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Wilkins + +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: The Pot of Gold + And Other Stories + +Author: Mary E. Wilkins + +Release Date: August 7, 2005 [EBook #16468] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POT OF GOLD *** + + + + +Produced by Ted Garvin, Lesley Halamek and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + <p class="center1"> + <span class="page"><a name="plate1" id="plate1"><i> frontispiece</i></a></span> +<img src="images/01-frontispiece.jpg" width="314" height="470" alt="Flax Looks into the Pot of Gold" border="0" /><br /><br /> + FLAX LOOKS INTO THE POT OF GOLD.</p> + <br /><br /><br /> + +<h3>SHORT STORY</h3><br /><br /> +<h1>THE POT OF GOLD</h1> +<br /><br /><br /> +<h3>AND OTHER STORIES</h3> + +<br /><br /><br /> +<h4>BY</h4> +<br /><br /><br /> + + + +<h2>MARY E. WILKINS</h2> +<br /><br /> +<h4>Author of<br /> +"A New England Nun," "A Humble Romance," etc.</h4> +<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + + + + +<h4><i>ILLUSTRATED</i></h4> +<br /><br /><br /> + + + + +<h5>BOSTON<br /> +D LOTHROP COMPANY<br /> +1893</h5> +<br /><br /> +<h5>COPYRIGHT, 1892,<br /> +BY<br /> +D. LOTHROP COMPANY.</h5> + + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /> +<h1>SHORT STORY</h1> +<br /><br /><br /> +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> + +<table width="85%" align="center" border="0" summary="contents"> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> </td> + <td class="right" valign="top">Page<br /><br /></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#gold">THE POT OF GOLD</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page11">11</a></td> + + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#horns">THE COW WITH GOLDEN HORNS</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page25">25</a></td> + +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#rosetta">PRINCESS ROSETTA AND THE POP-CORN MAN.</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page41">41</a></td> +</tr> + + <tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + I. <a class="contents" href="#rosetta">THE PRINCESS ROSETTA</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page41">41</a></td> + + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + II. <a class="contents" href="#pop-corn">THE POP-CORN MAN</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page51">51</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#monks">THE CHRISTMAS MONKS</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page69">69</a></td> + + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#pumpkin">THE PUMPKIN GIANT</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page98">98</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#masquerade">THE CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page115">115</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#dill">DILL</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page135">135</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#hen">THE SILVER HEN</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page154">154</a></td> + + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#toby">TOBY</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page176">176</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#patchwork">THE PATCHWORK SCHOOL</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page198">198</a></td> + </tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#squire">THE SQUIRE'S SIXPENCE</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page219">219</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#case">A PLAIN CASE</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page237">237</a></td> + + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#stranger">A STRANGER IN THE VILLAGE</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page261">261</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#girl">THE BOUND GIRL</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page273">273</a></td> + + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#will">DEACON THOMAS WALES'S WILL</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page290">290</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#daughter">THE ADOPTED DAUGHTER</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page306">306</a></td> + </tr> +</table> + <br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /> + + + + +<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> + +<table width="85%" align="center" border="0" summary="illustrations"> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate1">Flax looks into the Pot of Gold</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#plate1"><i>Frontis.</i></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate2">The settle and the kettle</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page14">14</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate3">Drusilla and her gold-horned cow</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate4">A Knight of the Golden Bee</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page45">45</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate5">The princess was not in the basket!</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page51">51</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate6">The bee guards patrolled the city</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page53">53</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate7">"You!" cried the baron scornfully</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page61">61</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate8">Both the king and queen were obliged to pop</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page64">64</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate9">Going into the chapel</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page71">71</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate10">The boys read the notice</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page77">77</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate11">The prince and Peter are examined by the monks</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page81">81</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate12">The boys at work in the convent garden</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page87">87</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate13">The prince runs away</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page93">93</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate14">He picked up an enormous young Plantagenet and threw it at him</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page104">104</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate15">They were all over the field</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page106">106</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate16">Then the king knighted him on the spot</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page111">111</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate17">There never was anything like the fun at the mayor's Christmas ball</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page119">119</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate18">Their parents stared in great distress</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page122">122</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate19">"I will go and tend my geese!"</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page125">125</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate20">She sang it beautifully</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page129">129</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate21">A strange sad state of things</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page141">141</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate22">Nan returns with the umbrellas</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page145">145</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate23">Such frantic efforts to get away</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page148">148</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate24">Dame Elizabeth stared with astonishment</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page150">150</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate25">The count thinks himself insulted</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page152">152</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate26">They fairly danced and flourished their heels.</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page153">153</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate27">The snow was quite deep</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page155">155</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate28">Two by two</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page157">157</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate29">The snow man's house</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page163">163</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate30">Puss-in-the-corner</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page164">164</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate31">To the rescue</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page169">169</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate32">"I'll put this right in your face and—melt you!"</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page173">173</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate33">Letitia stood before uncle Jack</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page178">178</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate34">School children in Pokonoket</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page181">181</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate35">Pokonoket in stormy weather</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page185">185</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate36">Toby and the crazy loon</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page188">188</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate37">Toby ran till he was out of breath</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page193">193</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate38">The patchwork woman</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page200">200</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate39">The patchwork girl</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page202">202</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate40">Julia was arrested on Christmas Day</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page205">205</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate41">Julia entertains the ambassador through the keyhole</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page211">211</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate42">The grandmothers enjoy the Chinese toys</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page215">215</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate43">"Six"—she began feebly</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page221">221</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate44">"What!" said Squire Bean suddenly</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page223">223</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate45">Little Patience obeys the squire's summons</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page233">233</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate46">Watching for the coach</a></td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page239">239</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate47">"Just look here!" said Willy's sweet voice</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page249">249</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate48">The little stranger</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page263">263</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> +<a class="contents" href="#plate49">She almost fainted from cold and exhaustion</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page301">301</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="left" width="80%" valign="top"> + <a class="contents" href="#plate50">A conveyance is found</a> +</td> + <td class="right" valign="top"><a href="#page321">321</a></td> +</tr> + + +</table> + + + + <br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /> + +<span class="page"><a name="page11" id="page11">[Page 11]</a></span> + + + + + + +<h1>THE POT OF <a name="gold" id="gold">GOLD</a>.</h1> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + + + +<h2>THE POT OF GOLD.</h2> + +<p> +The Flower family lived in a little house in a +broad grassy meadow, which sloped a few rods from +their front door down to a gentle, silvery river. Right +across the river rose a lovely dark green mountain, +and when there was a rainbow, as there frequently +was, nothing could have looked more enchanting than +it did rising from the opposite bank of the stream with +the wet, shadowy mountain for a background. All +the Flower family would invariably run to their front +windows and their door to see it.</p> +<p> +The Flower family numbered nine: Father and +Mother Flower and seven children. Father Flower +was an unappreciated poet, Mother Flower was very +much like all mothers, and the seven children were +very sweet and interesting. Their first names all +matched beautifully with their last name, and with +their personal appearance. For instance, the oldest +girl, who had soft blue eyes and flaxen curls, was called +Flax Flower; the little boy, who came next, and had<span class="page"><a name="page12" id="page12">[Page 12]</a></span> +very red cheeks and loved to sleep late in the morning, +was called Poppy Flower, and so on. This charming +suitableness of their names was owing to Father +Flower. He had a theory that a great deal of the +misery and discord in the world comes from things not +matching properly as they should; and he thought +there ought to be a certain correspondence between all +things that were in juxtaposition to each other, just as +there ought to be between the last two words of a couplet +of poetry. But he found, very often, there was no +correspondence at all, just as words in poetry do not +always rhyme when they should. However, he did his +best to remedy it. He saw that every one of his +children's names were suitable and accorded with +their personal characteristics; and in his flower-garden—for +he raised flowers for the market—only +those of complementary colors were allowed to grow in +adjoining beds, and, as often as possible, they rhymed +in their names. But that was a more difficult matter +to manage, and very few flowers were rhymed, or, if +they were, none rhymed correctly. He had a bed of +box next to one of phlox, and a trellis of woodbine +grew next to one of eglantine, and a thicket of elder-blows +was next to one of rose; but he was forced to +let his violets and honeysuckles and many others go +entirely unrhymed—this disturbed him considerably, +but he reflected that it was not his fault, but that of +the man who made the language and named the different<span class="page"><a name="page13" id="page13">[Page 13]</a></span> +flowers—he should have looked to it that those of +complementary colors had names to rhyme with each +other, then all would have been harmonious and as it +should have been.</p> +<p> +Father Flower had chosen this way of earning his +livelihood when he realized that he was doomed to be +an unappreciated poet, because it suited so well with +his name; and if the flowers had only rhymed a little +better he would have been very well contented. As it +was, he never grumbled. He also saw to it that the +furniture in his little house and the cooking utensils +rhymed as nearly as possible, though that too was +oftentimes a difficult matter to bring about, and required +a vast deal of thought and hard study. The +table always stood under the gable end of the roof, the +foot-stool always stood where it was cool, and the big +rocking-chair in a glare of sunlight; the lamp, too, he +kept down cellar where it was damp. But all these +were rather far-fetched, and sometimes quite inconvenient. +Occasionally there would be an article that +he could not rhyme until he had spent years of thought +over it, and when he did it would disturb the comfort +of the family greatly. There was the spider. He +puzzled over that exceedingly, and when he rhymed it +at last, Mother Flower or one of the little girls had +always to take the spider beside her, when she sat +<span class="page"><a name="page14" id="page14">[Page 14]</a></span> +down, which was of course quite troublesome.<br /><br /> + +<span class="page"><a name="plate2" id="plate2">[plate 2]</a></span> +<img src="images/02-settle.jpg" width="289" height="470" alt="The Settle" border="0" hspace="15" style="float: left" /> + +The kettle he rhymed first with nettle, and hung a bunch +of nettle over it, till all the children got dreadfully +stung. Then he tried settle, and hung the kettle over +the settle. But that was no place for it; they had to +go without their tea, and everybody who sat on the settle bumped +his head against the kettle. At last it occurred to Father Flower +that if he should make a slight change in the language the kettle +could rhyme with the skillet, and sit beside it on the stove, as it ought, +leaving harmony out of the question, to do. Accordingly all the +children were instructed to call the skillet a skettle, +and the kettle stood by its side on the stove ever +afterward.</p> + + +<p> +The house was a very pretty one, although it was +quite rude and very simple. It was built of logs and<span class="page"><a name="page15" id="page15">[Page 15]</a></span> +had a thatched roof, which projected far out over the +walls. But it was all overrun with the loveliest flowering +vines imaginable, and, inside, nothing could have +been more exquisitely neat and homelike; although +there was only one room and a little garret over it. +All around the house were the flower-beds and the vine-trellises +and the blooming shrubs, and they were +always in the most beautiful order. Now, although all +this was very pretty to see, and seemingly very simple +to bring to pass, yet there was a vast deal of labor in +it for some one; for flowers do not look so trim and +thriving without tending, and houses do not look so +spotlessly clean without constant care. All the Flower +family worked hard; even the littlest children had +their daily tasks set them. The oldest girl, especially, +little Flax Flower, was kept busy from morning till +night taking care of her younger brothers and sisters, +and weeding flowers. But for all that she was a very +happy little girl, as indeed were the whole family, as +they did not mind working, and loved each other +dearly.</p> +<p> +Father Flower, to be sure, felt a little sad sometimes; +for, although his lot in life was a pleasant one, +it was not exactly what he would have chosen. Once +in a while he had a great longing for something different. +He confided a great many of his feelings to Flax +Flower; she was more like him than any of the other +children, and could understand him even better than<span class="page"><a name="page16" id="page16">[Page 16]</a></span> +his wife, he thought.</p> +<p> +One day, when there had been a heavy shower and +a beautiful rainbow, he and Flax were out in the garden +tying up some rose-bushes, which the rain had +beaten down, and he said to her how he wished he +could find the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. +Flax, if you will believe me, had never heard of it; so +he had to tell her all about it, and also say a little +poem he had made about it to her.</p> +<p> +The poem ran something in this way:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +O what is it shineth so golden-clear<br /> + At the rainbow's foot on the dark green hill?<br /> +'Tis the Pot of Gold, that for many a year<br /> + Has shone, and is shining and dazzling still.<br /> +And whom is it for, O Pilgrim, pray?<br /> +For thee, Sweetheart, should'st thou go that way.</p><br /> + +<p> +Flax listened with her soft blue eyes very wide open. +"I suppose if we should find that pot of gold it would +make us very rich, wouldn't it, father?" said she.</p> +<p> +"Yes," replied her father; "we could then have a +grand house, and keep a gardener, and a maid to take +care of the children, and we should no longer have to +work so hard." He sighed as he spoke, and tears stood +in his gentle blue eyes, which were very much like +Flax's. "However, we shall never find it," he added.</p> +<p> +"Why couldn't we run ever so fast when we saw<span class="page"><a name="page17" id="page17">[Page 17]</a></span> +the rainbow," inquired Flax, "and get the Pot of +Gold?"</p> +<p> +"Don't be foolish, child!" said her father; "you +could not possibly reach it before the rainbow was +quite faded away!"</p> +<p> +"True," said Flax, but she fell to thinking as she +tied up the dripping roses.</p> +<p> +The next rainbow they had she eyed very closely, +standing out on the front door-step in the rain, and +she saw that one end of it seemed to touch the ground +at the foot of a pine-tree on the side of the mountain, +which was quite conspicuous amongst its fellows, +it was so tall. The other end had nothing especial +to mark it.</p> +<p> +"I will try the end where the tall pine-tree is first," +said Flax to herself, "because that will be the easiest +to find—if the Pot of Gold isn't there I will try to find +the other end."</p> +<p> +A few days after that it was very hot and sultry, +and at noon the thunder heads were piled high all +around the horizon.</p> +<p> +"I don't doubt but we shall have showers this +afternoon," said Father Flower, when he came in from +the garden for his dinner.</p> +<p> +After the dinner-dishes were washed up, and the +baby rocked to sleep, Flax came to her mother with a +petition.</p> +<p> +"Mother," said she, "won't you give me a holiday<span class="page"><a name="page18" id="page18">[Page 18]</a></span> +this afternoon?"</p> +<p> +"Why, where do you want to go, Flax?" said her +mother.</p> +<p> +"I want to go over on the mountain and hunt for +wild flowers," replied Flax.</p> +<p> +"But I think it is going to rain, child, and you +will get wet."</p> +<p> +"That won't hurt me any, mother," said Flax, +laughing.</p> +<p> +"Well, I don't know as I care," said her mother, +hesitatingly. "You have been a very good industrious +girl, and deserve a little holiday. Only don't go so +far that you cannot soon run home if a shower should +come up."</p> +<p> +So Flax curled her flaxen hair and tied it up with +a blue ribbon, and put on her blue and white checked +dress. By the time she was ready to go the clouds +over in the northwest were piled up very high and +black, and it was quite late in the afternoon. Very +likely her mother would not have let her gone if she +had been at home, but she had taken the baby, who +had waked from his nap, and gone to call on her nearest +neighbor, half a mile away. As for her father, he +was busy in the garden, and all the other children were +with him, and they did not notice Flax when she stole +out of the front door. She crossed the river on a +pretty arched stone bridge nearly opposite the house, +and went directly into the woods on the side of the<span class="page"><a name="page19" id="page19">[Page 19]</a></span> +mountain.</p> +<p> +Everything was very still and dark and solemn in +the woods. They knew about the storm that was coming. +Now and then Flax heard the leaves talking +in queer little rustling voices. She inherited the +ability to understand what they said from her father. +They were talking to each other now in the words +of her father's song. Very likely he had heard them +saying it sometime, and that was how he happened +to know i t,</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"O what is it shineth so golden-clear<br /> +At the rainbow's foot on the dark green hill?"</p> + +<p> +Flax heard the maple leaves inquire. And the pine-leaves +answered back:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"'Tis the Pot of Gold, that for many a year<br /> +Has shone, and is shining and dazzling still."</p> + +<p> +Then the maple-leaves asked:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"And whom is it for, O Pilgrim, pray?"</p> + +<p> +And the pine-leaves answered:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"For thee, Sweetheart, should'st thou go that way."</p> + +<p> +Flax did not exactly understand the sense of the +last question and answer between maple and pine-leaves. +But they kept on saying it over and over +as she ran along. She was going straight to the tall +pine-tree. She knew just where it was, for she had <span class="page"><a name="page20" id="page20">[Page 20]</a></span> +often been there. Now the rain-drops began to splash +through the green boughs, and the thunder rolled +along the sky. The leaves all tossed about in a strong +wind and their soft rustles grew into a roar, and the +branches and the whole tree caught it up and called +out so loud as they writhed and twisted about that Flax +was almost deafened, the words of the song:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"O what is it shineth so golden-clear?"</p> + +<p> +Flax sped along through the wind and the rain and +the thunder. She was very much afraid that she +should not reach the tall pine which was quite a way +distant before the sun shone out, and the rainbow +came.</p> +<p> +The sun was already breaking through the clouds +when she came in sight of it, way up above her on a +rock. The rain-drops on the trees began to shine like +diamonds, and the words of the song rushed out from +their midst, louder and sweeter:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"O what is it shineth so golden-clear?"</p> + +<p> +Flax climbed for dear life. Red and green and +golden rays were already falling thick around her, and +at the foot of the pine-tree something was shining wonderfully +clear and bright.</p> +<p> +At last she reached it, and just at that instant the +rainbow became a perfect one, and there at the foot of +the wonderful arch of glory was the Pot of Gold.<span class="page"><a name="page21" id="page21">[Page 21]</a></span> +Flax could see it brighter than all the brightness of the +rainbow. She sank down beside it and put her hand +on it, then she closed her eyes and sat still, bathed in +red and green and violet light—that, and the golden +light from the Pot, made her blind and dizzy. As she +sat there with her hand on the Pot of Gold at the foot +of the rainbow, she could hear the leaves over her singing +louder and louder, till the tones fairly rushed like +a wind through her ears. But this time they only sang +the last words of the song:</p> + +<p class="indent"> +"And whom is it for, O Pilgrim, pray?<br /> +For thee, Sweetheart, should'st thou go that way."</p> + +<p> +At last she ventured to open her eyes. The rainbow +had faded almost entirely away, only a few tender rose +and green shades were arching over her; but the Pot +of Gold under her hand was still there, and shining +brighter than ever. All the pine needles with which +the ground around it was thickly spread, were turned +to needles of gold, and some stray couplets of leaves +which were springing up through them were all +gilded.</p> +<p> +Flax bent over it trembling and lifted the lid off the +pot. She expected, of course, to find it full of gold +pieces that would buy the grand house and the gardener +and the maid that her father had spoken about. +But to her astonishment, when she had lifted the lid +off and bent over the Pot to look into it, the first thing<span class="page"><a name="page22" id="page22">[Page 22]</a></span> +she saw was the face of her mother looking out of it +at her. It was smaller of course, but just the same +loving, kindly face she had left at home. Then, as +she looked longer, she saw her father smiling gently up +at her, then came Poppy and the baby and all the rest +of her dear little brothers and sisters smiling up at her +out of the golden gloom inside the Pot. At last she +actually saw the garden and her father in it tying up +the roses, and the pretty little vine-covered house, and, +finally, she could see right into the dear little room +where her mother sat with the baby in her lap, and all +the others around her.</p> +<p> +Flax jumped up. "I will run home," said she, "it +is late, and I do want to see them all dreadfully."</p> +<p> +So she left the Golden Pot shining all alone under +the pine-tree, and ran home as fast as she could.</p> +<p> +When she reached the house it was almost twilight, +but her father was still in the garden. Every rose and +lily had to be tied up after the shower, and he was but +just finishing. He had the tin milk pan hung on him +like a shield, because it rhymed with man. It certainly +was a beautiful rhyme, but it was very inconvenient. +Poor Mother Flower was at her wits' end to know +what to do without it, and it was very awkward for +Father Flower to work with it fastened to him.</p> +<p> +Flax ran breathlessly into the garden, and threw her +arms around her father's neck and kissed him. She +bumped her nose against the milk pan, but she did not<span class="page"><a name="page23" id="page23">[Page 23]</a></span> +mind that; she was so glad to see him again. Somehow, +she never remembered being so glad to see him +as she was now since she had seen his face in the Pot +of Gold.</p> +<p> +"Dear father," cried she, "how glad I am to see +you! I found the Pot of Gold at the end of the +rainbow!"</p> +<p> +Her father stared at her in amazement.</p> +<p> +"Yes, I did, truly, father," said she. "But it was +not full of gold, after all. You was in it, and mother +and the children and the house and garden and—everything."</p> +<p> +"You were mistaken, dear," said her father, looking +at her with his gentle, sorrowful eyes. "You could +not have found the true end of the rainbow, nor the +true Pot of Gold—that is surely full of the most +beautiful gold pieces, with an angel stamped on every +one."</p> +<p> +"But I did, father," persisted Flax.</p> +<p> +"You had better go into your mother, Flax," said +her father; "she will be anxious to see you. I know +better than you about the Pot of Gold at the end of +the rainbow."</p> +<p> +So Flax went sorrowfully into the house. There +was the tea-kettle singing beside the "skettle," which +had some nice smelling soup in it, the table was laid +for supper, and there sat her mother with the baby in +her lap and the others all around her—just as they<span class="page"><a name="page24" id="page24">[Page 24]</a></span> +had looked in the Pot of Gold.</p> +<p> +Flax had never been so glad to see them before—and +if she didn't hug and kiss them all!</p> +<p> +"I found the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow, +mother," cried she, "and it was not full of gold, +at all; but you and father and the children looked out +of it at me, and I saw the house and garden and +everything in it."</p> +<p> +Her mother looked at her lovingly. "Yes, Flax +dear," said she.</p> +<p> +"But father said I was mistaken," said Flax, "and +did not find it."</p> +<p> +"Well, dear," said her mother, "your father is a +poet, and very wise; we will say no more about it. +You can sit down here and hold the baby now, while +I make the tea."</p> +<p> +Flax was perfectly ready to do that; and, as she +sat there with her darling little baby brother crowing +in her lap, and watched her pretty little brothers and +sisters and her dear mother, she felt so happy that she +did not care any longer whether she had found the +true Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow or not.</p> +<p> +But, after all, do you know, I think her father was +mistaken, and that she had.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page25" id="page25">[Page 25]</a></span> + +<h2>THE COW WITH GOLDEN <a name="horns" id="horns">HORNS</a>.</h2> + +<p> +Once there was a farmer who had a very rare and +valuable cow. There was not another like her in the +whole kingdom. She was as white as the whitest lily +you ever saw, and her horns, which curved very gracefully, +were of gold.</p> +<p> +She had a charming green meadow, with a silvery +pool in the middle, to feed in. Almost all the grass +was blue-eyed grass, too, and there were yellow lilies +all over the pool.</p> +<p> +The farmer's daughter, who was a milkmaid, used +to tend the gold-horned cow. She was a very pretty +girl. Her name was Drusilla. She had long flaxen +hair, which hung down to her ankles in two smooth +braids, tied with blue ribbons. She had blue eyes and +pink cheeks, and she wore a blue petticoat, with garlands +of rose-buds all over it, and a white dimity short +gown, looped up with bunches of roses. Her hat was +a straw flat, with a wreath of rose-buds around it, and +she always carried a green willow branch in her hand +to drive the cow with.</p> +<p> +She used to sit on a bank near the silvery pool, and +watch the gold-horned cow, and sing to herself all day +from the time the dew was sparkling over the meadow<span class="page"><a name="page26" id="page26">[Page 26]</a></span> +in the morning, till it fell again at night. Then she +would drive the cow gently home, with her green willow +stick, milk her, and feed her, and put her into her +stable, herself, for the night.</p> +<p> +The farmer was feeble and old, so his daughter had +to do all this. The gold-horned cow's stable was a sort +of a "lean-to," built into the side of the cottage where +Drusilla and her father lived. Its roof, as well as +that of the cottage, was thatched and overgrown with +moss, out of which had grown, in its turn, a little +starry white flower, until the whole roof looked like a +flower-bed. There were roses climbing over the walls +of the cottage and stable, also, pink and white ones.</p> +<p> +Drusilla used to keep the gold-horned cow's stable +in exquisite order. Her trough to eat out of, was +polished as clean as a lady's china tea-cup. She always +had fresh straw, and her beautiful long tail was tied +by a blue ribbon to a ring in the ceiling, in order to +keep it nice.</p> + +<span class="page"><a name="page27" id="page27">[Page 27]</a></span> +<p class="center1"><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="plate3" id="plate3">[plate 3]</a></span> +<img src="images/03-drusilla.jpg" width="505" height="300" alt="Drusilla and her gold-horned cow." border="0" /><br /><br /> +DRUSILLA AND HER GOLD-HORNED COW.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +The gold-horned cow's milk was better than any +other's, as one would reasonably suppose it to have +been. The cream used to be at least an inch thick, +and so yellow; and the milk itself had a peculiar and +exquisite flavor—perhaps the best way to describe it, +is to say it tasted as lilies smell. The gentry all about +were eager to buy it, and willing to pay a good price +for it. Drusilla used to go around to supply her customers, +nights and mornings, a bright, shining milk-pail<span class="page"><a name="page29" id="page29">[Page 29]</a></span> +in each hand, and one on her head. She had +learned to carry herself so steadily in consequence that +she walked like a queen.</p> +<p> +Everybody admired Drusilla, and all the young +shepherds and farmers made love to her, but she did +not seem to care for any of them, but to prefer tending +her gold-horned cow, and devoting herself to her +old father—she was a very dutiful daughter.</p> +<p> +Everything went prosperously with them for a long +time; the cow thrived, and gave a great deal of milk, +customers were plenty, they paid the rent for their +cottage regularly, and Drusilla who was a beautiful +spinner, had her linen chest filled to the brim with the +finest linen.</p> +<p> +At length, however, a great misfortune befell them. +One morning—it was the day after a holiday—Drusilla, +who had been up very late the night before dancing +on the village green, felt very sleepy, as she sat +watching the cow in the green meadow. So she just +laid her flaxen head down amongst the blue-eyed grasses, +and soon fell fast asleep.</p> +<p> +When she woke up, the dew was all dried off, and +the sun almost directly overhead. She rubbed her +eyes, and looked about for the gold-horned cow. To +her great alarm, she was nowhere to be seen. She +jumped up, distractedly, and ran over the meadow, but +the gold-horned cow was certainly not there. The bars +were up, just as she had left them, and there was not<span class="page"><a name="page30" id="page30">[Page 30]</a></span> +a gap in the stonewall which extended around the +meadow. How could she have gotten out? It was +very mysterious!</p> +<p> +Drusilla, when she found, certainly, that the gold-horned +cow was gone, lost no time in wonderment and +conjecture; she started forth to find her. "I will not +tell father till I have searched a long time," said she +to herself.</p> +<p> +So, down the road she went, looking anxiously on +either side. "If only I could come in sight of her, +browsing in the clover, beside the wall," sighed she; +but she did not.</p> +<p> +After a while, she saw a great cloud of dust in the +distance. It rolled nearer and nearer, and finally she +saw the King on horseback, with a large party of +nobles galloping after him. The King, who was quite +an old man, had a very long, curling, white beard, and +had his breast completely covered with orders and decorations. +No convenient board fence on a circus day +was ever more thoroughly covered with elephants and +horses, and trapeze performers, than the breast of the +King's black velvet coat with jeweled stars and ribbons. +But even then, there was not room for all his +store, so he had hit upon the ingenious expedient of +covering a black silk umbrella with the remainder. +He held it in a stately manner over his head now, and +it presented a dazzling sight; for it was literally blazing +with gems, and glittering ribbons fluttered from it <span class="page"><a name="page31" id="page31">[Page 31]</a></span> +on all sides.</p> +<p> +When the King saw Drusilla courtesying by the side +of the road, he drew rein so suddenly, that his horse +reared back on its haunches, and all his nobles, who +always made it a point to do exactly as the King did—it +was court etiquette—also drew rein suddenly, +and all their horses reared back on their haunches.</p> +<p> +"What will you, pretty maiden?" asked the King +graciously.</p> +<p> +"Please, your Majesty," said Drusilla courtesying +and blushing and looking prettier than ever, "have +you seen my gold-horned cow?"</p> +<p> +"Pardy," said the King, for that was the proper +thing for a King to say, you know, "I never saw a +gold-horned cow in my life!"</p> +<p> +Then Drusilla told him about her loss, and the King +gazed at her while she was talking, and admired her +more and more.</p> +<p> +You must know that it had always been a great +cross to the King and his wife, the Queen, that they +had never had any daughter. They had often thought +of adopting one, but had never seen any one who +exactly suited them. They wanted a full-grown Princess, +because they had an alliance with the Prince of +Egypt in view.</p> +<p> +The King looked at Drusilla now, and thought her +the most beautiful and stately maiden he had ever seen.</p> +<p> +"What an appropriate Princess she would make!"<span class="page"><a name="page32" id="page32">[Page 32]</a></span> +thought he.</p> +<p> +"Suppose I should find the gold-horned cow for +you," said he to Drusilla, when she had finished her +pitiful story, "would you consent to be adopted by the +Queen and myself, and be a princess?"</p> +<p> +Drusilla hesitated a moment. She thought of her +dear old father and how desolate he would be without +her. But then she thought how terribly distressed he +would be at the loss of the gold-horned cow, and that +if he had her back, she would be company for him, +even if his daughter was away, and she finally gave +her consent.</p> +<p> +The King always had his Lord Chamberlain lead a +white palfrey, with rich housings, by the bridle, in case +they came across a suitable full-grown Princess in any +of their journeys; and now he ordered him to be +brought forward, and commanded a page to assist +Drusilla to the saddle.</p> +<p> +But she began to weep. "I want to go back to my +father, until you have found the cow, your Majesty," +said she.</p> +<p> +"You may go and bid your father good-by," replied +the King, peremptorily, "but then you must go immediately +to the boarding school, where all the young +ladies of the Court are educated. If you are going to +be a Princess, it is high time you began to prepare. +You will have to learn feather stitching, and rick-rack +and Kensington stitch, and tatting, and point lace, and<span class="page"><a name="page33" id="page33">[Page 33]</a></span> +Japanese patchwork, and painting on china, and how +to play variations on the piano, and—everything a +Princess ought to know."</p> +<p> +"But," said Drusilla timidly, "suppose—your Majesty +shouldn't—find the cow"—</p> +<p> +"Oh! I shall find the cow fast enough," replied the +King carelessly. "Why, I shall have the whole Kingdom +searched. I can't fail to find her." So the page +assisted the milkmaid to the saddle, kneeling gracefully, +and presenting his hand for her to place her foot +in, and they galloped off toward the farmer's cottage.</p> +<p> +The old man was greatly astonished to see his +daughter come riding home in such splendid company, +and when she explained matters to him, his distress, at +first, knew no bounds. To lose both his dear daughter +and his precious gold-horned cow, at one blow, seemed +too much to bear. But the King promised to provide +liberally for him during his daughter's absence, and +spoke very confidently of his being able to find the +cow. He also promised that Drusilla should return +to him if the cow was not found in one year's time, +and after a while the old man was pacified.</p> +<p> +Drusilla put her arms around her father's neck and +kissed him tenderly; then the page assisted her gracefully +into the saddle, and she rode, sobbing, away.</p> +<p> +After they had ridden about an hour, they came to +a large, white building.</p> +<p> +"O dear!" said the King, "the seminary is asleep!<span class="page"><a name="page34" id="page34">[Page 34]</a></span> +I was afraid of it!"</p> +<p> +Then Drusilla saw that the building was like a great +solid mass, with not a door or window visible.</p> +<p> +"It is asleep," explained the King. "It is not a +common house; a great professor designed it. It +goes to sleep, and you can't see any doors or windows, +and such work as it is to wake it up! But we may as +well begin."</p> +<p> +Then he gave a signal, and all the nobles shouted +as loud as they possibly could, but the seminary still +remained asleep.</p> +<p> +"It's asleep most of the time!" growled the King. +"They don't want the young ladies disturbed at their +feather stitching and rick-rack, by anything going on +outside. I wish I could shake it."</p> +<p> +Then he gave the signal again, and all the nobles +shouted together, as loud as they could possibly scream. +Suddenly, doors and windows appeared all over the +seminary, like so many opening eyes.</p> +<p> +"There," cried the King, "the seminary has woke +up, and I am glad of it!"</p> +<p> +Then he ushered Drusilla in, and introduced her to +the lady principal and the young ladies, and she was +at once set to making daisies in Kensington stitch, for +the King was very anxious for her education to begin +at once.</p> +<p> +So now, the milkmaid, instead of sitting, singing, in +a green meadow, watching her beautiful gold-horned<span class="page"><a name="page35" id="page35">[Page 35]</a></span> +cow, had to sit all day in a high-backed chair, her feet +on a little foot-stool with an embroidered pussy cat on +it, and do fancy work. The young ladies worked by +electric light; for the seminary was asleep nearly all +the time, and no sunlight could get in at the windows, +for boards clapped down over them like so many eye-lids +when the seminary began to doze.</p> +<p> +Drusilla had left off her pretty blue petticoat and +white short gown now, and was dressed in gold-flowered +satin, with an immense train, which two pages bore +for her when she walked. Her pretty hair was combed +high and powdered, and she wore a comb of gold and +pearls in it. She looked very lovely, but she also +looked very sad. She could not help thinking, even in +the midst of all this splendor, of her dear father, +and her own home, and wishing to see them.</p> +<p> +She was a very apt pupil. Her tatting collars were +the admiration of the whole seminary, and she made +herself a whole dress of rick-rack. She painted a +charming umbrella stand for the King, and actually +worked the gold-horned cow in Kensington stitch, on a +blue satin tidy, for the Queen. It was so natural that +she wept over it, herself, when it was finished; but +the Queen was delighted, and put it on her best stuffed +rocking-chair in her parlor, and would run and throw +it back every time the King sat down there, for fear +he would lean his head against it and soil it.</p> +<p> +Drusilla also worked an elegant banner of old gold<span class="page"><a name="page36" id="page36">[Page 36]</a></span> +satin, with hollyhocks, for the King to carry at the +head of his troops when he went to battle; also a hat-band +for the Prince of Egypt. This last was sent by +a special courier with a large escort, and the Prince +sent an exquisite shopping-bag of real alligator's skin +to Drusilla in return. She was the envy of the whole +seminary when it came.</p> +<p> +The young ladies fared very delicately. Their one +article of diet was peaches and cream. It was thought +to improve their complexions. Once in a while, they +went out to drive by moonlight; they were afraid of +sunburn by day, and they wore white gauze veils, even +in the moonlight, and they all had embroidered afghans +of their own handiwork.</p> +<p> +They used to sit around a large table over which +hung a chandelier of the electric light, to work, and +some young lady either played "Home, sweet Home, +and variations," or else "The Maiden's Prayer," on +the piano for their entertainment.</p> +<p> +It seemed as if Drusilla ought to have been happy +in a place like this; but although she was diligent and +dutiful, she grieved all the time for her father.</p> +<p> +Meantime, the King was keeping up an energetic +search for the gold-horned cow. Every stable and +pasture in the Kingdom was searched, spies were +posted everywhere, but the King could not find her. +She had disappeared as completely as if she had vanished +altogether from the face of the earth. It at last <span class="page"><a name="page37" id="page37">[Page 37]</a></span> +began to be whispered about that there never had been +any gold-horned cow, but that the whole had been a +clever trick of Drusilla's, that she might become a +Princess. An envious schoolmate, who had been very +desirous of becoming Princess and marrying the Prince +of Egypt herself, started the report; and it soon +spread over the whole Kingdom. The King heard it +and began to believe it; for he could not see why he +failed to find the cow. It always exasperated the +King dreadfully to fail in anything, and he never +allowed that it was his own fault, if he could possibly +help it.</p> +<p> +At last the end of the year came, and still no signs +of the gold-horned cow. Then the King became convinced +that Drusilla had cheated him, that there never +had been any such wonderful cow, and that she had +used this trick in order to become a Princess. Of +course, the King felt more comfortable to believe this, +for it accounted satisfactorily for his own failure to +find her, and it is extremely mortifying for a King to +be unable to do anything he sets out to.</p> +<p> +So Drusilla was dismissed from the seminary in disgrace, +and sent home. Her jewels and fine clothes +were all taken away from her, even her rick-rack dress, +and she put on her blue petticoat and short gown, and +straw flat again. Still, she was so happy at the prospect +of seeing her dear old father again, that she did +not mind the loss of all her fine things much. She<span class="page"><a name="page38" id="page38">[Page 38]</a></span> +did not ride the white palfrey now, but went home on +foot, in the dewy morning, as fast as she could trip.