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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/28306-h.zip b/28306-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0643db0 --- /dev/null +++ b/28306-h.zip diff --git a/28306-h/28306-h.htm b/28306-h/28306-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..249c9c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/28306-h/28306-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2042 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Christmas Fairy, by John Strange Winter and Otheres. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1.25em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + img {border: 0;} + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + table.ess {width: 600px; text-align: center; background-image: + url("images/s.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat;} + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + .copyright {text-align: center; font-size: 70%;} + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: justify;} + + .bbox {border: solid 2px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold; font-size: 70%;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .unindent {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + .right {text-align: right;} + .poem {margin-left: 30%; margin-right: 10%; text-align: left;} + .poem2 {margin-left: 15%; text-align: left;} + .poem3 {margin-left: 20%; text-align: left;} + + .sig {margin-right: 10%; text-align: right;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align:baseline; + position: relative; + bottom: 0.33em; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + .hang1 {text-indent: -3em; margin-left: 3em;} + .cap:first-letter {float: left; clear: left; margin: -0.2em 0.1em 0; margin-top: 0%; + padding: 0; line-height: .75em; font-size: 300%; text-align: justify;} + .cap {text-align: justify;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Christmas Fairy, by +John Strange Winter and Frances E. Crompton and Mrs. Molesworth + +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 Christmas Fairy + and Other Stories + +Author: John Strange Winter + Frances E. Crompton + Mrs. Molesworth + +Release Date: March 11, 2009 [EBook #28306] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 447px;"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="447" height="600" alt="Cover: The Christmas Fairy" title="" /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/1st_title.jpg" width="500" height="107" alt="THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY" title="" /> +</div> + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> +<h2>A Christmas Fairy</h2> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px;"> +<img src="images/i002.jpg" width="290" height="400" alt=""A tall handsome lady came in, and Shivers flew to her arms."" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"A tall handsome lady came in, and Shivers flew to her arms."</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 407px;"> +<img src="images/title.jpg" width="407" height="600" alt="Title" title="" /> +</div> + +<h1>A<br /> +Christmas<br /> +Fairy</h1> +<h3> +by</h3> +<h2><span class="smcap">John Strange Winter</span><br /></h2> +<h4>AND OTHER STORIES BY<br /></h4> +<h3><span class="smcap">Frances E. Crompton</span><br /></h3> +<h4>AND<br /></h4> +<h3><span class="smcap">Mrs. Molesworth</span><br /></h3> + + +<div class='center'><br /><br /><br /> +London New York<br /> +<big>Ernest Nister</big> <big>E.P. Dutton & Co.</big><br /> +<br /> +<small>Printed in Bavaria</small><br /> +<ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads,as you can see above, '878'">1878</ins>.<br /></div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>Contents</h2> + + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left'>A Christmas Fairy</td><td align='right'><i>John Strange Winter</i></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_5">5</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Not Quite True</td><td align='right'><i>Mrs. Molesworth</i></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_15">15</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>In the Chimney Corner </td><td align='right'><i>Frances E. Crompton</i></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td></tr> +</table></div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i004.jpg" width="400" height="318" alt="At school" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;"> +<img src="images/story1title.jpg" width="450" height="183" alt="A Christmas Fairy" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 122px;"> +<img src="images/i.png" width="122" height="200" alt="I" title="" /> +</div><div class='unindent'><br /><br /><br />T was getting very near to Christmas-time, and all +the boys at Miss Ware's school were talking excitedly +about going home for the holidays, of the fun they +would have, the presents they would receive on +Christmas morning, the tips from Grannies, Uncles, and +Aunts, of the pantomimes, the parties, the never-ending joys +and pleasures which would be theirs.</div> + +<p>"I shall go to Madame Tussaud's and to the Drury Lane +pantomime," said young Fellowes, "and my mother will give +a party, and Aunt Adelaide will give another, and Johnny +Sanderson and Mary Greville, and ever so many others. +I shall have a splendid time at home. Oh! Jim, I wish it +were all holidays like it is when one's grown up."</p> + +<p>"My Uncle Bob is going to give me a pair of skates—clippers," +remarked Harry Wadham.</p> + +<p>"My father's going to give me a bike," put in George +Alderson.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Will you bring it back to school with you?" asked +Harry.</p> + +<p>"Oh! yes, I should think so, if Miss Ware doesn't +say no."</p> + +<p>"I say, Shivers," cried Fellowes, "where are you going to +spend your holidays?"</p> + +<p>"I'm going to stop here," answered the boy called Shivers, +in a very forlorn tone.</p> + +<p>"Here—with old Ware?—oh, my! Why can't you go +home?"</p> + +<p>"I can't go home to India," answered Shivers—his real +name, by the bye, was Egerton, Tom Egerton.</p> + +<p>"No—who said you could? But haven't you any relations +anywhere?"</p> + +<p>Shivers shook his head. "Only in India," he said +miserably.</p> + +<p>"Poor old chap; that's rough luck for you. Oh, I'll tell +you what it is, you fellows, if I couldn't go home for the +holidays—especially at Christmas—I think I'd just sit down +and die."</p> + +<p>"Oh! no, you wouldn't," said Shivers; "you'd hate it, and +you'd get ever so home-sick and miserable, but you wouldn't +die over it. You'd just get through somehow, and hope something +would happen before next year, or that some kind fairy +or other would——"</p> + +<p>"Bosh! there are no fairies nowadays," said Fellowes. +"See here, Shivers, I'll write home and ask my mother if she +won't invite you to come back with me for the holidays."</p> + +<p>"Will you really?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I will: and if she says yes, we shall have such a +splendid time, because you know, we live in London, and go +to everything, and have heaps of tips and parties and fun."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps she will say no," suggested poor little Shivers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +who had steeled himself to the idea that there would be no +Christmas holidays for him, excepting that he would have no +lessons for so many weeks.</p> + +<p>"My mother isn't at all the kind of woman who says +no," Fellowes declared loudly.</p> + +<p>In a few days' time, however, a letter arrived from his +mother, which he opened eagerly.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"My own darling boy," it said, "I am so very sorry to +have to tell you that dear little Aggie is down with scarlet +fever, and so you cannot come home for your holidays, nor +yet bring your young friend with you, as I would have loved +you to do if all had been well here. Your Aunt Adelaide +would have had you there, but her two girls have both got +scarlatina—and I believe Aggie got hers there, though, of +course, poor Aunt Adelaide could not help it. I did think +about your going to Cousin Rachel's. She most kindly offered +to invite you, but, dear boy, she is an old lady, and so particular, +and not used to boys, and she lives so far from anything +which is going on that you would be able to go to nothing, +so your father and I came to the conclusion that the very +best thing that you could do under the circumstances is for +you to stay at Miss Ware's and for us to send your Christmas +to you as well as we can. It won't be like being at home, +darling boy, but you will try and be happy—won't you, and +make me feel that you are helping me in this dreadful time. +Dear little Aggie is very ill, very ill indeed. We have two +nurses. Nora and Connie are shut away in the morning-room +and to the back stairs and their own rooms with Miss Ellis, +and have not seen us since the dear child was first taken ill. +Tell your young friend that I am sending you a hamper from +Buszard's, with double of everything, and I am writing to Miss +Ware to ask her to take you both to anything that may be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> +going on in Cross Hampton. And tell him that it makes me +so much happier to think that you won't be alone.—</p> + +<div class='sig'> +"Your own <span class="smcap">Mother</span>."<br /> +</div> + +<p>"This letter will smell queer, darling; it will be fumigated +before posting."</p></div> + +<p>It must be owned that when Bertie Fellowes received +this letter, which was neither more nor less than a shattering +of all his Christmas hopes and joys, that he fairly broke down, +and hiding his face upon his arms as they rested on his desk, +sobbed aloud. The forlorn boy from India, who sat next to +him, tried every boyish means of consolation that he could +think of. He patted his shoulder, whispered many pitying +words, and, at last, flung his arm across him and hugged him +tightly, as, poor little chap, he himself many times since his +arrival in England, had <i>wished</i> someone would do to him.</p> + +<p>At last Bertie Fellowes thrust his mother's letter into his +friend's hand. "Read it," he sobbed.