queer child?" + +"Down on the beach. Isn't she pretty?" answered Fancy, feeling very +proud of her new friend. + +"She hasn't got any shoes on; so she's a beggar, and we mustn't play +with her," said one boy, who had been taught that to be poor was a very +dreadful thing. + +"What pretty earrings and bracelets she's got!" said a little girl, who +thought a great deal of her dress. + +"She doesn't look as if she knew much," said another child, who was kept +studying so hard that she never had time to dig and run, and make +dirt-pies, till she fell ill, and had to be sent to the sea-side. + +"What's your name? and who are your parents?" asked Miss Fairbairn. + +"I've got no parents; and my name is Lorelei," answered the mermaiden. + +"You mean Luly; mind your pronunciation, child," said Miss Fairbairn, +who corrected every one she met in something or other. "Where do you +live?" + +"I haven't got any home now," said Lorelei, smiling at the lady's tone. + +"Yes, you have: my home is yours; and you are going to stay with me +always," cried Fancy, heartily. "She is my little sister, Miss +Fairbairn: I found her; and I'm going to keep her, and make her happy." + +"Your uncle won't like it, my dear." And Miss Fairbairn shook her head +gravely. + +"Aunt will; and Uncle won't mind, if I learn my lessons well, and +remember the multiplication table all right. He was going to give me +some money, so I might learn to keep accounts; but I'll tell him to keep +the money, and let me have Lorelei instead." + +"Oh, how silly!" cried the boy who didn't like bare feet. + +"No, she isn't; for, if she's kind to the girl, maybe she'll get some of +her pretty things," said the vain little girl. + +"Keeping accounts is a very useful and important thing. I keep mine; and +mamma says I have great arth-met-i-cal talent," added the pale child, +who studied too much. + +"Come, children; it's time for dinner. Fancy, you can take the girl to +the house; and your uncle will do what he thinks best about letting you +keep her," said Miss Fairbairn, piling them into the basket-wagon. + +Fancy kept Lorelei close beside her; and as soon as they reached the +great hotel, where they all were staying with mothers and fathers, +uncles or aunts, she took her to kind Aunt Fiction, who was interested +at once in the friendless child so mysteriously found. She was satisfied +with the little she could discover, and promised to keep her,--for a +time, at least. + +"We can imagine all kinds of romantic things about her; and, by and by, +some interesting story may be found out concerning her. I can make her +useful in many ways; and she shall stay." + +As Aunt Fiction laid her hand on the mermaid's head, as if claiming her +for her own, Uncle Fact came stalking in, with his note-book in his +hand, and his spectacles on his nose. Now, though they were married, +these two persons were very unlike. Aunt Fiction was a graceful, +picturesque woman; who told stories charmingly, wrote poetry and novels, +was very much beloved by young folks, and was the friend of some of the +most famous people in the world. Uncle Fact was a grim, grave, decided +man; whom it was impossible to bend or change. He was very useful to +every one; knew an immense deal; and was always taking notes of things +he saw and heard, to be put in a great encyclopaedia he was making. He +didn't like romance, loved the truth, and wanted to get to the bottom of +every thing. He was always trying to make little Fancy more sober, +well-behaved, and learned; for she was a freakish, dreamy, yet very +lovable and charming child. Aunt Fiction petted her to her heart's +content, and might have done her harm, if Uncle Fact had not had a hand +in her education; for the lessons of both were necessary to her, as to +all of us. + +"Well, well, well! who is this?" he said briskly, as he turned his keen +eyes and powerful glasses on the new comer. + +Aunt Fiction told him all the children had said; but he answered +impatiently: + +"Tut, tut! my dear: I want the facts of the case. You are apt to +exaggerate; and Fancy is not to be relied on. If the child isn't a fool, +she must know more about herself than she pretends. Now, answer truly, +Luly, where did you come from?" + +But the little mermaid only shook her head, and answered as before, +"Fancy found me on the beach, and wants me to stay with her. I'll do +her no harm: please, let me stay." + +"She has evidently been washed ashore from