</p> +<p> +When she came in sight of the cottage, there was +her father sitting in his old place at the window. +When he saw his beloved daughter coming, he ran out +to meet her as fast as he could hobble, and they tenderly +embraced each other.</p> +<p> +The King had provided liberally for the old man +while Drusilla was in the seminary, but now that he +was so angry at her alleged deception, his support +would probably cease, and, since the gold-horned cow +was lost, it was a question how they would live. The +father and daughter sat talking it over after they had +entered the cottage. It was a puzzling question, and +Drusilla was weeping a little, when her father gave a +joyful cry:</p> +<p> +"Look, look, Drusilla!"</p> +<p> +Drusilla looked up quickly, and there was the milk-white +face and golden horns of the cow peering through +the vines in the window. She was eating some of the +pink and white roses.</p> +<p> +Drusilla and her father hastened out with joyful +exclamations, and there was the cow, sure enough. A +couple of huge wicker baskets were slung across her +broad back, and one was filled to the brim with gold +coins, and the other with jewels, diamonds, pearls and +rubies.</p> +<p> +When Drusilla and her father saw them, they both<span class="page"><a name="page39" id="page39">[Page 39]</a></span> +threw their arms around the gold-horned cow's neck, +and cried for joy. She turned her head and gazed at +them a moment with her calm, gentle eyes; then she +went on eating roses.</p> +<p> +When the King heard of all this, he came with the +Queen in a golden coach, to see Drusilla and her father. +"I am convinced now of your truthfulness," he said +majestically, when the Court Jeweler had examined +the cow's horns to see if they were true gold, and not +merely gilded, and he had seen with his own eyes the +two baskets full of coins and jewels. "And, if you +would like to be Princess, you can be, and also marry +the Prince of Egypt."</p> +<p> +But Drusilla threw her arms around her father's +neck. "No; your Majesty," she said timidly, "I had +rather stay with my father, if you please, than be a +Princess, and I rather live here and tend my dear cow, +than marry the Prince of Egypt."</p> +<p> +The King sighed, and so did the Queen; they knew +they never should find another such beautiful Princess. +But, then, the King had not kept his part of the contract +and found the gold-horned cow, and he could not +compel her to be a Princess without breaking the royal +word.</p> +<p> +So the cow was again led out to pasture in the little +meadow of blue-eyed grasses, and Drusilla, though she +was very rich now, used to find no greater happiness +than to sit on the banks of the silvery pool where the<span class="page"><a name="page40" id="page40">[Page 40]</a></span> +yellow lilies grew, and watch her.</p> +<p> +They had their poor little cottage torn down and a +grand castle built instead: but the roof of that was +thatched and over-grown with moss, and pink and +white roses clustered thickly around the walls. It was +just as much like their old home as a castle can be like +a cottage. The gold-horned cow had, also, a magnificent +new stable. Her eating-trough was the finest +moss rose-bud china, she had dried rose leaves instead +of hay to eat, and there were real lace curtains at all +the stable windows, and a lace <i>portière</i> over her stall.</p> +<p> +The King and Queen used to visit Drusilla often; +they gave her back her rick-rack dress, and grew very +fond of her, though she would not be a Princess. +Finally, however, they prevailed upon her to be made +a countess. So she was called "Lady Drusilla," and +she had a coat of arms, with the gold-horned cow +rampant on it, put up over the great gate of the +castle.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + +<span class="page"><a name="page41" id="page41">[Page 41]</a></span> +<h2>PRINCESS ROSETTA AND THE POP-CORN MAN.</h2> + +<h3>I.</h3> + +<h3>THE PRINCESS <a name="rosetta" id="rosetta">ROSETTA</a>.</h3> + +<p> +The Bee Festival was held on the sixteenth day of +May; all the court went. The court-ladies wore green +silk scarfs, long green floating plumes in their bonnets, +and green satin petticoats embroidered with apple-blossoms. +The court-gentlemen wore green velvet +tunics with nose-gays in their buttonholes, and green +silk hose. Their little pointed shoes were adorned +with knots of flowers instead of buckles.</p> +<p> +As for the King himself, he wore a thick wreath of +cherry and peach-blossoms instead of his crown, and +carried a white thorn-branch instead of his scepter. +His green velvet robe was trimmed with a border of +blue and white violets instead of ermine. The Queen +wore a garland of violets around her golden head, and +the hem of her gown was thickly sown with primroses.</p> +<p> +But the little Princess Rosetta surpassed all the +rest. Her little gown was completely woven of violets +and other fine flowers. There was a very skillful +seamstress in the court who knew how to do this kind<span class="page"><a name="page42" id="page42">[Page 42]</a></span> +of work, although no one except the Princess Rosetta +was allowed to wear a flower-cloth gown to the Bee +Festival. She wore also a little white violet cap, and +two of her nurses carried her between them in a little +basket lined with rose and apple-leaves.</p> +<p> +All the company, as they danced along, sang, or +played on flutes, or rang little glass and silver bells. +Nobody except the King and Queen rode. They rode +cream-colored ponies, with silken ropes wound with +flowers for bridle-reins.</p> +<p> +The Bee Festival was held in a beautiful park a +mile distant from the city. The young grass there +was green and velvety, and spangled all over with +fallen apple and cherry and peach and plum and pear blossoms; +for the park was set with fruit-trees in even +rows. The blue sky showed between the pink and +white branches, and the air was very sweet and loud +with the humming of bees. The trees were all full of +bees. There was something peculiar about the bees +of this country; none of them had stings.</p> +<p> +When the court reached the park, they all tinkled +their bells in time, whistled on their flutes, and sang +a song which they always sang on these occasions. +Then they played games and enjoyed themselves. +They played hide-and-seek among the trees, and +formed rings and danced. The bees flew around them, +and seemed to know them. The little Princess, lying +in her basket, crowed and laughed, and caught at them<span class="page"><a name="page43" id="page43">[Page 43]</a></span> +when they came humming over her face. Her nurses +stood around her, and waved great fans of peacock-feathers, +but that did not frighten the bees at all.</p> +<p> +The court's lunch was spread on a damask-cloth, in +an open space between the trees. There were biscuits +of wheaten flour, plates of honey-comb, and cream in +tall glass ewers. That was the regulation lunch at the +Bee Festival. The Bee Festival was nearly as old as +the kingdom, and there was an ancient legend about +it, which the Poet Laureate had put into an epic poem. +The King had it in his royal library, printed in golden +letters and bound in old gold plush.</p> +<p> +Centuries ago, so the legend ran, in the days of the +very first monarch of the royal family of which this +king was a member, there were no bees at all in the +kingdom. Not a child in the whole country, not even +the little princes and princesses in the palace, had ever +tasted a bit of bread and honey.</p> +<p> +But, while there were no bees in this kingdom, one +just across the river was swarming with them. That +kingdom was governed by a king who was the tenth +cousin of the first, and not very well disposed toward +him. He had stationed lines of sentinels with ostrich-feather +brooms on his bank of the river to keep the +bees from flying over, and he would not export a single +bee, nor one ounce of honey, although he had been +offered immense sums.</p> +<p> +However, the inhabitants of this second country<span class="page"><a name="page44" id="page44">[Page 44]</a></span> +were so cruel and tormenting in their dispositions, and +the children so teased the bees, which were stingless +and could not defend themselves, that they rebelled. +They stopped making honey, and one day they +swarmed, and flew in a body across the river in spite +of the frantic waving of the ostrich-feather brooms.</p> +<p> +The other King was overjoyed. He ordered beautiful +hives to be built for them, and instituted a national +festival in their honor, which ever since had been observed +regularly on the sixteenth day of May.</p> +<p> +Up to this day there were no bees in the kingdom +across the river. Not one would return to where its +ancestors had been so hardly treated; here everybody +was kind to them, and even paid them honor. The +present King had established an order of the "Golden +Bee." The Knights of the Golden Bee wore ribbons +studded with golden bees on their breasts, and their +watchword was a sort of a "buzz-z-z," like the humming +of a bee. When they were in full regalia they +wore also some curious wings made of gold wire and +lace. The Knights of the Golden Bee comprised the +finest nobles of the court.</p> +<p> +In addition to them were the "Bee Guards." They +were the King's own body-guards. Their uniform was +white with green cuffs and collar and facings. On the +green were swarms of embroidered bees. They carried +a banner of green silk worked with bees and roses.</p> +<p> +So the bee might fairly have been considered the<span class="page"><a name="page45" id="page45">[Page 45]</a></span> +national emblem of Romalia, for that was the name of +the country. The first word which the children +<span class="page"><a name="plate4" id="plate4">[plate 4]</a></span> +<img src="images/04-bee-knight.jpg" width="215" height="430" alt="A knight of the golden bee." border="0" hspace="10" vspace="10" style="float: right" /> + +learned to spell in school was "b-e-e, bee," instead of +"b-o-y, boy." The poorest citizen had a bush of roses +and a bee-hive in his yard, and the people were very forlorn +who could not have a bit of honey-comb at least once a day. +The court preferred it to any other food. Indeed it was this +particular Queen who was in the kitchen eating bread and honey, +in the song.</p> +<p> +But to return to the Bee +Festival, on this especial sixteenth +of May. At sunset +when the bees flew back to +their hives for the last time +with their loads of honey, +the court also went home. +They danced along in a +splendid merry procession. The cream-colored ponies +the King and Queen rode pranced lightly in advance, +their slender hoofs keeping time to the flutes and +the bells; and the gallants, leading the ladies by the +tips of their dainty fingers, came after them with gay +waltzing steps. The nurses who carried the Princess<span class="page"><a name="page46" id="page46">[Page 46]</a></span> +Rosetta held their heads high, and danced along as +bravely as the others, waving their peacock-feather +fans in their unoccupied hands. They bore the little +Princess in her basket between them as lightly as a +feather. Up and down she swung. When they first +started she laughed and crowed; then she became +very quiet. The nurses thought she was asleep. They +had laid a little satin coverlet over her, and put a soft +thick veil over her face, that the damp evening-air +might not give her the croup. The Princess Rosetta +was quite apt to have the croup.</p> +<p> +The nurses cast a glance down at the veil and satin +coverlet which were so motionless. "Her Royal +Highness is asleep," they whispered to each other with +nods. The nurses were handsome young women, and +they wore white lace caps, and beautiful long darned +lace aprons. They swung the Princess's basket along +so easily that finally one of them remarked upon it.</p> +<p> +"How very light her Royal Highness is," said she.</p> +<p> +"She weighs absolutely nothing at all," replied the +other nurse who was carrying the Princess, "absolutely +nothing at all."</p> +<p> +"Well, that is apt to be the case with such high-born +infants," said the first nurse. And they all +waved their fans again in time to the music.</p> +<p> +When they reached the palace, the massive doors +were thrown open, and the court passed in. The +nurses bore the Princess Rosetta's basket up the grand<span class="page"><a name="page47" id="page47">[Page 47]</a></span> +marble stair, and carried it into the nursery.</p> +<p> +"We will lift her Royal Highness out very carefully, +and possibly we can put her to bed without waking +her," said the Head-nurse.</p> +<p> +But her Royal Highness's ladies-of-the-bed-chamber +who were in waiting set up such screams of horror +at her remark, that it was a wonder that the Princess +did not awake directly.</p> +<p> +"O-h!" cried a lady-of-the-bed-chamber, "put her +Royal Highness to bed, in defiance of all etiquette, before +the Prima Donna of the court has sung her +lullaby! Preposterous! Lift her out without waking +her, indeed! This nurse should be dismissed from +the court!"</p> +<p> +"O-h!" cried another lady, tossing her lovely head +scornfully, and giving her silken train an indignant +swish; "the idea of putting her Royal Highness to +bed without the silver cup of posset, which I have here +for her!"</p> +<p> +"And without taking her rose-water bath!" cried +another, who was dabbling her lily fingers in a little +ivory bath filled with rose-water.</p> +<p> +"And without being anointed with this Cream of +Lilies!" cried one with a little ivory jar in her hand.</p> +<p> +"And without having every single one of her golden +ringlets dressed with this pomade scented with violets +and almonds!" cried one with a round porcelain box.</p> +<p> +"Or even having her curls brushed!" cried a lady<span class="page"><a name="page48" id="page48">[Page 48]</a></span> +as if she were fainting, and she brandished an ivory +hair-brush set with turquoises.</p> +<p> +"I suppose," remarked a lady who was very tall +and majestic in her carriage, "that this nurse would +not object to her Royal Highness being put to bed +without—her nightgown, even!"</p> +<p> +And she held out the Princess's little embroidered +nightgown, and gazed at the Head-nurse with an awful +air.</p> +<p> +"I beg your pardon humbly, my Ladies," responded +the Head-nurse meekly. Then she bent over the basket +to lift out the Princess.</p> +<p> +Every one stood listening for her Royal Highness's +pitiful scream when she should awake. The lady with +the cup of posset held it in readiness, and the ladies +with the Cream of Lilies, the violet and almond pomade +and the ivory hair-brush looked anxious to begin +their duties. The Prima Donna stood with her song +in hand, and the first court fiddler had his bow raised +all ready to play the accompaniment for her. Writing +a fresh lullaby for the Princess every day, and setting +it to music, were among the regular duties of the +Poet Laureate and the first musical composer of the +court.</p> +<p> +The Head-nurse with her eyes full of tears because +of the reproaches she had received, reached down her +arms and attempted to lift the Princess Rosetta—suddenly +she turned very white, and tossed aside the <span class="page"><a name="page49" id="page49">[Page 49]</a></span> +veil and the satin coverlet. Then she gave a loud +scream, and fell down in a faint.</p> +<p> +The ladies stared at one another.</p> +<p> +"What is the matter with the Head-nurse?" they +asked. Then the second nurse stepped up to the basket +and reached down to clasp the Princess Rosetta. +Then she gave a loud scream, and fell down in a faint.</p> +<p> +The third nurse, trembling so she could scarcely +stand, came next. After she had stooped over the +basket, she also gave a loud scream and fainted. Then +the fourth nurse stepped up, bent over the basket, and +fainted. So all the Princess Rosetta's nurses lay fainting +on the floor beside her basket. </p> +<p> +It was contrary to the rules of etiquette for any one +except the nurses to approach nearer than five yards +to her Royal Highness before she was taken from her +basket. So they crowded together at that distance +and craned their necks.</p> +<p> +"What can ail the nurses?" they whispered in terrified +tones. They could not go near enough to the +basket to see what the trouble was, and still it seemed +very necessary that they should.</p> +<p> +"I wish I had a telescope," said the lady with the +hair-brush.</p> +<p> +But there was none in the room, and it was contrary +to the rules of etiquette for any person to leave it +until the Princess was taken from the basket.</p> +<p> +There seemed to be no proper way out of the difficulty.<span class="page"><a name="page50" id="page50">[Page 50]</a></span> +Finally the first fiddler stood up with an air +of resolution, and began unwinding the green silk sash +from his waist. It was eleven yards long. He doubled +it, and launched it at the basket, like a lasso.</p> + + +<p> +"There is nothing in the code of etiquette to prevent +the Princess approaching us before she is taken +from her basket," he said bravely. All the ladies +applauded.</p> +<p> +He threw the lasso very successfully. It went quite +around the basket. Then he drew it gently over +the five yards. They all crowded around, and looked<span class="page"><a name="page51" id="page51">[Page 51]</a></span> +into it.</p> +<p> +<i>The Princess was not in the basket!</i></p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate5" id="plate5">[plate 5]</a></span> +<img src="images/05-noprincess.jpg" width="542" height="470" alt="The princess was not in the basket!" border="0" /><br /><br /> +THE PRINCESS WAS NOT IN THE BASKET.</p><br /><br /><br /> + +<h3>II.</h3> + +<h3>THE <a name="pop-corn" id="pop-corn">POP-CORN</a> MAN.</h3> + +<p> +That night the whole kingdom was in a turmoil. +The Bee Guards were called out, and patrolled the +city, alarm-bells rung, signal fires burned, and everybody +was out with a lantern. They searched every +inch of the road to the park where the Bee Festival +had been held, for it did seem at first as if the Princess +had possibly been spilled out of the basket, although +the nurses were confident that it was not so. +So they searched carefully, and the nurses were in the +meantime placed in custody. But nothing was found. +The people held their lanterns low, and looked under +every bush, and even poked aside the grasses, but they +could not find the Princess on the road to the park.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="page53" id="page53">[Page 53]</a></span><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="plate6" id="plate6">[plate 6]</a></span> +<img src="images/06-beepatrol.jpg" width="570" height="350" alt="The bee guards patrolled the city." border="0" /> +</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +Then a regular force of detectives was organized, +and the search continued day after day. Every house +in the country was examined in every nook and corner. +The cupboards even were all ransacked, and the +bureau drawers. The King had a favorite book of +philosophy, and one motto which he had learned in his +youth recurred to him. It was this:</p> +<p> +"When a-seeking, seek in the unlikely places, as<span class="page"><a name="page52" id="page52">[Page 52]</a></span> +well as the likely; for no man can tell the road that +lost things may prefer."</p> +<p> +So he ordered search to be made in unlikely as well +as likely places, for the Princess; and it was carried +so far that the people had all to turn their pockets inside +out, and shake their shawls and table-cloths. But +it was all of no use. Six months went by, and the +Princess Rosetta had not been found. The King and +Queen were broken-hearted. The Queen wept all day +long, and her tears fell into her honey, until it was no +longer sweet, and she could not eat it. The King sat +by himself and had no heart for anything.</p> +<p> +But the four nurses were in nearly as much distress. +Not only had they been very fond of the little +Princess, and were grieving bitterly for her loss, but +they had also a punishment to endure. They had been +released from custody, because there was really no +evidence against them, but in view of their possible +carelessness, and in perpetual reminder of the loss of +the Princess, a sentence had been passed upon them. +They had been condemned to wear their bonnets the +wrong way around, indoors and out, until the Princess +should be found. So the poor nurses wept into the +crowns of their bonnets. They had little peep-holes +in the straw that they might see to get about, and they +lifted up the capes in order to eat; but it was very +trying. The nurses were all pretty young women too, +and the Head-nurse who came of quite a distinguished <span class="page"><a name="page55" id="page55">[Page 55]</a></span> +family was to have been married soon. But how +could she be a bride and wear a veil with her face in +the crown of her bonnet?</p> +<p> +The Head-nurse was quite clever, and she thought +about the Princess's disappearance, until finally her +thoughts took shape. One day she put on her shawl—her +bonnet was always on—and set out to call on +the Baron Greenleaf. The Baron was an old man +who was said to be versed in white magic, and lived in +a stone tower with his servants and his house-keeper.</p> +<p> +When the Head-nurse came into the tower-yard, the +dog began to bark; he was not used to seeing a woman +with her face in the crown of her bonnet. He thought +that her head must be on the wrong way, and that she +was a monster, and had designs upon his master's +property. So he barked and growled, and caught +hold of her dress, and the Head-nurse screamed. The +Baron himself came running downstairs, and opened +the door. "Who is there?" cried he.</p> +<p> +But when he saw the woman with her bonnet on +wrong he knew at once that she must be one of the +Princess's nurses. So he ordered off the dog, and +ushered the nurse into the tower. He led her into his +study, and asked her to sit down. "Now, madam, +what can I do for you?" he inquired quite politely.</p> +<p> +"Oh, my lord!" cried the Head-nurse in her +muffled voice, "help me to find the Princess."</p> +<p> +The Baron, who was a tall lean old man and wore<span class="page"><a name="page56" id="page56">[Page 56]</a></span> +a very large-figured dressing-gown trimmed with fur, +frowned, and struck his fist down upon the table. +"Help you to find the Princess!" he exclaimed; +"don't you suppose I should find her on my own account +if I could? I should have found her long before +this if the idiots had not broken all my bottles, +and crystals, and retorts, and mirrors, and spilled all +the magic fluids, so that I cannot practice any white +magic at all. The idea of looking for a princess in +a bottle—that comes of pinning one's faith upon +philosophy!"</p> +<p> +"Then you cannot find the Princess by white +magic?" the Head-nurse asked timidly.</p> +<p> +The Baron pounded the table again. "Of course I +cannot," he replied, "with all my magical utensils +smashed in the search for her."</p> +<p> +The Head-nurse sighed pitifully.</p> +<p> +"I suppose that you do not like to go about with +your face in the crown of your bonnet?" the Baron +remarked in a harsh voice.</p> +<p> +The Head-nurse replied sadly that she did not.</p> +<p> +"It doesn't seem to me that I should mind it much," +said the Baron.</p> +<p> +The Head-nurse looked at his grim old face through +the peep-holes in her bonnet-crown, and thought to +herself that if she were no prettier than he, she should +not mind much either, but she said nothing.</p> +<p> +Suddenly there was a knock at the tower-door.</p><span class="page"><a name="page57" id="page57">[Page 57]</a></span> +<p> +"Excuse me a moment," said the Baron; "my +housekeeper is deaf, and my other servants have gone +out." And he ran down the tower-stair, his dressing-gown +sweeping after him.</p> +<p> +Presently he returned, and there was a young man +with him. This young man was as pretty as a girl, and +he looked very young. His blue eyes were very sharp +and bright, and he had rosy cheeks and fair curly hair. +He was dressed very poorly, and around his shoulders +were festooned strings of something that looked like +fine white flowers, but it was in reality pop-corn. He +carried a great basket of pop-corn, and bore a corn-popper +over his shoulder.</p> +<p> +When he entered he bowed low to the Head-nurse; +her bonnet did not seem to surprise him at all. +"Would you like to buy some of my nice pop-corn, +madam?" he asked.</p> +<p> +She curtesied. "Not to-day," she replied.</p> +<p> +But in reality she did not know what pop-corn was. +She had never seen any, and neither had the Baron. +That indeed was the reason why he had admitted the +man—he was curious to see what he was carrying. +"Is it good to eat?" he inquired.</p> +<p> +"Try it, my lord," answered the man. So the +Baron put a pop-corn in his mouth and chewed it +critically. "It is very good indeed," he declared.</p> +<p> +The man passed the basket to the Head-nurse, and +she lifted the cape of her bonnet and put a pop-corn in<span class="page"><a name="page58" id="page58">[Page 58]</a></span> +her mouth, and nibbled it delicately. She also thought +it very good.</p> +<p> +"But there is no use in discussing new articles of +food when the kingdom is under the cloud that it is at +present, and my retorts and crystals all smashed," said +the Baron.</p> +<p> +"Why, what is the cloud, my lord?" inquired the +Pop-corn man. Then the Baron told him the whole +story.</p> +<p> +"Of course it is necromancy," remarked the Pop-corn +man thoughtfully, when the Baron had finished.</p> +<p> +The Baron pounded on the table until it danced. +"Necromancy!" he cried, "of course it's necromancy! +Who but a necromancer could have made a child invisible, +and stolen her away in the face and eyes of the +whole court?"</p> +<p> +"Have you any idea where she is?" ask the Pop-corn +man.</p> +<p> +The Baron stared at him in amazement.</p> +<p> +"Idea where she is?" he repeated scornfully. +"You are just of a piece with the idiots who broke +my mirrors to see if the Princess was not behind +them! How should we have any idea where she is if +she is lost, pray?"</p> +<p> +The Pop-corn man blushed, and looked frightened, +but the Head-nurse spoke up quite bravely, although +her voice was so muffled, and said that she really did +have some idea of the Princess's whereabouts. She<span class="page"><a name="page59" id="page59">[Page 59]</a></span> +propounded her views which were quite plausible. It +was her opinion that only an enemy of the King would +have caused the Princess to be stolen, and as the King +had only one enemy of whom anybody knew, and he +was the King across the river, she thought the Princess +must be there.</p> +<p> +"It seems very likely," said the Baron after she had +finished, "but if she is there it is hopeless. Our King +could never conquer the other one, who has a much +stronger army."</p> +<p> +"Do you know," asked the Pop-corn man, "if they +have ever had any pop-corn on the other side of the +river?"</p> +<p> +"I don't think they have," replied the Baron.</p> +<p> +"Then," said the Pop-corn man, "I think I can +free the Princess."</p> +<p> +"You!" cried the Baron scornfully.</p> + +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="page61" id="page61">[Page 61]</a></span><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="plate7" id="plate7">[plate 7]</a></span> +<img src="images/07-popcornman.jpg" width="560" height="300" alt="'You!' cried the baron scornfully." border="0" /><br /><br /> +'YOU!' CRIED THE BARON SCORNFULLY.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +But the Pop-corn man said nothing more. He +bowed low to the Baron and the Head-nurse, and left +the tower.</p> +<p> +"The idea of his talking as he did," said the Baron. +But the nurse was pinning her shawl, and she hurried +out of the tower and overtook the Pop-corn man.</p> +<p> +"How are you going to manage it?" whispered +she, touching his sleeve.</p> +<p> +The Pop-corn man started. "Oh, it's you?" he +said. "Well, you wait a little, and you will see. Do +you suppose you could find six little boys who would<span class="page"><a name="page60" id="page60">[Page 60]</a></span> +be willing to go over the river with me to-morrow?"</p> +<p> +"Would it be quite safe?"</p> +<p> +"Quite safe."</p> +<p> +"I have six little brothers who would go," said the +Head-nurse.</p> +<p> +So it was arranged that the six little brothers should +go across the river with the Pop-corn man; and the +next morning they set out. They were all decorated +with strings of Pop-corn, they carried baskets of pop-corn, +and bore corn-poppers over their shoulders, and +they crossed the river in a row boat.</p> +<p> +Once over the river they went about peddling pop-corn. +The man sent the boys all over the city, but he +himself went straight to the palace.</p> +<p> +He knocked at the palace-door, and the maid-servant +came. "Is the King at home?" asked the Pop-corn +man.</p> +<p> +The maid said he was, and the Pop-corn man +asked to see him. Just then a baby cried.</p> +<p> +"What baby is that crying?" asked he.</p> +<p> +"A baby that was brought here at sunset, several +months ago," replied the maid; and he knew at once +that he had found the Princess.</p> +<p> +"Will you find out if I can see the King?" he +said.</p> +<p> +"I'll see," answered the maid. And she went in to +find the King. Pretty soon she returned and asked +the Pop-corn man to step into the parlor, which he<span class="page"><a name="page63" id="page63">[Page 63]</a></span> +did, and soon the King came downstairs.</p> +<p> +The Pop-corn man displayed his wares, and the +King tasted. He had never seen any pop-corn before, +and he was both an epicure and a man of hobbies. +"It is the nicest food that ever I tasted," he declared, +and he bought all the man's stock.</p> +<p> +"I can buy corn for you for seed, and I can order +poppers enough to supply the city," suggested the +Pop-corn man.</p> +<p> +"So do," cried the King. And he gave orders for +seven ships' cargoes of seed corn and fifty of poppers. +"My people shall eat nothing else," said the King, +"and the whole kingdom shall be planted with it. I +am satisfied that it is the best national food."</p> +<p> +That day the court dined on pop-corn, and as it +was very light and unsatisfying, they had to eat a long +time. They were all the after-noon dining. Right +after dinner the King wrote out his royal decree that +all the inhabitants should that year plant pop-corn instead +of any other grain or any vegetable, and that +as soon as the ships arrived they should make it their +only article of food. For the King, when he had +learned from the Pop-corn man that the corn needed +to be not only ripe but well dried before it would pop, +could not wait, but had ordered five hundred cargoes +of pop-corn for immediate use.</p> +<p> +So as soon as the ships arrived the people began +at once to pop corn and eat it. There was a sound<span class="page"><a name="page64" id="page64">[Page 64]</a></span> +of popping corn all over the city, and the people +popped all day long. It was necessary that they +should, because it took such a quantity to satisfy hunger, +and when they were not popping they had to eat. +People shook the poppers until their arms were tired, +then gave them to others, and sat down to eat. Men, +women and children popped. It was all that they +could do, with the exception of planting the seed-corn, +and then they were faint with hunger as they +worked. The stores and schools were closed. In the +palace the King and Queen themselves were obliged +to pop in order to secure enough to eat, and the nobles +and the court-ladies toiled and ate, day and night. +But the little stolen Princess and the King's son, the +little Prince, could not pop corn, for they were only +babies.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate8" id="plate8">[plate 8]</a></span> +<img src="images/08-kingqueen.jpg" width="506" height="470" alt="Both the king and queen were obliged to pop." border="0" /><br /><br /> +BOTH THE KING AND QUEEN WERE OBLIGED TO POP.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +When the people across the river had been popping +corn for about a month, the Pop-corn man went +to the King of Romalia's palace, and sought an audience. +He told him how he had discovered his daughter +in the palace of the King across the river.</p> +<p> +The King of Romalia clasped his hands in despair. +"I must make war," said he, "but my army is nothing +to his."</p> +<p> +However, he at once went about making war. He +ordered the swords to be cleaned with sand-paper +until they shone, and new bullets to be cast. The +Bee Guards were drilled every day, and the people<span class="page"><a name="page65" id="page65">[Page 65]</a></span> +could not sleep for the drums and the fifes.</p> +<p> +When everything was ready the King of Romalia +and his army crossed the river and laid siege to the city. +They had expected to have the passage of the river opposed, +but not a foeman was stationed on the opposite +bank. All the spears they could see were the waving +green ones of pop-corn fields. They marched straight +up to the city walls and laid siege. The inhabitants +fought on the walls and in the gate-towers, but not very +many could fight at a time, because they would have to +stop and pop corn and eat.</p> +<p> +The defenders grew fewer and fewer, some were<span class="page"><a name="page66" id="page66">[Page 66]</a></span> +killed, and all of them were growing too tired and +weak to fight. They could not eat enough pop-corn to +give them strength and have any time left to fight. +They filled their pockets and tried to eat pop-corn as +they fought, but they could not manage that very +well.</p> +<p> +On the third day the city surrendered with very +little loss of life on either side, and the little Princess +Rosetta was restored to her parents. There was great +rejoicing all through Romalia; in the evening there +was an illumination and a torch-light procession. The +nurses marched with their bonnets on the right way, +and the Knights of the Golden Bee were out in full +regalia.</p> +<p> +The next day the Head-nurse was married, and the +King gave her a farm and a dozen bee-hives for a +wedding present, and the Queen a beautiful bridal +bonnet trimmed with white plumes and hollyhocks.</p> +<p> +All the court, the Baron and the Pop-corn man +went to the wedding, and wedding-cake and corn-balls +were passed around.</p> +<p> +After the wedding the Pop-corn man went home. +He lived in another country on the other side of a +mountain. The King pressed him to take some reward. +"I am puzzled," he said to the Pop-corn man, +"to know what to offer you. The usual reward in +such cases is the hand of the Princess in marriage, but +Rosetta is not a year old. If there is anything else<span class="page"><a name="page67" id="page67">[Page 67]</a></span> +you can think of"—</p> +<p> +The Pop-corn man kissed the King's hand and replied +that there was nothing that he could think of +except a little honey-comb. He should like to carry +some to his mother. So the King gave him a great +piece of honey-comb in a silver dish, and the Pop-corn +man departed.</p> +<p> +He never came to Romalia again, but the Poet +Laureate celebrated him in an epic poem, describing +the loss of the Princess and the war for her rescue. +The Princess was never stolen again—indeed the +necromancer across the river who had kidnaped her +was imprisoned for life on a diet of pop-corn which he +popped himself.</p> +<p> +The King across the river became tired of pop-corn, +as it had caused his defeat, and forbade his people to +eat it. He paid tribute to the King of Romalia as +long as he lived; but after his death, when his son, the +young prince, came to reign, affairs were on a very +pleasant footing between the two kingdoms. The new +King was very different from his father, being generous +and amiable, and beloved by every one. Indeed +Rosetta, when she had grown to be a beautiful maiden, +married him and went to live as a Queen where she +had been a captive.</p> +<p> +And when Rosetta went across the river to live, the +King, her father, gave her some bee-hives for a wedding +present, and the bees thrived equally in both<span class="page"><a name="page68" id="page68">[Page 68]</a></span> +countries. All the difference in the honey was this: +in Romalia the bees fed more on clover, and the honey +tasted of clover: and in the country across the river +on peppermint, and that honey tasted of peppermint. +They always had both kinds at their Bee Festivals.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + +<span class="page"><a name="page69" id="page69">[Page 69]</a></span> +<h2>THE CHRISTMAS <a name="monks" id="monks">MONKS</a>.</h2> + +<p> +All children have wondered unceasingly from their +very first Christmas up to their very last Christmas, +where the Christmas presents come from. It is very +easy to say that Santa Claus brought them. All well +regulated people know that, of course; but the reindeer, +and the sledge, and the pack crammed with toys, +the chimney, and all the rest of it—that is all true, +of course, and everybody knows about it; but that is +not the question which puzzles. What children want +to know is, where do these Christmas presents come +from in the first place? Where does Santa Claus get +them? Well the answer to that is, <i>In the garden of +the Christmas Monks</i>. This has not been known +until very lately; that is, it has not been known till +very lately except in the immediate vicinity of the +Christmas Monks. There, of course, it has been +known for ages. It is rather an out-of-the-way place; +and that accounts for our never hearing of it before.</p> +<p> +The Convent of the Christmas Monks is a most +charmingly picturesque pile of old buildings; there +are towers and turrets, and peaked roofs and arches, +and everything which could possibly be thought of in +the architectural line, to make a convent picturesque.<span class="page"><a name="page70" id="page70">[Page 70]</a></span> +It is built of graystone; but it is only once in a while +that you can see the graystone, for the walls are almost +completely covered with mistletoe and ivy and evergreen. +There are the most delicious little arched +windows with diamond panes peeping out from the +mistletoe and evergreen, and always at all times of +the year, a little Christmas wreath of ivy and hollyberries +is suspended in the center of every window. +Over all the doors, which are likewise arched, are +Christmas garlands, and over the main entrance <i>Merry +Christmas</i> in evergreen letters.</p> +<p> +The Christmas Monks are a jolly brethren; the +robes of their order are white, gilded with green garlands, +and they never are seen out at any time of +the year without Christmas wreaths on their heads. +Every morning they file in a long procession into the +chapel, to sing a Christmas carol; and every evening +they ring a Christmas chime on the convent bells.</p> + +<span class="page"><a name="page71" id="page71">[Page 71]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate9" id="plate9">[plate 9]</a></span> +<img src="images/09-monks.jpg" width="600" height="245" alt="Going into the chapel." border="0" /><br /><br /> +GOING INTO THE CHAPEL.</p> +<br /><br /> +<p> +They eat roast turkey and plum pudding and mince-pie +for dinner all the year round; and always carry +what is left in baskets trimmed with evergreen, to the +poor people. There are always wax candles lighted +and set in every window of the convent at nightfall; +and when the people in the country about get uncommonly +blue and down-hearted, they always go for a +cure to look at the Convent of the Christmas Monks +after the candles are lighted and the chimes are ringing. +It brings to mind things which never fail to<span class="page"><a name="page73" id="page73">[Page 73]</a></span> +cheer them.</p> +<p> +But the principal thing about the Convent of the +Christmas Monks is the garden; for that is where the +Christmas presents grow. This garden extends over a +large number of acres, and is divided into different +departments, just as we divide our flower and vegetable +gardens; one bed for onions, one for cabbages, and +one for phlox, and one for verbenas, etc.</p> +<p> +Every spring the Christmas Monks go out to sow +the Christmas-present seeds after they have ploughed +the ground and made it all ready.</p> +<p> +There is one enormous bed devoted to rocking-horses. +The rocking-horse seed is curious enough; just little +bits of rocking-horses so small that they can only be +seen through a very, very powerful microscope. The +Monks drop these at quite a distance from each other, +so that they will not interfere while growing; then +they cover them up neatly with earth, and put up a +sign-post with "Rocking-horses" on it in evergreen +letters. Just so with the penny-trumpet seed, and the +toy-furniture seed, the skate-seed, the sled-seed, and all +the others.</p> +<p> +Perhaps the prettiest and most interesting part of +the garden, is that devoted to wax dolls. There are +other beds for the commoner dolls—for the rag dolls, +and the china dolls, and the rubber dolls, but of course +wax dolls would look much handsomer growing. Wax +dolls have to be planted quite early in the season; for<span class="page"><a name="page74" id="page74">[Page 74]</a></span> +they need a good start before the sun is very high. +The seeds are the loveliest bits of microscopic dolls imaginable. +The Monks sow them pretty close together, +and they begin to come up by the middle of May. +There is first just a little glimmer of gold, or flaxen, or +black, or brown as the case may be, above the soil. +Then the snowy foreheads appear, and the blue eyes, +and black eyes, and, later on, all those enchanting little +heads are out of the ground, and are nodding and +winking and smiling to each other the whole extent of +the field; with their pinky cheeks and sparkling eyes +and curly hair there is nothing so pretty as these little +wax doll heads peeping out of the earth. Gradually, +more and more of them come to light, and finally by +Christmas they are all ready to gather. There they +stand, swaying to and fro, and dancing lightly on their +slender feet which are connected with the ground, each +by a tiny green stem; their dresses of pink, or blue, +or white—for their dresses grow with them—flutter +in the air. Just about the prettiest sight in the world, +is the bed of wax dolls in the garden of the Christmas +Monks at Christmas time.</p> +<p> +Of course ever since this convent and garden were +established (and that was so long ago that the wisest +man can find no books about it) their glories have +attracted a vast deal of admiration and curiosity from +the young people in the surrounding country; but as +the garden is enclosed on all sides by an immensely<span class="page"><a name="page75" id="page75">[Page 75]</a></span> +thick and high hedge, which no boy could climb, +or peep over, they could only judge of the garden +by the fruits which were parcelled out to them on +Christmas-day.</p> +<p> +You can judge, then, of the sensation among the +young folks, and older ones, for that matter, when one +evening there appeared hung upon a conspicuous place +in the garden-hedge, a broad strip of white cloth +trimmed with evergreen and printed with the following +notice in evergreen letters:</p> + +<p class="notice"> +"WANTED:—By the Christmas Monks, two <i>good</i> boys to +assist in garden work. Applicants will be examined by Fathers +Anselmus and Ambrose, in the convent refectory, on April 10th."</p> + +<p> +This notice was hung out about five o'clock in the +evening, some time in the early part of February. +By noon, the street was so full of boys staring at it +with their mouths wide open, so as to see better, that +the king was obliged to send his bodyguard before +him to clear the way with brooms, when he wanted to +pass on his way from his chamber of state to his +palace.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="page77" id="page77">[Page 77]</a></span><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="plate10" id="plate10">[plate 10]</a></span> +<img src="images/10-notice.jpg" width="565" height="375" alt="The boys read the notice" border="0" /></p> +<br /><br /> +<p> +There was not a boy in the country but looked upon +this position as the height of human felicity. To work +all the year in that wonderful garden, and see those +wonderful things growing! and without doubt any boy +who worked there could have all the toys he wanted, +just as a boy who works in a candy-shop always has<span class="page"><a name="page76" id="page76">[Page 76]</a></span> +all the candy he wants!</p> +<p> +But the great difficulty, of course, was about the +degree of goodness requisite to pass the examination. +The boys in this country were no worse than the boys +in other countries, but there were not many of them +that would not have done a little differently if he had +only known beforehand of the advertisement of the +Christmas Monks. However, they made the most of +the time remaining, and were so good all over the +kingdom that a very millennium seemed dawning. +The school teachers used their ferrules for fire wood, +and the King ordered all the birch-trees cut down and +exported, as he thought there would be no more call +For them in his own realm.</p> +<p> +When the time for the examination drew near, +there were two boys whom every one thought would +obtain the situation, although some of the other boys +had lingering hopes for themselves; if only the Monks +would examine them on the last six weeks, they +thought they might pass. Still all the older people +had decided in their minds that the Monks would +choose these two boys. One was the Prince, the +King's oldest son; and the other was a poor boy +named Peter. The Prince was no better than the +other boys; indeed, to tell the truth, he was not so +good; in fact, was the biggest rogue in the whole +country; but all the lords and the ladies, and all the +people who admired the lords and ladies, said it was<span class="page"><a name="page79" id="page79">[Page 79]</a></span> +their solemn belief that the Prince was the best boy +in the whole kingdom; and they were prepared to give +in their testimony, one and all, to that effect to the +Christmas Monks.</p> +<p> +Peter was really and truly such a good boy that +there was no excuse for saying he was not. His +father and mother were poor people; and Peter +worked every minute out of school hours, to help them +along. Then he had a sweet little crippled sister +whom he was never tired of caring for. Then, too, +he contrived to find time to do lots of little kindnesses +for other people. He always studied his lessons faithfully, +and never ran away from school. Peter was +such a good boy, and so modest and unsuspicious that +he was good, that everybody loved him. He had not +the least idea that he could get the place with the +Christmas Monks, but the Prince was sure of it.</p> +<p> +When the examination day came all the boys from +far and near, with their hair neatly brushed and +parted, and dressed in their best clothes, flocked into +the convent. Many of their relatives and friends went +with them to witness the examination.</p> +<p> +The refectory of the convent where they assembled, +was a very large hall with a delicious smell of roast +turkey and plum pudding in it. All the little boys +sniffed, and their mouths watered.</p> +<p> +The two fathers who were to examine the boys were +perched up in a high pulpit so profusely trimmed with<span class="page"><a name="page80" id="page80">[Page 80]</a></span> +evergreen that it looked like a bird's nest; they were +remarkably pleasant-looking men, and their eyes +twinkled merrily under their Christmas wreaths. +Father Anselmus was a little the taller of the two, and +Father Ambrose was a little the broader; and that +was about all the difference between them in looks.</p> +<p> +The little boys all stood up in a row, their friends +stationed themselves in good places, and the examination +began.</p> +<p> +Then if one had been placed beside the entrance to +the convent, he would have seen one after another, a +crestfallen little boy with his arm lifted up and +crooked, and his face hidden in it, come out and walk +forlornly away. He had failed to pass.</p> +<p> +The two fathers found out that this boy had robbed +birds' nests, and this one stolen apples. And one +after another they walked disconsolately away till there +were only two boys left: the Prince and Peter.