</p> + +<p>So Shivers made himself master of Mrs. Fellowes' letter +and understood the cause of the boy's outburst of grief. "Old +fellow," he said at last, "don't fret over it. It might be +worse. Why, you might be like me, with your father and +mother thousands of miles away. When Aggie is better, you'll +be able to go home—and it'll help your mother if she thinks +you are <i>almost</i> as happy as if you were at home. It must be +worse for her—she has cried ever so over her letter—see, it's +all tear-blots."</p> + +<p>The troubles and disappointments of youth are bitter +while they last, but they soon pass, and the sun shines again. +By the time Miss Ware, who was a kind-hearted, sensible, +pleasant woman, came to tell Fellowes how sorry she was for +him and his disappointment, the worst had gone by, and the +boy was resigned to what could not be helped.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i006.jpg" width="400" height="323" alt="Head down on desk" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Well, after all, one man's meat is another man's poison," +she said, smiling down on the two boys; "poor Tom has +been looking forward to spending his holidays all alone with +us, and now he will have a friend with him. Try to look on +the bright side, Bertie, and to remember how much worse it +would have been if there had been no boy to stay with you."</p> + +<p>"I can't help being disappointed, Miss Ware," said Bertie, +his eyes filling afresh and his lips quivering.</p> + +<p>"No, dear boy, you would be anything but a nice boy if +you were not. But I want you to try and think of your poor +mother, who is full of trouble and anxiety, and to write to +her as brightly as you can, and tell her not to worry about +you more than she can help."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Bertie; but he turned his head away, and it +was evident to the school-mistress that his heart was too full +to let him say more.</p> + +<p>Still, he was a good boy, Bertie Fellowes, and when he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> +wrote home to his mother it was quite a bright every-day +kind of letter, telling her how sorry he was about Aggie, and +detailing a few of the ways in which he and Shivers meant +to spend their holidays. His letter ended thus:—</p> + +<p>"Shivers got a letter from his mother yesterday with +three pounds in it: if you happen to see Uncle Dick, will +you tell him I want a 'Waterbury' dreadfully?"</p> + +<p>The last day of the term came, and one by one, or two +by two, the various boys went away, until at last only Bertie +Fellowes and Shivers were left in the great house. It had +never appeared so large to either of them before. The school-room +seemed to have grown to about the size of a church, +the dining-room, set now with only one table instead of three +was not like the same, while the dormitory, which had never +before had any room to spare, was like a wilderness. To Bertie +Fellowes it was all dreary and wretched—to the boy from +India, who knew no other house in England, no other thought +came than that it was a blessing that he had one companion +left. "It is miserable," groaned poor Bertie as they strolled +into the great echoing school-room after a lonely tea, set at +one corner of the smallest of the three dining-tables; "just +think if we had been on our way home now—how different!"</p> + +<p>"Just think if I had been left here by myself," said +Shivers—and he gave a shiver which fully justified his name.</p> + +<p>"Yes—but——" began Bertie, then shamefacedly and with +a blush, added, "you know, when one wants to go home ever +so badly, one never thinks that some chaps haven't got a home +to go to."</p> + +<p>The evening went by—discipline was relapsed entirely and +the two boys went to bed in the top empty dormitory, and +told stories to each other for a long time before they went +to sleep. That night Bertie Fellowes dreamt of Madame +Tussaud's and the great pantomime at Drury Lane, and poor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> +Shivers of a long creeper-covered bungalow far away in the +shining East, and they both cried a little under the bed-clothes. +Yet each put a brave face on their desolate circumstances to +the other, and so another day began.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i007.jpg" width="400" height="408" alt="Opening parcels" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>This was the day before Christmas Eve, that delightful +day of preparation for the greatest festival in all the year—the +day when in most households there are many little +mysteries afoot, when parcels come and go, and are smothered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> +away so as to be ready when Santa Claus comes his rounds; when +some are busy decking the rooms with holly and mistletoe; +when the cook is busiest of all, and savoury smells rise from +the kitchen, telling of good things to be eaten on the morrow.</p> + +<p>There were some preparations on foot at Minchin House, +though there was not the same bustle and noise as is to be +found in a large family. And quite early in the morning came +the great hamper of which Mrs. Fellowes had spoken in her +letter to Bertie. Then just as the early dinner had come to +an end, and Miss Ware was telling the two boys that she +would take them round the town to look at the shops, there +was a tremendous peal at the bell of the front door, and +a voice was heard asking for Master Egerton. In a trice +Shivers had sprung to his feet, his face quite white, his hands +trembling, and the next moment the door was thrown open, +and a tall handsome lady came in, to whom he flew with a +sobbing cry of "Aunt Laura! Aunt Laura!"</p> + +<p>Aunt Laura explained in less time than it takes me to +write this, that her husband, Colonel Desmond, had had left +to him a large fortune and that they had come as soon as possible +to England, having, in fact, only arrived in London the +previous day. "I was so afraid, Tom darling," she said in +ending, "that we should not get here till Christmas Day was +over, and I was so afraid you might be disappointed, that +I would not let Mother tell you we were on our way home. +I have brought a letter from Mother to Miss Ware—and you +must get your things packed up at once and come back with +me by the six o'clock train to town. Then Uncle Jack and +I will take you everywhere, and give you a splendid time, +you dear little chap, here all by yourself."</p> + +<p>For a minute or two Shivers' face was radiant; then he +caught sight of Bertie's down-drooped mouth, and turned to +his Aunt.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Dear Aunt Laura," he said, holding her hand very fast +with his own, "I'm awfully sorry, but I can't go."</p> + +<p>"Can't go? and why not?"</p> + +<p>"Because I can't go and leave Fellowes here all alone," +he said stoutly, though he could scarcely keep a suspicious +quaver out of his voice. "When I was going to be alone, +Fellowes wrote and asked his mother to let me go home with +him, and she couldn't, because his sister has got scarlet fever, +and they daren't have either of us; and he's got to stay here—and +he's never been away at Christmas before—and—and—I +can't go away and leave him by himself, Aunt Laura—and—"</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/i008.jpg" width="300" height="361" alt="Waving his cap" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>For the space of a moment or so, Mrs. Desmond stared<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> +at the boy as if she could not believe her ears; then she +caught hold of him and half smothered him with kisses.</p> + +<p>"Bless you, you dear little chap, you shall not leave him: +you shall bring him along and we'll all enjoy ourselves together. +What's his name?—Bertie Fellowes! Bertie, my man, you are +not very old yet, so I'm going to teach you a lesson as well +as ever I can—it is that kindness is never wasted in this +world. I'll go out now and telegraph to your mother—I don't +suppose she will refuse to let you come with us."</p> + +<p>A couple of hours later she returned in triumph, waving +a telegram to the two excited boys.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"<i>God bless you, yes, with all our hearts</i>," it ran; "<i>you +have taken a load off our minds.</i>"</p></div> + +<p>And so Bertie Fellowes and Shivers found that there was +such a thing as a fairy after all.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 216px;"> +<img src="images/i009.jpg" width="216" height="300" alt="Reading the telegram" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i010a.jpg" width="500" height="271" alt="Not Quite True" title="" /> +</div> + + +<h2><i>Part 1</i></h2> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 141px;"> +<img src="images/h.png" width="141" height="200" alt="H" title="" /> +</div><div class='unindent'><br /><br />ELENA FRERE and her two younger brothers, Willie +and Leigh, were on the whole very good children. +They were obedient and affectionate and very +truthful. Perhaps it was not very difficult for them +to be good, for they had a happy home, wise and +kind parents, and a quiet regular life. None of +them had ever been at school, for Mrs. Frere liked home +teaching best for girls, and the little boys were as yet too +young for anything else. Willie was only seven and a half, +and Leigh six. Helena was nearly ten.</div> + +<p>They lived in the country—quite in the country, and a +rather lonely part too. So they had almost no companions +of their own age, and the few there were within reach they +seldom saw. One family in the neighbourhood, where there +were children, always spent seven months abroad; another home +was saddened by the only son being a cripple and unable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> +to walk or play; and the boys and girls of a third family +were rather too old to be playfellows with our little people.</p> + +<p>"It really seems," said Helena sometimes, "it really seems +as if I was never to have a proper friend of my own. It's +much worse for me than for Willie and Leigh, for they've +got each other," which was certainly true.</p> + +<p>Still, she was not at all an unhappy little girl, though +she was very sorry for herself sometimes, and did not always +quite agree with her Mother when she told her that it was +better to have no companions than any whom she could not +thoroughly like.