some wreck, and has forgotten +all about herself. Her wonderful beauty, her accent, and these ornaments +show that she is some foreign child," said Aunt Fiction, pointing to the +earrings. + +"Nonsense! my dear: those are white pebbles, not pearls; and, if you +examine them, you will find that those bracelets are the ones you gave +Fancy as a reward for so well remembering the facts I told her about +coral," said the uncle, who had turned Lorelei round and round, pinched +her cheek, felt her hair, and examined her frock through the glasses +which nothing escaped. + +"She may stay, and be my little playmate, mayn't she? I'll take care of +her; and we shall be very happy together," cried Fancy eagerly. + +"One can't be sure of that till one has tried. You say you will take +care of her: have you got any money to pay her board, and buy her +clothes?" asked her uncle. + +"No; but I thought you'd help me," answered Fancy wistfully. + +"Never say you'll do a thing till you are sure you can," said Uncle +Fact, as he took notes of the affair, thinking they might be useful by +and by. "I've no objection to your keeping the girl, if, after making +inquiries about her, she proves to be a clever child. She can stay +awhile; and, when we go back to town, I'll put her in one of our charity +schools, where she can be taught to earn her living. Can you read, +Luly?" + +"No," said the mermaid, opening her eyes. + +"Can you write and cipher?" + +"What is that?" asked Lorelei innocently. + +"Dear me! what ignorance!" cried Uncle Fact. + +"Can you sew, or tend babies?" asked Aunt Fiction gently. + +"I can do nothing but play and sing, and comb my hair." + +"I see! I see!--some hand-organ man's girl. Well, I'm glad you keep your +hair smooth,--that's more than Fancy does," said Uncle Fact. + +"Let us hear you sing," whispered his little niece; and, in a voice as +musical as the sound of ripples breaking on the shore, Lorelei sung a +little song that made Fancy dance with delight, charmed Aunt Fiction, +and softened Uncle Fact's hard face in spite of himself. + +"Very well, very well, indeed: you have a good voice. I'll see that you +have proper teaching; and, by and by, you can get your living by giving +singing-lessons," he said, turning over the leaves of his book, to look +for the name of a skilful teacher; for he had lists of every useful +person, place, and thing under the sun. + +Lorelei laughed at the idea; and Fancy thought singing for gold, not +love, a hard way to get one's living. + +Inquiries were made; but nothing more was discovered, and neither of the +children would speak: so the strange child lived with Fancy, and made +her very happy. The other children didn't care much about her; for with +them she was shy and cold, because she knew, if the truth was told, they +would not believe in her. Fancy had always played a good deal by +herself, because she never found a mate to suit her; now she had one, +and they enjoyed each other very much. Lorelei taught her many things +besides new games; and Aunt Fiction was charmed with the pretty stories +Fancy repeated to her, while Uncle Fact was astonished at the knowledge +of marine plants and animals which she gained without any books. Lorelei +taught her to swim, like a fish; and the two played such wonderful +pranks in the water that people used to come down to the beach when they +bathed. In return, Fancy tried to teach her friend to read and write and +sew; but Lorelei couldn't learn much, though she loved her little +teacher dearly, and every evening sung her to sleep with beautiful +lullabies. + +There was a great deal of talk about the curious stranger; for her ways +were odd, and no one knew what to make of her. She would eat nothing +but fruit and shell-fish, and drink nothing but salt water. She didn't +like tight clothes; but would have run about in a loose, green robe, +with bare feet and flying hair, if Uncle Fact would have allowed it. +Morning, noon, and night, she plunged into the sea,--no matter what the +weather might be; and she would sleep on no bed but one stuffed with +dried sea-weed. She made lovely chains of shells; found splendid bits of +coral; and dived where no one else dared, to bring up wonderful plants +and mosses. People offered money for these things; but she gave them all +to Fancy and Aunt Fiction, of whom she was very fond. It was curious to +see the sort of people who liked both Fancy and her