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="page81" id="page81">[Page 81]</a></span><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="plate11" id="plate11">[plate 11]</a></span> +<img src="images/11-exam.jpg" width="560" height="440" alt="The Prince & Peter are examined by the monks." border="0" /> +</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"Now, your Highness," said Father Anselmus, who +always took the lead in the questions, "are you a good +boy?"</p> +<p> +"O holy Father!" exclaimed all the people—there +were a good many fine folks from the court +present. "He is such a good boy! such a wonderful +boy! we never knew him to do a wrong thing."</p> +<p> +"I don't suppose he ever robbed a bird's nest?" +said Father Ambrose a little doubtfully.</p> +<p> +"No, no!" chorused the people.</p><span class="page"><a name="page83" id="page83">[Page 83]</a></span> +<p> +"Nor tormented a kitten?"</p> +<p> +"No, no, no!" cried they all.</p> +<p> +At last everybody being so confident that there +could be no reasonable fault found with the Prince, he +was pronounced competent to enter upon the Monks' +service. Peter they knew a great deal about before—indeed +a glance at his face was enough to satisfy any +one of his goodness; for he did look more like one of +the boy angels in the altar-piece than anything else. +So after a few questions, they accepted him also; and +the people went home and left the two boys with the +Christmas Monks.</p> +<p> +The next morning Peter was obliged to lay aside his +homespun coat, and the Prince his velvet tunic, and +both were dressed in some little white robes with evergreen +girdles like the Monks. Then the Prince was +set to sewing Noah's Ark seed, and Peter picture-book +seed. Up and down they went scattering the seed. +Peter sang a little psalm to himself, but the Prince +grumbled because they had not given him gold-watch +or gem seed to plant instead of the toy which he +had outgrown long ago. By noon Peter had planted +all his picture-books, and fastened up the card to mark +them on the pole; but the Prince had dawdled so his +work was not half done.</p> +<p> +"We are going to have a trial with this boy," said +the Monks to each other; "we shall have to set +him a penance at once, or we cannot manage him<span class="page"><a name="page84" id="page84">[Page 84]</a></span> +at all."</p> +<p> +So the Prince had to go without his dinner, and +kneel on dried peas in the chapel all the afternoon. +The next day he finished his Noah's Arks meekly; but +the next day he rebelled again and had to go the whole +length of the field where they planted jewsharps, on +his knees. And so it was about every other day for +the whole year.</p> +<p> +One of the brothers had to be set apart in a meditating +cell to invent new penances; for they had used +up all on their list before the Prince had been with +them three months.</p> +<p> +The Prince became dreadfully tired of his convent +life, and if he could have brought it about would have +run away. Peter, on the contrary, had never been so +happy in his life. He worked like a bee, and the +pleasure he took in seeing the lovely things he had +planted come up, was unbounded, and the Christmas +carols and chimes delighted his soul. Then, too, he +had never fared so well in his life. He could never +remember the time before when he had been a whole +week without being hungry. He sent his wages every +month to his parents; and he never ceased to wonder +at the discontent of the Prince.</p> +<p> +"They grow so slow," the Prince would say, wrinkling +up his handsome forehead. "I expected to have +a bushelful of new toys every month; and not one +have I had yet. And these stingy old Monks say I<span class="page"><a name="page85" id="page85">[Page 85]</a></span> +can only have my usual Christmas share anyway, nor +can I pick them out myself. I never saw such a +stupid place to stay in in my life. I want to have my +velvet tunic on and go home to the palace and ride on +my white pony with the silver tail, and hear them all +tell me how charming I am." Then the Prince would +crook his arm and put his head on it and cry.</p> +<p> +Peter pitied him, and tried to comfort him, but it +was not of much use, for the Prince got angry because +he was not discontented as well as himself.</p> +<p> +Two weeks before Christmas everything in the garden +was nearly ready to be picked. Some few things +needed a little more December sun, but everything +looked perfect. Some of the Jack-in-the-boxes would +not pop out quite quick enough, and some of the jumping-Jacks +were hardly as limber as they might be as +yet; that was all. As it was so near Christmas the +Monks were engaged in their holy exercises in the +chapel for the greater part of the time, and only went +over the garden once a day to see if everything was +all right.</p> +<p> +The Prince and Peter were obliged to be there all +the time. There was plenty of work for them to do; +for once in a while something would blow over, and +then there were the penny-trumpets to keep in tune; +and that was a vast sight of work.</p> + +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="page87" id="page87">[Page 87]</a></span><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="plate12" id="plate12">[plate 12]</a></span> +<img src="images/12-boysatwork.jpg" width="319" height="470" alt="The boys at work in the convent garden." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THE BOYS AT WORK IN THE CONVENT GARDEN.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +One morning the Prince was at one end of the +garden straightening up some wooden soldiers which<span class="page"><a name="page86" id="page86">[Page 86]</a></span> +had toppled over, and Peter was in the wax doll bed +dusting the dolls. All of a sudden he heard a sweet +little voice: "O, Peter!" He thought at first one of +the dolls was talking, but they could not say anything +but papa and mamma; and had the merest apologies +for voices anyway. "Here I am, Peter!" and there +was a little pull at his sleeve. There was his little +sister. She was not any taller than the dolls around +her, and looked uncommonly like the prettiest, pinkest-cheeked, +yellowest-haired ones; so it was no wonder +that Peter did not see her at first. She stood there +poising herself on her crutches, poor little thing, and +smiling lovingly up at Peter.</p> +<p> +"Oh, you darling!" cried Peter, catching her up +in his arms. "How did you get in here?"</p> +<p> +"I stole in behind one of the Monks," said she. +"I saw him going up the street past our house, and I +ran out and kept behind him all the way. When he +opened the gate I whisked in too, and then I followed +him into the garden. I've been here with the dollies +ever since."</p> +<p> +"Well," said poor Peter, "I don't see what I am +going to do with you, now you are here. I can't let +you out again; and I don't know what the Monks will +say."</p> +<p> +"Oh, I know!" cried the little girl gayly. "I'll +stay out here in the garden. I can sleep in one of +those beautiful dolls' cradles over there; and you can<span class="page"><a name="page89" id="page89">[Page 89]</a></span> +bring me something to eat."</p> +<p> +"But the Monks come out every morning to look +over the garden, and they'll be sure to find you," said +her brother, anxiously.</p> +<p> +"No, I'll hide! O, Peter, here is a place where +there isn't any doll!"</p> +<p> +"Yes; that doll didn't come up."</p> +<p> +"Well, I'll tell you what I'll do! I'll just stand +here in this place where the doll didn't come up, and +nobody can tell the difference."</p> +<p> +"Well, I don't know but you can do that," said +Peter, although he was still ill at ease. He was so +good a boy he was very much afraid of doing wrong, +and offending his kind friends the Monks; at the +same time he could not help being glad to see his dear +little sister.</p> +<p> +He smuggled some food out to her, and she played +merrily about him all day; and at night he tucked +her into one of the dolls' cradles with lace pillows and +quilt of rose-colored silk.</p> +<p> +The next morning when the Monks were going the +rounds, the father who inspected the wax doll bed, +was a bit nearsighted, and he never noticed the difference +between the dolls and Peter's little sister, who +swung herself on her crutches, and looked just as +much like a wax doll as she possibly could. So the +two were delighted with the success of their plan.</p> +<p> +They went on thus for a few days, and Peter could<span class="page"><a name="page90" id="page90">[Page 90]</a></span> +not help being happy with his darling little sister, although +at the same time he could not help worrying +for fear he was doing wrong.</p> +<p> +Something else happened now, which made him +worry still more; the Prince ran away. He had been +watching for a long time for an opportunity to possess +himself of a certain long ladder made of twisted evergreen +ropes, which the Monks kept locked up in the +toolhouse. Lately, by some oversight, the toolhouse +had been left unlocked one day, and the Prince got +the ladder. It was the latter part of the afternoon, +and the Christmas Monks were all in the chapel +practicing Christmas carols. The Prince found a very +large hamper, and picked as many Christmas presents +for himself as he could stuff into it; then he put the +ladder against the high gate in front of the convent, +and climbed up, dragging the hamper after him. +When he reached the top of the gate, which was quite +broad, he sat down to rest for a moment before pulling +the ladder up so as to drop it on the other side.</p> +<p> +He gave his feet a little triumphant kick as he +looked back at his prison, and down slid the evergreen +ladder! The Prince lost his balance, and would +inevitably have broken his neck if he had not clung +desperately to the hamper which hung over on the +convent side of the fence; and as it was just the same +weight as the Prince, it kept him suspended on the other.</p> +<p> +He screamed with all the force of his royal lungs;<span class="page"><a name="page91" id="page91">[Page 91]</a></span> +was heard by a party of noblemen who were galloping +up the street; was rescued, and carried in state to +the palace. But he was obliged to drop the hamper +of presents, for with it all the ingenuity of the noblemen +could not rescue him as speedily as it was necessary +they should.</p> +<p> +When the good Monks discovered the escape of the +Prince they were greatly grieved, for they had tried +their best to do well by him; and poor Peter could +with difficulty be comforted. He had been very fond +of the Prince, although the latter had done little except +torment him for the whole year; but Peter had +a way of being fond of folks.</p> +<p> +A few days after the Prince ran away, and the day +before the one on which the Christmas presents were +to be gathered, the nearsighted father went out into +the wax doll field again; but this time he had his +spectacles on, and could see just as well as any one, +and even a little better. Peter's little sister was +swinging herself on her crutches, in the place where +the wax doll did not come up, tipping her little face +up, and smiling just like the dolls around her.</p> +<p> +"Why, what is this!" said the father. "<i>Hoc +credam!</i> I thought that wax doll did not come up. +Can my eyes deceive me? <i>non verum est!</i> There is a +doll there—and what a doll! on crutches, and in +poor, homely gear!"</p> +<p> +Then the nearsighted father put out his hand<span class="page"><a name="page92" id="page92">[Page 92]</a></span> +toward Peter's little sister. She jumped—she could +not help it, and the holy father jumped too; the +Christmas wreath actually tumbled off his head.</p> +<p> +"It is a miracle!" exclaimed he when he could +speak: "the little girl is alive! <i>parra puella viva est.</i> +I will pick her and take her to the brethren, and we +will pay her the honors she is entitled to."</p> +<p> +Then the good father put on his Christmas wreath, +for he dared not venture before his abbot without it, +picked up Peter's little sister, who was trembling in +all her little bones, and carried her into the chapel, +where the Monks were just assembling to sing another +carol. He went right up to the Christmas abbot, who +was seated in a splendid chair, and looked like a king.</p> +<p> +"Most holy abbot," said the nearsighted father, +holding out Peter's little sister, "behold a miracle, +<i>vide miraculum</i>! Thou wilt remember that there was +one wax doll planted which did not come up. Behold, +in her place I have found this doll on crutches, which +is—alive!"</p> +<p> +"Let me see her!" said the abbot; and all the +other Monks crowded around, opening their mouths +just like the little boys around the notice, in order to +see better.</p> +<p> +"<i>Verum est</i>," said the abbot. "It is verily a +miracle."</p> +<p> +"Rather a lame miracle," said the brother who +had charge of the funny picture-books and the toy<span class="page"><a name="page93" id="page93">[Page 93]</a></span> +monkeys; they rather threw his mind off its level of +sobriety, and he was apt to make frivolous speeches +unbecoming a monk.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate13" id="plate13">[plate 13]</a></span> +<img src="images/13-princeruns.jpg" width="382" height="470" alt="The prince runs away." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THE PRINCE RUNS AWAY.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +The abbot gave him a reproving glance, and the +brother, who was the leach of the convent, came forward. +"Let me look at the miracle, most holy abbot," +said he. He took up Peter's sister, and looked carefully<span class="page"><a name="page94" id="page94">[Page 94]</a></span> +at the small, twisted ankle. "I think I can cure +this with my herbs and simples," said he.</p> +<p> +"But I don't know," said the abbot doubtfully. +"I never heard of curing a miracle."</p> +<p> +"If it is not lawful, my humble power will not +suffice to cure it," said the father who was the leach.</p> +<p> +"True," said the abbot; "take her, then, and exercise +thy healing art upon her, and we will go on with +our Christmas devotions, for which we should now +feel all the more zeal." So the father took away +Peter's little sister, who was still too frightened to speak.</p> +<p> +The Christmas Monk was a wonderful doctor, for +by Christmas Eve the little girl was completely cured +of her lameness. This may seem incredible, but it +was owing in great part to the herbs and simples, +which are of a species that our doctors have no knowledge +of; and also to a wonderful lotion which has +never been advertised on our fences.</p> +<p> +Peter of course heard the talk about the miracle, +and knew at once what it meant. He was almost +heartbroken to think he was deceiving the Monks so, +but at the same time he did not dare to confess the +truth for fear they would put a penance upon his +sister, and he could not bear to think of her having +to kneel upon dried peas.</p> +<p> +He worked hard picking Christmas presents, and +hid his unhappiness as best he could. On Christmas +Eve he was called into the chapel. The Christmas<span class="page"><a name="page95" id="page95">[Page 95]</a></span> +Monks were all assembled there. The walls were +covered with green garlands and boughs and sprays of +hollyberries, and branches of wax lights were gleaming +brightly amongst them. The altar and the picture +of the Blessed Child behind it were so bright as to +almost dazzle one; and right up in the midst of it, in a +lovely white dress, all wreaths and jewels, in a little +chair with a canopy woven of green branches over it, +sat Peter's little sister.</p> +<p> +And there were all the Christmas Monks in their +white robes and wreaths, going up in a long procession, +with their hands full of the very showiest Christmas +presents to offer them to her!</p> +<p> +But when they reached her and held out the lovely +presents—the first was an enchanting wax doll, the +biggest beauty in the whole garden—instead of reaching +out her hands for them, she just drew back, and +said in her little sweet, piping voice: "Please, I ain't +a millacle, I'm only Peter's little sister."</p> +<p> +"Peter?" said the abbot; "the Peter who works +in our garden?"</p> +<p> +"Yes," said the little sister.</p> +<p> +Now here was a fine opportunity for a whole convent +full of monks to look foolish—filing up in +procession with their hands full of gifts to offer to a +miracle, and finding there was no miracle, but only +Peter's little sister.</p> +<p> +But the abbot of the Christmas Monks had always<span class="page"><a name="page96" id="page96">[Page 96]</a></span> +maintained that there were two ways of looking at all +things; if any object was not what you wanted it to +be in one light, that there was another light in which +it would be sure to meet your views.</p> +<p> +So now he brought this philosophy to bear.</p> +<p> +"This little girl did not come up in the place of +the wax doll, and she is not a miracle in that light," +said he; "but look at her in another light and she is +a miracle—do you not see?"</p> +<p> +They all looked at her, the darling little girl, the +very meaning and sweetness of all Christmas in her +loving, trusting, innocent face.</p> +<p> +"Yes," said all the Christmas Monks, "she is a +miracle." And they all laid their beautiful Christmas +presents down before her.</p> +<p> +Peter was so delighted he hardly knew himself; +and, oh! the joy there was when he led his little sister +home on Christmas-day, and showed all the +wonderful presents.</p> +<p> +The Christmas Monks always retained Peter in +their employ—in fact he is in their employ to this +day. And his parents, and his little sister who was +entirely cured of her lameness, have never wanted for +anything.</p> +<p> +As for the Prince, the courtiers were never tired of +discussing and admiring his wonderful knowledge of +physics which led to his adjusting the weight of the +hamper of Christmas presents to his own so nicely<span class="page"><a name="page97" id="page97">[Page 97]</a></span> +that he could not fall. The Prince liked the talk and +the admiration well enough, but he could not help, +also, being a little glum: for he got no Christmas +presents that year.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + +<span class="page"><a name="page98" id="page98">[Page 98]</a></span> + +<h2>THE <a name="pumpkin" id="pumpkin">PUMPKIN</a> GIANT.</h2> + +<p> +A very long time ago, before our grandmother's +time, or our great-grandmother's, or our grandmothers' +with a very long string of greats prefixed, there were +no pumpkins; people had never eaten a pumpkin-pie, +or even stewed pumpkin; and that was the time when +the Pumpkin Giant flourished.</p> +<p> +There have been a great many giants who have +flourished since the world begun, and although a select +few of them have been good giants, the majority of +them have been so bad that their crimes even more +than their size have gone to make them notorious. +But the Pumpkin Giant was an uncommonly bad one, +and his general appearance and his behavior were such +as to make one shudder to an extent that you would +hardly believe possible. The convulsive shivering +caused by the mere mention of his name, and, in some +cases where the people were unusually sensitive, by +the mere thought of him even, more resembled the +blue ague than anything else; indeed was known by +the name of "the Giant's Shakes."</p> +<p> +The Pumpkin Giant was very tall; he probably +would have overtopped most of the giants you have +ever heard of. I don't suppose the Giant who lived<span class="page"><a name="page99" id="page99">[Page 99]</a></span> +on the Bean-stalk whom Jack visited, was anything +to compare with him; nor that it would have been a +possible thing for the Pumpkin Giant, had he received +an invitation to spend an afternoon with the Bean-stalk +Giant, to accept, on account of his inability to +enter the Bean-stalk Giant's door, no matter how +much he stooped.</p> +<p> +The Pumpkin Giant had a very large yellow head, +which was also smooth and shiny. His eyes were big +and round, and glowed like coals of fire; and you +would almost have thought that his head was lit up +inside with candles. Indeed there was a rumor to +that effect amongst the common people, but that was +all nonsense, of course; no one of the more enlightened +class credited it for an instant. His mouth, +which stretched half around his head, was furnished +with rows of pointed teeth, and he was never known to +hold it any other way than wide open.</p> +<p> +The Pumpkin Giant lived in a castle, as a matter +of course; it is not fashionable for a giant to live in +any other kind of a dwelling—why, nothing would +be more tame and uninteresting than a giant in a two-story +white house with green blinds and a picket fence, +or even a brown-stone front, if he could get into either +of them, which he could not.</p> +<p> +The Giant's castle was situated on a mountain, as +it ought to have been, and there was also the usual +courtyard before it, and the customary moat, which<span class="page"><a name="page100" id="page100">[Page 100]</a></span> +was full of—<i>bones</i>! All I have got to say about +these bones is, they were not mutton bones. A great +many details of this story must be left to the imagination +of the reader; they are too harrowing to relate. +A much tenderer regard for the feelings of the audience +will be shown in this than in most giant stories; +we will even go so far as to state in advance, that the +story has a good end, thereby enabling readers to +peruse it comfortably without unpleasant suspense.</p> +<p> +The Pumpkin Giant was fonder of little boys and +girls than anything else in the world; but he was +somewhat fonder of little boys, and more particularly +of <i>fat</i> little boys.</p> +<p> +The fear and horror of this Giant extended over +the whole country. Even the King on his throne was +so severely afflicted with the Giant's Shakes that he +had been obliged to have the throne propped, for fear +it should topple over in some unusually violent fit. +There was good reason why the King shook: his only +daughter, the Princess Ariadne Diana, was probably +the fattest princess in the whole world at that date. +So fat was she that she had never walked a step in +the dozen years of her life, being totally unable to +progress over the earth by any method except rolling. +And a really beautiful sight it was, too, to see the +Princess Ariadne Diana, in her cloth-of-gold rolling-suit, +faced with green velvet and edged with ermine, +with her glittering crown on her head, trundling along<span class="page"><a name="page101" id="page101">[Page 101]</a></span> +the avenues of the royal gardens, which had been furnished +with strips of rich carpeting for her express +accommodation.</p> +<p> +But gratifying as it would have been to the King, +her sire, under other circumstances, to have had such +an unusually interesting daughter, it now only served +to fill his heart with the greatest anxiety on her account. +The Princess was never allowed to leave the +palace without a body-guard of fifty knights, the very +flower of the King's troops, with lances in rest, but in +spite of all this precaution, the King shook.</p> +<p> +Meanwhile amongst the ordinary people who could +not procure an escort of fifty armed knights for the +plump among their children, the ravages of the Pumpkin +Giant were frightful. It was apprehended at one +time that there would be very few fat little girls, and +no fat little boys at all, left in the kingdom. And +what made matters worse, at that time the Giant commenced +taking a tonic to increase his appetite.</p> +<p> +Finally the King, in desperation, issued a proclamation +that he would knight any one, be he noble or +common, who should cut off the head of the Pumpkin +Giant. This was the King's usual method of rewarding +any noble deed in his kingdom. It was a cheap +method, and besides everybody liked to be a knight.</p> +<p> +When the King issued his proclamation every man +in the kingdom who was not already a knight, straightway +tried to contrive ways and means to kill the<span class="page"><a name="page102" id="page102">[Page 102]</a></span> +Pumpkin Giant. But there was one obstacle which +seemed insurmountable: they were afraid, and all of +them had the Giant's Shakes so badly, that they could +not possibly have held a knife steady enough to cut +off the Giant's head, even if they had dared to go near +enough for that purpose.</p> +<p> +There was one man who lived not far from the +terrible Giant's castle, a poor man, his only worldly +wealth consisting in a large potato-field and a cottage +in front of it. But he had a boy of twelve, an only +son, who rivaled the Princess Ariadne Diana in point +of fatness. He was unable to have a body-guard for +his son; so the amount of terror which the inhabitants +of that humble cottage suffered day and night was +heart-rending. The poor mother had been unable to +leave her bed for two years, on account of the Giant's +Shakes; her husband barely got a living from the +potato-field; half the time he and his wife had hardly +enough to eat, as it naturally took the larger part of +the potatoes to satisfy the fat little boy, their son, and +their situation was truly pitiable.</p> +<p> +The fat boy's name was Æneas, his father's name +was Patroclus, and his mother's Daphne. It was all +the fashion in those days to have classical names. +And as that was a fashion as easily adopted by the +poor as the rich, everybody had them. They were +just like Jim and Tommy and May in these days. +Why, the Princess's name, Ariadne Diana, was nothing <span class="page"><a name="page103" id="page103">[Page 103]</a></span> +more nor less than Ann Eliza with us.</p> +<p> +One morning Patroclus and Æneas were out in the +field digging potatoes, for new potatoes were just in +the market. The Early Rose potato had not been discovered +in those days; but there was another potato, +perhaps equally good, which attained to a similar +degree of celebrity. It was called the Young Plantagenet, +and reached a very large size indeed, much +larger than the Early Rose does in our time.</p> +<p> +Well, Patroclus and Æneas had just dug perhaps +a bushel of Young Plantagenet potatoes. It was slow +work with them, for Patroclus had the Giant's Shakes +badly that morning, and of course Æneas was not +very swift. He rolled about among the potato-hills +after the manner of the Princess Ariadne Diana; but +he did not present as imposing an appearance as she, +in his homespun farmer's frock.</p> +<p> +All at once the earth trembled violently. Patroclus +and Æneas looked up and saw the Pumpkin Giant +coming with his mouth wide open. "Get behind me, +O, my darling son!" cried Patroclus.</p> +<p> +Æneas obeyed, but it was of no use; for you could +see his cheeks each side his father's waistcoat.</p> +<p> +Patroclus was not ordinarily a brave man, but he +was brave in an emergency; and as that is the only +time when there is the slightest need of bravery, it +was just as well.</p> +<p> +The Pumpkin Giant strode along faster and faster,<span class="page"><a name="page104" id="page104">[Page 104]</a></span> +opening his mouth wider and wider, until they could +fairly hear it crack at the corners.</p> +<p> +Then Patroclus picked up an enormous Young +Plantagenet and threw it plump into the Pumpkin +Giant's mouth. The Giant choked and gasped, and +choked and gasped, and finally tumbled down and died.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate14" id="plate14">[plate 14]</a></span> +<img src="images/14-pumpkingiant.jpg" width="548" height="330" alt="He picked up an enormous young plantagenet and threw it at him." border="0" /><br /><br /> +HE PICKED UP AN ENORMOUS YOUNG PLANTAGENET AND THREW IT AT HIM.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Patroclus and Æneas while the Giant was choking, +had run to the house and locked themselves in; then +they looked out of the kitchen window; when they saw +the Giant tumble down and lie quite still, they knew +he must be dead. Then Daphne was immediately +cured of the Giant's Shakes, and got out of bed for +the first time in two years. Patroclus sharpened the +carving-knife on the kitchen stove, and they all went<span class="page"><a name="page105" id="page105">[Page 105]</a></span> +out into the potato-field.</p> +<p> +They cautiously approached the prostrate Giant, for +fear he might be shamming, and might suddenly spring +up at them and—Æneas. But no, he did not move +at all; he was quite dead. And, all taking turns, +they hacked off his head with the carving-knife. +Then Æneas had it to play with, which was quite appropriate, +and a good instance of the sarcasm of +destiny.</p> +<p> +The King was notified of the death of the Pumpkin +Giant, and was greatly rejoiced thereby. His Giant's +Shakes ceased, the props were removed from the +throne, and the Princess Ariadne Diana was allowed +to go out without her body-guard of fifty knights, +much to her delight, for she found them a great hindrance +to the enjoyment of her daily outings.</p> +<p> +It was a great cross, not to say an embarrassment, +when she was gleefully rolling in pursuit of a charming +red and gold butterfly, to find herself suddenly +stopped short by an armed knight with his lance in +rest.</p> +<p> +But the King, though his gratitude for the noble +deed knew no bounds, omitted to give the promised +reward and knight Patroclus.</p> +<p> +I hardly know how it happened—I don't think it +was anything intentional. Patroclus felt rather hurt +about it, and Daphne would have liked to be a lady, +but Æneas did not care in the least. He had the<span class="page"><a name="page106" id="page106">[Page 106]</a></span> +Giant's head to play with and that was reward enough +for him. There was not a boy in the neighborhood +but envied him his possession of such a unique plaything; +and when they would stand looking over the +wall of the potato-field with longing eyes, and he was +flying over the ground with the head, +his happiness knew no bounds; and +Æneas played so much with the Giant's +head that finally late in the +fall it got broken and scattered all over the field.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate15" id="plate15">[plate 15]</a></span> +<img src="images/15-pumpkins.jpg" width="552" height="440" alt="They were all over the field." border="0" /> +</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +Next spring all over Patroclus's potato-field grew +running vines, and in the fall Giant's heads. There +they were all over the field, hundreds of them! Then +there was consternation indeed! The natural conclusion +to be arrived at when the people saw the +yellow Giant's heads making their appearance above<span class="page"><a name="page107" id="page107">[Page 107]</a></span> +the ground was, that the rest of the Giants were +coming.</p> +<p> +"There was one Pumpkin Giant before," said they, +"now there will be a whole army of them. If it was +dreadful then what will it be in the future? If one +Pumpkin Giant gave us the Shakes so badly, what +will a whole army of them do?"</p> +<p> +But when some time had elapsed and nothing more +of the Giants appeared above the surface of the +potato-field, and as moreover the heads had not yet +displayed any sign of opening their mouths, the people +began to feel a little easier, and the general excitement +subsided somewhat, although the King had ordered +out Ariadne Diana's body-guard again.</p> +<p> +Now Æneas had been born with a propensity for +putting everything into his mouth and tasting it; +there was scarcely anything in his vicinity which could +by any possibility be tasted, which he had not eaten +a bit of. This propensity was so alarming in his +babyhood, that Daphne purchased a book of antidotes; +and if it had not been for her admirable good judgment +in doing so, this story would probably never +have been told; for no human baby could possibly +have survived the heterogeneous diet which Æneas +had indulged in. There was scarcely one of the antidotes +which had not been resorted to from time to +time.</p> +<p> +Æneas had become acquainted with the peculiar <span class="page"><a name="page108" id="page108">[Page 108]</a></span> +flavor of almost everything in his immediate vicinity +except the Giant's heads; and he naturally enough +cast longing eyes at them. Night and day he wondered +what a Giant's head could taste like, till finally +one day when Patroclus was away he stole out into the +potato-field, cut a bit out of one of the Giant's heads +and ate it. He was almost afraid to, but he reflected +that his mother could give him an antidote; so he +ventured. It tasted very sweet and nice; he liked it +so much that he cut off another piece and ate that, +then another and another, until he had eaten two +thirds of a Giant's head. Then he thought it was +about time for him to go in and tell his mother and +take an antidote, though he did not feel ill at all yet.</p> +<p> +"Mother," said he, rolling slowly into the cottage, +"I have eaten two thirds of a Giant's head, and I +guess you had better give me an antidote."</p> +<p> +"O, my precious son!" cried Daphne, "how could +you?" She looked in her book of antidotes, but +could not find one antidote for a Giant's head.</p> +<p> +"O Æneas, my dear, dear son!" groaned Daphne, +"there is no antidote for Giant's head! What shall +we do?"</p> +<p> +Then she sat down and wept, and Æneas wept too +as loud as he possibly could. And he apparently had +excellent reason to; for it did not seem possible that +a boy could eat two thirds of a Giant's head and survive +it without an antidote. Patroclus came home,<span class="page"><a name="page109" id="page109">[Page 109]</a></span> +and they told him, and he sat down and lamented +with them. All day they sat weeping and watching +Æneas, expecting every moment to see him die. But +he did not die; on the contrary he had never felt so +well in his life.</p> +<p> +Finally at sunset Æneas looked up and laughed. +"I am not going to die," said he; "I never felt so +well; you had better stop crying. And I am going +out to get some more of that Giant's head; I am +hungry."</p> +<p> +"Don't, don't!" cried his father and mother; but +he went; for he generally took his own way, very +like most only sons. He came back with a whole +Giant's head in his arms.</p> +<p> +"See here, father and mother," cried he; "we'll +all have some of this; it evidently is not poison, and +it is good—a great deal better than potatoes!"</p> +<p> +Patroclus and Daphne hesitated, but they were +hungry too. Since the crop of Giant's heads had +sprung up in their field instead of potatoes, they had +been hungry most of the time; so they tasted.</p> +<p> +"It is good," said Daphne; "but I think it would +be better cooked." So she put some in a kettle of +water over the fire, and let it boil awhile; then she +dished it up, and they all ate it. It was delicious. +It tasted more like stewed pumpkin than anything +else; in fact it was stewed pumpkin.</p> +<p> +Daphne was inventive, and something of a genius;<span class="page"><a name="page110" id="page110">[Page 110]</a></span> +and next day she concocted another dish out of the +Giant's heads. She boiled them, and sifted them, +and mixed them with eggs and sugar and milk and +spice; then she lined some plates with puff paste, +filled them with the mixture, and set them in the oven +to bake.</p> +<p> +The result was unparalleled; nothing half so exquisite +had ever been tasted. They were all in +ecstasies, Æneas in particular. They gathered all the +Giant's heads and stored them in the cellar. Daphne +baked pies of them every day, and nothing could surpass +the felicity of the whole family.</p> +<p> +One morning the King had been out hunting, and +happened to ride by the cottage of Patroclus with a +train of his knights. Daphne was baking pies as +usual, and the kitchen door and window were both +open, for the room was so warm; so the delicious +odor of the pies perfumed the whole air about the +cottage.</p> +<p> +"What is it smells so utterly lovely?" exclaimed +the King, sniffing in a rapture.</p> +<p> +He sent his page in to see.</p> +<p> +"The housewife is baking Giant's head pies," said +the page returning.</p> +<p> +"What?" thundered the King. "Bring out one +to me!"</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate16" id="plate16">[plate 16]</a></span> +<img src="images/16-knighted.jpg" width="600" height="292" alt="Then the king knighted him on the spot." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THEN THE KING KNIGHTED HIM ON THE SPOT.</p><br /><br /> + + +<span class="page"><a name="page111" id="page111">[Page 111]</a></span> + +<p> +So the page brought out a pie to him, and after all +his knights had tasted to be sure it was not poison,<span class="page"><a name="page113" id="page113">[Page 113]</a></span> +and the king had watched them sharply for a few +moments to be sure they were not killed, he tasted +too.</p> +<p> +Then he beamed. It was a new sensation, and a +new sensation is a great boon to a king.</p> +<p> +"I never tasted anything so altogether superfine, +so utterly magnificent in my life," cried the king; +"stewed peacocks' tongues from the Baltic, are not +to be compared with it! Call out the housewife +immediately!"</p> +<p> +So Daphne came out trembling, and Patroclus and +Æneas also.</p> +<p> +"What a charming lad!" exclaimed the King as +his glance fell upon Æneas. "Now tell me about +these wonderful pies, and I will reward you as becomes +a monarch!"</p> +<p> +Then Patroclus fell on his knees and related the +whole history of the Giant's head pies from the +beginning.</p> +<p> +The King actually blushed. "And I forgot to +knight you, oh noble and brave man, and to make a +lady of your admirable wife!"</p> +<p> +Then the King leaned gracefully down from his +saddle, and struck Patroclus with his jeweled sword +and knighted him on the spot.</p> +<p> +The whole family went to live at the royal palace. +The roses in the royal gardens were uprooted, and +Giant's heads (or pumpkins, as they came to be<span class="page"><a name="page114" id="page114">[Page 114]</a></span> +called) were sown in their stead; all the royal parks +also were turned into pumpkin-fields.</p> +<p> +Patroclus was in constant attendance on the King, +and used to stand all day in his ante-chamber. Daphne +had a position of great responsibility, for she superintended +the baking of the pumpkin pies, and Æneas +finally married the Princess Ariadne Diana.</p> +<p> +They were wedded in great state by fifty archbishops; +and all the newspapers united in stating that +they were the most charming and well matched young +couple that had ever been united in the kingdom.</p> +<p> +The stone entrance of the Pumpkin Giant's Castle +was securely fastened, and upon it was engraved an +inscription composed by the first poet in the kingdom, +for which the King made him laureate, and gave him +the liberal pension of fifty pumpkin pies per year.</p> +<p> +The following is the inscription in full:</p> + +<p class="indent2"> +"Here dwelt the Pumpkin Giant once,<br /> +He's dead the nation doth rejoice,<br /> +For, while he was alive, he lived<br /> +By e——g dear, fat, little boys."</p><br /> + +<p> +The inscription is said to remain to this day; if you +were to go there you would probably see it.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page115" id="page115">[Page 115]</a></span> + +<h2>THE CHRISTMAS <a name="masquerade" id="masquerade">MASQUERADE</a>.</h2> + +<p> +On Christmas Eve the Mayor's stately mansion presented +a beautiful appearance. There were rows of +different-colored wax candles burning in every window, +and beyond them one could see the chandeliers of gold +and crystal blazing with light. The fiddles were +squeaking merrily, and lovely little forms flew past +the windows in time to the music.</p> +<p> +There were gorgeous carpets laid from the door to +the street, and carriages were constantly arriving, and +fresh guests tripping over them. They were all children. +The Mayor was giving a Christmas Masquerade +to-night, to all the children in the city, the poor as +well as the rich. The preparation for this ball had +been making an immense sensation for the last three +months. Placards had been up in the most conspicuous +points in the city, and all the daily newspapers had +at least a column devoted to it, headed with </p> +<p class="center"> +<span class="notice">THE MAYOR'S CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE</span> +<span style="float: right">in very large letters. </span> +</p><br /> +<p> +The Mayor had promised to defray the expenses of +all the poor children whose parents were unable to do +so, and the bills for their costumes were directed to be +sent in to him.</p> +<p> +Of course there was a great deal of excitement<span class="page"><a name="page116" id="page116">[Page 116]</a></span> +among the regular costumers of the city, and they all +resolved to vie with one another in being the most +popular, and the best patronized on this gala occasion. +But the placards and the notices had not been out a +week before a new Costumer appeared, who cast all +the others into the shade directly. He set up his shop +on the corner of one of the principal streets, and hung +up his beautiful costumes in the windows. He was a +little fellow, not much larger than a boy of ten. His +cheeks were as red as roses, and he had on a long curling +wig as white as snow. He wore a suit of crimson +velvet knee-breeches, and a little swallow-tailed coat +with beautiful golden buttons. Deep lace ruffles fell +over his slender white hands, and he wore elegant +knee-buckles of glittering stones. He sat on a high +stool behind his counter and served his customers himself; +he kept no clerk.</p> +<p> +It did not take the children long to discover what +beautiful things he had, and how superior he was to +the other costumers, and they begun to flock to his +shop immediately, from the Mayor's daughter to the +poor rag-picker's. The children were to select their +own costumes; the Mayor had stipulated that. It +was to be a children's ball in every sense of the word.</p> +<p> +So they decided to be fairies, and shepherdesses, +and princesses, according to their own fancies; and +this new costumer had charming costumes to suit them.</p> +<p> +It was noticeable, that, for the most part, the children<span class="page"><a name="page117" id="page117">[Page 117]</a></span> +of the rich, who had always had everything they +desired, would choose the parts of goose-girls and peasants +and such like; and the poor children jumped +eagerly at the chance of being princesses or fairies for +a few hours in their miserable lives.</p> +<p> +When Christmas Eve came, and the children flocked +into the Mayor's mansion, whether it was owing to the +Costumer's art, or their own adaptation to the characters +they had chosen, it was wonderful how lifelike their +representations were. Those little fairies in their +short skirts of silken gauze, in which golden sparkles +appeared as they moved, with their little funny gossamer +wings, like butterflies, looked like real fairies. It +did not seem possible, when they floated around to the +music, half supported on the tips of their dainty toes, +half by their filmy, purple wings, their delicate bodies +swaying in time, that they could be anything but +fairies. It seemed absurd to imagine that they were +Johnny Mullens, the washwoman's son, and Polly +Flinders, the charwoman's little girl, and so on.</p> +<p> +The Mayor's daughter, who had chosen the character +of a goose-girl, looked so like a true one that +one could hardly dream she ever was anything else. +She was, ordinarily, a slender, dainty little lady, rather +tall for her age. She now looked very short and +stubbed and brown, just as if she had been accustomed +to tend geese in all sorts of weather. It was so with +all the others—the Red Riding-hoods, the princesses,<span class="page"><a name="page118" id="page118">[Page 118]</a></span> +the Bo Peeps, and with every one of the characters +who came to the Mayor's ball; Red Riding-hood +looked round, with big, frightened eyes, all ready to +spy the wolf, and carried her little pat of butter and +pot of honey gingerly in her basket; Bo Peep's eyes +looked red with weeping for the loss of her sheep; +and the princesses swept about so grandly in their +splendid brocaded trains, and held their crowned +heads so high that people half believed them to be +true princesses.</p> +<p> +But there never was anything like the fun at the +Mayor's Christmas ball. The fiddlers fiddled and +fiddled, and the children danced and danced on the +beautiful waxed floors. The Mayor, with his family +and a few grand guests, sat on a dais covered with +blue velvet at one end of the dancing hall, and +watched the sport. They were all delighted. The +Mayor's eldest daughter sat in front and clapped her +little soft white hands. She was a tall, beautiful +young maiden, and wore a white dress, and a little +cap woven of blue violets on her yellow hair. Her +name was Violetta.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page119" id="page119">[Page 119]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate17" id="plate17">[plate 17]</a></span> +<img src="images/17-mayoralball.jpg" width="535" height="350" alt="There never was anything like the fun at the mayor's christmas ball." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THERE NEVER WAS ANYTHING LIKE THE FUN AT THE MAYOR'S CHRISTMAS BALL.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +The supper was served at midnight—and such a +supper! The mountains of pink and white ices, and +the cakes with sugar castles and flower-gardens on the +tops of them, and the charming shapes of gold and +ruby-colored jellies! There were wonderful bonbons +which even the Mayor's daughter did not have every<span class="page"><a name="page121" id="page121">[Page 121]</a></span> +day; and all sorts of fruits, fresh and candied. They +had cowslip wine in green glasses, and elderberry wine +in red, and they drank each other's health. The glasses +held a thimbleful each; the Mayor's wife thought that +was all the wine they ought to have. Under each +child's plate there was a pretty present; and every +one had a basket of bonbons and cake to carry home.</p> +<p> +At four o'clock the fiddlers put up their fiddles and +the children went home; fairies and shepherdesses and +pages and princesses all jabbering gleefully about the +splendid time they had had.</p> +<p> +But in a short time what consternation there was +throughout the city! When the proud and fond +parents attempted to unbutton their children's dresses, +in order to prepare them for bed, not a single costume +would come off. The buttons buttoned again as fast +as they were unbuttoned; even if they pulled out a +pin, in it would slip again in a twinkling; and when a +string was untied it tied itself up again into a bow-knot. +The parents were dreadfully frightened. But the +children were so tired out they finally let them go to +bed in their fancy costumes, and thought perhaps they +would come off better in the morning. So Red Riding-hood +went to bed in her little red cloak, holding fast +to her basket full of dainties for her grandmother, +and Bo Peep slept with her crook in her hand.</p> +<p> +The children all went to bed readily enough, they +were so very tired, even though they had to go in this<span class="page"><a name="page122" id="page122">[Page 122]</a></span> +strange array. All but the fairies—they danced and +pirouetted and would not be still.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate18" id="plate18">[plate 18]</a></span> +<img src="images/18-fairy.jpg" width="450" height="468" alt="Their parents stared in great distress." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THEIR PARENTS STARED IN GREAT DISTRESS.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +"We want to swing on the blades of grass," they +kept saying, "and play hide-and-seek in the lily-cups, +and take a nap between the leaves of the roses."</p> +<p> +The poor charwomen and coal-heavers, whose children +the fairies were for the most part, stared at them in +great distress. They did not know what to do with<span class="page"><a name="page123" id="page123">[Page 123]</a></span> +these radiant, frisky little creatures into which their +Johnnys and their Pollys and Betseys were so suddenly +transformed. But the fairies went to bed quietly +enough when daylight came, and were soon fast asleep.