</p> + +<p>"I don't know that, Mamma," Helena would reply. "It +would be nice to have other little girls to play with, even +if they weren't quite perfection."</p> + +<p>You can easily believe therefore that there was great +excitement and delight when these children heard, one day, +that a new family was coming to live in the very next +house to theirs—only about half a mile off, by a short cut +across the Park—and that in this family there were children! +There were four—Nurse said three, and old Mrs. Betty at +the lodge, who was Nurse's aunt, and rather a gossip, said four. +But both were sure of one thing—that the newcomers—the +children of the family, that is to say—were just about the +right ages for "our young lady and gentlemen."</p> + +<p>And before long, Helena and her brothers were able to +tell Nurse and Mrs. Betty more than they had told them. +For Mrs. Frere called at Hailing Wood, which was the name +of the neighbouring house, and a few days afterwards, Mrs. +Kingley returned her call, and fortunately found the children's +Mother at home. So all sorts of questions were asked +and answered, and when Helena and the boys came in +from their walk, Mrs. Frere had a whole budget of news +for them.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> + +<p>There were <i>four</i> Kingleys, but the eldest was a girl of +sixteen, whom the children put aside at once as "no good," +and listened impatiently to hear about the others.</p> + +<p>"Next to Sybil," said their Mother, "comes Hugh; +he is four years younger—only twelve—and then Freda, nearly +eleven, and lastly Maggie, a 'tom-boy,' her Mother calls her, +of eight."</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 274px;"> +<img src="images/i011.jpg" width="274" height="300" alt="Sitting reading" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"I shall like her awfully if she's a tom-boy," said Helena +very decidedly, while Willie and Leigh looked rather puzzled. +They had never heard of a tom-boy before, and could not +make out if it meant a boy or a girl, till afterwards, when +Helena explained it to them, and then Willie said he +had thought it must mean a girl, "'cos of Maggie being a +girl's name."</p> + +<p>"I hope you will like them all," said Mrs. Frere. "By +their Mother's account they seem to be very hearty, sensible<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> +children; indeed, she says they are just a little wild, for she +and Mr. Kingley have been a great deal abroad, and the +three younger children were for two years with a lady, who +was rather too old to look after them properly."</p> + +<p>"How dreadfully unhappy they must have been," said +Helena, in a tone of pity.</p> + +<p>"No," said her Mother, "I don't think they were unhappy. +On the contrary, they were rather spoilt and +allowed to run wild. Of course I am telling you this just as +a very little warning, in case Hugh and his sisters ever propose +to do anything you do not think I should like. Do +not give in for fear of vexing them; they will like you all +the better in the end if they see you try to be as good +and obedient out of sight, as when your Father and I are +with you. Do you understand, dears?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Helena, "of course we won't do anything +naughty, Mamma," though in her heart she thought that +"running wild" sounded rather nice.</p> + +<p>"And you, boys?" added their Mother, "do you understand, +too?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, Mamma," they said, Willie adding, "If you're not +there or Nurse, we'll do whatever Nelly says."</p> + +<p>"That's right," said Mrs. Frere. "Nelly, you hear?—the +responsibility is on your shoulders, you see, dear," but +she smiled brightly. For she felt sure that Helena was to +be trusted.</p> + +<p>It had been arranged by the two Mammas that the +three Kingley children were to spend the next afternoon at +Halling Park, the Freres' home. They were to come early, +between two and three, and their Mother and Sybil would +drive over to fetch them about five. Some other friends +of Mrs. Frere's were expected too, which would give Mrs. +Kingley an opportunity of meeting her new neighbours.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Must we have our best things on then, Mamma?" +asked Helena, rather dolefully.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Frere glanced at her. It was full summer-time—late +in June. The little girl looked very nice in a pretty +pink-and-white cotton, though it could not have passed muster +as perfectly fresh and spotless.</p> + +<p>"No," she said, "a clean frock like the one you have +on will do quite well—or stay, yes, a white frock would be +nicer. And tell Nurse that the boys may wear their white +serge suits—it is so nice and dry out-of-doors I don't think +they could get dirty if they tried."</p> + +<p>And, as I have said already, the little Freres were not +at all "wild" children.</p> + +<p>To-morrow afternoon came at last, and with it, to the +delight of Helena and her brothers, the expected guests. They +arrived in a pony-cart, driven by Hugh, who seemed quite +in his element as a coachman, and they all three jumped +out very cleverly without losing any time about it. Mrs. +Frere and <i>her</i> three were waiting for them on the lawn, +but anyone looking on would have thought that the Kingleys +were the "at home" ones of the party, for they shook +hands in the heartiest way, and began talking at once, while +the little Freres all seemed shy and timid, and almost awkward.</p> + +<p>Their Mother felt just a little vexed with them. Then +she said to herself that she must remember how very seldom +they had had any playfellows, and that it was to be expected +they would feel a little strange.</p> + +<p>"I daresay you will enjoy playing out of doors far more +than in the house, as it is such a lovely day," she said. +"Your Mamma and Sybil will be coming before very long, +will they not?" she added, turning to Freda.</p> + +<p>"About four o'clock," Freda replied; "but I don't want<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> +four o'clock to come too soon; we should like a good long +time for playing first."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Frere smiled.</p> + +<p>"Well, it is scarcely half-past two yet," she said. "When +four o'clock or half-past four comes, I daresay you will <i>not</i> +feel sorry, for you will have had time to get hungry by then."</p> + +<p>"All right," said Freda; "come along then, Nelly," for +she had already caught up Helena's short name. "Hugh +and Maggie and I have got heaps of fun in our heads."</p> + +<p>She caught hold of Helena's hand as she spoke and +started off, the others following. Mrs. Frere stood looking +after them with a smile, though there was a little anxiety +in her face too.</p> + +<p>"I hope they will be careful," she thought; "I can +trust Helena, but these children <i>are</i> rather overpowering. +Still, it would scarcely have done to begin checking them the +moment they arrived."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 187px;"> +<img src="images/i012.jpg" width="187" height="275" alt="Going off together" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 250px;"> +<img src="images/i013.jpg" width="250" height="200" alt="Fence" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2><i>Part 2</i></h2> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 118px;"> +<img src="images/t.png" width="118" height="225" alt="T" title="" /> +</div><div class='unindent'><br /><br />he grounds of Halling Park were very large, +the lawns and flower-beds near the house were +most carefully kept, and just now in their full +summer beauty. The first thought of the little +Freres was to show their new friends all over this +ornamental part, for the Halling roses were rather famed, +and Helena knew the names of the finest and rarest +among them.</div> + +<p>But Freda Kingley flew past the rosebeds without +stopping or letting Helena stop, and, excited by her +example, the three boys and Maggie came rushing after them, +till the run almost grew into a race, so that when at last the +very active young lady condescended to pull up to take breath, +Helena was redder and hotter than she had ever been before +in her life. Indeed, for a moment or two, she was almost +frightened—her heart beat so fast, and there was such a +"choky" feeling in her throat. She could not speak, but +stood there gasping.</p> + +<p>Freda burst out laughing.</p> + +<p>"I say," she exclaimed, "you're in very bad condition; +isn't she, Hugh?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span></p> + +<p>Helena stared, which made Freda laugh still more, Hugh +joining her.</p> + +<p>"I don't understand what you mean," said the little girl +at last, when she could speak.</p> + +<p>"Oh, it's nothing you need mind," said Hugh good-naturedly. +"It only means you're not up to much running—you've +not been training yourself for it. Freda was nearly as bad +once, before I went to school; she didn't understand, you +see. But the first holidays I took her in hand, and she's not +bad now—not for a girl. I'll take you in hand if you like."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said Helena; "no, I don't think I want +to be taken in hand. I don't care to run so fast. Won't you +come back again to see the flowers near the house? And the +tennis-court is very nice for puss-in-the-corner or Tom Tiddler's +ground."</p> + +<p>"We know a game or two worth scores of those old-fashioned +things—don't we, Freda?" said Hugh. "But I +daresay the tennis-ground's rather jolly, if it's a good big +one; we can look it up later on. First of all I want to see +the stream. We caught sight of it; it looks jolly enough."</p> + +<p>"And there's a bridge across it," said Maggie, speaking +for the first time, "a ducky little bridge. It would be fun +to stand on it and throw stones down to make the fishes +jump."</p> + +<p>Willie broke in at this.</p> + +<p>"The fish aren't so silly," he said. "The water-hens +would scatter away, I daresay, if you threw stones. But +Papa doesn't like us to startle them, so it would be no good +trying."