friend,--poets, +artists; delicate, thoughtful children; and a few old people, who had +kept their hearts young in spite of care and time and trouble. Dashing +young gentlemen, fine young ladies, worldly-minded and money-loving men +and women, and artificial, unchildlike children, the two friends avoided +carefully; and these persons either made fun of them, neglected them +entirely, or seemed to be unconscious that they were alive. The others +they knew at a glance; for their faces warmed and brightened when the +children came, they listened to their songs and stories, joined in their +plays, and found rest and refreshment in their sweet society. + +"This will do for a time; as Fancy is getting strong, and not entirely +wasting her days, thanks to me! But our holiday is nearly over; and, as +soon as I get back to town, I'll take that child to the Ragged Refuge, +and see what they can make of her," said Uncle Fact, who was never quite +satisfied about Lorelei; because he could find out so little concerning +her. He was walking over the beach as he said this, after a hard day's +work on his encyclopaedia. He sat down on a rock in a quiet place; and, +instead of enjoying the lovely sunset, he fell to studying the course of +the clouds, the state of the tide, and the temperature of the air, till +the sound of voices made him peep over the rock. Fancy and her friend +were playing there, and the old gentleman waited to see what they were +about. Both were sitting with their little bare feet in the water; +Lorelei was stringing pearls, and Fancy plaiting a crown of pretty green +rushes. + +"I wish I could go home, and get you a string of finer pearls than +these," said Lorelei; "but it is too far away, and I cannot swim now as +I used to do." + +"I must look into this. The girl evidently knows all about herself, and +can tell, if she chooses," muttered Uncle Fact, getting rather excited +over this discovery. + +"Never mind the pearls: I'd rather have you, dear," said Fancy lovingly. +"Tell me a story while we work, or sing me a song; and I'll give you my +crown." + +"I'll sing you a little song that has got what your uncle calls a moral +to it," said Lorelei, laughing mischievously. Then, in her breezy little +voice, she sang the story of-- + +THE ROCK AND THE BUBBLE. + + Oh! a bare, brown rock + Stood up in the sea, + The waves at its feet + Dancing merrily. + + A little bubble + Came sailing by, + And thus to the rock + Did it gayly cry,-- + + "Ho! clumsy brown stone, + Quick, make way for me: + I'm the fairest thing + That floats on the sea. + + "See my rainbow-robe, + See my crown of light, + My glittering form, + So airy and bright. + + "O'er the waters blue, + I'm floating away, + To dance by the shore + With the foam and spray. + + "Now, make way, make way; + For the waves are strong, + And their rippling feet + Bear me fast along." + + But the great rock stood + Straight up in the sea: + It looked gravely down, + And said pleasantly,-- + + "Little friend, you must + Go some other way; + For I have not stirred + This many a long day. + + "Great billows have dashed, + And angry winds blown; + But my sturdy form + Is not overthrown. + + "Nothing can stir me + In the air or sea; + Then, how can I move, + Little friend, for thee?" + + Then the waves all laughed, + In their voices sweet; + And the sea-birds looked, + From their rocky seat, + + At the bubble gay, + Who angrily cried, + While its round cheek glowed + With a foolish pride,-- + + "You _shall_ move for me; + And you shall not mock + At the words I say, + You ugly, rough rock! + + "Be silent, wild birds! + Why stare you so? + Stop laughing, rude waves, + And help me to go! + + "For I am the queen + Of the ocean here, + And this cruel stone + Cannot make me fear." + + Dashing fiercely up, + With a scornful word, + Foolish bubble broke; + But rock never stirred. + + Then said the sea-birds, + Sitting in their nests, + To the little ones + Leaning on their breasts,-- + + "Be not like Bubble, + Headstrong, rude, and vain, + Seeking by violence + Your object to gain; + + "But be like the rock, + Steadfast, true, and strong, + Yet cheerful and kind, + And firm against wrong. + + "Heed, little birdlings, + And wiser you'll be + For the lesson learned + To-day by the sea." + +"Well, to be sure the song _has_ got a moral, if that silly Fancy only +sees it," said Uncle Fact, popping up his bald head again as the song +ended. + +"I thank you: that's a good little