</p> +<p> +There was no further trouble till twelve o'clock, when +all the children woke up. Then a great wave of alarm +spread over the city. Not one of the costumes would +come off then. The buttons buttoned as fast as they +were unbuttoned; the pins quilted themselves in as +fast as they were pulled out; and the strings flew +round like lightning and twisted themselves into bow-knots +as fast as they were untied.</p> +<p> +And that was not the worst of it; every one of the +children seemed to have become, in reality, the character +which he or she had assumed.</p> +<p> +The Mayor's daughter declared she was going to +tend her geese out in the pasture, and the shepherdesses +sprang out of their little beds of down, throwing aside +their silken quilts, and cried that they must go out and +watch their sheep. The princesses jumped up from +their straw pallets, and wanted to go to court; and all +the rest of them likewise. Poor little Red Riding-hood +sobbed and sobbed because she couldn't go and +carry her basket to her grandmother, and as she didn't +have any grandmother she couldn't go, of course, and +her parents were very much troubled. It was all so +mysterious and dreadful. The news spread very +rapidly over the city, and soon a great crowd gathered<span class="page"><a name="page124" id="page124">[Page 124]</a></span> +around the new Costumer's shop, for every one thought +he must be responsible for all this mischief.</p> +<p> +The shop door was locked; but they soon battered +it down with stones. When they rushed in the Costumer +was not there; he had disappeared with all his +wares. Then they did not know what to do. But it +was evident that they must do something before long, +for the state of affairs was growing worse and +worse.</p> +<p> +The Mayor's little daughter braced her back up +against the tapestried wall and planted her two feet +in their thick shoes firmly. "I will go and tend my +geese!" she kept crying. "I won't eat my breakfast! +I won't go out in the park! I won't go to school. I'm +going to tend my geese—I will, I will, I will!"</p> +<p> +And the princesses trailed their rich trains over the +rough, unpainted floors in their parents' poor little huts, +and held their crowned heads very high and demanded +to be taken to court. The princesses were, mostly, +geese-girls when they were their proper selves, and +their geese were suffering, and their poor parents did +not know what they were going to do, and they wrung +their hands and wept as they gazed on their gorgeously-appareled +children.</p> +<p> +Finally, the Mayor called a meeting of the Aldermen, +and they all assembled in the City Hall. Nearly +every one of them had a son or a daughter who was a +chimney-sweep, or a little watch-girl, or a shepherdess.<span class="page"><a name="page125" id="page125">[Page 125]</a></span> +They appointed a chairman and they took a great many +votes, and contrary votes; but they did not agree on +anything, until some one proposed that they consult +the Wise Woman. Then they all held up their hands, +and voted to, unanimously.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate19" id="plate19">[plate 19]</a></span> +<img src="images/19-goosegirl.jpg" width="364" height="470" alt="I will go and tend my geese!" border="0" /><br /><br /> +I WILL GO AND TEND MY GEESE!</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +So the whole board of Aldermen set out, walking by<span class="page"><a name="page126" id="page126">[Page 126]</a></span> +twos, with the Mayor at their head, to consult the +Wise Woman. The Aldermen were all very fleshy, +and carried gold-headed canes which they swung very +high at every step. They held their heads well back, +and their chins stiff, and whenever they met common +people they sniffed gently. They were very imposing.</p> +<p> +The Wise Woman lived in a little hut on the out-skirts +of the city. She kept a Black Cat; except for +her, she was all alone. She was very old, and had +brought up a great many children, and she was +considered remarkably wise.</p> +<p> +But when the Aldermen reached her hut and found +her seated by the fire, holding her Black Cat, a new +difficulty presented itself. She had always been quite +deaf, and people had been obliged to scream as loud +as they could in order to make her hear; but, lately, +she had grown much deafer, and when the Aldermen +attempted to lay the case before her she could not hear +a word. In fact, she was so very deaf that she could +not distinguish a tone below G-sharp. The Aldermen +screamed till they were quite red in their faces, but all +to no purpose; none of them could get up to G-sharp, +of course.</p> +<p> +So the Aldermen all went back, swinging their gold-headed +canes, and they had another meeting in the +City Hall. Then they decided to send the highest +Soprano Singer in the church choir to the Wise +Woman; she could sing up to G-sharp just as easy as<span class="page"><a name="page127" id="page127">[Page 127]</a></span> +not. So the high-Soprano Singer set out for the Wise +Woman's in the Mayor's coach, and the Aldermen +marched behind, swinging their gold-headed canes.</p> +<p> +The high-Soprano Singer put her head down close +to the Wise Woman's ear, and sang all about the +Christmas Masquerade, and the dreadful dilemma +everybody was in, in G-sharp—she even went higher, +sometimes—and the Wise Woman heard every word. +She nodded three times, and every time she nodded +she looked wiser.</p> +<p> +"Go home, and give 'em a spoonful of castor-oil, all +'round," she piped up; then she took a pinch of snuff, +and wouldn't say any more.</p> +<p> +So the Aldermen went home, and each one took a +district and marched through it, with a servant carrying +an immense bowl and spoon, and every child had to +take a dose of castor-oil.</p> +<p> +But it didn't do a bit of good. The children cried +and struggled when they were forced to take the castor-oil; +but, two minutes afterward, the chimney-sweeps +were crying for their brooms, and the princesses +screaming because they couldn't go to court, and the +Mayor's daughter, who had been given a double dose, +cried louder and more sturdily: "I want to go and +tend my geese! I will go and tend my geese!"</p> +<p> +So the Aldermen took the high-Soprano Singer, and +they consulted the Wise Woman again. She was +taking a nap this time, and the Singer had to sing up<span class="page"><a name="page128" id="page128">[Page 128]</a></span> +to B-flat before she could wake her. Then she was +very cross, and the Black Cat put up his back and spit +at the Aldermen.</p> +<p> +"Give 'em a spanking all 'round," she snapped out, +"and if that don't work put 'em to bed without their +supper!"</p> +<p> +Then the Aldermen marched back to try that; and +all the children in the city were spanked, and when that +didn't do any good they were put to bed without any +supper. But the next morning when they woke up they +were worse than ever.</p> +<p> +The Mayor and the Aldermen were very indignant, +and considered that they had been imposed upon and +insulted. So they set out for the Wise Woman's again, +with the high-Soprano Singer.</p> +<p> +She sang in G-sharp how the Aldermen and the +Mayor considered her an imposter, and did not think +she was wise at all, and they wished her to take her +Black Cat and move beyond the limits of the city. +She sang it beautifully; it sounded like the very finest +Italian opera-music.</p> +<p> +"Deary me," piped the Wise Woman, when she had +finished, "how very grand these gentlemen are." Her +Black Cat put up his back and spit.</p> +<p> +"Five times one Black Cat are five Black Cats," +said the Wise Woman. And, directly, there were five +Black Cats, spitting and miauling.</p> +<p> +"Five times five Black Cats are twenty-five Black<span class="page"><a name="page129" id="page129">[Page 129]</a></span> +Cats." And then there were twenty-five of the angry +little beasts.</p> +<p> +"Five times twenty-five Black Cats are one hundred +and twenty-five Black Cats," added the Wise +Woman, with a chuckle.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate20" id="plate20">[plate 20]</a></span> +<img src="images/20-soprano.jpg" width="420" height="457" alt="She sang it beautifully." border="0" /><br /><br /> +SHE SANG IT BEAUTIFULLY.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +Then the Mayor and the Aldermen and the high-Soprano +Singer fled precipitately out the door and back +to the city. One hundred and twenty-five Black Cats +had seemed to fill the Wise Woman's hut full, and<span class="page"><a name="page130" id="page130">[Page 130]</a></span> +when they all spit and miauled together it was dreadful. +The visitors could not wait for her to multiply Black +Cats any longer.</p> +<p> +As winter wore on, and spring came, the condition +of things grew more intolerable. Physicians had been +consulted, who advised that the children should be +allowed to follow their own bents, for fear of injury to +their constitutions. So the rich Aldermen's daughters +were actually out in the fields herding sheep, and their +sons sweeping chimneys or carrying newspapers; while +the poor charwomen's and coal-heavers' children spent +their time like princesses and fairies. Such a topsy-turvy +state of society was shocking. Why, the Mayor's +little daughter was tending geese out in the meadow +like any common goose-girl! Her pretty elder sister, +Violetta, felt very sad about it, and used often to cast +about in her mind for some way of relief.</p> +<p> +When cherries were ripe in spring, Violetta thought +she would ask the Cherry-man about it. She thought +the Cherry-man quite wise. He was a very pretty +young fellow, and he brought cherries to sell in graceful +little straw baskets lined with moss. So she stood +in the kitchen-door, one morning, and told him all +about the great trouble that had come upon the city. +He listened in great astonishment; he had never +heard of it before. He lived several miles out in the +country.</p> +<p> +"How did the Costumer look?" he asked respectfully;<span class="page"><a name="page131" id="page131">[Page 131]</a></span> +he thought Violetta the most beautiful lady on +earth.</p> +<p> +Then Violetta described the Costumer, and told him +of the unavailing attempts that had been made to find +him. There were a great many detectives out, constantly +at work.</p> +<p> +"I know where he is!" said the Cherry-man. "He's +up in one of my cherry-trees. He's been living +there ever since cherries were ripe, and he won't come +down."</p> +<p> +Then Violetta ran and told her father in great excitement, +and he at once called a meeting of the Aldermen, +and in a few hours half the city was on the road to +the Cherry-man's.</p> +<p> +He had a beautiful orchard of cherry-trees, all laden +with fruit. And, sure enough, in one of the largest, +way up amongst the topmost branches, sat the Costumer +in his red velvet short-clothes and his diamond +knee-buckles. He looked down between the green +boughs. "Good-morning, friends," he shouted.</p> +<p> +The Aldermen shook their gold-headed canes at him, +and the people danced round the tree in a rage. Then +they began to climb. But they soon found that to be +impossible. As fast as they touched a hand or foot +to the tree, back it flew with a jerk exactly as if the +tree pushed it. They tried a ladder, but the ladder +fell back the moment it touched the tree, and lay +sprawling upon the ground. Finally, they brought <span class="page"><a name="page132" id="page132">[Page 132]</a></span> +axes and thought they could chop the tree down, Costumer +and all; but the wood resisted the axes as if it +were iron, and only dented them, receiving no impression +itself.</p> +<p> +Meanwhile, the Costumer sat up in the tree, eating +cherries, and throwing the stones down. Finally, he +stood up on a stout branch and, looking down, addressed +the people.</p> +<p> +"It's of no use, your trying to accomplish anything +in this way," said he; "you'd better parley. I'm willing +to come to terms with you, and make everything +right, on two conditions."</p> +<p> +The people grew quiet then, and the Mayor stepped +forward as spokesman. "Name your two conditions," +said he, rather testily. "You own, tacitly, that you are +the cause of all this trouble."</p> +<p> +"Well," said the Costumer, reaching out for a handful +of cherries, "this Christmas Masquerade of yours +was a beautiful idea; but you wouldn't do it every +year, and your successors might not do it at all. I +want those poor children to have a Christmas every +year. My first condition is, that every poor child in +the city hangs its stocking for gifts in the City Hall +on every Christmas Eve, and gets it filled, too. I +want the resolution filed and put away in the city +archives."</p> +<p> +"We agree to the first condition!" cried the people +with one voice, without waiting for the Mayor and<span class="page"><a name="page133" id="page133">[Page 133]</a></span> +Aldermen.</p> +<p> +"The second condition," said the Costumer, "is +that this good young Cherry-man here, has the Mayor's +daughter, Violetta, for his wife. He has been kind to +me, letting me live in his cherry-tree, and eat his +cherries, and I want to reward him."</p> +<p> +"We consent!" cried all the people; but the Mayor, +though he was so generous, was a proud man. "I +will not consent to the second condition," he cried +angrily.</p> +<p> +"Very well," replied the Costumer, picking some +more cherries, "then your youngest daughter tends +geese the rest of her life, that's all!"</p> +<p> +The Mayor was in great distress; but the thought of +his youngest daughter being a goose-girl all her life was +too much for him. He gave in at last.</p> +<p> +"Now go home, and take the costumes off your children," +said the Costumer, "and leave me in peace to +eat cherries!"</p> +<p> +Then the people hastened back to the city and found, +to their great delight, that the costumes would come +off. The pins staid out, the buttons staid unbuttoned, +and the strings staid untied. The children were +dressed in their own proper clothes and were their own +proper selves once more. The shepherdesses and the +chimney-sweeps came home, and were washed and +dressed in silks and velvets, and went to embroidering +and playing lawn-tennis. And the princesses and <span class="page"><a name="page134" id="page134">[Page 134]</a></span> +the fairies put on their own suitable dresses, and went +about their useful employments. There was great +rejoicing in every home. Violetta thought she had +never been so happy, now that her dear little sister was +no longer a goose-girl, but her own dainty little +lady-self.</p> +<p> +The resolution to provide every poor child in the +city with a stocking full of gifts on Christmas was +solemnly filed, and deposited in the city archives, and +was never broken.</p> +<p> +Violetta was married to the Cherry-man, and all the +children came to the wedding, and strewed flowers in +her path till her feet were quite hidden in them. The +Costumer had mysteriously disappeared from the cherry-tree +the night before, but he left, at the foot, some +beautiful wedding presents for the bride—a silver +service with a pattern of cherries engraved on it, and +a set of china with cherries on it, in hand-painting, and +a white satin robe, embroidered with cherries down +the front.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page135" id="page135">[Page 135]</a></span> + +<h2><a name="dill" id="dill">DILL</a>.</h2> +<p> +Dame Clementina was in her dairy, churning, and +her little daughter Nan was out in the flower-garden. +The flower-garden was a little plot back of the cottage, +full of all the sweet, old-fashioned herbs. There were +sweet marjoram, sage, summersavory, lavender, and +ever so many others. Up in one corner, there was a +little green bed of dill.</p> +<p> +Nan was a dainty, slim little maiden, with yellow, +flossy hair in short curls all over her head. Her eyes +were very sweet and round and blue, and she wore a +quaint little snuff-colored gown. It had a short full +waist, with low neck and puffed sleeves, and the skirt +was straight and narrow and down to her little heels.</p> +<p> +She danced around the garden, picking a flower +here and there. She was making a nosegay for her +mother. She picked lavender and sweet-william and +pinks, and bunched them up together. Finally she +pulled a little sprig of dill, and ran, with that and the +nosegay, to her mother in the dairy.</p> +<p> +"Mother dear," said she, "here is a little nosegay +for you; and what was it I overheard you telling Dame +Elizabeth about dill last night?"</p> +<p> +Dame Clementina stopped churning and took the<span class="page"><a name="page136" id="page136">[Page 136]</a></span> +nosegay. "Thank you, Sweetheart, it is lovely," said +she, "and, as for the dill—it is a charmed plant, you +know, like four-leaved clover."</p> +<p> +"Do you put it over the door?" asked Nan.</p> +<p> +"Yes. Nobody who is envious or ill-disposed can +enter into the house if there is a sprig of dill over the +door. Then I know another charm which makes it +stronger. If one just writes this verse:</p> + +<p class="indent3"> + 'Alva, aden, winira mir,<br/> + Villawissen lingen;<br/> + Sanchta, wanchta, attazir,<br/> + Hor de mussen wingen,'</p><br/> + +<p> +under the sprig of dill, every one envious, or evil-disposed, +who attempts to enter the house, will have +to stop short, just where they are, and stand there; +they cannot move."</p> +<p> +"What does the verse mean?" asked Nan.</p> +<p> +"That, I do not know. It is written in a foreign +language. But it is a powerful charm."</p> +<p> +"O, mother! will you write it off for me, if I will +bring you a bit of paper and a pen?"</p> +<p> +"Certainly," replied her mother, and wrote it off +when Nan brought pen and paper.</p> +<p> +"Now," said she, "you must run off and play again, +and not hinder me any longer, or I shall not get my +butter made to-day."</p> +<p> +So Nan danced away with the verse, and the sprig <span class="page"><a name="page137" id="page137">[Page 137]</a></span> +of dill, and her mother went on churning.</p> +<p> +She had a beautiful tall stone churn, with the sides +all carved with figures in relief. There were milkmaids +and cows as natural as life all around the churn. The +dairy was charming, too. The shelves were carved +stone; and the floor had a little silvery rill running +right through the middle of it, with green ferns at the +sides. All along the stone shelves were set pans full +of yellow cream, and the pans were all of solid silver, +with a chasing of buttercups and daisies around the +brims.</p> +<p> +It was not a common dairy, and Dame Clementina +was not a common dairy-woman. She was very tall +and stately, and wore her silver-white hair braided +around her head like a crown, with a high silver comb +at the top. She walked like a queen; indeed she was +a noble count's daughter. In her early youth, she had +married a pretty young dairyman, against her father's +wishes; so she had been disinherited. The dairyman +had been so very poor and low down in the world, that +the count felt it his duty to cast off his daughter, lest +she should do discredit to his noble line. There was a +much pleasanter, easier way out of the difficulty, which +the count did not see. Indeed, it was a peculiarity of +all his family, that they never could see a way out of +a difficulty, high and noble as they were. The count +only needed to have given the poor young dairyman a +few acres of his own land, and a few bags of his own<span class="page"><a name="page138" id="page138">[Page 138]</a></span> +gold, and begged the king, with whom he had great +influence, to knight him, and all the obstacles would +have been removed; the dairyman would have been +quite rich and noble enough for his son-in-law. But +he never thought of that, and his daughter was disinherited. +However, he made all the amends to her that +he could, and fitted her out royally for her humble +station in life. He caused this beautiful dairy to be +built for her, and gave her the silver milk-pans, and +the carved stone churn.</p> +<p> +"My daughter shall not churn in a common wooden +churn, or skim the cream from wooden pans," he had +said.</p> +<p> +The dairyman had been dead a good many years +now, and Dame Clementina managed the dairy alone. +She never saw anything of her father, although he +lived in his castle not far off, on a neighboring height. +When the sky was clear, she could see its stone +towers against it. She had four beautiful white cows, +and Nan drove them to pasture; they were very +gentle.</p> +<p> +When Dame Clementina had finished churning, she +went into the cottage. As she stepped through the +little door with clumps of sweet peas on each side, she +looked up. There was the sprig of dill, and the magic +verse she had written under it.</p> +<p> +Nan was sitting at the window inside, knitting her +stent on a blue stocking. "Ah, Sweetheart," said her<span class="page"><a name="page139" id="page139">[Page 139]</a></span> +mother, laughing, "you have little cause to pin the dill +and the verse over our door. None is likely to envy +us, or to be ill-disposed toward us."</p> +<p> +"O, mother!" said Nan, "I know it, but I thought +it would be so nice to feel sure. Oh, there is Dame +Golding coming after some milk. Do you suppose she +will have to stop?"</p> +<p> +"What nonsense!" said her mother. They both +of them watched Dame Golding coming. All of a +sudden, she stopped short, just outside. She could +go no further. She tried to lift her feet, but could +not.</p> +<p> +"O, mother!" cried Nan, "she has stopped!"</p> +<p> +The poor woman began to scream. She was frightened +almost to death. Nan and her mother were not +much less frightened, but they did not know what to +do. They ran out, and tried to comfort her, and gave +her some cream to drink; but it did not amount to +much. Dame Golding had secretly envied Dame +Clementina for her silver milk-pans. Nan and her +mother knew why their visitor was so suddenly rooted +to the spot, of course, but she did not. She thought +her feet were paralyzed, and she kept begging them to +send for her husband.</p> +<p> +"Perhaps he can pull her away," said Nan, crying. +How she wished she had never pinned the dill and +the verse over the door! So she set off for Dame +Golding's husband. He came running in a great<span class="page"><a name="page140" id="page140">[Page 140]</a></span> +hurry; but when he had nearly reached his wife, and +had his arms reached out to grasp her, he, too, stopped +short. He had envied Dame Clementina for her +beautiful white cows, and there he was fast, also.</p> +<p> +He began to groan and scream too. Nan and her +mother ran into the house and shut the door. They +could not bear it. "What shall we do, if any one else +comes?" sobbed Nan. "O, mother! there is Dame +Dorothy coming. And—yes—Oh! she has stopped +too." Poor Dame Dorothy had envied Dame Clementina +a little for her flower-garden, which was finer +than hers, so she had to join Dame Golding and her +husband.</p> +<p> +Pretty soon another woman came, who had looked +with envious eyes at Dame Clementina, because she +was a count's daughter; and another, who had grudged +her a fine damask petticoat, which she had had before +she was disinherited, and still wore on holidays; and +they both had to stop. </p> +<p> +Then came three rough-looking men in velvet jackets +and slouched hats, who brought up short at the +gate with a great jerk that nearly took their breath away. +They were robbers who were prowling about with a +view to stealing Dame Clementina's silver milk-pans +some dark night.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page141" id="page141">[Page 141]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate21" id="plate21">[plate 21]</a></span> +<img src="images/21-strangestate.jpg" width="560" height="348" alt="A strange sad state of things." border="0" /><br /><br /> +A STRANGE SAD STATE OF THINGS.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +All through the day the people kept coming and +stopping. It was wonderful how many things poor +Dame Clementina had to be envied by men and<span class="page"><a name="page143" id="page143">[Page 143]</a></span> +women, and even children. They envied Nan for her +yellow curls or her blue eyes, or her pretty snuff-colored +gown. When the sun set, the yard in front +of Dame Clementina's cottage was full of people. +Lastly, just before dark, the count himself came ambling +up on a coal-black horse. The count was a +majestic old man dressed in velvet, with stars on his +breast. His white hair fell in long curls on his +shoulders, and he had a pointed beard. As he came +to the gate, he caught a glimpse of Nan in the door.</p> +<p> +"How I wish that little maiden was my child," said +he. And, straightway, he stopped. His horse pawed +and trembled when he lashed him with a jeweled whip +to make him go on; but he could not stir forward one +step. Neither could the count dismount from his saddle; +he sat there fuming with rage.</p> +<p> +Meanwhile, poor Dame Clementina and little Nan +were overcome with distress. The sight of their yard +full of all these weeping people was dreadful. Neither +of them had any idea how to do away with the trouble, +because of their family inability to see their way out of +a difficulty.</p> +<p> +When supper time came, Nan went for the cows, and +her mother milked them into her silver milk-pails, +and strained off the milk into her silver pans. Then +they kindled up a fire and cooked some beautiful milk +porridge for the poor people in the yard.</p> +<p> +It was a beautiful warm moonlight night, and all<span class="page"><a name="page144" id="page144">[Page 144]</a></span> +the winds were sweet with roses and pinks; so the +people could not suffer out of doors; but the next +morning it rained.</p> +<p> +"O, mother!" said Nan, "it is raining, and what +will the poor people do?"</p> +<p> +Dame Clementina would never have seen her way +out of this difficulty, had not Dame Golding cried out +that her bonnet was getting wet, and she wanted an +umbrella.</p> +<p> +"Why, you must go around to their houses, of +course, and get their umbrellas for them," said Dame +Clementina; "but first, give ours to that old man on +horseback." She did not know her father, so many +years had passed since she had seen him, and he had +altered so.</p> +<p> +So Nan carried out their great yellow umbrella to +the count, and went around to the others' houses for +their own umbrellas. It was pitiful enough to see them +standing all alone behind the doors. She could not +find three extra ones for the three robbers, and she +felt badly about that.</p> +<p> +Somebody suggested, however, that milk-pans turned +over their heads would keep the rain off their slouched +hats, at least; so she got a silver milk-pan for an umbrella +for each. They made such frantic efforts to get +away then, that they looked like jumping-jacks; but it +was of no use.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page145" id="page145">[Page 145]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate22" id="plate22">[plate 22]</a></span> +<img src="images/22-Nan.jpg" width="304" height="470" alt="Nan returns with the umbrellas." border="0" /><br /><br /> +NAN RETURNS WITH THE UMBRELLAS.</p> +<p> +Poor Dame Clementina and Nan after they had<span class="page"><a name="page147" id="page147">[Page 147]</a></span> +given the milk porridge to the people, and done all +they could for their comfort, stood staring disconsolately +out of the window at them under their dripping +umbrellas. The yard was fairly green and black and +blue and yellow with umbrellas. They wept at the +sight, but they could not think of any way out of the +difficulty. The people themselves might have suggested +one, had they known the real cause; but they did not +dare to tell them how they were responsible for all the +trouble; they seemed so angry.</p> +<p> +About noon Nan spied their most particular friend, +Dame Elizabeth, coming. She lived a little way out of +the village. Nan saw her approaching the gate through +the rain and mist, with her great blue umbrella +and her long blue double cape and her poke bonnet; +and she cried out in the greatest dismay: "O, mother, +mother! there is our dear Dame Elizabeth coming; she +will have to stop too!"</p> +<p> +Then they watched her with beating hearts. Dame +Elizabeth stared with astonishment at the people, and +stopped to ask them questions. But she passed quite +through their midst, and entered the cottage under the +sprig of dill, and the verse. She did not envy Dame +Clementina or Nan, anything.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate23" id="plate23">[plate 23]</a></span><br/> +<img src="images/23-frantic.jpg" width="419" height="470" alt="Such frantic efforts to get away." border="0" /><br /><br /> +SUCH FRANTIC EFFORTS TO GET AWAY.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"Tell me what this means," said she. "Why are +all these people standing in your yard in the rain with +umbrellas?"</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page148" id="page148">[Page 148]</a></span> +<p> +Then Dame Clementina and Nan told her. "And +oh! what shall we do?" said they. "Will these people +have to stand in our yard forever and ever?"</p> +<p> +Dame Elizabeth stared at them. The way out of +the difficulty was so plain to her, that she could not<span class="page"><a name="page149" id="page149">[Page 149]</a></span> +credit its not being plain to them.</p> +<p> +"Why," said she, "don't you take down the sprig +of dill and the verse?"</p> +<p> +"Why, sure enough!" said they in amazement. +"Why didn't we think of that before?"</p> +<p> +So Dame Clementina ran out quickly, and pulled +down the sprig of dill and the verse.</p> +<p> +Then the way the people hurried out of the yard! +They fairly danced and flourished their heels, old folks +and all. They were so delighted to be able to move, +and they wanted to be sure they could move. The +robbers tried to get away unseen with their silver milk-pans, +but some of the people stopped them, and set +the pans safely inside the dairy. All the people, except +the count, were so eager to get away, that they +did not stop to inquire into the cause of the trouble +then.</p> +<p> +Afterward, when they did, they were too much +ashamed to say anything about it.</p> +<p> +It was a good lesson to them; they were not quite +so envious after that. Always, on entering any cottage, +they would glance at the door, to see if, perchance, +there might be a sprig of dill over it. And if +there was not, they were reminded to put away any +envious feeling they might have toward the inmates +out of their hearts.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page150" id="page150">[Page 150]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate24" id="plate24">[plate 24]</a></span> +<img src="images/24-dameelizabeth.jpg" width="314" height="470" alt="dame Elizabeth stared with astonishment." border="0" /><br /><br /> +DAME ELIZABETH STARED WITH ASTONISHMENT.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +As for the count, he had not been so much alarmed +as the others, since he had been to the wars and was +braver. Moreover, he felt that his dignity as a noble +had been insulted. So he at once dismounted and +fastened his horse to the gate, and strode up to the +door with his sword clanking and the plumes on his<span class="page"><a name="page151" id="page151">[Page 151]</a></span> +hat nodding.</p> +<p> +"What," he begun; then he stopped short. He +had recognized his daughter in Dame Clementina. +She recognized him at the same moment. "O, my +dear daughter!" said he. "O, my dear father!" +said she.</p> +<p> +"And this is my little grandchild?" said the count; +and he took Nan upon his knee, and covered her with +caresses.</p> +<p> +Then the story of the dill and the verse was told. +"Yes," said the count, "I truly was envious of you, +Clementina, when I saw Nan."</p> +<p> +After a little, he looked at his daughter sorrowfully. +"I should dearly love to take you up to the castle with +me, Clementina," said he, "and let you live there +always, and make you and the little child my heirs. +But how can I? You are disinherited, you know."</p> +<p> +"I don't see any way," assented Dame Clementina, +sadly.</p> +<p> +Dame Elizabeth was still there, and she spoke up to +the count with a curtesy.</p> +<p> +"Noble sir," said she, "why don't you make another +will?"</p> +<p> +"Why, sure enough," cried the count with great delight, +"why don't I? I'll have my lawyer up to the +castle to-morrow."</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page152" id="page152">[Page 152]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate25" id="plate25">[plate 25]</a></span> +<img src="images/25-countinsulted.jpg" width="317" height="470" alt="The count thinks himself insulted." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THE COUNT THINKS HIMSELF INSULTED.</p> +<p> +He did immediately alter his will, and his daughter +was no longer disinherited. She and Nan went to live +at the castle, and were very rich and happy. Nan +learned to play on the harp, and wore snuff-colored +satin gowns. She was called Lady Nan, and she lived +a long time, and everybody loved her. But never, so +long as she lived, did she pin the sprig of dill and the +verse over the door again. She kept them at the very<span class="page"><a name="page153" id="page153">[Page 153]</a></span> +bottom of a little satin-wood box—the faded sprig of +dill wrapped round with the bit of paper on which was +written the charm-verse:</p> + +<p class="indent3"> + "Alva, aden, winira mir,<br /> + Villawissen lingen;<br /> + Sanchta, wanchta, attazir,<br /> + Hor de mussen wingen."</p><br /> + +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate26" id="plate26">[plate 26]</a></span> +<img src="images/26-danced.jpg" width="600" height="120" alt="They fairly danced and flourished their heels." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THEY FAIRLY DANCED AND FLOURISHED THEIR HEELS.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page154" id="page154">[Page 154]</a></span> + +<h2>THE SILVER <a name="hen" id="hen">HEN</a>.</h2> + +<p> +Dame Dorothea Penny kept a private school. +It was quite a small school, on account of the small +size of her house. She had only twelve scholars and +they filled it quite full; indeed one very little boy had +to sit in the brick oven. On this account Dame Penny +was obliged to do all her cooking on a Saturday when +school did not keep; on that day she baked bread, and +cakes, and pies enough to last a week. The oven was +a very large one.</p> +<p> +It was on a Saturday that Dame Penny first missed +her silver hen. She owned a wonderful silver hen, +whose feathers looked exactly as if they had been +dipped in liquid silver. When she was scratching for +worms out in the yard, and the sun shone on her, she +was absolutely dazzling, and sent little bright reflections +into the neighbors' windows, as if she were really +solid silver.</p> +<p> +Dame Penny had a sunny little coop with a padlocked +door for her, and she always locked it very +carefully every night. So it was doubly perplexing +when the hen disappeared. Dame Penny remembered +distinctly locking the coop-door; several circumstances +had served to fix it on her mind. She had started out<span class="page"><a name="page155" id="page155">[Page 155]</a></span> +without her overshoes, then had returned for them because +the snow was quite deep and she was liable to +rheumatism. Then Dame Louisa who lived next door +had rapped on her window, and she had run in there for +a few moments with the hen-coop key dangling on its +<span class="page"><a name="plate27" id="plate27">[plate 27]</a></span> +<img src="images/27-deepsnow.jpg" width="265" height="188" alt="The snow was quite deep." border="0" hspace="15" style="float: right" /> + +blue ribbon from her wrist, +and Dame Louisa had remarked +that she would lose +that key if she were not more +careful. Then when she returned +home across the yard +a doubt had seized her, and she had tried the coop-door +to be sure that she had really fastened it.</p> + +<p> +The next morning when she fitted the key into the +padlock and threw open the door, and no silver hen +came clucking out, it was very mysterious. Dame +Louisa came running to the fence which divided her +yard from Dame Penny's, and stood leaning on it with +her apron over her head.</p> +<p> +"Are you sure that hen was in the coop when you +locked the door?" said she.</p> +<p> +"Of course she was in the coop," replied Dame +Penny with dignity. "She has never failed to go in +there at sundown for all the twenty-five years that I've +had her."</p> +<p> +Dame Penny carefully searched everywhere about +the premises. When the scholars assembled she called +the school to order, and told them of her terrible loss.<span class="page"><a name="page156" id="page156">[Page 156]</a></span> +All the scholars crooked their arms over their faces +and wept, for they were very fond of Dame Penny, +and also of the silver hen. Every one of them wore +one of her silver tail-feathers in the best bonnet, or +hat, as the case might be. The silver hen had dropped +them about the yard, and Dame Penny had presented +them from time to time as rewards for good behavior.</p> +<p> +After Dame Penny had told the school, she tried to +proceed with the usual exercises. But in vain. She +whipped one little boy because he said that four and +three made seven, and she stood a little girl in the +corner because she spelled hen with one <i>n</i>.</p> +<p> +Finally she dismissed the scholars, and gave them +permission to search for the silver hen. She offered +the successful one the most beautiful Christmas present +he had ever seen. It was about three weeks before +Christmas.</p> +<p> +The children all put on their things, and went home +and told their parents what they were going to do; +then they started upon the search for the silver hen. +They searched with no success till the day before +Christmas. Then they thought they would ask Dame +Louisa, who had the reputation of being quite a wise +woman, if she knew of any more likely places in which +they could hunt.</p> +<p> +The twelve scholars walked two by two up to Dame +Louisa's front door, and knocked. They were very +quiet and spoke only in whispers because they knew<span class="page"><a name="page157" id="page157">[Page 157]</a></span> +Dame Louisa was nervous, and did not like children +very well. Indeed it was a great cross to her that she +lived so near the school, for the scholars when out in +their own yard never thought about her nervousness, +and made a deal of noise. Then too she could hear +every time they spelled or said the multiplication-table, +or bounded the countries of Africa, and it was +very trying. To-day in spite of their efforts to be +quiet they awoke her from a nap, and she came to the +door, with her front-piece and cap on one side, and her +spectacles over her eyebrows, very much out of humor.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate28" id="plate28">[plate 28]</a></span> +<img src="images/28-twobytwo.jpg" width="550" height="220" alt="Two by two." border="0" /><br /><br /> +TWO BY TWO.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"I don't know where you'll find the hen," said she +peevishly, "unless you go to the White Woods for it."</p> +<p> +"Thank you, ma'am," said the children with curtesies, +and they all turned and went down the path between +the dead Christmas-trees.</p> +<p> +Dame Louisa had no idea that they would go to the +White Woods. She had said it quite at random,<span class="page"><a name="page158" id="page158">[Page 158]</a></span> +although she was so vexed in being disturbed in her +nap that she wished for a moment that they would. +She stood in her front door and looked at her dead +Christmas-trees, and that always made her feel crosser, +and she had not at any time a pleasant disposition. +Indeed, it was rumored among the towns-people that +that had blasted her Christmas-trees, that Dame +Louisa's scolding, fretting voice had floated out to +them, and smote their delicate twigs like a bitter frost +and made them turn yellow; for the real Christmas-tree +is not very hardy.</p> +<p> +No one else in the village, probably no one else in +the county, owned any such tree, alive or dead. Dame +Louisa's husband, who had been a sea-captain, had +brought them from foreign parts. They were mere +little twigs when they planted them on the first day of +January, but they were full-grown and loaded with +fruit by the next Christmas-day. Every Christmas +they were cut down and sold, but they always grew +again to their full height, in a year's time. They were +not, it is true, the regulation Christmas-tree. That is +they were not loaded with different and suitable gifts +for every one in a family, as they stood there in Dame +Louisa's yard. People always tied on those, after they +had bought them, and had set them up in their own +parlors. But these trees bore regular fruit like apple, +or peach, or plum-trees, only there was a considerable +variety in it. These trees when in full fruitage were<span class="page"><a name="page159" id="page159">[Page 159]</a></span> +festooned with strings of pop-corn, and weighed down +with apples and oranges and figs and bags of candy, +and it was really an amazing sight to see them out +there in Dame Louisa's front yard. But now they +were all yellow and dead, and not so much as one pop-corn +whitened the upper branches, neither was there +one candle shining out in the night. For the trees in +their prime had borne also little twinkling lights like +wax candles.</p> +<p> +Dame Louisa looked out at her dead Christmas-trees, +and scowled. She could see the children out in +the road, and they were trudging along in the direction +of the White Woods. "Let 'em go," she snapped +to herself. "I guess they won't go far. I'll be rid of +their noise, any way."</p> +<p> +She could hear poor Dame Penny's distressed voice +out in her yard, calling "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy;" and +she scowled more fiercely than ever. "I'm glad she's +lost her old silver hen," she muttered to herself. She +had always suspected the silver hen of pecking at the +roots of the Christmas-trees and so causing them to +blast; then, too, the silver hen had used to stand on +the fence and crow; for, unlike other hens, she could +crow very beautifully, and that had disturbed her.</p> +<p> +Dame Louisa had a very wise book, which she had +consulted to find the reason for the death of her +Christmas-trees, but all she could find in it was one +short item, which did not satisfy her at all. The book<span class="page"><a name="page160" id="page160">[Page 160]</a></span> +was on the plan of an encyclopedia, and she, having +turned to the "ch's," found:</p> + +<blockquote> +"Christmas-trees—very delicate when transplanted, especially +sensitive, and liable to blast at any change in the moral +atmosphere. Remedy: discover and confess the cause."</blockquote> + +<p> +After reading this, Dame Louisa was always positive +that Dame Penny's silver hen was at the root of +the mischief, for she knew that she herself had never +done anything to hurt the trees.</p> +<p> +Dame Penny was so occupied in calling "Biddy, +Biddy, Biddy," and shaking a little pan of corn, +that she never noticed the children taking the road +toward the White Woods. If she had done so she +would have stopped them, for the White Woods was +considered a very dangerous place. It was called +white because it was always white even in midsummer. +The trees and bushes, and all the undergrowth, every +flower and blade of grass, were white with snow and +frost all the year round, and all the learned men of +the country had studied into the reason of it, and had +come to the conclusion that the Woods lay in a direct +draught from the North Pole and that produced the +phenomenon. Nobody had penetrated very far into +the White Woods, although many expeditions had been +organized for that purpose. The cold was so terrible +that it drove them back.</p> +<p> +The children had heard all about the terrors of the<span class="page"><a name="page161" id="page161">[Page 161]</a></span> +White Woods. When they drew near it they took +hold of one another's hands and snuggled as closely +together as possible.</p> +<p> +When they struck into the path at the entrance the +intense cold turned their cheeks and noses blue in a +moment, but they kept on, calling "Biddy, Biddy, +Biddy!" in their shrill sweet trebles. Every twig on +the trees was glittering white with hoar-frost, and all +the dead blackberry-vines wore white wreaths, the +bushes brushed the ground, they were so heavy with +ice, and the air was full of fine white sparkles. The +children's eyes were dazzled, but they kept on, stumbling +through the icy vines and bushes, and calling +"<i>Biddy, Biddy, Biddy</i>!"</p> +<p> +It was quite late in the afternoon when they started, +and pretty soon the sun went down and the moon arose, +and that made it seem colder. It was like traveling +through a forest of solid silver then, and every once in +a while a little frozen clump of flowers would shine so +that they would think it was the silver hen and dart +forward, to find it was not.</p> +<p> +About two hours after the moon arose, as they were +creeping along, calling "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!" more +and more faintly, a singular, hoarse voice replied suddenly. +"We don't keep any hens," said the voice, and +all the children jumped and screamed, and looked +about for the owner of it. He loomed up among some +bushes at their right. He was so dazzling white himself,<span class="page"><a name="page162" id="page162">[Page 162]</a></span> +and had such an indistinctness of outline, that +they had taken him for an oak-tree. But it was the +real Snow Man. They knew him in a moment, he +looked so much like his effigies that they used to make +in their yards.</p> +<p> +"We don't keep any hens," repeated the Snow +Man. "What are you calling hens for in this +forest?"</p> +<p> +The children huddled together as close as they could, +and the oldest boy explained. When he broke down +the oldest girl piped up and helped him.</p> +<p> +"Well," said the Snow Man, "I haven't seen the +silver hen. I never did see any hens in these woods, +but she may be around here for all that. You had +better go home with me and spend the night. My +wife will be delighted to see you. We have never +had any company in our lives, and she is always scolding +about it."</p> +<p> +The children looked at each other and shook harder +than they had done with cold.</p> +<p> +"I'm—afraid our mothers—wouldn't—like to +have us," stammered the oldest boy.</p> +<p> +"Nonsense," cried the Snow Man. "Here I have +been visiting you, time and time again, and stood whole +days out in your front yards, and you've never been +to see me. I think it is about time that I had some +return. Come along." With that the Snow Man +seized the right ear of the oldest boy between a <span class="page"><a name="page163" id="page163">[Page 163]</a></span> +finger and thumb, and danced him along, and all the +rest, trembling, and whimpering under their breaths, +followed.</p> +<p> +It was not long before they reached the Snow Man's +house, which was really quite magnificent: a castle +built of blocks of ice fitted together like bricks, and +with two splendid snow-lions keeping guard at the +entrance. The Snow Man's wife stood in the door, +and the Snow Children stood behind her and peeped +<span class="page"><a name="plate29" id="plate29">[plate 29]</a></span> +<img src="images/29-snowhouse.jpg" width="300" height="181" alt=" The snow man's house." border="0" hspace="15" style="float: right" /> + +around her skirts; they were +smiling from ear to ear. They +had never seen any company +before, and they were so delighted +that they did not know +what to do.</p> +<p> +"We have some company, wife," shouted the Snow +Man.</p> +<p> +"Bring them right in," said his wife with a beaming +face. She was very handsome, with beautiful +pink cheeks and blue eyes, and she wore a trailing +white robe, like a queen. She kissed the children all +around, and shivers crept down their backs, for it was +like being kissed by an icicle. "Kiss your company, +my dears," she said to the Snow Children, and they +came bashfully forward and kissed Dame Penny's +scholars with these same chilly kisses.</p> +<p> +"Now," said the Snow Man's wife, "come right +in and sit down where it is cool—you look very<span class="page"><a name="page164" id="page164">[Page 164]</a></span> +hot."</p> +<p> +"Hot," when the poor scholars were quite stiff with +cold! They looked at one another in dismay, but did +not dare say anything. They followed the Snow +Man's wife into her grand parlor.