</p> + +<p>"Water-hens!" exclaimed the Kingley children all together. +"What are they like? Do let's go and look at them. +We've never seen any."</p> + +<p>"And most likely we won't see them now," said Helena.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> +"They're very shy creatures. And we mustn't startle them, +as Willie says."</p> + +<p>"Oh, bother!" said Freda; "it wouldn't hurt them for +once. And who would know? Anyway, let's go to the bridge."</p> + +<p>And off she set again, though not quite so fast. Indeed, +it would have been impossible to race as she had done across +the lawn, for the way to the stream from where they were +standing, lay across very high ground, though there was a +proper path, or road, leading to the bridge if they had not +come by the "cross-country" route.</p> + +<p>It was very pretty when they got there, so wild and +picturesque—you could have imagined yourself miles and +miles away from any house, in some lonely stretch of +country. Even the restless Kingley children were struck by +it, and stood still in admiration for about a quarter of a +minute.</p> + +<p>"I say, it's awfully jolly here," said Hugh. "I wish +we had a stream and a bridge like this in our grounds."</p> + +<p>But almost immediately he began fidgeting about again—leaning +over, till Helena felt sure he would tumble in, and +twisting himself about to see what there was to be seen +below them.</p> + +<p>"I know what <i>would</i> be fun," said Freda suddenly.</p> + +<p>"What?" exclaimed the others.</p> + +<p>"Wading," she replied. "If we clamber down the side +of the bank—it isn't so very steep—we could get right under +the bridge. There's a bit of dry ground at each side of the +water, isn't there, Hugh? We could make that our dressing-room, +or our bathing-van, whichever you like to call it."</p> + +<p>"But," interrupted Helena, "you couldn't undress; we've +no bathing-dresses, and——"</p> + +<p>"How stupid you are!" interrupted Freda, in her turn. +"We'd have to take off our shoes and stockings, of course,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> +and we can't do that on the sloping bank; under the bridge +is just the place. And we can pretend it's the sea, and that +we're going to bathe properly, and shiver and shudder and +push each other in. Oh! it'll be great fun—come along, +all of you, do."</p> + +<p>And somehow she got them all to go—not that she +had any difficulty in persuading her own brother and sister; +they were, as they would themselves have expressed it, +"up to anything"; but the three Freres knew quite well +that it was not the sort of play—especially for Helena—that +their Mother would have approved of. It was very muddy +down under the bridge, and the paddling about in cold +fresh water, when one is already overheated, is not a very +wholesome thing to do. Nor were they dressed for this +sort of play.</p> + +<p>But Freda and Hugh had got the upper hand of them. +Helena could not bear to be laughed at, and Willie was terribly +afraid of being thought "soft" by a real schoolboy like Hugh.</p> + +<p>It was not so easy to get down by the bank without +accidents, and before they reached the "dressing-room," +frocks and knickerbockers already told a tale.</p> + +<p>"Never mind," said Freda, "it'll brush off when it's dry, +and even if it doesn't quite, you can't be expected never +to get the least bit dirty. Now let's get off our shoes and +stockings as quick as we can," and down she plumped and +began unbuttoning her own boots without further ado.</p> + +<p>"I think I'd rather not wade," said Helena.</p> + +<p>"Oh, what rubbish!" cried Freda. "In I'll go first and +show you how jolly it is," and in another moment, in she +went, paddling about on the firmer ground in the middle of +the stream, after some very muddy slips or slides to get there.</p> + +<p>"It's all right once you get out here," she called back. +"Awfully jolly—as cold as ice; come along."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 343px;"> +<img src="images/i014.jpg" width="343" height="500" alt=""It was not so easy to get down by the bank."" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"It was not so easy to get down by the bank."</span> +</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p> + +<p>And in a few minutes all six children were waddling +about in the not very clear water, for the stirred-up mud +at the edge had quite spoiled the look of things for the +time being, and I am sure the waterfowl, and the fish, and +even the water-rats were extraordinarily frightened at the +strange things that were happening, poor dears!</p> + +<p>All went well, or fairly well, for some time, though +little Leigh's face began to look very blue, and his teeth +chattered, and but for his fear of being thought a baby, +I rather think he would have begun to cry.</p> + +<p>Helena did not notice him for some time; she was feeling +a little giddy and queer herself, and found it not too easy to +keep her skirts, short as they were, out of the water, and herself +on her feet. There were some sharp pebbles among those +that made the bed of the stream, and she had never before +tried walking barefoot out of doors, even on a smooth surface, +and therefore found it very difficult.</p> + +<p>But when at last she happened to catch sight of her +little brother, she started violently and nearly lost her +balance. "Go back at once, Leigh," she cried. "Look at +him, Freda—he's all white and blue."</p> + +<p>Freda was a kind-hearted girl, and she too was startled.</p> + +<p>"I'll take him to the bank—he'll be all right when I've +rubbed his feet," she exclaimed, and she hurried forward. But +for all her good intentions she only made matters worse.</p> + +<p>Instead of taking hold of the child to help him, she +managed to push him over—and in another second Leigh was +floundering in the mud at the edge of the little stream!</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> +<h2><i>Part 3</i></h2> + + +<div class="figright" style="width: 121px;"> +<img src="images/i015.jpg" width="121" height="300" alt="Helena" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 124px;"> +<img src="images/p.png" width="124" height="200" alt="P" title="" /> +</div><div class='unindent'><br /><br />OOR Leigh! What an object +he was!</div> + +<p>At first the three Kingleys burst +out laughing.</p> + +<p>But when Helena and Willie +turned upon them sharply, they quickly +grew serious, for they were far from +unkind children, and the sight of their +little friend's real distress and fear made +them anxious to help to put things to +right.</p> + + +<p>"He's as white as a sheet," said +Helena, who was almost in tears. "And +shivering so. Oh! Leigh dear, do you +feel very bad?"</p> + +<p>"N-no, don't cry, Nelly," said the +little boy. "It's—it's my jacket and +knickerbockers I mind about."</p> + +<p>Freda turned him round promptly.</p> + +<p>"It's only on one side," she said; "and a lot of it will +brush off the jacket, at least, and after all, the knickerbockers +can be washed. What I mind about is you're shivering +so. Sit down, young man—here's a nice dry place, +and I'll give your feet a good rub."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> + +<p>So she did, using for that purpose one of her brother +Hugh's long rough stockings, quite heedless of his grumbling. +She was certainly a very energetic girl. In a few minutes +Leigh's feet were in a glow, and the colour crept back to +his face again, and he left off shivering.</p> + +<p>"There now," she said, "you are all right again, or at +least you will be, when you've run home and got a clean +jacket. After all, you're quite dry underneath—the mud is +thick and hasn't soaked through. Now, what had we best +do, Nelly?"</p> + +<p>"Get him home as quick as possible some back way, +so that we won't meet anyone, I should say," said Hugh, +as he drew on his stockings, very glad to have recovered +his property.</p> + +<p>But just as he spoke, there came a well-known sound—well +known at least to the Frere children, for it was their +Mother's voice calling them.</p> + +<p>"Nell-ly! Nell-ly! Will-ie! Will! where are you?" it +said.</p> + +<p>They looked at each other.</p> + +<p>"It's Mamma," said Willie.</p> + +<p>"What can have made her come out so soon?" said +Helena. "She was going to wait till the other ladies came +to tea, and then she said she and Sybil would stroll out +with them, and see what we were doing in the garden. +But I never thought they'd come down here—we scarcely +ever do, 'cos Nurse thinks we'll fall into the water."</p> + +<p>Nurse's fears were not without reason, were they?</p> + +<p>"We mustn't be seen like this," said Freda, "that's certain. +Let's crouch in here quite quietly for a minute or +two, till they're out of the way—don't speak or anything. +Hush! perhaps we can hear their voices."</p> + +<p>Hiding from Mamma was a new experience to Helena<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> +and her brothers, and they did not like the feeling of it. +But just now there was nothing else to do, and Freda had +taken it all into her own hands. So they did as she said.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 277px;"> +<img src="images/i016.jpg" width="277" height="350" alt="Falling in" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>No sound of voices reached them for some moments, +but they heard footsteps overhead. Several people were +crossing the bridge. "Goodness gracious," said Freda, in a +whisper, "we've only just hidden ourselves in time. Do +come closer, and don't speak, whatever you do," though no +one had been speaking but herself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then the steps stopped, and a faint murmur was heard, +but not loud enough to distinguish the words; and then +the newcomers' steps moved on again.</p> + +<p>The children began to breathe more freely.</p> + +<p>"Better stay quiet another minute or two," said Freda.</p> + +<p>But Helena was not happy in her mind about little Leigh.</p> + +<p>"It's so damp and chilly in here under the bridge," she +said to Freda. "He's sure to catch cold unless he gets a +run in the sunshine."</p> + +<p>"He must be awfully delicate then," said Hugh, with +some contempt in his voice. "You should see the wettings +<i>we</i> get—even Maggie, and she's a <i>girl</i>."