song for me. But, Lorelei, are you +sorry you came to be my friend?" cried Fancy; for, as she bent to lay +the crown on the other's head, she saw that she was looking wistfully +down into the water that kissed her feet. + +"Not yet: while you love me, I am happy, and never regret that I ceased +to be a mermaid for your sake," answered Lorelei, laying her soft cheek +against her friend's. + +"How happy I was the day my play-mermaid changed to a real one!" said +Fancy. "I often want to tell people all about that wonderful thing, and +let them know who you really are: then they'd love you as I do, instead +of calling you a little vagabond." + +"Few would believe our story; and those that did would wonder at +me,--not love me as you do. They would put me in a cage, and make a show +of me; and I should be so miserable I should die. So don't tell who I +am, will you?" said Lorelei earnestly. + +"Never," cried Fancy, clinging to her. "But, my deary, what will you do +when uncle sends you away from me, as he means to do as soon as we go +home? I can see you sometimes; but we cannot be always together, and +there is no ocean for you to enjoy in the city." + +"I shall bear it, if I can, for your sake; if I cannot, I shall come +back here, and wait till you come again next year." + +"No, no! I will not be parted from you; and, if uncle takes you away, +I'll come here, and be a mermaid with you," cried Fancy. + +The little friends threw their arms about each other, and were so full +of their own feelings that they never saw Uncle Fact's tall shadow flit +across them, as he stole away over the soft sand. Poor old gentleman! he +was in a sad state of mind, and didn't know what to do; for in all his +long life he had never been so puzzled before. + +"A mermaid indeed!" he muttered. "I always thought that child was a +fool, and now I'm sure of it. She thinks she is a mermaid, and has made +Fancy believe it. I've told my wife a dozen times that she let Fancy +read too many fairy tales and wonder-books. Her head is full of +nonsense, and she is just ready to believe any ridiculous story that is +told her. Now, what on earth shall I do? If I put Luly in an asylum, +Fancy will break her heart, and very likely they will both run away. If +I leave them together, Luly will soon make Fancy as crazy as she is +herself, and I shall be mortified by having a niece who insists that her +playmate is a mermaid. Bless my soul! how absurd it all is!" + +Aunt Fiction had gone to town to see her publishers about a novel she +had written, and he didn't like to tell the queer story to any one else; +so Uncle Fact thought it over, and decided to settle the matter at +once. When the children came in, he sent Fancy to wait for him in the +library, while he talked alone with Lorelei. He did his best; but he +could do nothing with her,--she danced and laughed, and told the same +tale as before, till the old gentleman confessed that he had heard their +talk on the rocks: then she grew very sad, and owned that she _was_ a +mermaid. This made him angry, and he wouldn't believe it for an instant; +but told her it was impossible, and she must say something else. + +Lorelei could say nothing else, and wept bitterly when he would not +listen; so he locked her up and went to Fancy, who felt as if something +dreadful was going to happen when she saw his face. He told her all he +knew, and insisted that Lorelei was foolish or naughty to persist in +such a ridiculous story. + +"But, uncle, I really did make a mermaid; and she really did come alive, +for I saw the figure float away, and then Lorelei appeared," said Fancy, +very earnestly. + +"It's very likely you made a figure, and called it a mermaid: it would +be just the sort of thing you'd do," said her uncle. "But it is +impossible that any coming alive took place, and I won't hear any such +nonsense. You didn't see this girl come out of the water; for she says +you never looked up, till she touched you. She was a real child, who +came over the beach from somewhere; and you fancied she looked like +your figure, and believed the silly tale she told you. It is my belief +that she is a sly, bad child; and the sooner she is sent away the better +for you." + +Uncle Fact was so angry and talked so loud, that Fancy felt frightened +and bewildered; and began to think he might be right about the mermaid +part, though she hated to give up the little romance. + +"If I agree that she _is_ a real