</p> +<p> +"Come right over here by the north window where +it is cooler," said she, "and the children shall bring +you some fans."</p> +<p> +The Snow Children floated up with fans—all the +Snow Man's family had a lovely floating gait—and +the scholars took them with feeble curtesies, and began +fanning. A stiff north wind blew in at the windows. +The forest was all creaking and snapping with the cold. +The poor children, fanning themselves, on an ice divan, +would certainly have frozen if the Snow Man's wife +had not suggested that they all have a little game of +"puss-in-the-corner," to while away the time before +dinner. That warmed them up a little, for they had +to run very fast indeed to play with the Snow Children +who seemed to fairly blow in the north wind from corner +to corner.</p> +<p> +But the Snow Man's wife stopped the play a little +before dinner was announced; she said the guests +looked so warm that she was alarmed, and was afraid +they might melt.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate30" id="plate30">[plate 30]</a></span> +<img src="images/30-pusscorner.jpg" width="292" height="470" alt="Puss-in-the-corner." border="0" /><br /><br /> +PUSS-IN-THE-CORNER.</p><br /><br /> + +<p> +A whistle, that sounded just like the whistle of the +north wind in the chimney, blew for dinner, and Dame +Penny's scholars thought with delight that now they <span class="page"><a name="page165" id="page165">[Page 165]</a></span> +would have something warm. But every dish on the +Snow Man's table was cold and frozen, and the Snow +Man's wife kept urging them to eat this and that, +because it was so nice and cooling, and they looked so +warm.</p> +<p> +After dinner they were colder than ever, even. +Another game of "puss-in-the-corner" did not warm +them much; they were glad when the Snow Man's +wife suggested that they go to bed, for they had visions +of warm blankets and comfortables. But when they +were shown into the great north chamber, that was +more like a hall than a chamber, with its walls of +solid ice, its ice floor and its ice beds, their hearts +sank. Not a blanket nor comfortable was to be seen; +there were great silk bags stuffed with snow flakes +instead of feathers on the beds, and that was all.</p> +<p> +"If you are too warm in the night, and feel as if +you were going to melt," said the Snow Man's wife, +"you can open the south window and that will make +a draught—there are none but the north windows +open now."</p> +<p> +The scholars curtesied and bade her good-night, and +she kissed them and hoped they would sleep well. +Then she trailed her splendid robe, which was decorated +with real frost embroidery, down the ice stairs +and left her guests to themselves. They were frantic +with cold and terror, and the little ones began to cry. +They talked over the situation and agreed that they<span class="page"><a name="page168" id="page168">[Page 168]</a></span> +had better wait until the house was quiet and then run +away. So they waited until they thought everybody +must be asleep, and then cautiously stole toward the +door. It was locked fast on the outside. The Snow +Man's wife had slipped an icicle through the latch. +Then they were in despair. It seemed as if they +must freeze to death before morning. But it occurred +to some of the older ones that they had heard their +parents say that snow was really warm, and people had +been kept warm and alive by burrowing under snow-drifts. +And as there were enough snow-flake beds to +use for coverlids also, they crept under them, having +first shut the north windows, and were soon quite +comfortable.</p> +<p> +In the meantime there was a great panic in the +village; the children's parents were nearly wild. They +came running to Dame Penny, but she was calling +"Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!" out in the moonlight, and +knew nothing about them. Then they called outside +Dame Louisa's window, but she pretended to be asleep, +although she was really awake, and in a terrible panic.</p> +<p> +She did not tell the parents how the children had +gone to the White Woods, because she knew that +they could not extricate them from the difficulty as +well as she could herself. She knew all about the +Snow Man and his wife, and how very anxious they +were to have company.</p> +<p> +So just as soon as the parents were gone and she<span class="page"><a name="page169" id="page169">[Page 169]</a></span> +heard their voices in the distance, she dressed herself, +harnessed her old white horse into the great box-sleigh, +got out all the tubs and pails that she had in +the house, and went over to Dame Penny, who was still +standing out in her front yard calling the silver hen +and the children by turns.</p> +<p> +"Come, Dame Penny," said Dame Louisa, "I want +you to go with me to the White Woods and rescue +<span class="page"><a name="plate31" id="plate31">[plate 31]</a></span> +<img src="images/31-rescue.jpg" width="300" height="157" alt="To the rescue." border="0" hspace="15" style="float: right" /> + +the children. Bring out all the +tubs and pails you have in the +house, and we will pump them +full of water."</p> +<p> +"The pails—full of water—what for?" gasped +Dame Penny.</p> +<p> +"To thaw them out," replied Dame Louisa; "they +will very likely be wholly or partly frozen, and I have +always heard that cold water was the only remedy to +use."</p> +<p> +Dame Penny said no more. She brought out all +her tubs and pails, and they pumped them and Dame +Louisa's full of water, and packed them into the sleigh—there +were twelve of them. Then they climbed +into the seat, slapped the reins over the back of the +old white horse, and started off for the White Woods.</p> +<p> +On the way Dame Louisa wept, and confessed what +she had done to Dame Penny. "I have been a cross, +selfish old woman," said she, "and I think that is the +reason why my Christmas-trees were blasted. I don't<span class="page"><a name="page170" id="page170">[Page 170]</a></span> +believe your silver hen touched them."</p> +<p> +She and Dame Penny called "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!" +and the names of the children, all the way. Dame +Louisa drove straight to the Snow Man's house.</p> +<p> +"They are more likely to be there than anywhere +else, the Snow Man and his wife are so crazy to have +company," said she.</p> +<p> +When they arrived at the house, Dame Louisa left +Dame Penny to hold the horse, and went in. The +outer door was not locked and she wandered quite at +her will, through the great ice saloons, and wind-swept +corridors. When she came to the door with the icicle +through the latch, she knew at once that the children +were in that room, so she drew out the icicle and entered. +The children were asleep, but she aroused +them, and bade them be very quiet and follow her. +They got out of the house without disturbing any of +the family; but, once out, a new difficulty beset them. +The children had been so nearly warm under their +snow-flake beds that they began to freeze the minute +the icy air struck them.</p> +<p> +But Dame Louisa promptly seized them, while Dame +Penny held the horse, and put them into the tubs and +pails of water. Then she took hold of the horse's +head, and backed him and turned around carefully, +and they started off at full speed.</p> +<p> +But it was not long before they discovered that they +were pursued. They heard the hoarse voice of the<span class="page"><a name="page171" id="page171">[Page 171]</a></span> +Snow Man behind them calling to them to stop.</p> +<p> +"What are you taking away my company for?" +shouted the Snow Man. "Stop, stop!"</p> +<p> +The wind was at the back of the Snow Man, and he +came with tremendous velocity. It was evident that +he would soon overtake the old white horse who was +stiff and somewhat lame. Dame Louisa whipped him +up, but the Snow Man gained on them. The icy +breath of the Snow Man blew over them. "Oh!" +shrieked Dame Penny, "what shall we do, what shall +we do?"</p> +<p> +"Be quiet," said Dame Louisa with dignity. She +untied her large poke-bonnet which was made of straw—she +was unable to have a velvet one for winter, +now her Christmas-trees were dead—and she hung it +on the whip. Then she drew a match from her pocket, +and set fire to the bonnet. The light fabric blazed up +directly, and the Snow Man stopped short. "If you +come any nearer," shrieked Dame Louisa, "I'll put +this right in your face and—melt you!"</p> +<p> +"Give me back my company," shouted the Snow +Man in a doubtful voice.</p> +<p> +"You can't have your company," said Dame Louisa, +shaking the blazing bonnet defiantly at him.</p> +<p> +"To think of the days I've spent in their yards, +slowly melting and suffering everything, and my not +having one visit back," grumbled the Snow Man. +But he stood still; he never took a step forward after<span class="page"><a name="page172" id="page172">[Page 172]</a></span> +Dame Louisa had set her bonnet on fire.</p> +<p> +It was lucky Dame Louisa had worn a worsted scarf +tied over her bonnet, and could now use it for a bonnet.</p> +<p> +The cold was intense, and had it not been that Dame +Penny and Dame Louisa both wore their Bay State +shawls over their beaver sacques, and their stone-marten +tippets and muffs, and blue worsted stockings +drawn over their shoes, they would certainly have frozen. +As for the children, they would never have +reached home alive if it had not been for the pails and +tubs of water.</p> +<p> +"Do you feel as if you were thawing?" Dame +Louisa asked the children after they had left the Snow +Man behind.</p> +<p> +"Yes, ma'am," said they.</p> +<p> +Dame Louisa drove as fast as she could, with thankful +tears running down her cheeks. "I've been a +wicked, cross old woman," said she again and again, +"and that is what blasted my Christmas-trees."</p> +<p> +It was the dawn of Christmas-day when they came +in sight of Dame Louisa's house.</p> +<p> +"Oh! what is that twinkling out in the yard?" +cried the children.</p> +<p> +They could all see little fairy-like lights twinkling +out in Dame Louisa's yard.</p> +<p> +"It looks just as the Christmas-trees used to," said +Dame Penny.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page173" id="page173">[Page 173]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate32" id="plate32">[plate 32]</a></span> +<img src="images/32-meltyou.jpg" width="550" height="275" alt="I'll put this right in your face and melt you!" border="0" /><br /><br /> +</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"Oh! I can't believe it," cried Dame Louisa, her<span class="page"><a name="page175" id="page175">[Page 175]</a></span> +heart beating wildly.</p> +<p> +But when they came opposite the yard, they saw +that it was true. Dame Louisa's Christmas-trees stood +there all twinkling with lights, and covered with trailing +garlands of pop-corn, oranges, apples, and candy-bags; +their yellow branches had turned green and the +Christmas-trees were in full glory.</p> +<p> +"Oh! what is that shining so out in Dame Penny's +yard?" cried the children, who were entirely thawed, +and only needed to get home to their parents and have +some warm breakfast, and Christmas-presents, to be +quite themselves. "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!" cried +Dame Penny, and Dame Louisa and the children +chimed in, calling, "Biddy, Biddy, Biddy!"</p> +<p> +It was indeed the silver hen, and following her were +twelve little silver chickens. She had stolen a nest in +Dame Louisa's barn and nobody had known it until +she appeared on Christmas morning with her brood of +silver chickens.</p> +<p> +"Every scholar shall have one of the silver chickens +for a Christmas present," said Dame Penny.</p> +<p> +"And each shall have one of my Christmas-trees," +said Dame Louisa.</p> +<p> +Then all the scholars cried out with delight, the +Christmas-bells in the village began to ring, the silver +hen flew up on the fence and crowed, the sun shone +broadly out, and it was a merry Christmas-day.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page176" id="page176">[Page 176]</a></span> + +<h2><a name="toby" id="toby">TOBY</a>.</h2> + +<p> +Aunt Malvina was sitting at the window watching +for a horse-car which she wanted to take. Uncle Jack +was near the register in a comfortable easy chair, his +feet on an embroidered foot-rest, and Letitia, just as +close to him as she could get her little rocking-chair, +was sewing her square of patchwork "over and over." +Letitia had to sew a square of patchwork "over and +over" every day.</p> +<p> +Aunt Malvina, who was not uncle Jack's wife, as +one might suspect, but his elder sister, was a very small, +frisky little lady, with a thin, rosy face, and a little +bobbing bunch of gray curls on each side of it. She +talked very fast, and she talked all the time, so she +accomplished a vast deal of talking in the course of a +day, and the people she happened to be with did a vast +deal of listening.</p> +<p> +She was talking now, and uncle Jack was listening, +with his head leaning comfortably against a pretty tidy +all over daisies in Kensington work, and so was +Letitia, taking cautious little stitches in her patchwork.</p> +<p> +"Mrs. Welcome," aunt Malvina had just remarked, +"has got a little colored boy as black as Toby to wait<span class="page"><a name="page177" id="page177">[Page 177]</a></span> +on table."</p> +<p> +Letitia opened her sober, light gray eyes very wide, +and stared reflectively at aunt Malvina.</p> +<p> +"It was dark as Pokonoket when we came out of +church last night," said aunt Malvina after a time, in +the course of conversation.</p> +<p> +Letitia stared reflectively at her again.</p> +<p> +"There's my car coming around the corner!" cried +aunt Malvina, and ran friskily out of the room. Just +outside the door she turned and thrust her face, with +the little gray curls dancing around it, in again for +a last word. "O, Jack!" cried she, "I hear that +Edward Simonds' eldest son is as crazy as a loon!"</p> +<p> +"Is?"</p> +<p> +"Yes; isn't it dreadful? Good-by!" Aunt Malvina +frisked airily downstairs, and out on the street, +barely in time to secure her car.</p> +<p> +When Letitia heard the front door close after her, +she quilted her needle carefully into her square, then +she folded the patchwork up neatly, rose, and laid it +together with her thimble, scissors, and cotton, in her +little rocking-chair. Then she went and stood still +before uncle Jack, with her arms folded. It was a +way she had when she wanted information. People +rather smiled to see Letitia sometimes, but uncle +Jack had always encouraged her in it; he said it +was quaint. Letitia's face was very sober, and very +innocent, and very round, and her hair was very long<span class="page"><a name="page178" id="page178">[Page 178]</a></span> +and light, and hung in two smooth braids, with a neat +blue bow on the end of each, down her back.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate33" id="plate33">[plate 33]</a></span> +<img src="images/33-unclejack.jpg" width="425" height="470" alt="Letitia stood before uncle jack." border="0" /><br /><br /> +LETITIA STOOD BEFORE UNCLE JACK.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Uncle Jack gazed inquiringly at her through his +half-closed eyes. "What is it, Letitia?"</p> +<p> +"Aunt Malvina said 'as black as Toby,'" said +Letitia with a look half of inquiry, half of anxious<span class="page"><a name="page179" id="page179">[Page 179]</a></span> +abstraction. What Letitia could find out herself she +never asked other people.</p> +<p> +"Yes; I know she did," replied uncle Jack.</p> +<p> +"Then she said, 'Dark as Pokonoket.'"</p> +<p> +"Yes; she said that too."</p> +<p> +"And then she said, 'Crazy as a loon.'"</p> +<p> +"Yes; she did."</p> +<p> +"Uncle Jack, what is Toby, and what is Pokonoket, +and what is a loon?"</p> +<p> +"Toby," said uncle Jack slowly and impressively, +"lives in Pokonoket, and keeps a loon."</p> +<p> +"Oh!" said Letitia, in a tone which implied that +she was both relieved and amazed at her own stupidity.</p> +<p> +"Yes; perhaps you would like to hear something +more particular about Toby—how he got married, +for instance?"</p> +<p> +"I should, very much indeed," replied Letitia +gravely and promptly.</p> +<p> +"Well, you had better sit down; it will take a few +minutes to tell it."</p> +<p> +Letitia carefully took her patchwork, her thimble, +her spool of cotton, and her scissors out of her little +rocking-chair and laid them on the table; then she sat +down, and crossed her hands in her lap.</p> +<p> +"Now, if you are ready," said uncle Jack, laughing +a little to himself as he looked down at her. Then +he related as follows: "Toby is a little black fellow, +not much taller than you are, and he lives in Pokonoket,<span class="page"><a name="page180" id="page180">[Page 180]</a></span> +and keeps a loon. Toby's hair is very short and +kinky, and his mouth is wide, and always curves up a +little at the corners, as if he were laughing; his eyes +are astonishingly bright; but all the people's eyes are +bright in Pokonoket.</p> +<p> +"Pokonoket is a very dark country. It always was +dark. The most ancient historians make no mention +of its ever being light in Pokonoket.</p> +<p> +"The cause of the darkness has never been exactly +understood. Philosophers and men of science have +worked very hard over it, but all the conclusion they +have been able to arrive at is, it must be due to fog, +or smoke, or atmospheric phenomena. The most celebrated +of them are in favor of atmospheric phenomena, +and they are probably correct.</p> +<p> +"The houses are always furnished with lamps, of +course, and everybody carries a lantern. No one +dreams of stirring out in Pokonoket without a lantern. +The men go to their work with lanterns, the ladies +take theirs when they go out shopping, and all the +children have their little lanterns to carry to school.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page181" id="page181">[Page 181]</a></span><br/> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate34" id="plate34">[plate 34]</a></span> +<img src="images/34-dark.jpg" width="519" height="350" alt="School children in pokonoket." border="0" /><br /><br /> +SCHOOL CHILDREN IN POKONOKET.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"On account of the darkness, there are some very +curious customs in Pokonoket. One is, all the inhabitants +are required by law to wear squeaky shoes. +Whenever anybody's shoes don't squeak according to +the prescribed standard he is fined, and sometimes +even imprisoned, if he persists in his offense. A great +many sad accidents are prevented by this custom.<span class="page"><a name="page183" id="page183">[Page 183]</a></span> +People hear each other's shoes squeaking in the darkness +at quite a distance, and don't run into each other. +Pokonoket shoemakers make a specialty of squeaky +shoes, and the squeakier they are, the higher prices +they bring; they can even put in new squeaks when +the old ones are worn out. It is a very common thing +to see a Pokonoket man with his little boy's shoes +under his arm, carrying them to a shoemaker to get +them re-squeaked.</p> +<p> +"Another funny custom is the wearing of phosphorescent +buttons. Everybody, men, women and children, +are required to wear phosphorescent buttons on +their outside garments. They are quite large—about +the size of an old-fashioned cent—and there are, +generally, two rows of them down the front of a garment. +It is rather a frightful sight to see a person +with phosphorescent buttons on his coat advancing +toward one in the dark, till you are accustomed to it; +he looks as if he had two rows of enormous eyes.</p> +<p> +"Then, when the weather is stormy, everybody has +to carry an umbrella with his name on it in phosphorescent +letters. In this way, nobody's eyes are put +out, and no umbrellas are lost. Otherwise, umbrellas +would get so hopelessly mixed up in a dark country +like Pokonoket that it would require a special sitting +of Parliament to sort them out again.</p> +<p> +"It may seem rather odd that they should, but the +inhabitants of Pokonoket are, as a general thing, very<span class="page"><a name="page184" id="page184">[Page 184]</a></span> +much attached to their country, and could not be +hired to leave it for any other. It is a very peaceful +place. There are no jails, and no criminals are executed +in its bounds. If occasionally a person commits +a crime that would merit such extreme punishment, he +puts out his lantern, and rips off his phosphorescent +buttons, and nobody can find him to punish.</p> +<p> +"But commonly, folks in Pokonoket do not commit +great crimes, and are a very peaceful, industrious and +happy people.</p> +<p> +"They have never had any wars amongst themselves, +and their country has never been invaded by a foreign +foe; all that they ever have had to seriously threaten +their peace and safety was the Ogress.</p> +<p> +"A terrible ogress once lived in Pokonoket, and +devoured everybody she could catch. Nobody knew +when his life was safe, and the worst of it was, they +did not know where she lived, or they would have +gone in a body and disposed of her. She had a +habitation somewhere in the darkness, but nobody +knew where—it might be right in their midst. There +are a great many inconveniences about a dark country.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page185" id="page185">[Page 185]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate35" id="plate35">[plate 35]</a></span> +<img src="images/35-stormy.jpg" width="257" height="470" alt="Pokonoket in stormy weather." border="0" /><br /><br /> +POKONOKET IN STORMY WEATHER.</p><br /><br /> + + + +<p> +"Well, Toby who kept the loon, lived in a little hut +on one of the principal streets. He was a widower, +and lived with his six grandchildren who were all +quite small and went to school. They were his daughter's +children. She had died a few years before of a +disease quite common in Pokonoket, and almost always<span class="page"><a name="page187" id="page187">[Page 187]</a></span> +fatal. It had a long name which the doctors had +given it, which really meant, 'wanting light.'</p> +<p> +"Toby was rather feeble and rheumatic, and it was +about all he could do to knit stockings for his grandchildren, +and make soup for their dinner. Almost all +day, except when he was stirring the soup, which he +made in a great kettle set into a brick oven, he was +sitting on a little stool in his doorway, knitting, and +the loon sat on a perch at his right hand. The loon +who was a very large bird, was crazy, and thought he +was a bobolink. <i>Link, link, bobolink!</i>' he sang all +day long, instead of crying in the way a loon usually +does. His voice was not anywhere near the right +pitch for a bobolink's song, but that made no difference. +<i>Link, link, bobolink!</i> he kept on singing +from morning till night.</p> +<p> +"Toby did not mind knitting, but he did not like to +make the soup. It had never seemed to him to be a +man's work, and besides, it hurt his old, rheumatic +back to bend over the soup-kettle. That was what +put it into his head to get married again. He thought +if he could find a pleasant, tidy woman, who would +stir the soup while he sat in the door beside the loon, +and knit the stockings, he could live much more +comfortably than he did.</p> +<p> +"Now Toby thought he knew of just the one he +wanted. She was a widow who lived a few squares +from him. She was as sweet-tempered as a dove, and<span class="page"><a name="page188" id="page188">[Page 188]</a></span> +nobody could find a speck of dirt in her house if he +was to search all day with a lantern.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate36" id="plate36">[plate 36]</a></span> +<img src="images/36-loon.jpg" width="371" height="470" alt="Toby and the crazy loon." border="0" /><br /><br /> +TOBY AND THE CRAZY LOON.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"Toby thought about it for a long time. He did +not wish to take any rash step, but his back got lamer +and stiffer, and when one day the soup burned on to<span class="page"><a name="page189" id="page189">[Page 189]</a></span> +the kettle, and he dropped some stitches in his stocking +running to lift it off, he made up his mind.</p> +<p> +"The very next morning after his six grandchildren +had gone to school, he put on his coat with phosphorescent +buttons, lit his lantern, and started out. <i>Link, +link, bobolink</i>! cried the crazy loon as he went out +the door.</p> +<p> +"'Yes; I am going to bring home a pleasant and +neat mistress for you, and maybe you will recover +your reason,' said Toby.</p> +<p> +"<i>Link, link, bobolink</i>! cried the crazy loon.</p> +<p> +"Toby limped away through the darkness. The +wind was blowing hard that morning, and as he turned +the corner, puff! came a gust and blew out his lantern.</p> +<p> +"He felt in every pocket, but he had not a match +in one of them. He hesitated whether to go back for +one or not. Finally, he thought he knew the way +pretty well and would risk it. His back was worse +than ever that morning, and he did not want to take +any unnecessary steps. So he fumbled along until +he came to the street where the widow's home was; +there were five more just like hers, and they stood in +a row together.</p> +<p> +"Much to Toby's dismay, there was not a light in +either.</p> +<p> +"'Well,' he reflected, 'she is prudent, and is saving +her oil, I dare say, and I can inquire.'</p> +<p> +"So he felt his way along to the first house in the<span class="page"><a name="page190" id="page190">[Page 190]</a></span> +row—he could just see them looming up in the darkness. +He poked his head inside the door. 'Mrs. +Clover-leaf!' cried he, 'are you in there? My lantern +has gone out, and I cannot tell which is your +house.'</p> +<p> +"There came a little grunt in reply.</p> +<p> +"'Mrs. Clover-leaf!' cried Toby again.</p> +<p> +"'I am here; what do you want?' answered a +voice in the darkness.</p> +<p> +"It was so sharp that Toby felt for a moment as if +his ears were being sawed off, and he clapped his hands +on them involuntarily. 'Bless me! I had forgotten +that Mrs. Clover-leaf had such a voice,' thought he.</p> +<p> +"'What do you want?' said the voice again.</p> +<p> +"It did not sound quite so sharp this time. He had +become a little used to it, and, after all, a sharp voice +would not prevent her being neat and pleasant and +stirring the soup carefully.</p> +<p> +"So he said, as sweetly and coaxingly as he was +able, 'I have come to see if you would like to marry +me, Mrs. Clover-leaf.'</p> +<p> +"'I don't know,' said the sharp voice, 'I had not +thought of changing my condition.'</p> +<p> +"'All you would have to do,' said Toby pleadingly, +'would be to stir the soup for my grandchildren's dinner, +while I knit the stockings.'</p> +<p> +"There came a sound like the smacking of lips out +of the darkness within the house. 'Oh! you have<span class="page"><a name="page191" id="page191">[Page 191]</a></span> +grandchildren; I forgot,' said the voice; 'how many?'</p> +<p> +"'Six,' replied Toby.</p> +<p> +"'I shall be pleased to marry you,' cried the voice; +and Toby heard the squeaking of shoes, as if the widow +were coming.</p> +<p> +"'When shall we be married?' said the sharp +voice right in Toby's ear.</p> +<p> +"He jumped so that he could not answer for a +minute. 'Well,' said he finally—'I don't want to +hurry you, Mrs. Clover-leaf, but the soup is to be made +for dinner, and if I don't finish the pair of stockings I +am on to-day, my eldest grandchild will have to go +barefoot. A pair of stockings only lasts one a week.' +And Toby sighed so pitifully that it ought to have +touched any widow's heart.</p> +<p> +"The widow laughed. Toby felt rather hurt that +she should. He did not know of any joke. It was a +curious kind of a laugh, too; as bad in its way as her +voice. But what she said the next minute set matters +right.</p> +<p> +"'Let us go and get married, then,' said she, 'and +I will go right home and make the soup, and you can +finish the stocking.'</p> +<p> +"Toby was delighted. 'Thank you, my dear Mrs. +Clover-leaf!' he cried, and offered her his arm gallantly, +and they set off together to the minister's.</p> +<p> +"The widow took such enormous strides that Toby +had to run to keep up with her. She was much taller<span class="page"><a name="page192" id="page192">[Page 192]</a></span> +than he, and her bonnet was very large, and almost +hid her face. Toby could hardly have seen her, if he +had had his lantern; still he could not help wishing +that one of them had one, but the widow said her oil +was out, so there was no help for it.</p> +<p> +"Once or twice when she turned her head toward +him, Toby thought her eyes looked about twice as large +and bright as phosphorescent buttons, and he felt a +little startled, but he told himself that it was only his +imagination, of course.</p> +<p> +"When they reached the minister's, there was no +light in his house, either, and it occurred to Toby that +it was Fast Day. Once a week, Pokonoket ministers +sit in total darkness all day, and eat nothing.</p> +<p> +"When Toby called, the minister poked his head +out of the study window, and asked what he wanted.</p> +<p> +"Toby told him, and he and the widow stood in front +of the study window, and were married in the dark, +and Toby gave a phosphorescent button for the fee.</p> +<p> +"The widow took longer steps than ever on the way +home, and Toby ran till he was all out of breath; she +fairly lifted him off his feet sometimes, and carried +him along on her arm.</p> +<p> +"<i>Link, link, bobolink</i>! sang the crazy loon when +Toby and his bride entered the house.</p> +<p> +"'Now let's have a light,' cried Toby's wife, and +her voice was sharper than ever. It frightened the +crazy loon so that he left the link off the end of his<span class="page"><a name="page193" id="page193">[Page 193]</a></span> +song, and merely said bobo—</p> +<p> +"'Yes,' answered Toby, bustling about cheerfully +after the matches, 'and then you will make the soup.'</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate37" id="plate37">[plate 37]</a></span> +<img src="images/37-ogress.jpg" width="363" height="470" alt="Toby ran till he was out of breath." border="0" /><br /><br /> +TOBY RAN TILL HE WAS OUT OF BREATH.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +"'I will make the soup,' laughed his wife.</p> +<p> +"Toby felt frightened, he hardly knew why, but he +found the matches, and lit the lamp. Then he turned<span class="page"><a name="page194" id="page194">[Page 194]</a></span> +to look at his new wife, and saw—the Ogress! He +had married the Ogress! Horrors!</p> +<p> +"Toby sank down on his knees and shook with fear, +his little kinky curls bristling up all over his head.</p> +<p> +"'Pshaw!' said the Ogress contemptuously. 'You +needn't shake! Do you suppose I would eat such a +little tough, bony fellow as you for supper? No! +When do your grandchildren come home from school?'</p> +<p> +"'Oh,' groaned Toby, 'take me, dear Mrs. Ogress, +and spare my grandchildren!'</p> +<p> +"'I should smile,' said the Ogress. That was all +the reply she made. She talked popular slang along +with her other bad habits.</p> +<p> +"Toby wept, and groaned, and pleaded, but he +could not get another word out of her. She filled the +great soup-kettle with water, set it over the fire (Toby +shuddered to see her), then she sat down to wait for +the grandchildren to come home from school. She +was uncommonly homely, even for an ogress, and she +wore a brown calico dress that was very unbecoming.</p> +<p> +"Poor Toby gazed at her in fear and disgust. He +looked out of the door, expecting every moment to see +his grandchildren coming, one behind the other, swinging +their little lanterns. School children always walked +one behind the other in Pokonoket. It was against +the law to walk two abreast.</p> +<p> +"Finally, when the Ogress was leaning over the +soup-kettle, putting her fingers in, to see if it was hot<span class="page"><a name="page195" id="page195">[Page 195]</a></span> +enough, Toby slipped out of the door, and ran straight +to the minister's.</p> +<p> +"He stood outside the study window and groaned.</p> +<p> +"'What is the trouble?' asked the minister, poking +his head out.</p> +<p> +"'Oh,' cried Toby, 'you married me to the—Ogress!'</p> +<p> +"'You don't say so!' cried the minister.</p> +<p> +"'Yes, I do! What shall I do? She is waiting +for my grandchildren, and the soup-kettle is on!'</p> +<p> +"'Wait a minute,' said the minister. 'In a matter +of life and death, it is permitted to light a lamp on a +Fast Day. This is a matter of life and death; so I +will light a lamp and look in my Encyclopædia of Useful +Knowledge.'</p> +<p> +"So the minister lit his lamp, and took his Encyclopædia +of Useful Knowledge from the study shelf.</p> +<p> +"He turned over the leaves till he came to Ogre; +then he found Ogress, and read all there was under +that head.</p> +<p> +"'H'm!' he said; 'h'm, h'm! An Ogress is an +inconceivably hideous creature, yet, like all females, +she is inordinately vain, and is extremely susceptible +to any insinuations against her personal appearance! +H'm!' said the minister; 'h'm, h'm! I know what I +will do.'</p> +<p> +"Now it was one of the laws in Pokonoket that +nobody should have a looking-glass but the minister.<span class="page"><a name="page196" id="page196">[Page 196]</a></span> +Once a year the ladies of his congregation were allowed +to look at themselves in it; that was all. I do not +know the reason for this law, but it existed.</p> +<p> +"The minister took his looking-glass under his arm, +and came out of his house. 'Now, Toby,' said he, 'take +me home with you.'</p> +<p> +"'But I am afraid she will eat you, sir,' said Toby +doubtfully. 'You are not as thin as I am.'</p> +<p> +"'I am not in the least afraid,' replied the minister +cheerfully.</p> +<p> +"So Toby took heart a little, and hastened home +with the minister.</p> +<p> +"<i>Link, link, bobolink</i>! cried the crazy loon as +they went in the door.</p> +<p> +"The minister walked straight up to the Ogress, +who was standing beside the soup-kettle, and held the +looking-glass before her.</p> +<p> +"When she saw her face in all its hideous ugliness, +the shock was so great, for she had always thought +herself very handsome, that she gave one shriek and +fell down quite dead."</p> + + <hr class="short" /> +<p> +Letitia gave a sigh of relief, and uncle Jack yawned. +"Well, Letitia, that's all," said he, "only Toby married +the real widow, Mrs. Clover-leaf, the next day, and she +made the soup to perfection, and he had nothing to +do all the rest of his life, but to sit in the doorway +beside the crazy loon, and knit stockings for his<span class="page"><a name="page197" id="page197">[Page 197]</a></span> +grandchildren."</p> +<p> +"Thank you, uncle Jack," said Letitia gravely. +Then she got her square of patchwork off the table and +sat down and finished sewing it over and over.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page198" id="page198">[Page 198]</a></span> + +<h2>THE <a name="patchwork" id="patchwork">PATCHWORK</a> SCHOOL.</h2> + +<p> +Once upon a time there was a city which possessed +a very celebrated institution for the reformation of unruly +children. It was, strictly speaking, a Reform +School, but of a very peculiar kind.</p> +<p> +It had been established years before by a benevolent +lady, who had a great deal of money, and wished to +do good with it. After thinking a long time, she had +hit upon this plan of founding a school for the improvement +of children who tried their parents and all +their friends by their ill behavior. More especially +was it designed for ungrateful and discontented children; +indeed it was mainly composed of this last class.</p> +<p> +There was a special set of police in the city, whose +whole duty was to keep a sharp lookout for ill-natured +fretting children, who complained of their parents' treatment, +and thought other boys and girls were much better +off than they, and to march them away to the school. +These police all wore white top boots, tall peaked hats, +and carried sticks with blue ribbon bows on them, and +were very readily distinguished. Many a little boy +on his way to school has dodged round a corner to +avoid one, because he had just been telling his mother +that another little boy's mother gave him twice as<span class="page"><a name="page199" id="page199">[Page 199]</a></span> +much pie for dinner as he had. He wouldn't breathe +easy till he had left the white top boots out of sight; +and he would tremble all day at every knock on the +door.</p> +<p> +There was not a child in the city but had a great +horror of this school, though it may seem rather strange +that they should; for the punishment, at first thought, +did not seem so very terrible. Ever since it was +established, the school had been in charge of a very +singular little old woman. Nobody had ever known +where she came from. The benevolent lady who +founded the institution, had brought her to the door +one morning in her coach, and the neighbors had seen +the little brown, wizened creature, with a most extraordinary +gown on, alight and enter. This was all any +one had ever known about her. In fact, the benevolent +lady had come upon her in the course of her +travels in a little German town, sitting in a garret +window, behind a little box-garden of violets, sewing +patchwork. After that, she became acquainted with +her, and finally hired her to superintend her school. +You see, the benevolent lady had a very tender heart, +and though she wanted to reform the naughty children +of her native city, and have them grow up to be good +men and women, she did not want them to be shaken, +nor have their ears cuffed; so the ideas advanced by +the strange little old woman just suited her.</p> +<p> +"Set 'em to sewing patchwork," said this little old<span class="page"><a name="page200" id="page200">[Page 200]</a></span> +woman, sewing patchwork vigorously herself as she +spoke. She was dressed in a gown of bright-colored +patchwork, with a patchwork shawl over her shoulders. +Her cap was made of tiny squares of patchwork, too. +"If they are sewing patchwork," went on the little +<span class="page"><a name="plate38" id="plate38">[plate 38]</a></span> +<img src="images/38-patchwoman.jpg" width="288" height="470" alt="The patchwork woman." border="0" hspace="15" vspace="10" style="float: left" /> + +old woman, "they can't +be in mischief. Just +make 'em sit in little +chairs and sew patchwork, +boys and girls +alike. Make 'em sit +and sew patchwork, +when the bees are flying +over the clover, out +in the bright sunlight, +and the great bluewinged +butterflies stop +with the roses just outside +the windows, and +the robins are singing +in the cherry-trees, and +they'll turn over a new +leaf, you'll see!" sewing away with a will.</p> +<p> +So the school was founded, the strange little old +woman placed over it, and it really worked admirably. +It was the pride of the city. Strangers who visited +it were always taken to visit the Patchwork School, +for that was the name it went by. There sat the<span class="page"><a name="page201" id="page201">[Page 201]</a></span> +children, in their little chairs, sewing patchwork. They +were dressed in little patchwork uniforms; the girls +wore blue and white patchwork frocks and pink and +white patchwork pinafores, and the boys blue and +white patchwork trousers, with pinafores like the girls. +Their cheeks were round and rosy, for they had plenty +to eat—bread and milk three times a day—but they +looked sad, and tears were standing in the corners of a +good many eyes. How could they help it? It did +seem as if the loveliest roses in the whole country were +blossoming in the garden of the Patchwork School, and +there were swarms of humming-birds flying over them, +and great red and blue-winged butterflies. And there +were tall cherry-trees a little way from the window, and +they used to be perfectly crimson with fruit; and the +way the robins would sing in them! Later in the +season there were apple and peach-trees, too, the apples +and great rosy peaches fairly dragging the branches +to the ground, and all in sight from the window of the +schoolroom.</p> +<p> +No wonder the poor little culprits cooped up indoors +sewing red and blue and green pieces of calico together, +looked sad. Every day bales of calico were left at +the door of the Patchwork School, and it all had to be +cut up in little bits and sewed together again. When +the children heard the heavy tread of the porters +bringing in the bales of new calico, the tears would +leave the corners of their eyes and trickle down their<span class="page"><a name="page202" id="page202">[Page 202]</a></span> +poor little cheeks, at the prospect of the additional +work they would have to do. All the patchwork +had to be sewed over and over, and every crooked or +<span class="page"><a name="plate39" id="plate39">[plate 39]</a></span> +<img src="images/39-patchgirl.jpg" width="280" height="386" alt="The patchwork girl." border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" style="float: left" /> + +too long stitch had to be +picked out; for the Patchwork +Woman was very particular. +They had to make +all their own clothes of patchwork, +and after those were +done, patchwork bed quilts, +which were given to the city +poor; so the benevolent lady +killed two birds with one stone, +as you might say.</p> + +<p> +Of course, children staid in +the Patchwork School different +lengths of time, according to their different offenses. +But there were very few children in the +city who had not sat in a little chair and sewed patchwork, +at one time or another, for a greater or less +period. Sooner or later, the best children were sure +to think they were ill-treated by their parents, and had +to go to bed earlier than they ought, or did not have +as much candy as other children; and the police would +hear them grumbling, and drag them off to the Patchwork +School. The Mayor's son, especially, who +might be supposed to fare as well as any little boy +in the city, had been in the school any number of<span class="page"><a name="page203" id="page203">[Page 203]</a></span> +times.</p> +<p> +There was one little boy in the city, however, whom +the white-booted police had not yet found any occasion +to arrest, though one might have thought he had more +reason than a good many others to complain of his lot +in life. In the first place, he had a girl's name, and +any one knows that would be a great cross to a boy. +His name was Julia; his parents had called him so +on account of his having a maiden aunt who had +promised to leave her money to him if he was named +for her.</p> +<p> +So there was no help for it, but it was a great trial +to him, for the other boys plagued him unmercifully, +and called him "missy," and "sissy," and said "she" +instead of "he" when they were speaking of him. +Still he never complained to his parents, and told them +he wished they had called him some other name. His +parents were very poor, hard-working people, and Julia +had much coarser clothes than the other boys, and +plainer food, but he was always cheerful about it, and +never seemed to think it at all hard that he could not +have a velvet coat like the Mayor's son, or carry cakes +for lunch to school like the lawyer's little boy.</p> +<p> +But perhaps the greatest cross which Julia had to bear, +and the one from which he stood in the greatest danger of +getting into the Patchwork School, was his Grandmothers. +I don't mean to say that grandmothers are +to be considered usually as crosses. A dear old lady <span class="page"><a name="page204" id="page204">[Page 204]</a></span> +seated with her knitting beside the fire, is a pleasant +person to have in the house. But Julia had four, and +he had to hunt for their spectacles, and pick up their +balls of yarn so much that he got very little time to +play. It was an unusual thing, but the families on +both sides were very long-lived, and there actually +were four grandmothers; two great ones, and two common +ones; two on each side of the fireplace, with their +knitting work, in Julia's home. They were nice old +ladies, and Julia loved them dearly, but they lost their +spectacles all the time, and were always dropping their +balls of yarn, and it did make a deal of work for +one boy to do. He could have hunted up spectacles +for one Grandmother, but when it came to four, and +one was always losing hers while he was finding +another's, and one ball of yarn would drop and roll +off, while he was picking up another—well, it was +really bewildering at times. Then he had to hold the +skeins of yarn for them to wind, and his arms used to +ache, and he could hear the boys shouting at a game +of ball outdoors, maybe. But he never refused to do +anything his Grandmothers asked him to, and did it +pleasantly, too; and it was not on that account he got +into the Patchwork School.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page205" id="page205">[Page 205]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate40" id="plate40">[plate 40]</a></span> +<img src="images/40-arrest.jpg" width="316" height="470" alt="Julia was arrested on christmas day." border="0" /><br /><br /> +JULIA WAS ARRESTED ON CHRISTMAS DAY.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +It was on Christmas day that Julia was arrested and +led away to the Patchwork School. It happened in +this way: As I said before, Julia's parents were poor, +and it was all they could do to procure the bare comforts<span class="page"><a name="page207" id="page207">[Page 207]</a></span> +of life for their family; there was very little to +spend for knickknacks. But I don't think Julia would +have complained at that; he would have liked useful +articles just as well for Christmas presents, and would +not have been unhappy because he did not find some +useless toy in his stocking, instead of some article +of clothing, which he needed to make him comfortable. +But he had had the same things over and over, over +and over, Christmas after Christmas. Every year +each of his Grandmothers knit him two pairs of blue +woollen yarn stockings, and hung them for him on +Christmas Eve, for a Christmas present. There they +would hang—eight pairs of stockings with nothing in +them, in a row on the mantel shelf, every Christmas +morning.</p> +<p> +Every year Julia thought about it for weeks before +Christmas, and hoped and hoped he would have something +different this time, but there they always hung, +and he had to go and kiss his Grandmothers, and pretend +he liked the stockings the best of anything he could +have had; for he would not have hurt their feelings for +the world.</p> +<p> +His parents might have bettered matters a little, but +they did not wish to cross the old ladies either, and +they had to buy so much yarn they could not afford to +get anything else.</p> +<p> +The worst of it was, the stockings were knit so well, +and of such stout material, that they never wore out,<span class="page"><a name="page208" id="page208">[Page 208]</a></span> +so Julia never really needed the new ones; if he had, +that might have reconciled him to the sameness of his +Christmas presents, for he was a very sensible boy. +But his bureau drawers were full of the blue stockings +rolled up in neat little hard balls—all the balls he ever +had; the tears used to spring up in his eyes every time +he looked at them. But he never said a word till the +Christmas when he was twelve years old. Somehow +that time he was unusually cast down at the sight of +the eight pairs of stockings hanging in a row under the +mantel shelf; but he kissed and thanked his Grandmothers +just as he always had.</p> +<p> +When he was out on the street a little later, however, +he sat down in a doorway and cried. He could +not help it. Some of the other boys had such lovely +presents, and he had nothing but these same blue +woollen stockings.</p> +<p> +"What's the matter, little boy?" asked a voice.</p> +<p> +Without looking up, Julia sobbed out his troubles; +but what was his horror when he felt himself seized by +the arm and lifted up, and found that he was in the +grasp of a policeman in white top boots. The policeman +did not mind Julia's tears and entreaties in the +least, but led him away to the Patchwork School, waving +his stick with its blue ribbon bow as majestically +as a drum major.