</p> + +<p>At this Leigh grew very red, and Helena found he was +going to burst out crying, which would not have been a +very good way of showing he was a man, I consider.</p> + +<p>But Freda told Hugh not to talk nonsense, for she was +sensible enough to know that what Helena said was true.</p> + +<p>"I'll peep out now," she said, "and if the coast is +clear, I'll 'cooey' to you very softly, like we do at 'I spy,' +and then you can all come out. I'll wait for you at the +top of the bank. It's a bother to go up it and down and up +again—it's such slippery work."</p> + +<p>She peeped out as she said—cautiously at first; then +again encouraged, she made her way half way up the bank +and glanced round her.</p> + +<p>It seemed safe enough.</p> + +<p>The group of ladies was to be seen at some little +distance now; they were returning towards the house by the +proper road, which it would be easy for the children to +avoid.</p> + +<p>And in her satisfaction, Freda gave a loud "cooey"—much +louder than was needed, as her companions were close +by.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 250px;"> +<img src="images/i017.jpg" width="250" height="259" alt="Creek" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Out popped all the heads +from below the bridge, but +before their owners had time +to begin to climb the bank, +they were stopped by a +"Hush," and an energetic +shake of the head from +Freda, who next, greatly to +their surprise, flopped straight +down among the high grass +at the top, and lay there +motionless and quite flat.</p> + +<p>The reason of this was +soon explained. Again came +the cry—"Nell-y! Will-ie! Nell-y!" from Mrs. Frere, and a +whistle, which Hugh Kingley whispered to the others was +his sister Sybil's.</p> + +<p>"They've heard Freda's 'cooey,'" he said. "What a +goose she was to call so loud!"</p> + +<p>Again there was nothing for it but to stay quiet, which +was becoming very tiresome.</p> + +<p>The Frere children began to think that their ideas of +"great fun," and the Kingleys', did not at all agree.</p> + +<p>"Wasting all the afternoon in this nasty damp hole, and +risking Leigh's getting really ill," thought Helena.</p> + +<p>And at last she sprang up and called out to Freda.</p> + +<p>"I won't stay here any longer," she cried. "Whether +we are scolded or not, I won't. It isn't safe for Leigh."</p> + +<p>"How cross you are!" said Freda coolly. "I was just +going to tell you to come out. I think it's all right now; +they've moved on. We can make a rush for the house +across the grass somehow, can't we? There must be some +back way in, where we shouldn't meet anyone. Then you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +and I can take Leigh up to the nursery and say he had +an accident, which is quite true—and when he's clean again +he can come out to us and your Mamma needn't know +anything about it. The rest of us are all quite tidy—quite +as tidy as can be expected after running about."</p> + +<p>Helena did not reply. She was feeling too annoyed and +vexed, and she did not like Freda's wish to hide what had +really caused their troubles.</p> + +<p>But she took Leigh by the hand—Freda, it must be +allowed, taking him kindly by the other, and they all set +off as fast as they could to the house. They could not go +quite straight for fear of being seen; they had to "dodge" +once or twice, but in the end they got safely there without +meeting anyone more formidable than a tradesman's cart +driving away from the stables, or an under-gardener laden +with a basketful of vegetables.</p> + +<p>Nurse looked grave, as she well might do, when she +saw Leigh's plight. But Freda had a very pleasant bright +manner, and Nurse was quite satisfied with her explanations.</p> + +<p>And as the run home had brought back the colour to +the little boy's cheeks, nothing much was said as to the +fear of his having caught cold.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/i018.jpg" width="300" height="89" alt="Flowers" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i019.jpg" width="500" height="232" alt="Lane" title="" /> +</div> + +<h2><i>Part 4</i></h2> +<div class='center'> <table class="ess" summary="S and first paragraph"> +<tr><td align='left'><br /><br /> + +<div class='poem3'>OME half an hour or so afterwards, all the party, +the children included, assembled on the lawn for +tea.<br /></div> +<div class='poem2'> +<p>Nurse had seized the opportunity of Helena's running +in with Leigh, to "tidy her up a bit," and Freda +too had not objected to a little setting to rights, so +that both the girls looked quite in order.</p> + +<p>And Willie and Hugh had also removed all traces +of their adventures; only Maggie was still rather rumpled +and crumpled, but as she was counted a tom-boy at all +times, it did not so much matter.</p></div> +</td> +</tr></table></div> +<p>"What became of you all, this afternoon?" asked +Mrs. Frere. "We walked down to the bridge to look for +you, as one of the men said he had seen you going that +way. And I am <i>sure</i> I heard one of you 'cooeying'—did +I not? Yet when I called, no one replied."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> + +<p>The children looked at each other. Mrs. Frere felt +surprised.</p> + +<p>"What is the mystery?" she said, though with a smile.</p> + +<p>"Oh," began Freda, "there wasn't any mystery—we +were only——" She stopped, for she felt that Helena's eyes +were fixed on her, and Freda was not by nature an +untruthful child. It was through her heedlessness and +wildness that she often got into what she would have +called "scrapes," from which there seemed often no escape +but by telling falsehoods, or at least allowing what was not +the case to be believed.</p> + +<p>She grew red, and Mrs. Frere, feeling that it was not +very kind to cross-question a guest, finished her sentence for +her.</p> + +<p>"Hiding?" she said. "Were you hiding?" though she +wondered why Freda should blush and hesitate about so +simple a thing.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Helena quickly, replying instead of Freda, +"yes, Mamma, we <i>were</i> hiding—under the bridge."</p> + +<p>At the moment she only felt glad to be able to say +what <i>in words</i> was true.</p> + +<p>For hiding they certainly had been. And Mrs. Frere, +thoroughly trusting Helena, turned away and thought no more +about it, only adding that it must have been rather dirty +under the bridge; another time she would advise them +to find a cleaner place.</p> + +<p>"I suppose it was 'I spy' you were playing at," she +said, and she did not notice that no one answered her.</p> + +<p>The rest of the afternoon passed quietly enough.</p> + +<p>Hugh and Freda were rather unusually quiet, at which +their Mother and elder sister rejoiced.</p> + +<p>"I do hope," said Sybil, as she drove home with Mrs. +Kingley, leaving the younger ones to follow as they had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> +come, "I do hope those Frere children, though they are +younger, will have a good influence upon Hugh and the +girls, Freda especially. She has been getting wilder and +wilder. And Helena is such a lady-like, well-bred little girl."</p> + +<p>"I hope so too," said her Mother. "I own I was a +little afraid of our children startling the Freres, but they +seem to have got on all right."</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i020.jpg" width="400" height="292" alt="On the ground" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>"Good night, dears," said Mrs. Frere to her three +children an hour or so later. "You were happy with your +new friends, I hope? I think they seem nice children, and +they were very quiet and well-behaved to-day. Leigh, my +boy, you look half asleep—are you very tired?"</p> + +<p>"My eyes are tired," said Leigh, "and my head, rather."</p> + +<p>"Well, off with you to bed, then," she said cheerfully. +She would not have felt or spoken so cheerfully if she +could have seen into her little daughter's heart.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> + +<p>Nurse too noticed that Leigh looked pale and heavy-eyed.</p> + +<p>She said she was afraid he had somehow caught cold. +So she gave him something hot to drink after he was in +bed, and soon he was fast asleep, breathing peacefully.</p> + +<p>"He can't be very bad," thought Helena, "if he sleeps +so quietly."</p> + +<p>But though she tried not to be anxious about him, she +herself could not succeed in going to sleep.</p> + +<p>She tossed about, and dozed a little, and then woke +up again—wider awake each time, it seemed to her. It +was not <i>all</i> anxiety about Leigh; the truth was, her conscience +was not at peace; she felt as if she deserved to be +anxious about her little brother, for she saw clearly now, +how she had been to blame—first, for giving in to the Kingleys +in doing what she knew her Mother would not have +approved of, and besides, and even worse than that—in +concealing the wrong-doing, and telling what was "not quite +true" to her trusting Mother.</p> + +<p>The tears forced their way into Helena's eyes when +she owned this to herself, and at last she felt that she +could bear it no longer.</p> + +<p>She got softly out of bed without waking Nurse, and +made her way to the little room where Willie slept alone.</p> + +<p>"Willie," she said at the door, almost in a whisper, +but Willie heard her. He, too, for a wonder, was not able +to sleep well to-night, and he at once sat straight up in +bed.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Nelly," he said, in a low, though frightened voice, +"what is it? Is Leigh ill?"</p> + +<p>"No," Helena replied; "at least, I hope not, though +I'm awfully unhappy about him. It's partly that and +partly—everything, Willie—all we did this afternoon. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +worst of all," and here poor Nelly had hard work to choke +down a lump that began to come in her throat, "I didn't +tell Mamma the truth, when she asked what we were +doing, you remember, Willie."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Willie, "I remember. You said we were +hiding, and so we were."</p> + +<p>"But it wasn't quite true the way I let her think it," +persisted Helena. "Even if the words were true, the <i>thinking</i> +wasn't. And it has made me so dreadfully unhappy. I didn't +know how to wait till the morning to tell her—I know I +shan't go to sleep all night," and she did indeed look very +white and miserable.