child, won't you let her stay, uncle?" +she said, forgetting that, if she lost her faith, her friend was lost +also. + +"Ah! then you have begun to come to your senses, have you? and are ready +to own that you don't believe in mermaids and such rubbish?" cried Uncle +Fact, stopping in his tramp up and down the room. + +"Why, if you say there never were and never can be any, I suppose I +_must_ give up my fancy; but I'm sorry," sighed the child. + +"That's my sensible girl! Now, think a minute, my dear, and you will +also own that it is best to give up the child as well as the mermaid," +said her uncle briskly. + +"Oh! no: we love one another; and she is good, and I can't give her up," +cried Fancy. + +"Answer me a few questions; and I'll prove that she isn't good, that you +don't love her, and that you _can_ give her up," said Uncle Fact, and +numbered off the questions on his fingers as he spoke. + +"Didn't Luly want you to deceive us, and every one else, about who she +was?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Don't you like to be with her better than with your aunt or myself?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Hadn't you rather hear her songs and stories than learn your lessons?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Isn't it wrong to deceive people, to love strangers more than those who +are a father and mother to you, and to like silly tales better than +useful lessons?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Very well. Then, don't you see, that, if Luly makes you do these wrong +and ungrateful things, she is not a good child, nor a fit playmate for +you?" + +Fancy didn't answer; for she couldn't feel that it was so, though he +made it seem so. When Uncle Fact talked in that way, she always got +confused and gave up; for she didn't know how to argue. He was right in +a certain way; but she felt as if she was right also in another way, +though she could not prove it: so she hung her head, and let her tears +drop on the carpet one by one. + +Uncle Fact didn't mean to be unkind, but he did mean to have his own +way; and, when he saw the little girl's sad face, he took her on his +knee, and said, more mildly: + +"Do you remember the story about the German Lorelei, who sung so +sweetly, and lured people to death in the Rhine?" + +"Yes, uncle; and I like it," answered Fancy, looking up. + +"Well, my dear, your Lorelei will lead you into trouble, if you follow +her. Suppose she is what you think her,--a mermaid: it is her delight to +draw people into the water, where, of course, they drown. If she is what +I think her,--a sly, bad child, who sees that you are very simple, and +who means to get taken care of without doing any thing useful,--she will +spoil you in a worse way than if you followed her into the sea. I've got +no little daughter of my own, and I want to keep you as safe and happy +as if you were mine. I don't like this girl, and I want you to give her +up for my sake. Will you, Fancy?" + +While her uncle said these things, all the beauty seemed to fall away +from her friend, all the sweetness from their love, and all her faith in +the little dream which had made her so happy. Mermaids became +treacherous, unlovely, unreal creatures; and Lorelei seemed like a +naughty, selfish child, who deceived her, and made her do wrong things. +Her uncle had been very kind to her all her life; and she loved him, was +grateful, and wanted to show that she was, by pleasing him. But her +heart clung to the friend she had made, trusted, and loved; and it +seemed impossible to give up the shadow, even though the substance was +gone. She put her hands before her face for a moment; then laid her arms +about the old man's neck, and whispered, with a little sob: + +"I'll give her up; but you'll be kind to her, because I was fond of her +once." + +As the last word left Fancy's lips, a long, sad cry sounded through the +room; Lorelei sprung in, gave her one kiss, and was seen to run swiftly +toward the beach, wringing her hands. Fancy flew after; but, when she +reached the shore, there was nothing to be seen but the scattered +pebbles, shells, and weeds that made the mock mermaid, floating away on +a receding wave. + +"Do you believe now?" cried Fancy, weeping bitterly, as she pointed to +the wreck of her friend, and turned reproachfully toward Uncle Fact, who +had followed in great astonishment. + +The old gentleman looked well about him; then