</p> +<p> +So Julia had to sit down in a little chair, and sew +patchwork with the rest. He did not mind the close<span class="page"><a name="page209" id="page209">[Page 209]</a></span> +work as much as some of the others, for he was used +to being kept indoors, attending to his Grandmothers' +wants; but he disliked to sew. His term of punishment +was a long one. The Patchwork Woman, who +fixed it, thought it looked very badly for a little boy +to be complaining because his kind grandparents had +given him some warm stockings instead of foolish +toys.</p> +<p> +The first thing the children had to do when they +entered the school, was to make their patchwork +clothes, as I have said. Julia had got his finished +and was busily sewing on a red and green patchwork +quilt, in a tea-chest pattern, when, one day, the Mayor +came to visit the school. Just then his son did not +happen to be serving a term there; the Mayor never +visited it with visitors of distinction when he was.</p> +<p> +To-day he had a Chinese Ambassador with him. +The Patchwork Woman sat behind her desk on the +platform and sewed patchwork, the Mayor in his fine +broadcloth sat one side of her, and the Chinese Ambassador, +in his yellow satin gown, on the other.</p> +<p> +The Ambassador's name was To-Chum. The children +could not help stealing glances occasionally at his +high eyebrows and braided queue, but they cast their +eyes on their sewing again directly.</p> +<p> +The Mayor and the Ambassador staid about an +hour; then after they had both made some remarks—the +Ambassador made his in Chinese; he could speak<span class="page"><a name="page210" id="page210">[Page 210]</a></span> +English, but his remarks in Chinese were wiser—they +rose to go.</p> +<p> +Now, the door of the Patchwork School was of a +very peculiar structure. It was made of iron of a +great thickness, and opened like any safe door, only it +had more magic about it than any safe door ever had. +At a certain hour in the afternoon, it shut of its own +accord, and opened at a certain hour in the morning, +when the Patchwork Woman repeated a formula before +it. The formula did no good whatever at any +other time; the door was so constructed that not even +its inventor could open it after it shut at the certain +hour of the afternoon, before the certain hour the next +morning.</p> +<p> +Now the Mayor and the Chinese Ambassador had +staid rather longer than they should have. They had +been so interested in the school that they had not +noticed how the time was going, and the Patchwork +Woman had been so taken up with a very intricate +new pattern that she failed to remind them, as was +her custom.</p> +<p> +So it happened that while the Mayor got through +the iron door safely, just as the Chinese Ambassador +was following it suddenly swung to, and shut in his +braided queue at a very high point.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page211" id="page211">[Page 211]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate41" id="plate41">[plate 41]</a></span> +<img src="images/41-ambassador.jpg" width="319" height="470" alt="Julia entertains the ambassador through the keyhole." border="0" /><br /><br /> +JULIA ENTERTAINS THE AMBASSADOR THROUGH THE KEYHOLE.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Then there was the Ambassador on one side of the +door, and his queue on the other, and the door could +not possibly be opened before morning. Here was a <span class="page"><a name="page213" id="page213">[Page 213]</a></span> +terrible dilemma! What was to be done? There +stood the children, their patchwork in their hands, +staring, open-mouthed, at the queue dangling through +the door, and the Patchwork Woman pale with dismay, +in their midst, on one side of the door, and on the +other side was the terror-stricken Mayor, and the poor +Chinese Ambassador.</p> +<p> +"Can't anything be done?" shouted the Mayor +through the keyhole—there was a very large keyhole.</p> +<p> +"No," the Patchwork Woman said. "The door +won't open till six o'clock to-morrow morning."</p> +<p> +"Oh, try!" groaned the Mayor. "Say the +formula."</p> +<p> +She said the formula, to satisfy them, but the door +staid firmly shut. Evidently the Chinese Ambassador +would have to stay where he was until morning, unless +he had the Mayor snip his queue off, which was not to +be thought of.</p> +<p> +So the Mayor, who was something of a philosopher, +set about accommodating himself, or rather his friend, +to the situation.</p> +<p> +"It is inevitable," said he to the Ambassador. "I +am very sorry, but everybody has to conform to the +customs of the institutions of the countries which they +visit. I will go and get you some dinner, and an +extra coat. I will keep you company through the +night, and morning will come before you know it."</p> +<p> +"Well," sighed the Chinese Ambassador, standing <span class="page"><a name="page214" id="page214">[Page 214]</a></span> +on tiptoe so his queue should not pull so hard. He +was a patient man, but after he had eaten his dinner +the time seemed terrible long.</p> +<p> +"Why don't you talk?" said he to the Mayor, who +was dozing beside him in an easy-chair. "Can't you +tell me a story?"</p> +<p> +"I never did such a thing in my life," replied the +Mayor, rousing himself; "but I am very sorry for +you, dear sir; perhaps the Patchwork Woman can."</p> +<p> +So he asked the Patchwork Woman through the +keyhole.</p> +<p> +"I never told a story in my life," said she; "but +there's a boy here that I heard telling a beautiful one +the other day. Here, Julia," called she, "come and +tell a story to the Chinese Ambassador."</p> +<p> +Julia really knew a great many stories which his +Grandmothers had taught him, and he sat on a little +stool and told them through the keyhole all night to +the Chinese Ambassador.</p> +<p> +He and the Mayor were so interested that morning +came and the door swung open before they knew it. +The poor Ambassador drew a long breath, and put his +hand around to his queue to see if it was safe. Then +he wanted to thank and reward the boy who had made +the long night hours pass so pleasantly.</p> +<p> +"What is he in here for?" asked the Mayor, patting +Julia, who could hardly keep his eyes open.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page215" id="page215">[Page 215]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate42" id="plate42">[plate 42]</a></span> +<img src="images/42-grandmothers.jpg" width="546" height="330" alt="The grandmothers enjoy the chinese toys." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THE GRANDMOTHERS ENJOY THE CHINESE TOYS.</p> +<p> +"He grumbled about his Christmas presents,"<span class="page"><a name="page217" id="page217">[Page 217]</a></span> +replied the Patchwork Woman.</p> +<p> +"What did you have?" inquired the Mayor.</p> +<p> +"Eight pairs of blue yarn stockings," answered +Julia, rubbing his eyes.</p> +<p> +"And the year before?"</p> +<p> +"Eight pairs of blue yarn stockings."</p> +<p> +"And the year before that?"</p> +<p> +"Eight pairs of blue yarn stockings."</p> +<p> +"Didn't you ever have anything for Christmas presents +but blue yarn stockings?" asked the astonished +Mayor.</p> +<p> +"No, sir," said Julia meekly.</p> +<p> +Then the whole story came out. Julia, by dint of +questioning, told some, and the other children told the +rest; and finally, in the afternoon, orders came to +dress him in his own clothes, and send him home. +But when he got there, the Mayor and Chinese Ambassador +had been there before him, and there hung +the eight pairs of blue yarn stockings under the mantel-shelf, +crammed full of the most beautiful things—knives, +balls, candy—everything he had ever wanted, +and the mantel-shelf piled high also.</p> +<p> +A great many of the presents were of Chinese +manufacture; for the Ambassador considered them, of +course, superior, and he wished to express his gratitude +to Julia as forcibly as he could. There was one stocking +entirely filled with curious Chinese tops. A little +round head, so much like the Ambassador's that it<span class="page"><a name="page218" id="page218">[Page 218]</a></span> +actually startled Julia, peeped out of the stocking. +But it was only a top in the shape of a little man in +a yellow silk gown, who could spin around very successfully +on one foot, for an astonishing length of time. +There was a Chinese lady-top too, who fanned herself +coquettishly as she spun; and a mandarin who nodded +wisely. The tops were enough to turn a boy's head.</p> +<p> +There were equally curious things in the other stockings. +Some of them Julia had no use for, such as +silk for dresses, China crape shawls and fans, but they +were just the things for his Grandmothers, who, after +this, sat beside the fireplace, very prim and fine, in +stiff silk gowns, with China crape shawls over their +shoulders, and Chinese fans in their hands, and queer +shoes on their feet. Julia liked their presents just as +well as he did his own, and probably the Ambassador +knew that he would.</p> +<p> +The Mayor had filled one stocking himself with +bonbons, and Julia picked out all the peppermints +amongst them for his Grandmothers. They were very +fond of peppermints. Then he went to work to find +their spectacles, which had been lost ever since he had +been away.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page219" id="page219">[Page 219]</a></span> + +<h2>THE <a name="squire" id="squire">SQUIRE</a>'S SIXPENCE.</h2> + +<p> +Patience Mather was saying the seven-multiplication +table, when she heard a heavy step in the entry.</p> +<p> +"That is Squire Bean," whispered her friend, +Martha Joy, who stood at her elbow.</p> +<p> +Patience stopped short in horror. Her especial +bugbear in mathematics was eight-times-seven; she +was coming toward it fast—could she remember it, +with old Squire Bean looking at her?</p> +<p> +"Go on," said the teacher severely. She was quite +young, and also stood in some awe of Squire Bean, +but she did not wish her pupils to discover it, so she +pretended to ignore that step in the entry. Squire +Bean walked with a heavy gilt-headed cane which +always went clump, clump, at every step; beside he +shuffled—one could always tell who was coming.</p> +<p> +"Seven times seven," begun Patience trembling—then +the door opened—there stood Squire Bean.</p> +<p> +The teacher rose promptly. She tried to be very +easy and natural, but her pretty round cheeks turned +red and white by turns.</p> +<p> +"Good-morning, Squire Bean," said she. Then +she placed a chair on the platform for him.</p> +<p> +"<i>Good</i>-morning," said he, and seated himself in a<span class="page"><a name="page220" id="page220">[Page 220]</a></span> +lumbering way—he was rather stiff with rheumatism. +He was a large old man in a green camlet cloak with +brass buttons.</p> +<p> +"You may go on with the exercises," said he to the +teacher, after he had adjusted himself and wiped his +face solemnly with a great red handkerchief.</p> +<p> +"Go on, Patience," said the teacher.</p> +<p> +So Patience piped up in her little weak soprano: +"Seven times seven are forty-nine. Eight times seven +are"—She stopped short. Then she begun over +again—"Eight times seven"—</p> +<p> +The class with toes on the crack all swayed forward +to look at her, the pupils at the foot stepped off till +they swung it into a half-circle. Hands came up and +gyrated wildly.</p> +<p> +"Back on the line!" said the teacher sternly. +Then they stepped back, but the hands indicative of +superior knowledge still waved, the coarse jacket-sleeves +and the gingham apron-sleeves slipping back +from the thin childish wrists.</p> +<p> +"Eight times seven are eighty-nine," declared +Patience desperately. The hands shook frantically, +some of the owners stepped off the line again in their +eagerness.</p> +<p> +Patience's cheeks were red as poppies, her eyes were +full of tears.</p> +<p> +"You may try once more, Patience," said the +teacher, who was distressed herself. She feared lest<span class="page"><a name="page221" id="page221">[Page 221]</a></span> +Squire Bean might think that it was her fault, and +that she was not a competent teacher, because Patience +Mather did not know eight-times-seven.</p> +<p> +So Patience started again—"Eight times seven"—She +<span class="page"><a name="plate43" id="plate43">[plate 43]</a></span> +<img src="images/43-patience.jpg" width="224" height="470" alt="'Six' - she began feebly." border="0" hspace="15" vspace="5" style="float: right" /> + +paused for a mighty +mental effort—she must get +it right this time. "Six"—she +began feebly.</p> +<p> +"What!" said Squire +Bean suddenly, in a deep +voice which sounded like a +growl.</p> +<p> +Then all at once poor little +Patience heard a whisper +sweet as an angel's in her +ear: "Fifty-six."</p> +<p> +"Eight times seven are +fifty-six," said she convulsively.</p> + +<p> +"Right," said the teacher +with a relieved look. The +hands went down. Patience +stood with her neat little +shoes toeing out on the crack. It was over. She had +not failed before Squire Bean. For a few minutes, +she could think of nothing but that.</p> +<p> +The rest of the class had their weak points, moreover +their strong points, overlooked in the presence<span class="page"><a name="page222" id="page222">[Page 222]</a></span> +of the company. The first thing Patience knew, ever +so many had missed in the nine-table, and she had +gone up to the head.</p> +<p> +Standing there, all at once a terrible misgiving +seized her. "I wouldn't have gone to the head if I +hadn't been told," she thought to herself. Martha +was next below her; she knew that question in the +nines, her hand had been up, so had John Allen's and +Phœbe Adams'.</p> +<p> +This was the last class before recess. Patience +went soberly out in the yard with the other girls. There +was a little restraint over all the scholars. They +looked with awe at the Squire's horse and chaise. The +horse was tied after a novel fashion, an invention of +the Squire's own. He had driven a gimlet into the +schoolhouse wall, and tied his horse to it with a stout +rope. Whenever the Squire drove he carried with +him his gimlet, in case there should be no hitching-post. +Occasionally house-owners rebelled, but it made +no difference; the next time the Squire had occasion +to stop at their premises there was another gimlet-hole +in the wall. Few people could make their way good +against Squire Bean's.</p> +<p> +There were a great many holes in the schoolhouse +walls, for the Squire made frequent visits; he was one +of the committee and considered himself very necessary +for the well-being of the school. Indeed if he had +frankly spoken his mind, he would probably have admitted <span class="page"><a name="page223" id="page223">[Page 223]</a></span> +that in his estimation the school could not be +properly kept one day without his assistance.</p> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate44" id="plate44">[plate 44]</a></span> +<img src="images/44-squire.jpg" width="365" height="470" alt="'What!' said Squire Bean suddenly." border="0" /><br /><br /> +'WHAT!' SAID SQUIRE BEAN SUDDENLY.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Patience stood with her back against the school +fence, and watched the others soberly. The girls +wanted her to play "Little Sally Waters sitting in the +sun," but she said no, she didn't want to play.</p> +<p> +Martha took hold of her arm and tried to pull her<span class="page"><a name="page224" id="page224">[Page 224]</a></span> +into the ring, but she held back.</p> +<p> +"What is the matter?" said Martha.</p> +<p> +"Nothing," Patience said, but her face was full of +trouble. There was a little wrinkle between her reflective +brown eyes, and she drew in her under lip after +a way she had when disturbed.</p> +<p> +When the bell rang, the scholars filed in with the +greatest order and decorum. Even the most frisky +boys did no more than roll their eyes respectfully in +the Squire's direction as they passed him, and they +tiptoed on their bare feet in the most cautious manner.</p> +<p> +The Squire sat through the remaining exercises, until +it was time to close the school.</p> +<p> +"You may put up your books," said the teacher. +There was a rustle and clatter, then a solemn hush. +They all sat with their arms folded, looking expectantly +at Squire Bean. The teacher turned to him. Her +cheeks were very red, and she was very dignified, but +her voice shook a little.</p> +<p> +"Won't you make some remarks to the pupils?" +said she.</p> +<p> +Then the Squire rose and cleared his throat. The +scholars did not pay much attention to what he said, +although they sat still, with their eyes riveted on his +face. But when, toward the close of his remarks, he +put his hand in his pocket, and a faint jingling was +heard, a thrill ran over the school.</p> +<p> +The Squire pulled out two silver sixpences, and held <span class="page"><a name="page225" id="page225">[Page 225]</a></span> +them up impressively before the children. Through a +hole in each of them dangled a palm-leaf strand; +and the Squire's own initial was stamped on both.</p> +<p> +"Thomas Arnold may step this way," said the +Squire.</p> +<p> +Thomas Arnold had acquitted himself well in geography, +and to him the Squire duly presented one of +the sixpences.</p> +<p> +Thomas bobbed, and pattered back to his seat with +all his mates staring and grinning at him.</p> +<p> +Then Patience Mather's heart jumped—Squire +Bean was bidding her step that way, on account of +her going to the head of the arithmetic class. She sat +still. There was a roaring in her ears. Squire Bean +spoke again. Then the teacher interposed. "Patience," +said she, "did you not hear what Squire Bean said? +Step this way."</p> +<p> +Then Patience rose and dragged slowly down the +aisle. She hung her head, she dimly heard Squire +Bean speaking; then the sixpence touched her hand. +Suddenly Patience looked up. There was a vein of +heroism in the little girl. Not far back, some of her +kin had been brave fighters in the Revolution. Now +their little descendant went marching up to her own +enemy in her own way. She spoke right up before +Squire Bean.</p> +<p> +"I'd rather you'd give it to some one else," said she +with a curtesy. "It doesn't belong to me. I wouldn't<span class="page"><a name="page226" id="page226">[Page 226]</a></span> +have gone to the head if I hadn't cheated."</p> +<p> +Patience's cheeks were white, but her eyes flashed. +Squire Bean gasped, and turned it into a cough. Then +he began asking her questions. Patience answered +unflinchingly. She kept holding the sixpence toward +him.</p> +<p> +Finally he reached out and gave it a little push +back.</p> +<p> +"Keep it," said he; "keep it, keep it. I don't give +it to you for going to the head, but because you are an +honest and truthful child."</p> +<p> +Patience blushed pink to her little neck. She curtesied +deeply and returned to her seat, the silver sixpence +dangling from her agitated little hand. She +put her head down on her desk, and cried, now it was +all over, and did not look up till school was dismissed, +and Martha Joy came and put her arm around her and +comforted her.</p> +<p> +The two little girls were very close friends, and were +together all the time which they could snatch out of +school hours. Not long after the presentation of the +sixpence, one night after school, Patience's mother +wanted her to go on an errand to Nancy Gookin's hut.</p> +<p> +Nancy Gookin was an Indian woman, who did a +good many odd jobs for the neighbors. Mrs. Mather +was expecting company, and she wanted her to come +the next day and assist her about some cleaning.</p> +<p> +Patience was usually willing enough, but to-night she<span class="page"><a name="page227" id="page227">[Page 227]</a></span> +demurred. In fact, she was a little afraid of the Indian +woman, who lived all alone in a little hut on the edge +of some woods. Her mother knew it, but it was a +foolish fear, and she did not encourage her in it.</p> +<p> +"There is no sense in your being afraid of Nancy," +she said with some severity. "She's a good woman, +if she is an Injun, and she is always to be seen in the +meeting-house of a Sabbath day."</p> +<p> +As her mother spoke, Patience could see Nancy's +dark harsh old face peering over the pew, where she +and some of her nation sat together, Sabbath days, and +the image made her shudder in spite of its environments. +However, she finally put on her little sunbonnet +and set forth. It was a lovely summer twilight; +she had only about a quarter of a mile to go, but her +courage failed her more and more at every step. +Martha Joy lived on the way. When she reached her +house, she stopped and begged her to go with her. +Martha was obliging; under ordinary circumstances +she would have gone with alacrity, but to-night she +had a hard toothache. She came to the door with her +face all tied up in a hop-poultice. "I'm 'fraid I can't +go," she said dolefully.</p> +<p> +But Patience begged and begged. "I'll spend my +sixpence that uncle Joseph gave me, and I'll buy you +a whole card of peppermints," said she finally, by way +of inducement.</p> +<p> +That won the day. Martha got few sweets, and if<span class="page"><a name="page228" id="page228">[Page 228]</a></span> +there was anything she craved, it was the peppermints, +which came, in those days, in big beautiful cards, to +be broken off at will. And to have a whole card!</p> +<p> +So poor Martha tied her little napping sunbonnet +over her swollen cheeks, and went with Patience to see +Nancy Gookin, who received the message thankfully, +and did not do them the least harm in the world.</p> +<p> +Martha had really a very hard toothache. She did +not sleep much that night for all the hop-poultice, and +she went to school the next day feeling tired and cross. +She was a nervous little girl, and never bore illness +very well. But to-day she had one pleasant +anticipation. She thought often of that card of peppermints. +It had cheered her somewhat in her uneasy +night. She thought that Patience would surely bring +them to school. She came early herself and watched +for her. She entered quite late, just before the bell +rang. Martha ran up to her. "I haven't got the +peppermints," said Patience. She had been crying.</p> +<p> +Martha straightened up: "Why not?"</p> +<p> +The tears welled out of Patience's eyes. "I can't +find that sixpence anywhere."</p> +<p> +The tears came into Martha's eyes too. She looked +as dignified as her poulticed face would allow. "I +never knew you told fibs, Patience Mather," said she. +"I don't believe my mother will want me to go with +you any more."</p> +<p> +Just then the bell rang. Martha went crying to her<span class="page"><a name="page229" id="page229">[Page 229]</a></span> +seat, and the others thought it was on account of her +toothache. Patience kept back her tears. She was +forming a desperate resolution. When recess came, +she got permission to go to the store which was quite +near, and she bought a card of peppermints with the +Squire's sixpence. She had pulled out the palm-leaf +strand on her way, thrusting it into her pocket guiltily. +She felt as if she were committing sacrilege. These +sixpences, which Squire Bean bestowed upon worthy +scholars from time to time, were ostensibly for the purpose +of book-marks. That was the reason for the +palm-leaf strand. The Squire took the sixpences to +the blacksmith who stamped them with B's, and then, +with his own hands, he adjusted the palm-leaf.</p> +<p> +The man who kept the store looked at the sixpence +curiously, when Patience offered it.</p> +<p> +"One of the Squire's sixpences!" said he.</p> +<p> +"Yes; it's mine." That was the argument which +Patience had set forth to her own conscience. It was +certainly her own sixpence; the Squire had given it +to her—had she not a right to do as she chose with +it?</p> +<p> +The man laughed; his name was Ezra Tomkins, and +he enjoyed a joke. He was privately resolving to +give that sixpence in change to the old Squire and see +what he would say. If Patience had guessed his +thoughts—</p> +<p> +But she took the card of peppermints, and carried <span class="page"><a name="page230" id="page230">[Page 230]</a></span> +them to the appeased and repentant and curious Martha, +and waited further developments in trepidation. She +had a presentiment deep within her childish soul that +some day she would have a reckoning with Squire +Bean concerning his sixpence.</p> +<p> +If by chance she had to pass his house, she would +hurry by at her utmost speed lest she be intercepted. +She got out of his way as fast as she could if she spied +his old horse and chaise in the distance. Still she +knew the day would come; and it did.</p> +<p> +It was one Saturday afternoon; school did not keep, +and she was all alone in the house with Martha. Her +mother had gone visiting. The two little girls were +playing "Holly Gull, Passed how many," with beans +in the kitchen, when the door opened, and in walked +Susan Elder. She was a woman who lived at Squire +Bean's and helped his wife with the housework.</p> +<p> +The minute Patience saw her, she knew what her +errand was. She gave a great start. Then she looked +at Susan Elder with her big frightened eyes.</p> +<p> +Susan Elder was a stout old woman. She sat down +on the settle, and wheezed before she spoke. "Squire +Bean wants you to come up to his house right away," +said she at last.</p> +<p> +Patience trembled all over. "My mother is gone +away. I don't know as she would want me to go," she +ventured despairingly.</p> +<p> +"He wants you to come right away," said Susan.<span class="page"><a name="page231" id="page231">[Page 231]</a></span></p> +<p> +"I don't believe mother'd want me to leave the +house alone."</p> +<p> +"I'll stay an' rest till you git back; I'd jest as soon. +I'm all tuckered out comin' up the hill."</p> +<p> +Patience was very pale. She cast an agonized +glance at Martha. "I spent the Squire's sixpence for +those peppermints," she whispered. She had not told +her before.</p> +<p> +Martha looked at her in horror—then she begun to +cry. "Oh! I made you do it," she sobbed.</p> +<p> +"Won't you go with me?" groaned Patience.</p> +<p> +"One little gal is enough," spoke up Susan Elder. +"He won't like it if two goes."</p> +<p> +That settled it. Poor little Patience Mather crept +meekly out of the house and down the hill to Squire +Bean's, without even Martha's foreboding sympathy +for consolation.</p> +<p> +She looked ahead wistfully all the way. If she +could only see her mother coming—but she did not, +and there was Squire Bean's house, square and white +and massive, with great sprawling clumps of white +peonies in the front yard.</p> +<p> +She went around to the back door, and raised a feeble +clatter with the knocker. Mrs. Squire Bean, who +was tall and thin and mild-looking, answered her +knock. "The—Squire—sent—for—me"—choked +Patience.</p> +<p> +"Oh!" said the old lady, "you air the little Mather-gal,<span class="page"><a name="page232" id="page232">[Page 232]</a></span> +I guess."</p> +<p> +Patience shook so she could hardly reply.</p> +<p> +"You'd better go right into his room," said Mrs. +Squire Bean, and Patience followed her. She gave +her a little pat when she opened a door on the right. +"Don't you be afeard," said she; "he won't say +nothin' to you. I'll give you a piece of sweet-cake +when you come out."</p> +<p> +Thus admonished, Patience entered. "Here's the +little Mather-gal," Mrs. Bean remarked; then the +door closed again on her mild old face.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page233" id="page233">[Page 233]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate45" id="plate45">[plate 45]</a></span> +<img src="images/45-summons.jpg" width="550" height="384" alt="Little Patience obeys the Squire's summons." border="0" /><br /><br /> +LITTLE PATIENCE OBEYS THE SQUIRE'S SUMMONS.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +When Patience first looked at that room, she had a +wild impulse to turn and run. A conviction flashed +through her mind that she could outrun Squire Bean +and his wife easily. In fact, the queer aspect of the +room was not calculated to dispel her nervous terror. +Squire Bean's peculiarities showed forth in the arrangement +of his room, as well as in other ways. His floor +was painted drab, and in the center were the sun and +solar system depicted in yellow. But that six-rayed +yellow sun, the size of a large dinner plate, with its +group of lesser six-rayed orbs as large as saucers, did +not startle Patience as much as the rug beside the +Squire's bed. That was made of a brindle cow-skin +with—the horns on. The little girl's fascinated gaze +rested on these bristling horns and could not tear itself +away. Across the foot of the Squire's bed lay a great +iron bar; that was a housewifely scheme of his own to<span class="page"><a name="page235" id="page235">[Page 235]</a></span> +keep the clothes well down at the foot. But Patience's +fertile imagination construed it into a dire weapon of +punishment.</p> +<p> +The Squire was sitting at his old cherry desk. He +turned around and looked at Patience sharply from +under his shaggy, overhanging brows.</p> +<p> +Then he fumbled in his pocket and brought something +out—it was the sixpence. Then he began talking. +Patience could not have told what he said. Her +mind was entirely full of what she had to say. Somehow +she stammered out the story: how she had been +afraid to go to Nancy Gookin's, and how she had lost +the sixpence her uncle had given her, and how Martha +had said she told a fib. Patience trembled and gasped +out the words, and curtesied, once in a while, when +the Squire said something.</p> +<p> +"Come here," said he, when he had sat for a minute +or two, taking in the facts of the case.</p> +<p> +To Patience's utter astonishment, Squire Bean was +laughing, and holding out the sixpence.</p> +<p> +"Have you got the palm-leaf string?"</p> +<p> +"Yes, sir," replied Patience, curtesying.</p> +<p> +"Well, you may take this home, and put in the +palm-leaf string, and use it for a marker in your +book—but don't you spend it again."</p> +<p> +"No, sir." Patience curtesied again.</p> +<p> +"You did very wrong to spend it, very wrong. +Those sixpences are not given to you to spend. But<span class="page"><a name="page236" id="page236">[Page 236]</a></span> +I will overlook it this once."</p> +<p> +The Squire extended the sixpence. Patience took +it, with another dip of her little skirt. Then he turned +around to his desk.</p> +<p> +Patience waited a few minutes. She did not know +whether she was dismissed or not. Finally the Squire +begun to add aloud: "Five and five are ten," he said, +"ought, and carry the one."</p> +<p> +He was adding a bill. Then Patience stole out +softly. Mrs. Squire Bean was waiting in the kitchen. +She gave her a great piece of plum-cake and kissed +her.</p> +<p> +"He didn't hurt you any, did he?" said she.</p> +<p> +"No, ma'am," said Patience, looking with a bewildered +smile at the sixpence.</p> +<p> +That night she tied in the palm-leaf strand again, +and she put the sixpence in her Geography-book, and +she kept it so safely all her life that her great-grandchildren +have seen it.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page237" id="page237">[Page 237]</a></span> + +<h2>A PLAIN <a name="case" id="case">CASE</a>.</h2> + +<p> +Willy had his own little bag packed—indeed it +had been packed for three whole days—and now he +stood gripping it tightly in one hand, and a small +yellow cane which was the pride of his heart in the +other. Willy had a little harmless, childish dandyism +about him which his mother rather encouraged. "I'd +rather he'd be this way than the other," she said when +people were inclined to smile at his little fussy habits. +"It won't hurt him any to be nice and particular, if +he doesn't get conceited."</p> +<p> +Willy looked very dainty and sweet and gentle as +he stood in the door this morning. His straight fair +hair was brushed very smooth, his white straw hat +with its blue ribbon was set on exactly, there was not +a speck on his best blue suit.</p> +<p> +"Willy looks as if he had just come out of the band-box," +Grandma had said. But she did not have time +to admire him long; she was not nearly ready herself. +Grandma was always in a hurry at the last moment. +Now she had to pack her big valise, brush Grandpa's +hair, put on his "dicky" and cravat, and adjust her +own bonnet and shawl.</p> +<p> +Willy was privately afraid she would not be ready<span class="page"><a name="page238" id="page238">[Page 238]</a></span> +when the village coach came, and so they would miss +the train, but he said nothing. He stood patiently in +the door and looked down the street whence the coach +would come, and listened to the bustle in Grandma's +room. There was not an impatient line in his face although +he had really a good deal at stake. He was +going to Exeter with his Grandpa and Grandma, to +visit his aunt Annie, and his new uncle Frank. +Grandpa and Grandma had come from Maine to visit +their daughter Ellen who was Willy's mother, and now +they were going to see Annie. When Willy found +out that he was going too, he was delighted. He had +always been very fond of his aunt Annie, and had not +seen her for a long time. He had never seen his new +uncle Frank who had been married to Annie six +months before, and he looked forward to that. Uncles +and aunts seemed a very desirable acquisition to this +little Willy, who had always been a great pet among +his relatives.</p> +<p> +"He won't make you a bit of trouble, if you don't +mind taking him. He never teases nor frets, and he +won't be homesick," his mother had told his grandmother.</p> +<p> +"I know all about that," Grandma Stockton had +replied. "I'd just as soon take him as a doll-baby."</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page239" id="page239">[Page 239]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate46" id="plate46">[plate 46]</a></span> +<img src="images/46-watrching.jpg" width="257" height="470" alt="Watching for the coach." border="0" /><br /><br /> +WATCHING FOR THE COACH.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Willy Norton really was a very sweet boy. He +proved it this morning by standing there so patiently +and never singing out, "Ain't you most ready, <span class="page"><a name="page241" id="page241">[Page 241]</a></span> +Grandma?" although it did seem to him she never +would be.</p> +<p> +His mother was helping her pack too; he could +hear them talking. "I guess I sha'n't put in father's +best coat," Grandma Stockton remarked, among other +things. "He won't be in Exeter over Sunday, and +won't want it to go to meetin', and it musses it up so +to put it in a valise."</p> +<p> +"Well, I don't know as I would as long as you're +coming back here," said his mother.</p> +<p> +After a while she remarked further, "If father +should want that coat, you can send for it, and I can +put in Willy's other shoes with it."</p> +<p> +Willy noticed that, because he himself had rather regretted +not taking his other shoes. He had only his +best ones, and he thought he might want to go berrying +in Exeter and would spoil them tramping through +the bushes and briers, and he did not like to wear +shabby shoes.</p> +<p> +"Well, I can; but I guess he won't want it," said +Grandma.</p> +<p> +At last the coach came in sight, and Grandma was +all ready excepting her bonnet and gloves, and Grandpa +had only to brush his hat very carefully and put it on; +so they did not miss the train.</p> +<p> +Willy's mother hugged him tight and kissed him. +There were tears in her eyes. This was the first time +he had ever been away from home without her. "Be <span class="page"><a name="page242" id="page242">[Page 242]</a></span> +a good boy," said she.</p> +<p> +"There isn't any need of tellin' him that," chuckled +Grandpa, getting into the coach. He thought Willy +was the most wonderful child in the world.</p> +<p> +It was quite a long ride to Exeter. They did not +get there until tea-time, but that made it seem all the +pleasanter. Willy never forgot how peaceful and +beautiful that little, elm-shaded village looked with +the red light of the setting sun over it. There was +aunt Annie, too, in the prettiest blue-sprigged, white +cambric, standing in her door watching for them; and +she was so surprised and delighted to see Willy, and +they had tea right away, and there were berries +and cream, and cream-tartar biscuits and frosted cake.</p> +<p> +Uncle Frank, Willy thought, was going to be the +nicest uncle he had. There was something about +the tall, curly-headed, pleasant-eyed young man which +won his boyish heart at once.</p> +<p> +"Glad to see you, sir," uncle Frank said in his +loud, merry voice; then he gave Willy's little slim +hand a big shake, as if it were a man's.</p> +<p> +He was further prepossessed in his favor when, after +tea, he begged to take him over to the store and show +him around before he went to bed. Grandma had +suggested his going directly to bed, as he must be +fatigued with the journey, but uncle Frank pleaded for +fifteen minutes' grace, so Willy went to view the store.</p> +<p> +It was almost directly opposite uncle Frank's house,<span class="page"><a name="page243" id="page243">[Page 243]</a></span> +and uncle Frank and his father kept it. It was in a +large old building, half of which was a dwelling-house +where uncle Frank's parents lived, and where he had +lived himself before he was married. The store was +a large country one, and there was a post-office and +an express office connected with it. Uncle Frank +and his father were store-keepers and postmasters and +express-agents.</p> +<p> +The jolly new uncle gave Willy some sticks of +peppermint and winter-green candy out of the glass +jars, in the store-window, and showed him all around. +He introduced him to his father, and took him into +the house to see his mother. They made much of +him, as strangers always did.</p> +<p> +"They said I must call them Grandpa and Grandma +Perry," he told his own grandmother when he got +home.</p> +<p> +He told her, furthermore, privately, when she came +upstairs after he was in bed to see if everything was +all right, that he thought Annie had shown very good +taste in marrying uncle Frank. She told of it, downstairs, +and there was a great laugh. "I don't know +when I have taken such a fancy to a boy," uncle +Frank said warmly. "He is so good, and yet he's +smart enough, too."</p> +<p> +"Everybody takes to him," his grandmother said +proudly.</p> +<p> +In a day or two Willy wrote a letter to his mother,<span class="page"><a name="page244" id="page244">[Page 244]</a></span> +and told her he was having the best time that he ever +had in his life.</p> +<p> +Willy was only seven years old and had never +written many letters, but this was a very good one. +His mother away down in Ashbury thought so. She +shed a few tears over it. "It does seem as if I +couldn't get along another day without seeing him," +she told Willy's father; "but I'm glad if it is doing +the dear child good, and he is enjoying it."</p> +<p> +One reason why Willy had been taken upon the +trip was his health. He had always been considered +rather delicate. It did seem as if he had every chance +to grow stronger in Exeter. The air was cool and +bracing from the mountains; aunt Annie had the +best things in the world to eat, and as he had said, he +was really having a splendid time. He rode about +with uncle Frank in the grocery wagon, he tended +store, he fished, and went berrying. There were only +two drawbacks to his perfect comfort. One came from +his shoes. Grandpa Perry had found an old pair in +the store, and he wore them on his fishing and berrying +jaunts; but they were much too large and they +slipped and hurt his heels. However he said nothing; +he stumped along in them manfully, and tried to ignore +such a minor grievance. Willy had really a stanch +vein in him, in spite of his gentleness and mildness. +The other drawback lay in the fact that the visit was +to be of such short duration. It began Monday and<span class="page"><a name="page245" id="page245">[Page 245]</a></span> +was expected to end Saturday. Willy counted the +hours; every night before he went to sleep he heaved +a regretful sigh over the day which had just gone. It +had been decided before leaving home that they were +to return on Saturday, and he had had no intimation +of any change of plan.</p> +<p> +Friday morning he awoke with the thought, "this +is the last day." However, Willy was a child, and, in +the morning, a day still looked interminable to him, +especially when there were good times looming up in +it. To-day he expected to take a very long ride with +uncle Frank, who was going to Keene to buy a new +horse.</p> +<p> +"I want Willy to go with me, to help pick him out," +he told Grandma Stockton, and Willy took it in serious +earnest. They were going to carry lunch and be +gone all day. This promised pleasure looked so big +to the boy, as he became wider awake, that he could +see nothing at all beyond it, not even the sad departure +and end of this delightful visit on the morrow. So he +went down to breakfast as happy as ever.</p> +<p> +"That boy certainly looks better," Grandpa Stockton +remarked, as the coffee was being poured.</p> +<p> +"We must have him weighed before he goes home," +Grandma said, beaming at him.</p> +<p> +"That's one thing I thought of, 'bout stayin' a week +longer," Grandpa went on. "It seems to be doin' +Sonny, here, so much good." Grandpa had a very<span class="page"><a name="page246" id="page246">[Page 246]</a></span> +slow, deliberate way of speaking.</p> +<p> +Willy laid down his spoon and stared at him, but +he said nothing.</p> +<p> +"I don't see what you were thinking of not to plan +to stay longer in the first place," said aunt Annie. +"I don't like it much." She made believe to pout +her pretty lips.</p> +<p> +"Well," said uncle Frank, "I'll send for that coat +right away this morning, so you'll be sure to get it +to-morrow night."</p> +<p> +"Yes," said Grandpa, "I'd like to hev it to wear +to meetin'. Mother thinks my old one ain't just fit."</p> +<p> +"No, it ain't," spoke up Grandma. "It does well +enough when you're at home, where folks know you, +but it's different among strangers. An' you've got to +have it next week, anyhow."</p> +<p> +Willy looked up at his grandmother. "Grandma," +said he tremblingly, "ain't we going home to-morrow?"</p> +<p> +"Why, bless the child!" said she. "I forgot he +didn't know. We talked about it last night after he'd +gone to bed."</p> +<p> +Then she explained. They were going to stay +another week. Next week Wednesday, Grandpa and +Grandma Perry had been married twenty-five years, +and they were going to have a silver wedding. So +they were going to remain and be present at it, and +Grandpa was going to send for his best coat to wear.</p> +<p> +Willy looked so radiant that they all laughed, and<span class="page"><a name="page247" id="page247">[Page 247]</a></span> +uncle Frank said he was going to keep him always, +and let him help him in the store.</p> +<p> +Before they started off to buy the horse, uncle +Frank telegraphed to Ashbury about the coat; he also +mentioned Willy's shoes.</p> +<p> +The two had a beautiful ride, and bought a handsome +black horse. Uncle Frank consulted Willy a +great deal about the purchase, and expatiated on his +good judgment in the matter after they got home. +One of Willy's chief charms was that he stood so +much flattery of this kind, without being disagreeably +elated by it. His frank, childish delight was always +pretty to see.</p> +<p> +The next afternoon he went berrying with a little +boy who lived next door. At five o'clock aunt Annie +ran over to the store to see if the coat had come.</p> +<p> +"It has," she told her mother when she returned; +"it came at one o'clock, and Mother Perry gave it to +Willy to bring home."</p> +<p> +"To Willy? Why, what did the child do with +it?" Grandma said wonderingly. "He didn't bring +it home."</p> +<p> +"Maybe he carried it over to Josie Allen's and left +it there." Josie Allen was the boy with whom Willy +had gone berrying. His house stood very near uncle +Frank's, and both were nearly across the road from +the store.</p> +<p> +"Well, maybe he did, he was in such a hurry to go<span class="page"><a name="page248" id="page248">[Page 248]</a></span> +berrying," said Grandma assentingly.</p> +<p> +About six o'clock, when the family were all at the +tea-table, Willy came clumping painfully in his big +shoes into the yard. There were blisters on his small, +delicate heels, but nobody knew it. His little fair +face was red and tired, but radiant. His pail was +heaped and rounded up with the most magnificent +berries of the season.</p> +<p> +"Just look here," said he, with his sweet voice all +quivering with delight.</p> +<p> +He stood outside on the piazza, and lifted the pail +on to the window-sill. He could not wait until he +came in to show these berries. He would have to walk +way around through the kitchen in those irritating +shoes.</p> +<p> +They all exclaimed and admired them as much as +he could wish, then Grandma said suddenly: "But +what did you do with the coat, Willy?"</p> +<p> +"The coat?" repeated Willy in a bewildered way.</p> +<p> +"Yes; the coat. Did you take it over to Josie's +an' leave it? If you did, you must go right back and +get it. Did you?"</p> +<p> +"No."</p> +<p> +"Why, what did you do with it?"</p> +<p> +"I didn't do anything with it."</p> +<p> +"William Dexter Norton! what do you mean?"</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page249" id="page249">[Page 249]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate47" id="plate47">[plate 47]</a></span> +<img src="images/47-willy.jpg" width="550" height="348" alt="'Just look here!' said Willy's sweet voice." border="0" /><br /><br /> +'JUST LOOK HERE!' SAID WILLY'S SWEET VOICE.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Everybody had stopped eating, and was staring out +at Willy, who was staring in. His happy little red<span class="page"><a name="page251" id="page251">[Page 251]</a></span> +face had suddenly turned sober.</p> +<p> +"Come in, Sonny, an' we'll see what all the +trouble's about, an' straighten it out in a jiffy," spoke +up Grandpa. The contrast between Grandpa's slow +tones and the "jiffy" was very funny.</p> +<p> +Willy crept slowly down the long piazza, through +the big kitchen into the dining-room.</p> +<p> +"Now, Sonny, come right here," said his grandfather, +"an' we'll have it all fixed up nice."</p> +<p> +The boy kept looking from one face to another in a +wondering frightened way. He went hesitatingly up +to his grandfather, and stood still, his poor little +smarting feet toeing in, after a fashion they had, when +tired, the pail full of berries dangling heavily on his +slight arm.</p> +<p> +"Now, Sonny, look up here, an' tell us all about it. +What did you do with Grandpa's coat, boy?"</p> +<p> +"I—didn't do anything with it."</p> +<p> +"William," began his grandmother, but Grandpa +interrupted her. "Just wait a minute, mother," said +he. "Sonny an' I air goin' to settle this. Now, +Sonny, don't you get scared. You jest think a +minute. Think real hard, don't hurry—now, can't +you tell what you did with Grandpa's coat?"</p> +<p> +"I—didn't—do anything with it," said Willy.</p> +<p> +"My sakes!" said his grandmother. "What has +come to the child?" She was very pale. Aunt +Annie and uncle Frank looked as if they did not<span class="page"><a name="page252" id="page252">[Page 252]</a></span> +know what to think. Grandpa himself settled back +in his chair, and stared helplessly at Willy.</p> +<p> +Finally aunt Annie tried her hand. "See here, +Willy dear," said she, "you are tired and hungry and +want your supper; just tell us what you did with the +coat after Grandma Perry gave it to you"—</p> +<p> +"She didn't," said Willy.</p> +<p> +That was dreadful. They all looked aghast at one +another. Was Willy lying—Willy!</p> +<p> +"Didn't—give—it—to you—Sonny!" said +Grandpa, feebly, and more slowly than ever.</p> +<p> +"No, sir."</p> +<p> +Grandma Stockton had been called quick-tempered +when she was a girl, and she gave proof of it sometimes, +even now in her gentle old age. She spoke +very sternly and quickly: "Willy, we have had all of +this nonsense that we want. Now you just speak +right up an' tell the truth. What did you do with +your grandfather's coat?"</p> +<p> +"I didn't do anything with it," faltered Willy again. +His lip was quivering.</p> +<p> +"What?"</p> +<p> +"I—didn't"—began the child again, then his sobs +checked him. He crooked his little free arm, hid his +face in the welcome curve, and cried in good earnest.</p> +<p> +"Stop crying and tell me the truth," said Grandma +pitilessly.