</p> + +<p>Willie considered; he had good ideas sometimes, though +Helena often called him slow and stupid.</p> + +<p>"I know what," he said. "You shall write a letter to +Mamma—now, this minute. I've got paper and ink and pens +and everything, in my new birthday writing-case, and +I've got matches. Since my birthday, Papa said I might +have them in my room."</p> + +<p>For Willie was a very careful little boy. If there was +no likelihood of his "setting the Thames on fire," his +Father had said once, "there was even less fear of his +setting the <i>house</i> on fire," and though Willie did not quite +understand about the "Thames"—how could a <i>river</i> burn?—he +saw that Papa meant something nice, so he felt quite +pleased.</p> + +<p>And the next morning, the first thing Mrs. Frere saw +on her toilet-table was a note addressed rather shakily in +pencil, to "dear Mamma."</p> + +<p>It was only a few lines, but it made her hurry to throw +on her dressing-gown and hasten to the nursery.</p> + +<p>"How is Leigh?" were her first words to Nurse.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i021.jpg" width="500" height="371" alt=""Willie at once sat straight up in bed."" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"Willie at once sat straight up in bed."</span> +</div> + +<p>"He's got a little cold in his head, ma'am, but nothing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> +much," was the cheerful reply, and Mamma saw by the +child's face that there were no signs of anything worse.</p> + +<p>"But, Miss Helena," Nurse went on, "has had a bad +night, and her head is aching, so I thought it better to +keep her in bed to breakfast."</p> + +<p>Poor Nelly! she had not much appetite for breakfast, +and the first thing she did when Mamma's dear face +appeared at the door was to burst into tears.</p> + +<p>But such tears do good, and still more relief was the +telling the whole story, ending up with—</p> + +<p>"Oh, Mamma, dear Mamma, I couldn't bear to think I +had told you what was <i>not quite true</i>. And Willie feels +just the same."</p> + +<p>For Willie had crept in too, looking very grave, and +winking his eyes hard to keep from crying.</p> + +<p>It was all put right, of course; there was really no +need for their Mother to show them where they had been +wrong. They knew it so well. And Leigh did not get +ill, after all.</p> + +<p>Freda Kingley had had a lesson too, I am glad to say.</p> + +<p>That very afternoon she and Hugh walked over to +Halling Park, to "find out" if Leigh was all right.</p> + +<p>And this gave Mrs. Frere a good opportunity of +showing the kind-hearted but thoughtless children the risk +they had run of getting themselves and their little friends +into real trouble—above all, by concealing their foolish +play, and causing Nelly and her little brothers for the first +time in their lives to act at all deceitfully.</p> + +<p>"You will be afraid to let them play with us any +more," said Freda very sadly, "and I'm sure I don't wonder."</p> + +<p>"No, dear," said her new friend. "On the contrary, I +shall now feel sure that I <i>may trust</i> you and Hugh and +Maggie."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> + +<p>Freda grew red with pleasure.</p> + +<p>"You may indeed," she said; "I promise you we won't +lead them into mischief and—and if ever we do, we'll tell +you all about it at once."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Frere laughed at this quaint way of putting it.</p> + +<p>"I don't think my children will be any the worse for a +little more 'running wild' than they have had," she said.</p> + +<p>"And we won't be any the worse for having to think +a little before we rush off on some fun," said Freda. "I +really never did see before how very easy it would be to +get into telling regular <i>stories</i>, if you don't take care."</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 167px;"> +<img src="images/i022.jpg" width="167" height="250" alt="Willie" title="" /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i023.jpg" width="500" height="255" alt="In the Chimney Corner" title="" /> +</div> + + + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 64px;"> +<img src="images/i2.png" width="64" height="150" alt="I" title="" /> +</div><div class='unindent'><br /><br />T'S a welly anxietious thing, yoasting chestnuts is," +Rupert said, shaking his head seriously.</div> + +<p>Rupert is only four years old, but he is very +fond of grand words. He speaks quite plainly and +nicely, Nurse says (excepting the <i>v</i>'s and <i>r</i>'s), only, of course, +he cannot remember always just the shape of the big words; +but he uses much grander ones than I do, though I am +nearly six.</p> + +<p>But he is the nicest little boy in all the world, and we +do love each other better than anybody else at all, after +Mother and Father.</p> + +<p>We made what Rupert calls an "arranglement" about +always being friends with each other; that was the night +we roasted the chestnuts.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> + +<p>It was one of the most interesting things we had ever +done—and then to be allowed to do it alone! You see, +this was the way.</p> + +<p>It was the dreadfullest day we can remember in all our +lives.</p> + +<p>Because you know, first of all, Mother was so ill. And +then there was a birthday party we were to have gone to.</p> + +<p>And Sarah, who is the housemaid, said she didn't see +why we couldn't go just the same, and Nurse said very +sharply:</p> + +<p>"I'm not going to let them go, I can tell you, with things +as they are."</p> + +<p>And then she said, in another kind of voice:</p> + +<p>"Just suppose they had to be sent for to go in to the +mistress——"</p> + +<p>And then she went away again into Mother's dressing-room.</p> + +<p>That was another horrid thing, that nobody seemed to +be able to look after us at all; we could have got into all +sorts of mischief if we had wanted, but everything was so +dreadful that it made us not want.</p> + +<p>There were two doctors, who went and came several +times, and someone they called Nurse, but she wasn't our +Nurse.</p> + +<p>And our Nurse could not be in the nursery with us, +but kept shutting herself up in Mother's dressing-room, and +that made us be getting into everybody's way.</p> + +<p>So at last, when evening came, Nurse sent us down to the +drawing-room, because somebody had let the nursery fire go +almost out, and she told us to stay there and be good, +and Father said he would perhaps come and sit with us +by-and-by.</p> + +<p>But I don't know what we should have done there so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> +long if Sarah had not brought us a plate of chestnuts, and +shown us how to roast them.</p> + +<p>(We feel sure that Nurse would not have allowed it by +ourselves, and would have called it "playing with fire," but +Father looked in at us once, and did not stop us at all, but +only said we were very good, and Cook and Sarah kept +looking in too, and they were very kind, only rather quiet +and queer.)</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 296px;"> +<img src="images/i024.jpg" width="296" height="350" alt="Sitting on a cushion" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>So that was how it was that we came to be allowed to +be roasting chestnuts in the drawing-room by ourselves, +which does seem a little funny, if you did not know about +that dreadful day.</p> + +<p>"There's only two left now," Rupert said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span></p> + +<p>We hadn't eaten all the plateful, of course, because so +many of them, when they popped, had popped quite into the +fire, and we were not to try to get them out.</p> + +<p>We had roasted one each for Sarah, and for Cook, and +for Nurse, and for Father, and of course the biggest of all +for Mother.</p> + +<p>We thought she might enjoy it when she got better. And +they were all done, and there were only two left besides what +we had eaten and lost.</p> + +<p>So we put them together on the bar to roast, and +Rupert said:</p> + +<p>"One for you, and one for me. Yours is the light one, +and mine is the dark one."</p> + +<p>And I said:</p> + +<p>"Yes, and let us do them as Sarah did with two of them, +and try if they will keep together till they are properly done, +and then it will be as if we kept good friends and loved each +other always."</p> + +<p>So that was what Rupert called the "anxietious" part, +because, you know, one of them might have flown into the +fire before the other was roasted, and we were so excited +about it that I believe we should have cried.</p> + +<p>But they were the nicest chestnuts of all the plateful, and +that was the nicest thing of all that long day that had so +many nasty ones in it.</p> + +<p>For the dark chestnut and the light one kept together +all the time, and split quite quietly and comfortably, and +began to have a lovely smell, and then we thought it was +fair to rake them off.</p> + +<p>"Those chestnuts were welly fond of each other," said +Rupert, in his solemnest way, while they were cooling in the +fender. "Like you and me, Nella."</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 343px;"> +<img src="images/i025.jpg" width="343" height="500" alt=""Rupert knelt down on the rug."" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"Rupert knelt down on the rug."</span> +</div> + +<p>"And so we'll promise on our word-of-honours to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> +friends like them and love each other for always and always," +I said.</p> + +<p>And we held each other's hands, and when the chestnuts +were cooled and peeled, ate them up, and enjoyed them most +of all the chestnuts.</p> + +<p>But after we had made that play last as long as we could, +and it grew later and later, it began to seem miserabler than +ever.</p> + +<p>And nobody came to take us to bed, although it did +feel so dreadfully like bedtime, and nobody brought us any +bread-and-milk, and chestnuts do not really make a good supper, +even if you have roasted them yourself. And I tried to tell +Rupert "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," but he grew cross because +I couldn't tell it as well as Mother.