shook his head, and +answered decidedly: + +"No, my dear, I _don't_. It's an odd affair; but, I've no doubt, it will +be cleared up in a natural way sometime or other." + +But there he was mistaken; for this mystery never _was_ cleared up. +Other people soon forgot it, and Fancy never spoke of it; yet she made +very few friends, and, though she learned to love and value Uncle Fact +as well as Aunt Fiction, she could not forget her dearest playmate. Year +after year she came back to the sea-side; and the first thing she always +did was to visit the place where she used to play, and stretch her arms +toward the sea, crying tenderly: + +"O my little friend! come back to me!" + +But Lorelei never came again. + + +THE END. + + * * * * * + + +LOUISA M. ALCOTT'S FAMOUS BOOKS + +[Illustration: "Sing, Tessa; sing!" cried Tommo, twanging away with all +his might.--PAGE 47.] + +AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG: Containing "My Boys," "Shawl-Straps," "Cupid and +Chow-Chow," "My Girls," "Jimmy's Cruise in the Pinafore," "An +Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving." 6 vols. Price of each, $1.00. + +ROBERTS BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, _Boston_. + + * * * * * + + +LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON'S STORIES. + +[Illustration] + +BED-TIME STORIES. + + MORE BED-TIME STORIES. + + NEW BED-TIME STORIES. + +WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADDIE LEDYARD. + +Three volumes in a box. Price, $3.75. + +_ROBERTS BROTHERS_, _Publishers_, BOSTON. + + * * * * * + + +AUNT JO'S SCRAP-BAG. + +CUPID AND CHOW-CHOW, ETC. + +[Illustration: SCRAP-BAG. VOL III.] + +BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT, + +AUTHOR OF "LITTLE WOMEN," "AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL," "LITTLE MEN," +"HOSPITAL SKETCHES." + + +BOSTON: + +ROBERTS BROTHERS. + +1881. + + * * * * * + + +Jean Ingelow's Prose Story Books. + +In 5 vols. 16mo, uniformly bound. + +STUDIES FOR STORIES FROM GIRLS' LIVES. Illustrated, Price, $1.25. + + "A rare source of delight for all who can find pleasure in + really good works of prose fiction.... They are prose poems, + carefully meditated, and exquisitely couched in by a teacher + ready to sympathize with every joy and sorrow."--_Athenaeum._ + +STORIES TOLD TO A CHILD. Illustrated. Price, $1.25. + +STORIES TOLD TO A CHILD. Second Series. Illustrated. Price, $1.25. + + "This is one of the most charming juvenile books ever laid on + our table. Jean Ingelow, the noble English poet, second only to + Mrs. Browning, bends easily and gracefully from the heights of + thought and fine imagination to commune with the minds and + hearts of children; to sympathize with their little joys and + sorrows; to feel for their temptations. She is a safe guide for + the little pilgrims; for her paths, though 'paths of + pleasantness,' lead straight upward."--_Grace Greenwood in "The + Little Pilgrim."_ + + +A SISTER'S BYE-HOURS. Illustrated. Price, $1.25. + + "Seven short stories of domestic life by one of the most popular + of the young authors of the day,--an author who has her heart in + what she writes,--Jean Ingelow. And there is heart in these + stories, and healthy moral lessons, too. They are written in the + author's most graceful and affecting style, will be read with + real pleasure, and, when read, will leave more than momentary + impressions."--_Brooklyn Union._ + + +MOPSA THE FAIRY. A Story. With Eight Illustrations. Price, $1.25. + + "Miss Ingelow is, to our mind, the most charming of all living + writers for children, and 'Mopsa' alone ought to give her a kind + of pre-emptive right to the love and gratitude of our young + folks. It requires genius to conceive a purely imaginary work + which must of necessity deal with the supernatural, without + running into a mere riot of fantastic absurdity; but genius Miss + Ingelow has, and the story of Jack is as careless and joyous, + but as delicate, as a picture of childhood. + + "The young people should be grateful to Jean Ingelow and those + other noble writers, who, in our day, have taken upon themselves + the task of supplying them with literature, if for no other + reason, that these writers have saved them from the ineffable + didacticism which, till within the last few years, was + considered the only food fit for the youthful + mind."