</p> +<p> +Willy again gasped out his one reply; he shook so<span class="page"><a name="page253" id="page253">[Page 253]</a></span> +that he could scarcely hold his berry pail. Aunt Annie +took it out of his hand and set it on the table. Uncle +Frank rose with a jerk. "I'll run over and get mother," +said he, with an air that implied, "I'll soon settle this +matter."</p> +<p> +But the matter was very far from settled by Mrs. +Perry's testimony. She only repeated what she had +already told her daughter-in-law.</p> +<p> +"The bundle came on the noon express," said she, +"and I told Mr. Perry to set it down in the kitchen, +and I would see that it got over to you. He didn't +know how to stop just then. It laid there on one of +the kitchen-chairs while I was clearing away the +dinner-dishes. Then about two o'clock I was changing +my dress, when I heard Willy whistling out in the +yard, and I ran into the kitchen and got the bundle, +and called him to take it. I opened the south door +and gave it to him, and told him to take it right home +to his grandpa. He said he guessed he'd open it and +see if his shoes had come, and I told him 'no,' he must +go straight home with it."</p> +<p> +That was Mrs. Perry's testimony. Willy heard in +the presence of all the family; then when the question +as to the whereabouts of the coat was put to him, he +made the same answer. He also repeated that +Grandma Perry had not given it to him.</p> +<p> +"Don't you let me hear you tell that wicked lie +again," said his Grandma Stockton. She was nearly<span class="page"><a name="page254" id="page254">[Page 254]</a></span> +as much agitated as the boy. She did not know what +to do, and nobody else did.</p> +<p> +Grandpa Perry came over with three sticks of twisted +red and white peppermint candy, and three of barley. +He caught hold of Willy and swung him on to his +knee. He was a fleshy, jolly man.</p> +<p> +"Now, sir," said he, "let's strike a bargain—I'll +give you these six whole sticks of candy for your +supper, and you tell me what you did with Grandpa's +coat."</p> +<p> +"I—didn't do—any"—Willy commenced between +his painful sobs, but his grandmother interrupted—"Hush! +don't you ever say that again," said she. +"You did do something with it."</p> +<p> +"I'll throw in a handful of raisins," said Mr. Perry. +But it was of no use.</p> +<p> +"Well, if the little chap was mine," said Mrs. Perry +finally, "I should give him his supper and put him to +bed, and see how he would look at it in the morning."</p> +<p> +"I think that would be the best way," chimed in +aunt Annie eagerly. "He's all tired out and hungry, +and doesn't know what he does know—do you, dear?"</p> +<p> +So she poured out some milk, and cut off a big slice +of cake, but Willy did not want any supper. It was +hard work to induce him to swallow a little milk before +he went upstairs. His grandmother heaved a desperate +sigh after he was gone.</p> +<p> +"If it was in the days of the Salem witches," said<span class="page"><a name="page255" id="page255">[Page 255]</a></span> +she, "I'd know just what to think; as 'tis, I don't."</p> +<p> +"That boy was never known to tell a lie before in +his whole life—his mother said so. He never pestered +her the way some children do, lyin'; an' as for stealin'—why, +I'd trusted him with every cent I've got in +the world." That was Grandpa Stockton.</p> +<p> +During the next two or three days every inducement +was brought to bear upon Willy. He was scolded and +coaxed, he was promised a reward if he would tell the +truth, he was assured that he should not be punished. +Monday he was kept in his room all day, and was +given nothing but bread and milk to eat. Severer +measures were hinted at, but Grandpa Stockton put +his foot down peremptorily. "That boy has never +been whipped in his whole life," said he, "an' his own +folks have got to begin it, if anybody does."</p> +<p> +All the premises were searched for the missing coat, +but no trace of it was found. The mystery thickened +and deepened. How could a boy lose a coat going +across a road in broad daylight? Why would he not +confess that he had lost it?</p> +<p> +Finally it was decided to take him home. He was +becoming all worn out with excitement and distress. +He was too delicate a child to long endure such a +strain. They thought that once at home his mother +might be able to do what none of the rest had.</p> +<p> +All the others were getting worn out also. A good +many tears had been shed by the older members of the <span class="page"><a name="page256" id="page256">[Page 256]</a></span> +company. Poor Mrs. Perry took much blame to herself +for giving the coat to the boy, and so opening +the way for the difficulty.</p> +<p> +"Mr. Perry says he thinks I ought not to have +given the coat to him, he's nothing but a child, any +way," she said tearfully once.</p> +<p> +It was Monday afternoon when Willy was shut up +in his room, and all the others were talking the matter +over downstairs.</p> +<p> +Tears stood in aunt Annie's blue eyes. "He's nothing +but a baby," said she, "and if I had my way I'd +call him downstairs and give him a cookie and never +speak of the old coat again."</p> +<p> +"You talk very silly, Annie," said Grandmother +Stockton. "I hope you don't want to have the child +to grow up a wicked, deceitful man."</p> +<p> +Willy's grandparents gave up going to the silver +wedding. Grandpa had no good coat to wear, and +indeed neither of them had any heart to go.</p> +<p> +So the morning of the wedding-day they started +sadly to return to Ashbury. Willy's face looked thin +and tear-stained. Somebody had packed his little bag +for him, but he forgot his little cane.</p> +<p> +When he was seated in the cars beside his grandmother, +he began to cry. She looked at him a moment, +then she put her arm around him, and drew his head +down on her black cashmere shoulder.</p> +<p> +"Tell Grandma, can't you," she whispered, "what<span class="page"><a name="page257" id="page257">[Page 257]</a></span> +you did with Grandpa's coat?"</p> +<p> +"I didn't—do—any"—</p> +<p> +"Hush," said she, "don't you say that again, +Willy!" But she kept her arm around him.</p> +<p> +Willy's mother came running to the door to meet +them when they arrived. She had heard nothing of +the trouble. She had only had a hurried message +that they were coming to-day.</p> +<p> +She threw her arms around Willy, then she held +him back and looked at him. "Why, what is the +matter with my precious boy!" she cried.</p> +<p> +"O, mamma, mamma, I didn't, I didn't do anything +with it!" he sobbed, and clung to her so frantically +that she was alarmed.</p> +<p> +"What does he mean, mother?" she asked.</p> +<p> +Her mother motioned her to be quiet. "Oh! it +isn't anything," said she. "You'd better give him his +supper, and get him to bed; he's all tired out. I'll +tell you by and by," she motioned with her lips.</p> +<p> +So Willy's mother soothed him all she could. "Of +course you didn't, dear," said she. "Mamma knows +you didn't. Don't you worry any more about it."</p> +<p> +It was early, but she got some supper for him, and +put him to bed, and sat beside him until he went to +sleep. She told him over and over that she knew he +"didn't," in reply to his piteous assertions, and all the +time she had not the least idea what it was all about.</p> +<p> +After he had fallen asleep she went downstairs, and <span class="page"><a name="page258" id="page258">[Page 258]</a></span> +Grandma Stockton told her. Willy's father had come, +and he also heard the story.</p> +<p> +"There's some mistake about it," said he. "I'll +make Willy tell me about it, to-morrow. Nothing is +going to make me believe that he is persisting in a +deliberate lie in this way."</p> +<p> +Willy's mother was crying herself, now. "He +never—told me a lie in his whole dear little life," she +sobbed, "and I don't believe he has now. Nothing +will ever—make me believe so."</p> +<p> +"Don't cry, Ellen," said her husband. "There's +something about this that we don't understand."</p> +<p> +It was all talked over and over that night, but they +were no nearer understanding the case.</p> +<p> +"I'll see what I can do with Willy in the morning," +his father said again, when the discussion was ended +for the night.</p> +<p> +Willy was not awake at the breakfast hour next +morning, so the family sat down without him. They +were not half through the meal when there were some +quick steps on the path outside; the door was jerked +open, and there was aunt Annie and uncle Frank.</p> +<p> +She had Willy's little yellow cane in her hand, and +she looked as if she did not know whether to laugh or +cry.</p> +<p> +"It's found!" she cried out, "it's found! Oh! +where is he? He left his cane, poor little boy!"</p> +<p> +Then she really sank into a chair and began to cry.<span class="page"><a name="page259" id="page259">[Page 259]</a></span> +There were exclamations and questions and finally +they arrived at the solution of the mystery.</p> +<p> +Poor little Willy had not done anything with Grandpa's +coat. Mrs. Perry had not given it to him. She +had—given it to another boy.</p> +<p> +"Last night about seven o'clock," said uncle Frank. +"Mr. Gilbert Hammond brought it into the store. It +seems he sent his boy, who is just about Willy's age, +and really looks some like him, for a bundle he expected +to come by express. The boy was to have +some shoes in it.</p> +<p> +"I suppose mother caught a glimpse of him, and +very likely she didn't have on her glasses, and can't +see very well without them, and she thought he was +Willy. She was changing her dress, too, and I dare +say only opened the door a little way. Then the +Hammond boy's got a grandfather, and the shoes and +the whole thing hung together.</p> +<p> +"Mr. Hammond said he meant to have brought the +bundle back before, but they had company come the +next day, and it was overlooked.</p> +<p> +"Father and mother both came running over the +minute they heard of it, and nothing would suit Annie +but we should start right off on the night train, and +come down here and explain. And, to tell the truth, +I wanted to come myself—I felt as if we owed it to +the poor little chappie."</p> +<p> +Uncle Frank's own voice sounded husky. The<span class="page"><a name="page260" id="page260">[Page 260]</a></span> +thought of all the suffering that poor little innocent +boy had borne was not a pleasant one.</p> +<p> +Everything that could be done to atone to Willy was +done. He was loved and praised and petted, as he +had never been before; in a little while he seemed as +well and happy as ever.</p> +<p> +The next Christmas Grandpa Perry sent a beautiful +little gold watch to him, and he was so delighted with +it that his father said, "He doesn't worry a bit now +about the trouble he had in Exeter. That watch +doesn't seem to bring it to mind at all. How quickly +children get over things. He has forgotten all about +it."</p> +<p> +But Willy Norton had not forgotten all about it. +He was just as happy as ever. He had entirely forgiven +Grandma Perry for her mistake. Next summer +he was going to Exeter again and have a beautiful +time; but a good many years would pass, and whenever +he looked at that little gold watch, he would see +double. It would have for him a background of his +grandfather's best coat.</p> +<p> +Innocence and truth can feel the shadow of unjust +suspicion when others can no longer see it.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page261" id="page261">[Page 261]</a></span> + +<h2>THE <a name="stranger" id="stranger">STRANGER</a> IN THE VILLAGE.</h2> + +<p> +"Margary," said her mother, "take the pitcher +now, and fetch me some fresh, cool water from the +well, and I will cook the porridge for supper."</p> +<p> +"Yes, mother," said Margary. Then she put on +her little white dimity hood, and got the pitcher, which +was charmingly shaped, from the cupboard shelf. The +cupboard was a three-cornered one beside the chimney. +The cottage which Margary and her mother lived in, +was very humble, to be sure, but it was very pretty. +Vines grew all over it, and flowering bushes crowded +close to the diamond-paned windows. There was a +little garden at one side, with beds of pinks and violets +in it, and a straw-covered beehive, and some raspberry +bushes all yellow with fruit.</p> +<p> +Inside the cottage, the floor was sanded with the +whitest sand; lovely old straight-backed chairs stood +about; there was an oaken table, and a spinning-wheel. +A wicker cage, with a lark in it, hung in the window.</p> +<p> +Margary with her pitcher, tripped along to the village +well. On the way she met two of her little mates—Rosamond +and Barbara. They were flying along, +their cheeks very rosy and their eyes shining.</p> +<p> +"O, Margary," they cried, "come up to the tavern,<span class="page"><a name="page262" id="page262">[Page 262]</a></span> +quick, and see! The most beautiful coach-and-four is +drawn up there. There are lackeys in green and gold, +with cocked hats, and the coach hath a crest on the +side—O, Margary!"</p> +<p> +Margary's eyes grew large too, and she turned about +with her empty pitcher and followed her friends. They +had almost reached the tavern, and were in full sight +of the coach-and-four, when some one coming toward +them caused them to draw up on one side of the way +and stare with new wonder. It was a most beautiful +little boy. His golden curls hung to his shoulders, his +sweet face had an expression at once gentle and noble, +and his dress was of the richest material. He led a +little flossy white dog by a ribbon.</p> +<p> +After he had passed by, the three little girls looked +at each other.</p> +<p> +"Oh!" cried Rosamond, "did you see his hat and +feather?"</p> +<p> +"And his lace Vandyke, and the fluffy white dog!" +cried Barbara. But Margary said nothing. In her +heart, she thought she had never seen any one so +lovely.</p> +<p> +Then she went on to the well with her pitcher, and +Rosamond and Barbara went home, telling every one +they met about the beautiful little stranger.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page263" id="page263">[Page 263]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate48" id="plate48">[plate 48]</a></span> +<img src="images/48-littlestranger.jpg" width="520" height="379" alt="The little stranger." border="0" /><br /><br /> +THE LITTLE STRANGER.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +Margary, after she had filled her pitcher, went home +also; and was beginning to talk about the stranger to +her mother, when a shadow fell across the floor from<span class="page"><a name="page265" id="page265">[Page 265]</a></span> +the doorway. Margary looked up. "There he is +now!" cried she in a joyful whisper.</p> +<p> +The pretty boy stood there indeed, looking in modestly +and wishfully. Margary's mother arose at once +from her spinning-wheel, and came forward; she was a +very courteous woman. "Wilt thou enter, and rest thyself," +said she, "and have a cup of our porridge, and a +slice of our wheaten bread, and a bit of honeycomb?"</p> +<p> +The little boy sniffed hungrily at the porridge which +was just beginning to boil; he hesitated a moment, +but finally thanked the good woman very softly and +sweetly and entered.</p> +<p> +Then Margary and her mother set a bottle of cowslip +wine on the table, slices of wheaten bread, and a +plate of honeycomb, a bowl of ripe raspberries, and a +little jug of yellow cream, and another little bowl with +a garland of roses around the rim, for the porridge. +Just as soon as that was cooked, the stranger sat down, +and ate a supper fit for a prince. Margary and her +mother half supposed he was one; he had such a +courtly, yet modest air.</p> +<p> +When he had eaten his fill, and his little dog had +been fed too, he offered his entertainers some gold out +of a little silk purse, but they would not take it.</p> +<p> +So he took hold of his dog's ribbon, and went away +with many thanks. "We shall never see him again," +said Margary sorrowfully.</p> +<p> +"The memory of a stranger one has fed, is a pleasant<span class="page"><a name="page266" id="page266">[Page 266]</a></span> +one," said her mother.</p> +<p> +"I am glad the lark sang so beautifully all the +while he was eating," said Margary.</p> +<p> +While they were eating their own supper, the oldest +woman in the village came in. She was one hundred +and twenty years old, and, by reason of her great age, +was considered very wise.</p> +<p> +"Have you seen the stranger?" asked she in her +piping voice, seating herself stiffly.</p> +<p> +"Yes," replied Margary's mother. "He hath supped +with us."</p> +<p> +The oldest woman twinkled her eyes behind her +iron-bowed spectacles. "Lawks!" said she. But she +did not wish to appear surprised, so she went on to +say she had met him on the way, and knew who he +was.</p> +<p> +"He's a Lindsay," said the oldest woman, with a +nod of her white-capped head. "I tried him wi' a +buttercup. I held it under his chin, and he loves +butter. So he's a Lindsay; all the Lindsays love +butter. I know, for I was nurse in the family a hundred +years ago."</p> +<p> +This, of course, was conclusive evidence. Margary +and her mother had faith in the oldest woman's opinion; +and so did all the other villagers. She told a good +many people how the little stranger was a Lindsay, +before she went to bed that night. And he really was +a Lindsay, too; though it was singular how the oldest<span class="page"><a name="page267" id="page267">[Page 267]</a></span> +woman divined it with a buttercup.</p> +<p> +The pretty child had straightway driven off in his +coach-and-four as soon as he had left Margary's +mother's cottage; he had only stopped to have some +defect in the wheels remedied. But there had been +time enough for a great excitement to be stirred up in +the village.</p> +<p> +All any one talked about the next day, was the +stranger. Every one who had seen him, had some +new and more marvelous item; till charming as the +child really was, he became, in the popular estimation, +a real fairy prince.</p> +<p> +When Margary and the other children went to +school, with their horn-books hanging at their sides, +they found the schoolmaster greatly excited over it. +He was a verse-maker, and though he had not seen +the stranger himself, his imagination more than made +amends for that. So the scholars were not under a +very strict rule that day, for the master was busy composing +a poem about the stranger. Every now and +then a line of the poem got mixed in with the lessons.</p> +<p> +The schoolmaster told in beautiful meters about the +stranger's rich attire, and his flowing locks of real gold +wire, his lips like rubies, and his eyes like diamonds. +He furnished the little dog with hair of real floss silk, +and called his ribbon a silver chain. Then the coach, +as it rolled along, presented such a dazzling appearance, +that several persons who inadvertently looked <span class="page"><a name="page268" id="page268">[Page 268]</a></span> +at it had been blinded. It was the schoolmaster's +opinion, set forth in his poem, that this really was a +prince. One could scarcely doubt it, on reading the +poem. It is a pity it has not been preserved, but it +was destroyed—how, will transpire further on.</p> +<p> +Well, two days after this dainty stranger with his +coach-and-four came to the village, a little wretched +beggar-boy, leading by a dirty string a forlorn muddy +little dog, appeared on the street. He went to the +tavern first, but the host pushed him out of the door, +throwing a pewter porringer after him, which hit the +poor little dog and made it yelp. Then he spoke pitifully +to the people he met, and knocked at the cottage +doors; but every one drove him away. He met the +oldest woman, but she gathered her skirts closely +around her and hobbled by, her pointed nose up in +the air, and her cap-strings flying straight out behind.</p> +<p> +"I prithee, granny," he called after her, "try me +with the buttercup again, and see if I be not a Lindsay."</p> +<p> +"Thou a Lindsay," quoth the oldest woman contemptuously; +but she was very curious, so she turned +around and held a buttercup underneath the boy's +dirty chin.</p> +<p> +"Bah," said the oldest woman, "a Lindsay indeed! +Butter hath no charm for thee, and the Lindsays, all +loved it. I know, for I was nurse in the family a +hundred year ago."</p> +<p> +Then she hobbled away faster than ever, and the<span class="page"><a name="page269" id="page269">[Page 269]</a></span> +poor boy kept on. Then he met the schoolmaster, +who had his new poem in a great roll in his hand. +"What little vagabond is this?" muttered he, gazing +at him with disgust. "He hath driven a fine metaphor +out of my head."</p> +<p> +When the boy reached the cottage where Margary +and her mother lived, the dame was sitting in the door +spinning, and the little girl was picking roses from a +bush under the window, to fill a tall china mug which +they kept on a shelf.</p> +<p> +When Margary heard the gate click, and turning, +saw the boy, she started so that she let her pinafore +full of roses slip, and the flowers all fell out on the +ground. Then she dropped an humble curtesy; and +her mother rose and curtesied also, though she had +not recognized her guest as soon as Margary.</p> +<p> +The poor little stranger fairly wept for joy. "Ah, +you remember me," he said betwixt smiles and tears.</p> +<p> +Then he entered the cottage, and while Margary and +her mother got some refreshment ready for him, he +told his pitiful story.</p> +<p> +His father was a Lindsay, and a very rich and noble +gentleman. Some little time before, he and his little +son had journeyed to London, with their coach-and-four. +Business having detained him longer than he had +anticipated, and fearing his lady might be uneasy, he +had sent his son home in advance, in the coach, with +his lackeys and attendants. Everything had gone <span class="page"><a name="page270" id="page270">[Page 270]</a></span> +safely till after leaving this village. Some miles beyond, +they had been attacked by highwaymen and +robbed. The servants had either been taken prisoners +or fled. The thieves had driven off with the coach-and-four, +and the poor little boy had crawled back to +the village.</p> +<p> +Margary and her mother did all they could to comfort +him. They prepared some hot broth for him, and +opened a bottle of cowslip wine. Margary's mother +gave him some clean clothes, which had belonged to +her son who had died. The little gentleman looked +funny in the little rustic's blue smock, but he was very +comfortable. They fed the forlorn little dog too, and +washed him till his white hair looked fluffy and silky +again.</p> +<p> +When the London mail stopped in the village, the +next day, they sent a message to Lord Lindsay, and +in a week's time, he came after his son. He was a very +grand gentleman; his dress was all velvet and satin, +and blazing with jewels. How the villagers stared. +They had flatly refused to believe that this last little +stranger was the first one, and had made great fun of +Margary and her mother for being so credulous. But +they had not minded. They had given their guest a +little pallet stuffed with down, and a pillow stuffed with +rose-leaves to sleep on, and fed him with the best they +had. His father, in his gratitude, offered Margary's +mother rich rewards; but she would take nothing. The<span class="page"><a name="page271" id="page271">[Page 271]</a></span> +little boy cried on parting with his kind friends, and +Margary cried too.</p> +<p> +"I prithee, pretty Margary, do not forget me," said +he.</p> +<p> +And she promised she never would, and gave him a +sprig of rosemary out of her garden to wear for a +breastknot.</p> +<p> +The villagers were greatly mortified when they discovered +the mistake they had made. However, the +oldest woman always maintained that her not having +her spectacles on, when she met the stranger the second +time, was the reason of her not seeing that he loved +butter; and the schoolmaster gave his poetical abstraction +for an excuse. Mine host of the "Boar's +Head" fairly tore his hair, and flung the pewter porringer, +which he had thrown after the stranger and his +dog, into the well. After that he was very careful +how he turned away strangers because of their appearance. +Generally he sent for the oldest woman to put +her spectacles on, and try the buttercup test. Then, +if she said they loved butter and were Lindsays, they +were taken in and entertained royally. She generally +did say they loved butter—she was so afraid of making +a mistake the second time, herself; so the village-inn +got to be a regular refuge for beggars, and they +called it amongst themselves the "Beggars' Rest," instead +of the "Boar's Head."</p> +<p> +As for Margary, she grew up to be the pride of the<span class="page"><a name="page272" id="page272">[Page 272]</a></span> +village; and in time, Lord Lindsay's son, who had always +kept the sprig of rosemary, came and married +her. They had a beautiful wedding; all of the villagers +were invited; the bridegroom did not cherish +any resentment. They danced on the green, and the +Lindsay pipers played for them. The bride wore a +white damask petticoat worked with pink roses, her +pink satin shortgown was looped up with garlands of +them, and she wore a wreath of roses on her head.</p> +<p> +The oldest woman came to the wedding, and hobbled +up to the bridegroom with a buttercup. "Thou beest +a Lindsay," said she. "Thou lovest butter, and the +Lindsays all did. I know, for I was nurse in the +family a hundred year ago."</p> +<p> +As for the schoolmaster, he was distressed. His wife +had taken his poem on the stranger for papers to curl +her hair on for the wedding, and he had just discovered +it. He had calculated on making a present of it to the +young couple.</p> +<p> +However, he wrote another on the wedding, of which +one verse is still extant, and we will give it:</p> + +<p class="indent2"> +"When Lindsay wedded Margary,<br /> +Merrily piped the pipers all.<br /> +The bride, the village-pride was she,<br /> +The groom, a gay gallant was he.<br /> +Merrily piped the pipers all.<br /> +When Lindsay wedded Margary."</p><br /> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page273" id="page273">[Page 273]</a></span> + +<h2>THE BOUND <a name="girl" id="girl">GIRL</a>.</h2> + +<p class="indentq"> +This Indenture Wittnesseth, That I Margaret Burjust of +Boston, in the County of Suffolk and Province of the Massachusetts +Bay in New England. Have placed, and by these presents +do place and bind out my only Daughter whose name is +Ann Ginnins to be an Apprentice unto Samuel Wales and his wife +of Braintree in the County afores:<sup>d</sup>, Blacksmith. To them and +their Heirs and with them the s:<sup>d</sup> Samuel Wales, his wife and +their Heirs, after the manner of an apprentice to dwell and Serve +from the day of the date hereof for and during the full and Just +Term of Sixteen years, three months and twenty-three day's +next ensueing and fully to be Compleat, during all which term +the s:<sup>d</sup> apprentice her s:<sup>d</sup> Master and Mistress faithfully Shall +Serve, Their Secrets keep close, and Lawful and reasonable Command +everywhere gladly do and perform.</p> +<p class="indentq"> +Damage to her s:<sup>d</sup> Master and Mistress she shall not willingly +do. Her s:<sup>d</sup> Master's goods she shall not waste, Embezel, +purloin or lend unto Others nor suffer the same to be wasted or +purloined. But to her power Shall discover the Same to her +s:<sup>d</sup> Master. Taverns or Ailhouss she Shall not frequent, at +any unlawful game She Shall not play, Matrimony she Shall not +Contract with any persons during s:<sup>d</sup> Term. From her master's +Service She Shall not at any time unlawfully absent herself. But +in all things as a good honest and faithful Servant and apprentice +Shall bear and behave herself, During the full term afores:<sup>d</sup> +Commencing from the third day of November Anno Dom: One +Thousand, Seven Hundred fifty and three. And the s:<sup>d</sup> Master +for himself, wife, and Heir's, Doth Covenant Promise Grant and +Agree unto and with the s:<sup>d</sup> apprentice and the s:<sup>d</sup> Margaret +Burjust, in manner and form following. That is to say, That +they will teach the s:<sup>d</sup> apprentice or Cause her to be taught in<span class="page"><a name="page274" id="page274">[Page 274]</a></span> +the Art of good housewifery, and also to read and write well. +And will find and provide for and give unto s:<sup>d</sup> apprentice good +and sufficient Meat Drink washing and lodging both in Sickness +and in health, and at the Expiration of said term to Dismiss s:<sup>d</sup> +apprentice with two Good Suits of Apparrel both of woolen and +linnin for all parts of her body (viz) One for Lord-days and one +for working days Suitable to her Quality. In Testimony whereof +I Samuel Wales and Margaret Burjust Have Interchangably +Sett their hands and Seals this Third day November Anno Dom: +1753, and in the twenty-Seventh year of the Reign of our Soveraig'n +Lord George the Second of great Britain the King.</p> + + +<p class="indentw"> +Signed Sealed & Delivered.<br /> + In presence of<br /><br /> + <span class="right">Margaret Burgis</span> <span class="lc">S</span><span class="sc">AM</span> <span class="lc">V</span><span class="sc">AUGHAN</span><br /> + <span class="right">her X mark. </span> <span class="lc">M</span><span class="sc">ARY</span> <span class="lc">V</span><span class="sc">AUGHAN</span> +</p> +<br /><br /><br /> +<p> +This quaint document was carefully locked up, with +some old deeds and other valuable papers, in his desk, +by the "s:<sup>d</sup> Samuel Wales," one hundred and thirty +years ago. The desk was a rude, unpainted pine affair, +and it reared itself on its four stilt-like legs in a corner +of his kitchen, in his house in the South Precinct of +Braintree. The sharp eyes of the little "s:<sup>d</sup> apprentice" +had noted it oftener and more enviously than any +other article of furniture in the house. On the night +of her arrival, after her journey of fourteen miles from +Boston, over a rough bridle-road, on a jolting horse, +clinging tremblingly to her new "Master," she peered +through her little red fingers at the desk swallowing up +those precious papers which Samuel Wales drew from +his pocket with an important air. She was hardly five +years old, but she was an acute child; and she watched<span class="page"><a name="page275" id="page275">[Page 275]</a></span> +her master draw forth the papers, show them to his +wife, Polly, and lock them up in the desk, with the full +understanding that they had something to do with her +coming to this strange place; and, already, a shadowy +purpose began to form itself in her mind.</p> +<p> +She sat on a cunning little wooden stool, close to the +fireplace, and kept her small chapped hands persistently +over her face; she was scared, and grieved, and, +withal, a trifle sulky. Mrs. Polly Wales cooked some +Indian meal mush for supper in an iron pot swinging +from its trammel over the blazing logs, and cast scrutinizing +glances at the little stranger. She had welcomed +her kindly, taken off her outer garments, and +established her on the little stool in the warmest corner, +but the child had given a very ungracious response. +She would not answer a word to Mrs. Wales' coaxing +questions, but twitched herself away with all her small +might, and kept her hands tightly over her eyes, only +peering between her fingers when she thought no one +was noticing.</p> +<p> +She had behaved after the same fashion all the way +from Boston, as Mr. Wales told his wife in a whisper. +The two were a little dismayed at the whole appearance +of the small apprentice; to tell the truth, she was +not in the least what they had expected. They had +been revolving this scheme of taking "a bound girl" +for some time in their minds; and Samuel Wales' +gossip in Boston, Sam Vaughan, had been requested to<span class="page"><a name="page276" id="page276">[Page 276]</a></span> +keep a lookout for a suitable person.</p> +<p> +So, when word came that one had been found, Mr. +Wales had started at once for the city. When he +saw the child, he was dismayed. He had expected to +see a girl of ten; this one was hardly five, and she +had anything but the demure and decorous air which +his Puritan mind esteemed becoming and appropriate +in a little maiden. Her hair was black and curled +tightly, instead of being brown and straight parted in +the middle, and combed smoothly over her ears as his +taste regulated; her eyes were black and flashing, instead +of being blue, and downcast. The minute he +saw the child, he felt a disapproval of her rise in his +heart, and also something akin to terror. He dreaded +to take this odd-looking child home to his wife Polly; +he foresaw contention and mischief in their quiet household. +But he felt as if his word was rather pledged +to his gossip, and there was the mother, waiting and +expectant. She was a red-cheeked English girl, who +had been in Sam Vaughan's employ; she had recently +married one Burjust, and he was unwilling to support +the first husband's child, so this chance to bind her +out and secure a good home for her had been eagerly +caught at.</p> +<p> +The small Ann seemed rather at Samuel Wales' +mercy, and he had not the courage to disappoint his +friend or her mother; so the necessary papers were +made out, Sam Vaughan's and wife's signatures<span class="page"><a name="page277" id="page277">[Page 277]</a></span> +affixed, and Margaret Burjust's mark, and he set out +on his homeward journey with the child.</p> +<p> +The mother was coarse and illiterate, but she had +some natural affection; she "took on" sadly when +the little girl was about to leave her, and Ann clung +to her frantically. It was a pitiful scene, and Samuel +Wales, who was a very tender-hearted man, was glad +when it was over, and he jogging along the bridle-path.</p> +<p> +But he had had other troubles to encounter. All +at once, as he rode through Boston streets, with his +little charge behind him, after leaving his friend's +house, he felt a vicious little twitch at his hair, which +he wore in a queue tied with a black ribbon after the +fashion of the period. Twitch, twitch, twitch! The +water came into Samuel Wales' eyes, and the blood to +his cheeks, while the passers-by began to hoot and +laugh. His horse became alarmed at the hubbub, and +started up. For a few minutes the poor man could +do nothing to free himself. It was wonderful what +strength the little creature had: she clinched her tiny +fingers in the braid, and pulled, and pulled. Then, +all at once, her grasp slackened, and off flew her +master's steeple-crowned hat into the dust, and the +neat black ribbon on the end of the queue followed it. +Samuel Wales reined up his horse with a jerk then, +and turned round, and administered a sounding box on +each of his apprentice's ears. Then he dismounted,<span class="page"><a name="page278" id="page278">[Page 278]</a></span> +amid shouts of laughter from the spectators, and got a +man to hold the horse while he went back and picked +up his hat and ribbon.</p> +<p> +He had no further trouble. The boxes seemed to +have subdued Ann effectually. But he pondered uneasily +all the way home on the small vessel of wrath +which was perched up behind him, and there was a +tingling sensation at the roots of his queue. He wondered +what Polly would say. The first glance at her +face, when he lifted Ann off the horse at his own door, +confirmed his fears. She expressed her mind, in a +womanly way, by whispering in his ear at the first opportunity, +"She's as black as an Injun."</p> +<p> +After Ann had eaten her supper, and had been +tucked away between some tow sheets and homespun +blankets in a trundle-bed, she heard the whole story, +and lifted up her hands with horror. Then the good +couple read a chapter, and prayed, solemnly vowing +to do their duty by this child which they had taken +under their roof, and imploring Divine assistance.</p> +<p> +As time wore on, it became evident that they stood +in sore need of it. They had never had any children +of their own, and Ann Ginnins was the first child who +had ever lived with them. But she seemed to have +the freaks of a dozen or more in herself, and they +bade fair to have the experience of bringing up a +whole troop with this one. They tried faithfully to +do their duty by her, but they were not used to children,<span class="page"><a name="page279" id="page279">[Page 279]</a></span> +and she was a very hard child to manage. A +whole legion of mischievous spirits seemed to dwell in +her at times, and she became in a small and comparatively +innocent way, the scandal of the staid Puritan +neighborhood in which she lived. Yet, withal, she +was so affectionate, and seemed to be actuated by so +little real malice in any of her pranks, that people +could not help having a sort of liking for the child, in +spite of them.</p> +<p> +She was quick to learn, and smart to work, too, +when she chose. Sometimes she flew about with such +alacrity that it seemed as if her little limbs were hung +on wires, and no little girl in the neighborhood could +do her daily tasks in the time she could, and they were +no inconsiderable tasks, either.</p> +<p> +Very soon after her arrival she was set to "winding +quills," so many every day. Seated at Mrs. Polly's +side, in her little homespun gown, winding quills +through sunny forenoons—how she hated it. She +liked feeding the hens and pigs better, and when she +got promoted to driving the cows, a couple of years +later, she was in her element. There were charming +possibilities of nuts and checkerberries and sassafras +and sweet flag all the way between the house and the +pasture, and the chance to loiter, and have a romp.</p> +<p> +She rarely showed any unwillingness to go for the +cows; but once, when there was a quilting at her mistress's +house, she demurred. It was right in the midst <span class="page"><a name="page280" id="page280">[Page 280]</a></span> +of the festivities; they were just preparing for supper, +in fact. Ann knew all about the good things in the +pantry, she was wild with delight at the unwonted stir, +and anxious not to lose a minute of it. She thought +some one else might go for the cows that night. She +cried and sulked, but there was no help for it. Go +she had to. So she tucked up her gown—it was her +best Sunday one—took her stick, and trudged along. +When she came to the pasture, there were her master's +cows waiting at the bars. So were Neighbor Belcher's +cows also, in the adjoining pasture. Ann had her +hand on the topmost of her own bars, when she happened +to glance over at Neighbor Belcher's, and a +thought struck her. She burst into a peal of laughter, +and took a step towards the other bars. Then she +went back to her own. Finally, she let down the +Belcher bars, and the Belcher cows crowded out, to the +great astonishment of the Wales cows, who stared over +their high rails and mooed uneasily.</p> +<p> +Ann drove the Belcher cows home and ushered them +into Samuel Wales' barnyard with speed. Then she +went demurely into the house. The table looked beautiful. +Ann was beginning to quake inwardly, though +she still was hugging herself, so to speak, in secret +enjoyment of her own mischief. She had one hope—that +supper would be eaten before her master milked. +But the hope was vain. When she saw Mr. Wales +come in, glance her way, and then call his wife out,<span class="page"><a name="page281" id="page281">[Page 281]</a></span> +she knew at once what had happened, and begun to +tremble—she knew perfectly what Mr. Wales was +saying out there. It was this: "That little limb has +driven home all Neighbor Belcher's cows instead of +ours; what's going to be done with her?"</p> +<p> +She knew what the answer would be, too. Mrs. +Polly was a peremptory woman.</p> +<p> +Back Ann had to go with the Belcher cows, fasten +them safely in their pasture again, and drive her master's +home. She was hustled off to bed, then, without +any of that beautiful supper. But she had just crept +into her bed in the small unfinished room upstairs +where she slept, and was lying there sobbing, when she +heard a slow, fumbling step on the stairs. Then the +door opened, and Mrs. Deacon Thomas Wales, Samuel +Wales' mother, came in. She was a good old lady, and +had always taken a great fancy to her son's bound girl; +and Ann, on her part, minded her better than any one +else. She hid her face in the tow sheet, when she saw +grandma. The old lady had on a long black silk +apron. She held something concealed under it, when +she came in. Presently she displayed it.</p> +<p> +"There—child," said she, "here's a piece of sweet +cake and a couple of simballs, that I managed to save +out for you. Jest set right up and eat 'em, and don't +ever be so dretful naughty again, or I don't know what +will become of you."</p> +<p> +This reproof, tempered with sweetness, had a salutary<span class="page"><a name="page282" id="page282">[Page 282]</a></span> +effect on Ann. She sat up, and ate her sweet cake +and simballs, and sobbed out her contrition to grandma, +and there was a marked improvement in her conduct +for some days.</p> +<p> +Mrs. Polly was a born driver. She worked hard +herself, and she expected everybody about her to. +The tasks which Ann had set her did not seem as +much out of proportion, then, as they would now. +Still, her mistress, even then, allowed her less time +for play than was usual, though it was all done in +good faith, and not from any intentional severity. As +time went on, she grew really quite fond of the child, +and she was honestly desirous of doing her whole +duty by her. If she had had a daughter of her own, +it is doubtful if her treatment of her would have been +much different.</p> +<p> +Still, Ann was too young to understand all this, +and, sometimes, though she was strong and healthy, +and not naturally averse to work, she would rebel, +when her mistress set her stints so long, and kept her +at work when other children were playing.</p> +<p> +Once in a while she would confide in grandma, +when Mrs. Polly sent her over there on an errand and +she had felt unusually aggrieved because she had had +to wind quills, or hetchel, instead of going berrying, or +some like pleasant amusement.</p> +<p> +"Poor little cosset," grandma would say, pityingly.</p> +<p> +Then she would give her a simball, and tell her she<span class="page"><a name="page283" id="page283">[Page 283]</a></span> +must "be a good girl, and not mind if she couldn't +play jest like the others, for she'd got to airn her own +livin', when she grew up, and she must learn to work."</p> +<p> +Ann would go away comforted, but grandma would +be privately indignant. She was, as is apt to be the +case, rather critical with her sons' wives, and she +thought "Sam'l's kept that poor little gal too stiddy +at work," and wished and wished she could shelter her +under her own grandmotherly wing, and feed her with +simballs to her heart's content. She was too wise to +say anything to influence the child against her mistress, +however. She was always cautious about that, even +while pitying her. Once in a while she would speak +her mind to her son, but he was easy enough—Ann +would not have found him a hard task-master.</p> +<p> +Still, Ann did not have to work hard enough to hurt +her. The worst consequences were that such a rigid +rein on such a frisky little colt perhaps had more to do +with her "cutting up," as her mistress phrased it, +than she dreamed of. Moreover the thought of the +indentures, securely locked up in Mr. Wales' tall +wooden desk, was forever in Ann's mind. Half by +dint of questioning various people, half by her own +natural logic she had settled it within herself, that at +any time the possession of these papers would set her +free, and she could go back to her own mother, whom +she dimly remembered as being loud-voiced, but merry, +and very indulgent. However, Ann never meditated<span class="page"><a name="page284" id="page284">[Page 284]</a></span> +in earnest, taking the indentures; indeed, the desk +was always locked—it held other documents more +valuable than hers—and Samuel Wales carried the +key in his waistcoat-pocket.</p> +<p> +She went to a dame's school three months every +year. Samuel Wales carted half a cord of wood to +pay for her schooling, and she learned to write and +read in the New England Primer. Next to her, on +the split log bench, sat a little girl named Hannah +French. The two became fast friends. Hannah was +an only child, pretty and delicate, and very much +petted by her parents. No long hard tasks were set +those soft little fingers, even in those old days when +children worked as well as their elders. Ann admired +and loved Hannah, because she had what she, herself, +had not; and Hannah loved and pitied Ann because +she had not what she had. It was a sweet little friendship, +and would not have been, if Ann had not been +free from envy and Hannah humble and pitying.</p> +<p> +When Ann told her what a long stint she had to +do before school, Hannah would shed sympathizing +tears.</p> +<p> +Ann, after a solemn promise of secrecy, told her +about the indentures one day. Hannah listened with +round, serious eyes; her brown hair was combed +smoothly down over her ears. She was a veritable +little Puritan damsel herself.</p> +<p> +"If I could only get the papers, I wouldn't have to<span class="page"><a name="page285" id="page285">[Page 285]</a></span> +mind her, and work so hard," said Ann.</p> +<p> +Hannah's eyes grew rounder. "Why, it would be +sinful to take them!" said she.</p> +<p> +Ann's cheeks blazed under her wondering gaze, and +she said no more.</p> +<p> +When she was about eleven years old, one icy January +day, Hannah wanted her to go out and play on +the ice after school. They had no skates, but it was +rare fun to slide. Ann went home and asked Mrs. +Polly's permission with a beating heart; she promised +to do a double stint next day, if she would let her go. +But her mistress was inexorable—work before play, +she said, always; and Ann must not forget that she +was to be brought up to work; it was different with +her from what it was with Hannah French. Even +this she meant kindly enough, but Ann saw Hannah +go away, and sat down to her spinning with more fierce +defiance in her heart than had ever been there before. +She had been unusually good, too, lately. She always +was, during the three months' schooling, with sober, +gentle little Hannah French.</p> +<p> +She had been spinning sulkily a while, and it was +almost dark, when a messenger came for her master +and mistress to go to Deacon Thomas Wales', who had +been suddenly taken very ill.</p> +<p> +Ann would have felt sorry if she had not been so +angry. Deacon Wales was almost as much of a favorite +of hers as his wife. As it was, the principal<span class="page"><a name="page286" id="page286">[Page 286]</a></span> +thing she thought of, after Mr. Wales and his wife +had gone, was that the key was in the desk. However +it had happened, there it was. She hesitated a moment. +She was all alone in the kitchen, and her heart +was in a tumult of anger, but she had learned her +lessons from the Bible and the New England Primer, +and she was afraid of the sin. But at last she opened +the desk, found the indentures, and hid them in the +little pocket which she wore tied about her waist, under +her petticoat.</p> +<p> +Then Ann threw her blanket over her head, and +got her poppet out of the chest. The poppet was a +little doll manufactured from a corn-cob, dressed in +an indigo-colored gown. Grandma had made it for +her, and it was her chief treasure. She clasped it +tight to her bosom, and ran across lots to Hannah +French's.</p> +<p> +Hannah saw her coming, and met her at the door.</p> +<p> +"I've brought you my poppet," whispered Ann, all +breathless, "and you must keep her always, and not +let her work too hard. I'm going away!"</p> +<p> +Hannah's eyes looked like two solemn moons. +"Where are you going, Ann?"</p> +<p> +"I'm going to Boston to find my own mother." +She said nothing about the indentures to Hannah—somehow +she could not.</p> +<p> +Hannah could not say much, she was so astonished, +but as soon as Ann had gone, scudding across the<span class="page"><a name="page287" id="page287">[Page 287]</a></span> +fields, she went in with the poppet and told her mother.</p> +<p> +Deacon Thomas Wales was very sick. Mr. and Mrs. +Samuel remained at his house all night, but Ann was +not left alone, for Mr. Wales had an apprentice who +slept in the house.</p> +<p> +Ann did not sleep any that night. She got up very +early, before any one was stirring, and dressed herself +in her Sunday clothes. Then she tied up her working +clothes in a bundle, crept softly downstairs, and out +doors.