</p> + +<p>So I said:</p> + +<p>"Well, let us lie down here on the rug, and perhaps if +we make believe, it will seem like going to bed."</p> + +<p>But Rupert said, how could he go to bed without saying +his prayers, and he was so tired and cross that I said:</p> + +<p>"Well, you say yours, and I'll hear them."</p> + +<p>And so Rupert knelt down on the rug, and said his +prayers, and I heard them; at least, I mean, we tried; but +I couldn't always remember what came next, and then <i>he</i> +remembered that he wanted Mother, and burst out crying.</p> + +<p>So I did not know what to do any more, and I could +only huggle him, as he calls it, and wipe his eyes on my +frock, and we sat there and huggled each other.</p> + +<p>And I think we fell asleep in the chimney corner after +that.</p> + +<p>At least, the next thing we remember is being picked up +by Father and Nurse, and Nurse carried Rupert upstairs, and +Father carried me.</p> + +<p>And I said:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We've tried to be good, Father, but we were obliged to +go to sleep on the floor—just there; we really and truly +couldn't keep awake any longer."</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 91px;"> +<img src="images/i026.jpg" width="91" height="250" alt="Looking around the corner" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>And Father did not think it naughty, I am +sure, for he kissed us both ever so many times +at the nursery door, with a great big hug, although +he went away without speaking.</p> + +<p>And Nurse undressed us as quickly as she +could, and as Rupert calls it, "'scused" our baths, +for we were so dreadfully sleepy; and I did think +once that Nurse seemed to be crying, but I was +too tired to notice any more.</p> + +<p>And that was the end of the dreadfullest +day we have ever known.</p> + +<p>It began to be happier quite soon next day, +for Granny came, and stayed with us, and had +time to love us very much.</p> + +<p>We told her about the chestnuts, and she thought it +ever so nice.</p> + +<p>And she told us something too, two things, and one was +very beautiful, and one was very dreadful.</p> + +<p>And the beautiful thing was that God had sent us a baby +sister on that dreadful evening. But then He saw that He +could take better care of her than even Mother and Nurse, +and He loved her so much that He sent an angel to fetch +her away again.</p> + +<p>And though we were sorry not to have the little sister (and +that was another reason to make Rupert and me love each +other all the more, Granny said), yet she told us how beautiful +it was to know that Baby Lucy would never do a +naughty thing, or say a naughty word, but always be kept +quite safe now.</p> + +<p>And the dreadful thing was—but I can only say it in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> +whisper—that God had almost taken <i>Mother</i> away, to be with +Baby Lucy too.</p> + +<p>But He looked down at us, and at Father, Granny said, +and was sorry for us; and I think the time when He was +sorry was when Rupert was crying, and I was trying to hear +his prayers, because He must have seen that I could not be +like Mother to Rupert, not however much I tried.</p> + +<p>And so He was sorry for us, and Mother stayed.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> +<img src="images/i027.jpg" width="338" height="350" alt="Snuggled up" title="" /> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3> +<p>A table of contents was created for this book by the transcriber.</p> + +<p>The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'apprear'">appear</ins>.</p></div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Christmas Fairy, by +John Strange Winter and Frances E. 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Crompton and Mrs. Molesworth + +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 Christmas Fairy + and Other Stories + +Author: John Strange Winter + Frances E. Crompton + Mrs. Molesworth + +Release Date: March 11, 2009 [EBook #28306] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + + + +THE CHRISTMAS FAIRY + + by + John Strange Winter + & + Other stories + by + Frances E. Crompton + & + Mrs. Molesworth + +[Illustration] + + + + +A Christmas Fairy + +[Illustration: "A tall handsome lady came in, and Shivers flew to her +arms."] + + + + + +A Christmas Fairy + + by + JOHN STRANGE WINTER + AND OTHER STORIES BY + FRANCES E. CROMPTON + AND + MRS. MOLESWORTH + + London New York + Ernest Nister E.P. Dutton & Co. + + + Printed in Bavaria + 1878. + +[Illustration] + + + + +Contents + + + A Christmas Fairy _John Strange Winter_ 5 + Not Quite True _Mrs. Molesworth_ 15 + In the Chimney Corner _Frances E. Crompton_ 41 + + + + +A CHRISTMAS FAIRY + +By John Strange Winter. + + +IT was getting very near to Christmas-time, and all the boys at Miss +Ware's school were talking excitedly about going home for the holidays, +of the fun they would have, the presents they would receive on Christmas +morning, the tips from Grannies, Uncles, and Aunts, of the pantomimes, +the parties, the never-ending joys and pleasures which would be theirs. + +"I shall go to Madame Tussaud's and to the Drury Lane pantomime," said +young Fellowes, "and my mother will give a party, and Aunt Adelaide will +give another, and Johnny Sanderson and Mary Greville, and ever so many +others. I shall have a splendid time at home. Oh! Jim, I wish it were +all holidays like it is when one's grown up." + +"My Uncle Bob is going to give me a pair of skates--clippers," remarked +Harry Wadham. + +"My father's going to give me a bike," put in George Alderson. + +"Will you bring it back to school with you?" asked Harry. + +"Oh! yes, I should think so, if Miss Ware doesn't say no." + +"I say, Shivers," cried Fellowes, "where are you going to spend your +holidays?" + +"I'm going to stop here," answered the boy called Shivers, in a very +forlorn tone. + +"Here--with old Ware?--oh, my! Why can't you go home?" + +"I can't go home to India," answered Shivers--his real name, by the bye, +was Egerton, Tom Egerton. + +"No--who said you could? But haven't you any relations anywhere?" + +Shivers shook his head. "Only in India," he said miserably. + +"Poor old chap; that's rough luck for you. Oh, I'll tell you what it is, +you fellows, if I couldn't go home for the holidays--especially at +Christmas--I think I'd just sit down and die." + +"Oh! no, you wouldn't," said Shivers; "you'd hate it, and you'd get ever +so home-sick and miserable, but you wouldn't die over it. You'd just get +through somehow, and hope something would happen before next year, or +that some kind fairy or other would----" + +"Bosh! there are no fairies nowadays," said Fellowes. "See here, +Shivers, I'll write home and ask my mother if she won't invite you to +come back with me for the holidays." + +"Will you really?" + +"Yes, I will: and if she says yes, we shall have such a splendid time, +because you know, we live in London, and go to everything, and have +heaps of tips and parties and fun." + +"Perhaps she will say no," suggested poor little Shivers, who had +steeled himself to the idea that there would be no Christmas holidays +for him, excepting that he would have no lessons for so many weeks. + +"My mother isn't at all the kind of woman who says no," Fellowes +declared loudly. + +In a few days' time, however, a letter arrived from his mother, which he +opened eagerly. + + "My own darling boy," it said, "I am so very sorry + to have to tell you that dear little Aggie is down + with scarlet fever, and so you cannot come home + for your holidays, nor yet bring your young friend + with you, as I would have loved you to do if all + had been well here. Your Aunt Adelaide would have + had you there, but her two girls have both got + scarlatina--and I believe Aggie got hers there, + though, of course, poor Aunt Adelaide could not + help it. I did think about your going to Cousin + Rachel's. She most kindly offered to invite you, + but, dear boy, she is an old lady, and so + particular, and not used to boys, and she lives so + far from anything which is going on that you would + be able to go to nothing, so your father and I + came to the conclusion that the very best thing + that you could do under the circumstances is for + you to stay at Miss Ware's and for us to send your + Christmas to you as well as we can. It won't be + like being at home, darling boy, but you will try + and be happy--won't you, and make me feel that you + are helping me in this dreadful time. Dear little + Aggie is very ill, very ill indeed. We have two + nurses. Nora and Connie are shut away in the + morning-room and to the back stairs and their own + rooms with Miss Ellis, and have not seen us since + the dear child was first taken ill. Tell your + young friend that I am sending you a hamper from + Buszard's, with double of everything, and I am + writing to Miss Ware to ask her to take you both + to anything that may be going on in Cross + Hampton. And tell him that it makes me so much + happier to think that you won't be alone.