--_Eclectic._ + +_Sold everywhere. Mailed, postpaid, by the Publishers._ + +ROBERTS BROTHERS, BOSTON. + + * * * * * + + +_Messrs. Roberts Brothers' Publications._ + +CASTLE BLAIR: + +A STORY OF YOUTHFUL DAYS. + +BY FLORA L. SHAW. + +16mo. Cloth. Price $1.00 + + "There is quite a lovely little book just come out about + children,--'Castle Blair!' ... The book is good, and lovely, and + true, having the best description of a noble child in it + (Winnie) that I ever read; and nearly the best description of + the next best thing,--a noble dog," says John Ruskin, the + distinguished art critic. + + "'Castle Blair,' a story of youthful days, by Flora L. Shaw, is + an Irish story. A charming young girl--half French, half + English--comes from France, at the age of eighteen, to live with + her bachelor uncle at Castle Blair, which is in possession of + five children of an absent brother of this uncle. The children + are in a somewhat wild and undisciplined condition, but they are + as interesting children as can be imagined, and some of them + winning to an extraordinary degree. They are natural children, + in manner and in talk; but the book differs from some American + books about children, in that it is pervaded by an air of + refinement and good-breeding. The story is altogether + delightful, quite worthy, from an American point of view, of all + Mr. Ruskin says of it; and if circulation were determined by + merit, it would speedily outstrip a good many now popular + children's books which have a vein of commonness, if not of + vulgarity."--_Hartford Courant._ + + "It is not too much to say that nothing more interesting or more + wholesome is offered this year for older boys and girls. It is a + charming story, in which the author has delineated character as + carefully, and with as keen an artistic sense, as if she had + been writing a novel. Her book is a novel, indeed, with children + and the lives of children, instead of men and women and their + lives, for its theme."--_New York Evening Post._ + +_Our publications are to be had of all Booksellers. When not to be +found, send directly to_ + +ROBERTS BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, =BOSTON.= + + * * * * * + + +_Messrs. Roberts Brothers' Publications._ + +NELLY'S SILVER MINE. + +BY H. H. + +With Illustrations. 16mo, cloth. Price $1.50. + + "The sketches of life, especially of its odd and out-of-the-way + aspects, by H. H. always possess so vivid a reality that they + appear more like the actual scenes than any copy by pencil or + photograph. They form a series of living pictures, radiant with + sunlight and fresh as morning dew. In this new story the fruits + of her fine genius are of Colorado growth, and though without + the antique flavor of her recollections of Rome and Venice, are + as delicious to the taste as they are tempting to the eye, and + afford a natural feast of exquisite quality."--_N. Y. Tribune._ + + "This charming little book, written for children's entertainment + and instruction, is equally delightful to the fathers and + mothers. It is life in New England, and the racy history of a + long railway journey to the wilds of Colorado. The children are + neither imps nor angels, but just such children as are found in + every happy home. The pictures are so graphically drawn that we + feel well acquainted with Rob and Nelly, have travelled with + them and climbed mountains and found silver mines, and know all + about the rude life made beautiful by a happy family, and can + say of Nelly, with their German neighbor, Mr. Kleesman, 'Ach + well, she haf better than any silver mine in her own + self.'"--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._ + + "In 'Nelly's Silver Mine' Mrs. Helen Hunt Jackson has given us a + true classic for the nursery and the school-room, but its + readers will not be confined to any locality. Its vivid + portraiture of Colorado life and its truth to child-nature give + it a charm which the most experienced cannot fail to feel. It + will stand by the side of Miss Edgeworth and Mrs. Barbauld in + all the years to come."--_Mrs. Caroline H. Dall._ + + "We heartily commend the book for its healthy spirit, its lively + narrative, and its freedom from most of the faults of books for + children."--_Atlantic Monthly._ + +_Our publications are to be had of all Booksellers. When not to be +found, send directly to_ + +ROBERTS BROTHERS, BOSTON. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag VI, by Louisa M. 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