</p> +<p> +It was bright moonlight and quite cold. She ran +along as fast as she could on the Boston road. Deacon +Thomas Wales's house was on the way. The windows +were lit up. She thought of grandma and poor grandpa, +with a sob in her heart, but she sped along. Past +the schoolhouse, and meeting-house, too, she had to go, +with big qualms of grief and remorse. But she kept +on. She was a fast traveler.</p> +<p> +She had reached the North Precinct of Braintree by +daylight. So far, she had not encountered a single +person. Now she heard horse's hoofs behind her. +She began to run faster, but it was of no use. Soon +Captain Abraham French loomed up on his big gray +horse, a few paces from her. He was Hannah's father, +but he was a tithing-man, and looked quite stern, and +Ann had always stood in great fear of him.</p> +<p> +She ran on as fast as her little heels could fly, with +a thumping heart. But it was not long before she<span class="page"><a name="page288" id="page288">[Page 288]</a></span> +felt herself seized by a strong arm and swung up behind +Captain French on the gray horse. She was in a panic +of terror, and would have cried and begged for mercy +if she had not been in so much awe of her captor. +She thought with awful apprehension of these stolen +indentures in her little pocket. What if he should find +that out!</p> +<p> +Captain French whipped up his horse, however, and +hastened along without saying a word. His silence, if +anything, caused more dread in Ann than words would +have. But his mind was occupied. Deacon Thomas +Wales was dead; he was one of his most beloved and +honored friends, and it was a great shock to him. +Hannah had told him about Ann's premeditated escape, +and he had set out on her track as soon as he had +found that she was really gone, that morning. But +the news which he had heard on his way, had driven +all thoughts of reprimand which he might have entertained, +out of his head. He only cared to get the child +safely back.</p> +<p> +So not a word spoke Captain French, but rode on +in grim and sorrowful silence, with Ann clinging to +him, till he reached her master's door. Then he set +her down with a stern and solemn injunction never to +transgress again, and rode away.</p> +<p> +Ann went into the kitchen with a quaking heart. +It was empty and still. Its very emptiness and stillness +seemed to reproach her. There stood the desk—she<span class="page"><a name="page289" id="page289">[Page 289]</a></span> +ran across to it, pulled the indentures from her +pocket, put them in their old place, and shut the lid +down. There they staid till the full and just time of +her servitude had expired. She never disturbed them +again.</p> +<p> +On account of the grief and confusion incident on +Deacon Wales's death, she escaped with very little censure. +She never made an attempt to run away again. +Indeed, she had no wish to, for after Deacon Wales's +death, grandma was lonely and wanted her, and she +lived most of the time with her. And, whether she +was in reality treated any more kindly or not, she was +certainly happier.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page290" id="page290">[Page 290]</a></span> + +<h2>DEACON THOMAS WALES'S <a name="will" id="will">WILL</a>.</h2> + +<p class="indentq"> +In the Name of God Amen! the Thirteenth Day of September +One Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty & eight, I, Thomas Wales +of Braintree, in the County of Suffolk & Province of the Massachusetts +Bay in New England, Gent—being in good health of +Body and of Sound Disproving mind and Memory, Thanks be +given to God—Calling to mind my mortality, Do therefore in +my health make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament. +And First I Recommend my Soul into the hand of God who gave +it—Hoping through grace to obtain Salvation thro' the merits +and Mediation of Jesus Christ my only Lord and Dear Redeemer, +and my body to be Decently inter<sup>d</sup>, at the Discretion of +my Executor, believing at the General Resurection to receive +the Same again by the mighty Power of God—And such worldly +estate as God in his goodness hath graciously given me after +Debts, funeral Expenses &c, are Paid I give & Dispose of the +Same as Followeth—</p> +<p class="indentq"> +<i>Imprimis</i>—I Give to my beloved Wife Sarah a good Sute of +mourning apparrel Such as she may Choose—also if she acquit +my estate of Dower and third-therin (as we have agreed) Then +that my Executor return all of Household movables she bought +at our marriage & since that are remaining, also to Pay to her +or Her Heirs That Note of Forty Pound I gave to her, when she +acquited my estate and I hers. Before Division to be made as +herein exprest, also the Southwest fire-Room in my House, a +right in my Cellar, Halfe the Garden, also the Privilege of water +at the well & yard room and to bake in the oven what she hath +need of to improve her Life-time by her.</p> + +<p> +After this, followed a division of his property +amongst his children, five sons and two daughters.</p> + +<p> +The "Homeplace" was given to his sons Ephraim and <span class="page"><a name="page291" id="page291">[Page 291]</a></span> +Atherton. Ephraim had a good house of his own, so +he took his share of the property in land, and Atherton +went to live in the old homestead. His quarters had +been poor enough; he had not been so successful as +his brothers, and had been unable to live as well. It +had been a great cross to his wife, Dorcas, who was +very high-spirited. She had compared, bitterly, the +poverty of her household arrangements, with the abundant +comfort of her sisters-in-law.</p> +<p> +Now, she seized eagerly at the opportunity of improving +her style of living. The old Wales house was +quite a pretentious edifice for those times. All the +drawback to her delight was, that Grandma should +have the southwest fire-room. She wanted to set up +her high-posted bedstead, with its enormous feather-bed +in that, and have it for her fore-room. Properly, +it was the fore-room, being right across the entry from +the family sitting-room. There was a tall chest of +drawers that would fit in so nicely between the windows, +too. Take it altogether, she was chagrined at +having to give up the southwest room; but there +was no help for it—there it was in Deacon Wales's +will.</p> +<p> +Mrs. Dorcas was the youngest of all the sons' wives, +as her husband was the latest born. She was quite a +girl to some of them. Grandma had never more than +half approved of her. Dorcas was high-strung and +flighty, she said. She had her doubts about living<span class="page"><a name="page292" id="page292">[Page 292]</a></span> +happily with her. But Atherton was anxious for this +division of the property, and he was her youngest darling, +so she gave in. She felt lonely, and out of her +element, when everything was arranged, she established +in the southwest fire-room, and Atherton's family +keeping house in the others, though things started +pleasantly and peaceably enough.</p> +<p> +It occurred to her that her son Samuel might have +her own "help," a stout woman, who had worked in +her kitchen for many years, and she take in exchange +his little bound girl, Ann Ginnins. She had always +taken a great fancy to the child. There was a large +closet out of the southwest room, where she could +sleep, and she could be made very useful, taking steps, +and running "arrants" for her.</p> +<p> +Mr. Samuel and his wife hesitated a little when +this plan was proposed. In spite of the trouble she +gave them, they were attached to Ann, and did not +like to part with her, and Mrs. Polly was just getting +her "larnt" her own ways, as she put it. Privately, +she feared Grandma would undo all the good she had +done, in teaching Ann to be smart and capable. Finally +they gave in, with the understanding that it was +not to be considered necessarily a permanent arrangement, +and Ann went to live with the old lady.</p> +<p> +Mrs. Dorcas did not relish this any more than she +did the appropriation of the southwest fire-room. She +had never liked Ann very well. Besides she had two<span class="page"><a name="page293" id="page293">[Page 293]</a></span> +little girls of her own, and she fancied Ann rivaled +them in Grandma's affection. So, soon after the girl +was established in the house, she began to show out in +various little ways.</p> +<p> +Thirsey, her youngest child, was a mere baby, a +round fat dumpling of a thing. She was sweet, and +good-natured, and the pet of the whole family. Ann +was very fond of playing with her, and tending her, +and Mrs. Dorcas began to take advantage of it. The +minute Ann was at liberty she was called upon to take +care of Thirsey. The constant carrying about such a +heavy child soon began to make her shoulders stoop +and ache. Then Grandma took up the cudgels. She +was smart and high-spirited, but she was a very peaceable +old lady on her own account, and fully resolved +"to put up with everything from Dorcas, rather than +have strife in the family." She was not going to see +this helpless little girl imposed on, however. "The +little gal ain't goin' to get bent all over, tendin' that +heavy baby, Dorcas," she proclaimed. "You can jist +make up your mind to it. She didn't come here to +do sech work."</p> +<p> +So Dorcas had to make up her mind to it.</p> +<p> +Ann's principal duties were "scouring the brasses" +in Grandma's room, taking steps for her, and spinning +her stint every day. Grandma set smaller stints than +Mrs. Polly. As time went on, she helped about the +cooking. She and Grandma cooked their own victuals,<span class="page"><a name="page294" id="page294">[Page 294]</a></span> +and ate from a little separate table in the common +kitchen. It was a very large room, and might have +accommodated several families, if they could have +agreed. There was a big oven and a roomy fire-place. +Good Deacon Wales had probably seen no reason at +all why his "beloved wife" should not have her right +therein with the greatest peace and concord.</p> +<p> +But it soon came to pass that Mrs. Dorcas's pots and +kettles were all prepared to hang on the trammels +when Grandma's were, and an army of cakes and pies +marshaled to go in the oven when Grandma had proposed +to do some baking. Grandma bore it patiently +for a long time; but Ann was with difficulty restrained +from freeing her small mind, and her black eyes +snapped more dangerously at every new offense.</p> +<p> +One morning, Grandma had two loaves of "riz +bread," and some election cakes, rising, and was intending +to bake them in about an hour, when they should +be sufficiently light. What should Mrs. Dorcas do, +but mix up sour milk bread, and some pies with the +greatest speed, and fill up the oven, before Grandma's +cookery was ready!</p> +<p> +Grandma sent Ann out into the kitchen to put the +loaves-in the oven and lo and behold! the oven was +full. Ann stood staring for a minute, with a loaf of +election cake in her hands; that and the bread would +be ruined if they were not baked immediately, as they +were raised enough. Mrs. Dorcas had taken Thirsey<span class="page"><a name="page295" id="page295">[Page 295]</a></span> +and stepped out somewhere, and there was no one in +the kitchen. Ann set the election cake back on the +table. Then, with the aid of the tongs, she reached +into the brick oven and took out every one of Mrs. +Dorcas's pies and loaves. Then she arranged them +deliberately in a pitiful semicircle on the hearth, and +put Grandma's cookery in the oven.</p> +<p> +She went back to the southwest room then, and sat +quietly down to her spinning. Grandma asked if she +had put the things in, and she said "Yes, ma'am," +meekly. There was a bright red spot on each of her +dark cheeks.</p> +<p> +When Mrs. Dorcas entered the kitchen, carrying +Thirsey wrapped up in an old homespun blanket, she +nearly dropped as her gaze fell on the fire-place and +the hearth. There sat her bread and pies, in the most +lamentable half-baked, sticky, doughy condition imaginable. +She opened the oven, and peered in. There +were Grandma's loaves, all a lovely brown. Out they +came, with a twitch. Luckily, they were done. Her +own went in, but they were irretrievable failures.</p> +<p> +Of course, quite a commotion came from this. Dorcas +raised her shrill voice pretty high, and Grandma, +though she had been innocent of the whole transaction, +was so blamed that she gave Dorcas a piece of her mind +at last. Ann surveyed the nice brown loaves, and listened +to the talk in secret satisfaction; but she had to +suffer for it afterward. Grandma punished her for<span class="page"><a name="page296" id="page296">[Page 296]</a></span> +the first time, and she discovered that that kind old +hand was pretty firm and strong. "No matter what +you think or whether you air in the rights on't, or +not, a little gal mustn't ever sass her elders," said +Grandma.</p> +<p> +But if Ann's interference was blamable, it was productive +of one good result—the matter came to Mr. +Atherton's ears, and he had a stern sense of justice +when roused, and a great veneration for his mother. +His father's will should be carried out to the letter, he +declared; and it was. Grandma baked and boiled in +peace, outwardly, at least, after that.</p> +<p> +Ann was a great comfort to her; she was outgrowing +her wild, mischievous ways, and she was so bright +and quick. She promised to be pretty, too. Grandma +compared her favorably with her own grandchildren, +especially Mrs. Dorcas's eldest daughter Martha, who +was nearly Ann's age. "Marthy's a pretty little gal +enough," she used to say, "but she ain't got the snap +to her that Ann has, though I wouldn't tell Atherton's +wife so, for the world."</p> +<p> +She promised Ann her gold beads, when she should +be done with them, under strict injunctions not to say +anything about it till the time came; for the others +might feel hard as she wasn't her own flesh and blood. +The gold beads were Ann's ideals of beauty and richness, +though she did not like to hear Grandma talk +about being "done with them." Grandma always<span class="page"><a name="page297" id="page297">[Page 297]</a></span> +wore them around her fair, plump old neck; she had +never seen her without her string of beads.</p> +<p> +As before said, Ann was now very seldom mischievous +enough to make herself serious trouble; but, once +in a while, her natural propensities would crop out. +When they did, Mrs. Dorcas was exceedingly bitter. +Indeed, her dislike of Ann was, at all times, smouldering, +and needed only a slight fanning to break out.</p> +<p> +One stormy winter day Mrs. Dorcas had been working +till dark, making candle-wicks. When she came +to get tea, she tied the white fleecy rolls together, a +great bundle of them, and hung them up in the cellar-way, +over the stair, to be out of the way. They were +extra fine wicks, being made of flax for the company +candles. "I've got a good job done," said Mrs. Dorcas, +surveying them complacently. Her husband had +gone to Boston, and was not coming home till the next +day, so she had had a nice chance to work at them, +without as much interruption as usual.</p> +<p> +Ann, going down the cellar stairs, with a lighted +candle, after some butter for tea, spied the beautiful +rolls swinging overhead. What possessed her to, she +could not herself have told—she certainly had no +wish to injure Mrs. Dorcas's wicks—but she pinched +up a little end of the fluffy flax and touched her candle +to it. She thought she would see how that little bit +would burn off. She soon found out. The flame +caught, and ran like lightning through the whole<span class="page"><a name="page298" id="page298">[Page 298]</a></span> +bundle. There was a great puff of fire and smoke, +and poor Mrs. Dorcas's fine candle-wicks were gone. +Ann screamed, and sprang downstairs. She barely +escaped the whole blaze coming in her face.</p> +<p> +"What's that!" shrieked Mrs. Dorcas, rushing to +the cellar door. Words cannot describe her feeling +when she saw that her nice candle-wicks, the fruit of +her day's toil, were burnt up.</p> +<p> +If ever there was a wretched culprit that night, Ann +was. She had not meant to do wrong, but that, may +be, made it worse for her in one way. She had not +even gratified malice to sustain her. Grandma blamed +her, almost as severely as Mrs. Dorcas. She said she +didn't know what would "become of a little gal, that +was so keerless," and decreed that she must stay at +home from school and work on candle-wicks till Mrs. +Dorcas's loss was made good to her. Ann listened +ruefully. She was scared and sorry, but that did not +seem to help matters any. She did not want any supper, +and she went to bed early and cried herself to +sleep.</p> +<p> +Somewhere about midnight, a strange sound woke +her up. She called out to Grandma in alarm. The +same sound had awakened her. "Get up, an' light a +candle, child," said she; "I'm afeard the baby's sick."</p> +<p> +Ann scarcely had the candle lighted, before the door +opened, and Mrs. Dorcas appeared in her nightdress. +She was very pale, and trembling all over. "Oh!"<span class="page"><a name="page299" id="page299">[Page 299]</a></span> +she gasped, "it's the baby. Thirsey's got the croup, +an' Atherton's away, and there ain't anybody to go for +the doctor. Oh, what shall I do, what shall I do!" +She fairly wrung her hands.</p> +<p> +"Hev you tried the skunk's oil?" asked Grandma +eagerly, preparing to get up.</p> +<p> +"Yes, I have, I have! It's a good hour since she +woke up, an' I've tried everything. It hasn't done +any good. I thought I wouldn't call you, if I could +help it, but she's worse—only hear her! An' Atherton's +away! Oh! what shall I do, what shall I +do?"</p> +<p> +"Don't take on so, Dorcas," said Grandma, tremulously, +but cheeringly. "I'll come right along, an'—why, +child, what air you goin' to do?"</p> +<p> +Ann had finished dressing herself, and now she was +pinning a heavy homespun blanket over her head, as if +she were preparing to go out doors.</p> +<p> +"I'm going after the doctor for Thirsey," said Ann, +her black eyes flashing with determination.</p> +<p> +"Oh, will you, will you!" cried Mrs. Dorcas, catching +at this new help.</p> +<p> +"Hush, Dorcas," said Grandma, sternly. "It's an +awful storm out—jist hear the wind blow! It ain't +fit fur her to go. Her life's jist as precious as +Thirsey's."</p> +<p> +Ann said nothing more, but she went into her own +little room with the same determined look in her eyes.<span class="page"><a name="page300" id="page300">[Page 300]</a></span> +There was a door leading from this room into the +kitchen. Ann slipped through it hastily, lit a lantern +which was hanging beside the kitchen chimney, and +was out doors in a minute.</p> +<p> +The storm was one of sharp, driving sleet, which +struck her face like so many needles. The first blast, +as she stepped outside the door, seemed to almost force +her back, but her heart did not fail her. The snow +was not so very deep, but it was hard walking. There +was no pretense of a path. The doctor lived half a +mile away, and there was not a house in the whole distance, +save the meeting house and schoolhouse. It was +very dark. Lucky it was that she had taken the lantern; +she could not have found her way without it.</p> +<p> +On kept the little slender, erect figure, with the fierce +determination in its heart, through the snow and sleet, +holding the blanket close over its head, and swinging +the feeble lantern bravely.</p> +<p> +When she reached the doctor's house, he was gone. +He had started for the North Precinct early in the +evening, his good wife said; he was called down to +Captain Isaac Lovejoy's, the house next the North +Precinct Meeting House. She'd been sitting up waiting +for him, it was such an awful storm, and such a +lonely road. She was worried, but she didn't think +he'd start for home that night; she guessed he'd stay +at Captain Lovejoy's till morning.</p> +<span class="page"><a name="page301" id="page301">[Page 301]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate49" id="plate49">[plate 49]</a></span> +<img src="images/49-exhaustion.jpg" width="520" height="340" alt="She almost fainted from cold and exhaustion." border="0" /><br /><br /> +SHE ALMOST FAINTED FROM COLD AND EXHAUSTION.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +The doctor's wife, holding her door open, as best she<span class="page"><a name="page303" id="page303">[Page 303]</a></span> +could, in the violent wind, had hardly given this information +to the little snow-bedraggled object standing +out there in the inky darkness, through which the +lantern made a faint circle of light, before she had +disappeared.</p> +<p> +"She went like a speerit," said the good woman, +staring out into the blackness in amazement. She +never dreamed of such a thing as Ann's going to the +North Precinct after the doctor, but that was what the +daring girl had determined to do. She had listened +to the doctor's wife in dismay, but with never one +doubt as to her own course of proceeding.</p> +<p> +Straight along the road to the North Precinct she +kept. It would have been an awful journey that night +for a strong man. It seemed incredible that a little +girl could have the strength or courage to accomplish +it. There were four miles to traverse in a black, howling +storm, over a pathless road, through forests, with +hardly a house by the way.</p> +<p> +When she reached Captain Isaac Lovejoy's house, +next to the meeting house in the North Precinct of +Braintree, stumbling blindly into the warm, lighted +kitchen, the captain and the doctor could hardly believe +their senses. She told the doctor about Thirsey; +then she almost fainted from cold and exhaustion.</p> +<p> +Good-wife Lovejoy laid her on the settee, and brewed +her some hot herb tea. She almost forgot her own +sick little girl, for a few minutes, in trying to restore<span class="page"><a name="page304" id="page304">[Page 304]</a></span> +this brave child who had come from the South Precinct +in this dreadful storm to save little Thirsey Wales's +life.</p> +<p> +When Ann came to herself a little, her first question +was, if the doctor were ready to go.</p> +<p> +"He's gone," said Mrs. Lovejoy, cheeringly.</p> +<p> +Ann felt disappointed. She had thought she was +going back with him. But that would have been impossible. +She could not have stood the journey for +the second time that night, even on horseback behind +the doctor, as she had planned.</p> +<p> +She drank a second bowlful of herb tea, and went +to bed with a hot stone at her feet, and a great many +blankets and coverlids over her.</p> +<p> +The next morning, Captain Lovejoy carried her +home. He had a rough wood sled, and she rode on +that, on an old quilt; it was easier than horseback, +and she was pretty lame and tired.</p> +<p> +Mrs. Dorcas saw her coming and opened the door. +When Ann came up on the stoop, she just threw her +arms around her and kissed her.</p> +<p> +"You needn't make the candle-wicks," said she. +"It's no matter about them at all. Thirsey's better +this morning, an' I guess you saved her life."</p> +<p> +Grandma was fairly bursting with pride and delight +in her little gal's brave feat, now that she saw her +safe. She untied the gold beads on her neck, and +fastened them around Ann's. "There," said she,<span class="page"><a name="page305" id="page305">[Page 305]</a></span> +"you may wear them to school to-day, if you'll be +keerful."</p> +<p> +That day, with the gold beads by way of celebration, +began a new era in Ann's life. There was no more +secret animosity between her and Mrs. Dorcas. The +doctor had come that night in the very nick of time. +Thirsey was almost dying. Her mother was fully convinced +that Ann had saved her life, and she never +forgot it. She was a woman of strong feelings, who +never did things by halves, and she not only treated +Ann with kindness, but she seemed to smother her +grudge against Grandma for robbing her of the southwest +fire-room.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<span class="page"><a name="page306" id="page306">[Page 306]</a></span> + +<h2>THE ADOPTED <a name="daughter" id="daughter">DAUGHTER</a>.</h2> + + +<p class="indentq"> +The Inventory of the Estate of Samuel Wales Late +of Braintree, Taken by the Subscribers, March the +14th, 1761.</p> + +<table width="85%" cellpadding="10" align="center"border="0" summary="inventory"> +<tr> + <td class="list" width="80%" valign="top"> +His Purse in Cash<br /> +His apparrel<br /> +His watch<br /> +The Best Bed with two Coverlids, three, <br /> + two underbeds, two Bolsters, two pillows,<br /> + Bedstead rope <br /> +One mill Blanket, two Phlanel sheets, 12 toe Sheets <br /> +Eleven Towels & table Cloth<br /> +a pair of mittens & pr. of Gloves<br /> +a neck Handkerchief & neckband<br /> +an ovel Tabel—Two other Tabels<br /> +A Chist with Draws<br /> +Another Low Chist with Draws & three other Chists <br /> +Six best Chears and a great chear<br /> +a warming pan—Two Brass Kittles<br /> +a Small Looking Glass, five Pewter Basons<br /> +fifteen other Chears<br /> +fire arms, Sword & bayonet<br /> +Six Porringers, four platters, Two Pewter Pots<br /> +auger Chisel, Gimlet, a Bible & other Books<br /> +A chese press, great spinning-wheel, & spindle<br /> +a smith's anvil<span class="page"><a name="page307" id="page307">[Page 307]</a></span><br /> +the Pillion<br /> +a Bleu Jacket<br /><br /> + +<span class="lc2">A</span><span class="sc2">ARON</span> <span class="lc2">W</span><span class="sc2">HITCOMB.</span><br /> + <span class="lc2">S</span><span class="sc2">ILAS</span> <span class="lc2">W</span><span class="sc2">HITE.</span> +</td> +<td class="list1" width="20%" valign="top"> + £11-15-01<br /> + 10-11-00<br /> + 2-13-04<br /> + <br /> + <br /> + £ 6 <br /> + £ 3- 4- 8<br /> + 0-15- 0<br /> + 0- 2- 0<br /> + 0- 4- 0<br /> + 1-12- 0<br /> + 2- 8- 0<br /> + 1-10- 0<br /> + 1- 6- 0<br /> + 1- 5- 0<br /> + 0- 7- 8<br /> + 0-15- 0<br /> + 1- 4- 0<br /> + £ 1- 0- 4<br /> + 0-15- 4<br /> + 0- 9- 0<br /> + £ 3-12- 0<br /> + 0- 8- 0<br /> + 0- 0- 3<br /> +</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p> +The foregoing is only a small portion of the original +inventory of Samuel Wales's estate. He was an exceedingly +well-to-do man for these times. He had a good +many acres of rich pasture and woodland, and considerable +live stock. Then his home was larger and more +comfortable than was usual then; and his stock of +household utensils plentiful.</p> +<p> +He died three years after Ann Ginnins went to live +with Grandma, when she was about thirteen years old. +Grandma spared her to Mrs. Polly for a few weeks +after the funeral; there was a great deal to be done, +and she needed some extra help. And, after all, Ann +was legally bound to her, and her lawful servant.</p> +<p> +So the day after good Samuel Wales was laid away +in the little Braintree burying-ground, Ann returned +to her old quarters for a little while. She did not +really want to go; but she did not object to the plan +at all. She was sincerely sorry for poor Mrs. Polly, +and wanted to help her, if she could. She mourned, +herself, for Mr. Samuel. He had always been very +kind to her.</p> +<p> +Mrs. Polly had for company, besides Ann, Nabby +Porter, Grandma's old hired woman whom she had +made over to her, and a young man who had been<span class="page"><a name="page308" id="page308">[Page 308]</a></span> +serving as apprentice to Mr. Samuel. His name was +Phineas Adams. He was very shy and silent, but a +good workman.</p> +<p> +Samuel Wales left a will bequeathing everything to +his widow; that was solemnly read in the fore-room +one afternoon; then the inventory had to be taken. +That, on account of the amount of property, was quite +an undertaking; but it was carried out with the greatest +formality and precision.</p> +<p> +For several days, Mr. Aaron Whitcomb and Mr. +Silas White were stalking majestically about the +premises, with note-books and pens. Aaron Whitcomb +was a grave, portly old man, with a large head of white +hair. Silas White was little and wiry and fussy. He +monopolized the greater part of the business, although +he was not half as well fitted for it as his companion.</p> +<p> +They pried into everything with religious exactitude. +Mrs. Polly watched them with beseeming awe and deference, +but it was a great trial to her, and she grew +very nervous over it. It seemed dreadful to have all +her husband's little personal effects, down to his neckband +and mittens, handled over, and their worth in +shillings and pence calculated. She had a price fixed +on them already in higher currency.</p> +<p> +Ann found her crying one afternoon sitting on the +kitchen settle, with her apron over her head. When +she saw the little girl's pitying look, she poured out<span class="page"><a name="page309" id="page309">[Page 309]</a></span> +her trouble to her.</p> +<p> +"They've just been valuing his mittens and gloves," +said she, sobbing, "at two-and-sixpence. I shall be +thankful when they are through."</p> +<p> +"Are there any more of his things?" asked Ann, +her black eyes flashing, with the tears in them.</p> +<p> +"I think they've seen about all. There's his blue +jacket he used to milk in, a-hanging behind the shed +door—I guess they haven't valued that yet."</p> +<p> +"I think it's a shame!" quoth Ann. "I don't +believe there's any need of so much law."</p> +<p> +"Hush, child! You mustn't set yourself up against +the judgment of your elders. Such things have to be +done."</p> +<p> +Ann said no more, but the indignant sparkle did +not fade out of her eyes at all. She watched her +opportunity, and took down Mr. Wales's old blue +jacket from its peg behind the shed door, ran with it +upstairs, and hid it in her own room behind the bed. +"There," said she, "Mrs. Wales sha'n't cry over +that!"</p> +<p> +That night, at tea time, the work of taking the inventory +was complete. Mr. Whitcomb and Mr. White +walked away with their long lists, satisfied that they +had done their duty according to the law. Every +article of Samuel Wales's property, from a warming-pan +to a chest of drawers, was set down, with the sole +exception of that old blue jacket, which Ann had<span class="page"><a name="page310" id="page310">[Page 310]</a></span> +hidden.</p> +<p> +She felt complacent over it at first; then she began +to be uneasy.</p> +<p> +"Nabby," said she confidentially to the old servant +woman, when they were washing the pewter plates +together after supper, "what would they do if anybody +shouldn't let them set down all the things—if they hid +some of 'em away, I mean?"</p> +<p> +"They'd make a dretful time on't," said Nabby impressively. +She was a large, stern-looking old woman. +"They air dretful perticklar 'bout these things. They +hev to be."</p> +<p> +Ann was scared when she heard that. When the +dishes were done, she sat down on the settle and thought +it over, and made up her mind what to do.</p> +<p> +The next morning, in the frosty dawning, before the +rest of the family were up, a slim, erect little figure +could have been seen speeding across lots toward Mr. +Silas White's. She had the old blue jacket tucked +under her arm. When she reached the house, she +spied Mr. White just coming out of the back door with +a milking pail. He carried a lantern, too, for it was +hardly light.</p> +<p> +He stopped and stared when Ann ran up to him.</p> +<p> +"Mr. White," said she, all breathless, "here's—something—I +guess yer didn't see yesterday."</p> +<p> +Mr. White set down the milk pail, took the blue +jacket which she handed him, and scrutinized it sharply<span class="page"><a name="page311" id="page311">[Page 311]</a></span> +by the light of the lantern.</p> +<p> +"I guess we didn't see it," said he finally. "I will +put it down—it's worth about three pence, I judge. +Where"—</p> +<p> +"Silas, Silas!" called a shrill voice from the house. +Silas White dropped the jacket and trotted briskly in, +his lantern bobbing agitatedly. He never delayed a +moment when his wife called; important and tyrannical +as the little man was abroad, he had his own tyrant +at home.</p> +<p> +Ann did not wait for him to return; she snatched +up the blue jacket and fled home, leaping like a little +deer over the hoary fields. She hung up the precious +old jacket behind the shed door again, and no one ever +knew the whole story of its entrance in the inventory. +If she had been questioned, she would have told the +truth boldly, though. But Samuel Wales's Inventory +had for its last item that blue jacket, spelled after Silas +White's own individual method, as was many another +word in the long list. Silas White consulted his own +taste with respect to capital letters too.</p> +<p> +After a few weeks, Grandma said she must have Ann +again; and back she went. Grandma was very feeble +lately, and everybody humored her. Mrs. Polly was +sorry to have the little girl leave her. She said it was +wonderful how much she had improved. But she +would not have admitted that the improvement was +owing to the different influence she had been under;<span class="page"><a name="page312" id="page312">[Page 312]</a></span> +she said Ann had outgrown her mischievous ways.</p> +<p> +Grandma did not live very long after this, however. +Mrs. Polly had her bound girl at her own disposal in +a year's time. Poor Ann was sorrowful enough for a +long while after Grandma's death. She wore the beloved +gold beads round her neck, and a sad ache in her +heart. The dear old woman had taken the beads off +her neck with her own hands and given them to Ann +before she died, that there might be no mistake +about it.</p> +<p> +Mrs. Polly said she was glad Ann had them. "You +might jist as well have 'em as Dorcas's girl," said she; +"she set enough sight more by you."</p> +<p> +Ann could not help growing cheerful again, after +a while. Affairs in Mrs. Polly's house were much +brighter for her, in some ways, than they had ever been +before.</p> +<p> +Either the hot iron of affliction had smoothed some of +the puckers out of her mistress's disposition, or she was +growing, naturally, less sharp and dictatorial. Any +way, she was becoming as gentle and loving with Ann +as it was in her nature to be, and Ann, following her +impulsive temper, returned all the affection with vigor, +and never bestowed a thought on past unpleasantness.</p> +<p> +For the next two years, Ann's position in the family +grew to be more and more that of a daughter. If it +had not been for the indentures, lying serenely in that +tall wooden desk, she would almost have forgotten, herself,<span class="page"><a name="page313" id="page313">[Page 313]</a></span> +that she was a bound girl.</p> +<p> +One spring afternoon, when Ann was about sixteen +years old, her mistress called her solemnly into the +fore-room. "Ann," said she, "come here, I want to +speak to you."</p> +<p> +Nabby stared wonderingly; and Ann, as she obeyed, +felt awed. There was something unusual in her mistress's +tone.</p> +<p> +Standing there in the fore-room, in the august company +of the best bed, with its high posts and flowered-chintz +curtains, the best chest of drawers, and the best +chairs, Ann listened to what Mrs. Polly had to tell her. +It was a plan which almost took her breath away; for +it was this: Mrs. Polly proposed to adopt her, and +change her name to Wales. She would be no longer +Ann Ginnins, and a bound girl: but Ann Wales, and +a daughter in her mother's home.</p> +<p> +Ann dropped into one of the best chairs, and sat +there, her little dark face very pale. "Should I have +the—papers? "she gasped at length.</p> +<p> +"Your papers? Yes, child, you can have them."</p> +<p> +"I don't want them,"cried Ann, "never! I want +them to stay just where they are, till my time is out. +If I am adopted, I don't want the papers!"</p> +<p> +Mrs. Polly stared. She had never known how Ann +had taken the indentures with her on her run-away trip +years ago; but now Ann told her the whole story. In +her gratitude to her mistress, and her contrition, she<span class="page"><a name="page314" id="page314">[Page 314]</a></span> +had to.</p> +<p> +It was so long ago in Ann's childhood, it did not +seem so very dreadful to Mrs. Polly, probably. But +Ann insisted on the indentures remaining in the desk, +even after the papers of adoption were made out, and +she had become "Ann Wales." It seemed to go a +little way toward satisfying her conscience. This adoption +meant a good deal to Ann; for besides a legal +home, and a mother, it secured to her a right in a comfortable +property in the future. Mrs. Polly Wales +was considered very well off. She was a smart business-woman, +and knew how to take care of her property +too. She still hired Phineas Adams to carry on the +blacksmith's business, and kept her farm-work running +just as her husband had. Neither she nor Ann were +afraid of work, and Ann Wales used to milk the cows, +and escort them to and from pasture, as faithfully as +Ann Ginnins.</p> +<p> +It was along in springtime when Ann was adopted, +and Mrs. Polly fulfilled her part of the contract in +the indentures by getting the Sunday suit therein +spoken of.</p> +<p> +They often rode on horseback to meeting, but they +usually walked on the fine Sundays in spring. Ann +had probably never been so happy in her life as she +was walking by Mrs. Polly's side to meeting that first +Sunday after her adoption. Most of the way was +through the woods; the tender light green boughs met<span class="page"><a name="page315" id="page315">[Page 315]</a></span> +over their heads; the violets and anemones were +springing beside their path. There were green buds +and white blossoms all around; the sky showed blue +between the waving branches, and the birds were +singing.</p> +<p> +Ann in her pretty petticoat of rose-colored stuff, +stepping daintily over the young grass and the flowers, +looked and felt like a part of it all. Her dark cheeks +had a beautiful red glow on them; her black eyes shone. +She was as straight and graceful and stately as an +Indian.</p> +<p> +"She's as handsome as a picture," thought Mrs. +Polly in her secret heart. A good many people said +that Ann resembled Mrs. Polly in her youth, and that +may have added force to her admiration.</p> +<p> +Her new gown was very fine for those days; but +fine as she was, and adopted daughter though she was, +Ann did not omit her thrifty ways for once. This +identical morning Mrs. Polly and she carried their best +shoes under their arms, and wore their old ones, till +within a short distance from the meeting-house. Then +the old shoes were tucked away under a stone wall for +safety, and the best ones put on. Stone walls, very +likely, sheltered a good many well-worn little shoes, of +a Puritan Sabbath, that their prudent owners might +appear in the House of God trimly shod. Ah! these +beautiful, new, peaked-toed, high-heeled shoes of Ann's +—what would she have said to walking in them all<span class="page"><a name="page316" id="page316">[Page 316]</a></span> +the way to meeting!</p> +<p> +If that Sunday was an eventful one to Ann Wales, +so was the week following. The next Tuesday, right +after dinner, she was up in a little unfinished chamber +over the kitchen, where they did such work when the +weather permitted, carding wool. All at once, she +heard voices down below. They had a strange inflection, +which gave her warning at once. She dropped +her work and listened. "What is the matter?" +thought she.</p> +<p> +Then there was a heavy tramp on the stairs, and +Captain Abraham French stood in the door, his stern +weather-beaten face white and set. Mrs. Polly followed +him, looking very pale and excited.</p> +<p> +"When did you see anything of our Hannah?" +asked Captain French, controlling as best he could the +tremor in his resolute voice.</p> +<p> +Ann rose, gathering up her big blue apron, cards, +wool and all. "Oh," she cried, "not since last Sabbath, +at meeting! What is it?"</p> +<p> +"She's lost," answered Captain French. "She +started to go up to her Aunt Sarah's Monday forenoon; +and Enos has just been down, and they haven't seen +anything of her." Poor Captain French gave a deep +groan.</p> +<p> +Then they all went down into the kitchen together, +talking and lamenting. And then, Captain French +was galloping away on his gray horse to call assistance,<span class="page"><a name="page317" id="page317">[Page 317]</a></span> +and Ann was flying away over the fields, blue apron, +cards, wool and all.</p> +<p> +"O, Ann!" Mrs. Polly cried after, "where are you +going?"</p> +<p> +"I'm going—to find—Hannah!" Ann shouted +back, in a shrill, desperate voice, and kept on.</p> +<p> +She had no definite notion as to where she was +going; she had only one thought—Hannah French, +her darling, tender, little Hannah French, her friend +whom she loved better than a sister, was lost.</p> +<p> +A good three miles from the Wales home was a +large tract of rough land, half-swamp, known as +"Bear Swamp." There was an opinion, more or less +correct, that bears might be found there. Some had +been shot in that vicinity. Why Ann turned her footsteps +in that direction, she could not have told herself. +Possibly the vague impression of conversations she and +Hannah had had, lingering in her mind, had something +to do with it. Many a time the two little girls +had remarked to each other with a shudder, "How awful +it would be to get lost in Bear Swamp."</p> +<p> +Any way, Ann went straight there, through pasture +and woodland, over ditches and stone walls. She +knew every step of the way for a long distance. When +she gradually got into the unfamiliar wilderness of the +swamp, a thought struck her—suppose she got lost +too! It would be easy enough—the unbroken forest +stretched for miles in some directions. She would not<span class="page"><a name="page318" id="page318">[Page 318]</a></span> +find a living thing but Indians, and, maybe, wild +beasts, the whole distance.</p> +<p> +If she should get lost she would not find Hannah, +and the people would have to hunt for her too. But +Ann had quick wits for an emergency. She had actually +carried those cards, with a big wad of wool between +them all the time, in her gathered-up apron. Now she +began picking off little bits of wool and marking her +way with them, sticking them on the trees and bushes. +Every few feet a fluffy scrap of wool showed the road +Ann had gone.</p> +<p> +But poor Ann went on, farther and farther—and +no sign of Hannah. She kept calling her from time +to time, hallooing at the top of her shrill sweet voice: +"Hannah! Hannah! Hannah Fre-nch!"</p> +<p> +But never a response got the dauntless little girl, +slipping almost up to her knees sometimes, in black +swamp-mud; and sometimes stumbling painfully over +tree-stumps, and through tangled undergrowth.</p> +<p> +"I'll go till my wool gives out," said Ann Wales; +then she used it more sparingly.</p> +<p> +But it was almost gone before she thought she heard +in the distance a faint little cry in response to her call: +"Hannah! Hannah Fre-nch!" She called again and +listened. Yes; she certainly did hear a little cry off +toward the west. Calling from time to time, she went +as nearly as she could in that direction. The pitiful +answering cry grew louder and nearer; finally Ann <span class="page"><a name="page319" id="page319">[Page 319]</a></span> +could distinguish Hannah's voice.</p> +<p> +Wild with joy, she came, at last, upon her sitting +on a fallen hemlock-tree, her pretty face pale, and her +sweet blue eyes strained with terror.</p> +<p> +"O, Hannah!" "O, Ann!"</p> +<p> +"How did you ever get here, Hannah?"</p> +<p> +"I—started for aunt Sarah's—that morning," +explained Hannah, between sobs. "And—I got +frightened in the woods, about a mile from father's. +I saw something ahead I thought was a bear. A great +black thing! Then I ran—and, somehow, the first +thing I knew, I was lost. I walked and walked, and +it seems to me I kept coming right back to the same +place. Finally I sat down here, and staid; I thought +it was all the way for me to be found."</p> +<p> +"O, Hannah! what did you do last night?"</p> +<p> +"I staid somewhere, under some pine-trees," replied +Hannah, with a shudder; "and I kept hearing things—O, Ann!"</p> +<p> +Ann hugged her sympathizingly. "I guess I +wouldn't have slept much if I had known," said she. +"O, Hannah, you haven't had anything to eat! ain't +you starved?"</p> +<p> +Hannah laughed faintly. "I ate up two whole +pumpkin pies I was carrying to aunt Sarah," said she. +"Oh! how lucky it was you had them." +"Yes; mother called me back to get them, after I +started. They were some new ones, made with cream,<span class="page"><a name="page320" id="page320">[Page 320]</a></span> +and she thought aunt Sarah would like them."</p> +<p> +Pretty soon they started. It was hard work, for +the way was very rough, and poor Hannah weak. But +Ann had a good deal of strength in her lithe young +frame, and she half-carried Hannah over the worst +places. Still both of the girls were pretty well spent +when they came to the last of the bits of wool on the +border of Bear Swamp. However, they kept on a +little farther; then they had to stop and rest. "I +know where I am now," said Hannah, with a sigh of +delight; "but I don't think I can walk another step." +She was, in fact, almost exhausted.</p> +<p> +Ann looked at her thoughtfully. She hardly knew +what to do. She could not carry Hannah herself—indeed, +her own strength began to fail; and she did +not want to leave her to go for assistance.</p> +<p> +All of a sudden, she jumped up. "You stay just +where you are a few minutes, Hannah," said she. +"I'm going somewhere. I'll be back soon." Ann +was laughing.</p> +<p> +Hannah looked up at her pitifully: "O Ann, don't +go!"</p> +<p> +"I'm coming right back, and it is the only way. +You must get home. Only think how your father and +mother are worrying!"</p> +<p> +Hannah said no more after that mention of her +parents, and Ann started. </p> +<span class="page"><a name="page321" id="page321">[Page 321]</a></span><br /> +<p class="center1"> +<span class="page"><a name="plate50" id="plate50">[plate 50]</a></span> +<img src="images/50-conveyance.jpg" width="520" height="334" alt="A conveyance is found." border="0" /><br /><br /> +A CONVEYANCE IS FOUND.</p><br /><br /> +<p> +She was not gone long. When she came in sight<span class="page"><a name="page323" id="page323">[Page 323]</a></span> +she was laughing, and Hannah, weak as she was, +laughed, too. Ann had torn her blue apron into +strips, and tied it together for a rope, and by it she +was leading a red cow.</p> +<p> +Hannah knew the cow, and knew at once what the +plan was. "O, Ann! you mean for me to ride Betty?"</p> +<p> +"Of course I do. I just happened to think our +cows were in the pasture, down below here. And +we've ridden Betty, lots of times, when we were children, +and she's just as gentle now. Whoa, Betty, +good cow."</p> +<p> +It was very hard work to get Hannah on to the +broad back of her novel steed, but it was finally accomplished. +Betty had been a perfect pet from a +calf, and was exceedingly gentle. She started off +soberly across the fields, with Hannah sitting on her +back, and Ann leading her by her blue rope.</p> +<p> +It was a funny cavalcade for Captain Abraham +French and a score of anxious men to meet, when they +were nearly in sight of home; but they were too overjoyed +to see much fun in it.</p> +<p> +Hannah rode the rest of the way with her father, on +his gray horse; and Ann walked joyfully by her side, +leading the cow.</p> +<p> +Captain French and his friends had, in fact, just +started to search Bear Swamp, well armed with lanterns, +for night was coming on.</p> +<p> +It was dark when they got home. Mrs. French<span class="page"><a name="page324" id="page324">[Page 324]</a></span> +was not much more delighted to see her beloved +daughter Hannah safe again, than Mrs. Polly was to +see Ann.</p> +<p> +She listened admiringly to the story Ann told.</p> +<p> +"Nobody but you would have thought of the wool +or of the cow," said she.</p> +<p> +"I do declare," cried Ann, at the mention of the +wool, "I have lost the cards!"</p> +<p> +"Never mind the cards!" said Mrs. Polly.</p> + +<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + +<!-- +<p> + <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=referer"><img + src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10" + alt="Valid XHTML 1.0!" height="31" width="88" /></a> + </p> + + + + Anchors +Found 356 anchors. + +Valid anchors! + +Links +Valid links! + +Checked 1 document in 53.3 seconds. + + +--> + +<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pot of Gold, by Mary E. 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