-- + + "Your own MOTHER." + + "This letter will smell queer, darling; it will be + fumigated before posting." + +It must be owned that when Bertie Fellowes received this letter, which +was neither more nor less than a shattering of all his Christmas hopes +and joys, that he fairly broke down, and hiding his face upon his arms +as they rested on his desk, sobbed aloud. The forlorn boy from India, +who sat next to him, tried every boyish means of consolation that he +could think of. He patted his shoulder, whispered many pitying words, +and, at last, flung his arm across him and hugged him tightly, as, poor +little chap, he himself many times since his arrival in England, had +_wished_ someone would do to him. + +At last Bertie Fellowes thrust his mother's letter into his friend's +hand. "Read it," he sobbed. + +So Shivers made himself master of Mrs. Fellowes' letter and understood +the cause of the boy's outburst of grief. "Old fellow," he said at last, +"don't fret over it. It might be worse. Why, you might be like me, with +your father and mother thousands of miles away. When Aggie is better, +you'll be able to go home--and it'll help your mother if she thinks you +are _almost_ as happy as if you were at home. It must be worse for +her--she has cried ever so over her letter--see, it's all tear-blots." + +The troubles and disappointments of youth are bitter while they last, +but they soon pass, and the sun shines again. By the time Miss Ware, who +was a kind-hearted, sensible, pleasant woman, came to tell Fellowes how +sorry she was for him and his disappointment, the worst had gone by, and +the boy was resigned to what could not be helped. + +[Illustration] + +"Well, after all, one man's meat is another man's poison," she said, +smiling down on the two boys; "poor Tom has been looking forward to +spending his holidays all alone with us, and now he will have a friend +with him. Try to look on the bright side, Bertie, and to remember how +much worse it would have been if there had been no boy to stay with +you." + +"I can't help being disappointed, Miss Ware," said Bertie, his eyes +filling afresh and his lips quivering. + +"No, dear boy, you would be anything but a nice boy if you were not. But +I want you to try and think of your poor mother, who is full of trouble +and anxiety, and to write to her as brightly as you can, and tell her +not to worry about you more than she can help." + +"Yes," said Bertie; but he turned his head away, and it was evident to +the school-mistress that his heart was too full to let him say more. + +Still, he was a good boy, Bertie Fellowes, and when he wrote home to +his mother it was quite a bright every-day kind of letter, telling her +how sorry he was about Aggie, and detailing a few of the ways in which +he and Shivers meant to spend their holidays. His letter ended thus:-- + +"Shivers got a letter from his mother yesterday with three pounds in it: +if you happen to see Uncle Dick, will you tell him I want a 'Waterbury' +dreadfully?" + +The last day of the term came, and one by one, or two by two, the +various boys went away, until at last only Bertie Fellowes and Shivers +were left in the great house. It had never appeared so large to either +of them before. The school-room seemed to have grown to about the size +of a church, the dining-room, set now with only one table instead of +three was not like the same, while the dormitory, which had never before +had any room to spare, was like a wilderness. To Bertie Fellowes it was +all dreary and wretched--to the boy from India, who knew no other house +in England, no other thought came than that it was a blessing that he +had one companion left. "It is miserable," groaned poor Bertie as they +strolled into the great echoing school-room after a lonely tea, set at +one corner of the smallest of the three dining-tables; "just think if we +had been on our way home now--how different!" + +"Just think if I had been left here by myself," said Shivers--and he +gave a shiver which fully justified his name. + +"Yes--but----" began Bertie, then shamefacedly and with a blush, added, +"you know, when one wants to go home ever so badly, one never thinks +that some chaps haven't got a home to go to." + +The evening went by--discipline was relapsed entirely and the two boys +went to bed in the top empty dormitory, and told stories to each other +for a long time before they went to sleep. That night Bertie Fellowes +dreamt of Madame Tussaud's and the great pantomime at Drury Lane, and +poor Shivers of a long creeper-covered bungalow far away in the shining +East, and they both cried a little under the bed-clothes. Yet each put a +brave face on their desolate circumstances to the other, and so another +day began. + +[Illustration] + +This was the day before Christmas Eve, that delightful day of +preparation for the greatest festival in all the year--the day when in +most households there are many little mysteries afoot, when parcels come +and go, and are smothered away so as to be ready when Santa Claus comes +his rounds; when some are busy decking the rooms with holly and +mistletoe; when the cook is busiest of all, and savoury smells rise from +the kitchen, telling of good things to be eaten on the morrow. + +There were some preparations on foot at Minchin House, though there was +not the same bustle and noise as is to be found in a large family. And +quite early in the morning came the great hamper of which Mrs. Fellowes +had spoken in her letter to Bertie. Then just as the early dinner had +come to an end, and Miss Ware was telling the two boys that she would +take them round the town to look at the shops, there was a tremendous +peal at the bell of the front door, and a voice was heard asking for +Master Egerton. In a trice Shivers had sprung to his feet, his face +quite white, his hands trembling, and the next moment the door was +thrown open, and a tall handsome lady came in, to whom he flew with a +sobbing cry of "Aunt Laura! Aunt Laura!" + +Aunt Laura explained in less time than it takes me to write this, that +her husband, Colonel Desmond, had had left to him a large fortune and +that they had come as soon as possible to England, having, in fact, only +arrived in London the previous day. "I was so afraid, Tom darling," she +said in ending, "that we should not get here till Christmas Day was +over, and I was so afraid you might be disappointed, that I would not +let Mother tell you we were on our way home. I have brought a letter +from Mother to Miss Ware--and you must get your things packed up at once +and come back with me by the six o'clock train to town. Then Uncle Jack +and I will take you everywhere, and give you a splendid time, you dear +little chap, here all by yourself." + +For a minute or two Shivers' face was radiant; then he caught sight of +Bertie's down-drooped mouth, and turned to his Aunt. + +"Dear Aunt Laura," he said, holding her hand very fast with his own, +"I'm awfully sorry, but I can't go." + +"Can't go? and why not?" + +"Because I can't go and leave Fellowes here all alone," he said stoutly, +though he could scarcely keep a suspicious quaver out of his voice. +"When I was going to be alone, Fellowes wrote and asked his mother to +let me go home with him, and she couldn't, because his sister has got +scarlet fever, and they daren't have either of us; and he's got to stay +here--and he's never been away at Christmas before--and--and--I can't go +away and leave him by himself, Aunt Laura--and--" + +[Illustration] + +For the space of a moment or so, Mrs. Desmond stared at the boy as if +she could not believe her ears; then she caught hold of him and half +smothered him with kisses. + +"Bless you, you dear little chap, you shall not leave him: you shall +bring him along and we'll all enjoy ourselves together. What's his +name?--Bertie Fellowes! Bertie, my man, you are not very old yet, so I'm +going to teach you a lesson as well as ever I can--it is that kindness +is never wasted in this world. I'll go out now and telegraph to your +mother--I don't suppose she will refuse to let you come with us." + +A couple of hours later she returned in triumph, waving a telegram to +the two excited boys. + + "_God bless you, yes, with all our hearts_," it + ran; "_you have taken a load off our minds._" + +And so Bertie Fellowes and Shivers found that there was such a thing as +a fairy after all. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration: Not Quite True] + +by + +Mrs. Molesworth + + + + +_Part 1_ + + +HELENA FRERE and her two younger brothers, Willie and Leigh, were on the +whole very good children. They were obedient and affectionate and very +truthful. Perhaps it was not very difficult for them to be good, for +they had a happy home, wise and kind parents, and a quiet regular life. +None of them had ever been at school, for Mrs. Frere liked home teaching +best for girls, and the little boys were as yet too young for anything +else. Willie was only seven and a half, and Leigh six. Helena was nearly +ten. + +They lived in the country--quite in the country, and a rather lonely +part too. So they had almost no companions of their own age, and the few +there were within reach they seldom saw. One family in the +neighbourhood, where there were children, always spent seven months +abroad; another home was saddened by the only son being a cripple and +unable to walk or play; and the boys and girls of a third family were +rather too old to be playfellows with our little people. + +"It really seems," said Helena sometimes, "it really seems as if I was +never to have a proper friend of my own. It's much worse for me than for +Willie and Leigh, for they've got each other," which was certainly true. + +Still, she was not at all an unhappy little girl, though she was very +sorry for herself sometimes, and did not always quite agree with her +Mother when she told her that it was better to have no companions than +any whom she could not thoroughly like. + +"I don't know that, Mamma," Helena would reply. "It would be nice to +have other little girls to play with, even if they weren't quite +perfection." + +You can easily believe therefore that there was great excitement and +delight when these children heard, one day, that a new family was coming +to live in the very next house to theirs--only about half a mile off, by +a short cut across the Park--and that in this family there were +children! There were four--Nurse said three, and old Mrs. Betty at the +lodge, who was Nurse's aunt, and rather a gossip, said four. But both +were sure of one thing--that the newcomers--the children of the family, +that is to say--were just about the right ages for "our young lady and +gentlemen." + +And before long, Helena and her brothers were able to tell Nurse and +Mrs. Betty more than they had told them. For Mrs. Frere called at +Hailing Wood, which was the name of the neighbouring house, and a few +days afterwards, Mrs. Kingley returned her call, and fortunately found +the children's Mother at home. So all sorts of questions were asked and +answered, and when Helena and the boys came in from their walk, Mrs. +Frere had a whole budget of news for them. + +There were _four_ Kingleys, but the eldest was a girl of sixteen, whom +the children put aside at once as "no good," and listened impatiently to +hear about the others. + +"Next to Sybil," said their Mother, "comes Hugh; he is four years +younger--only twelve--and then Freda, nearly eleven, and lastly Maggie, +a 'tom-boy,' her Mother calls her, of eight." + +[Illustration] + +"I shall like her awfully if she's a tom-boy," said Helena very +decidedly, while Willie and Leigh looked rather puzzled. They had never +heard of a tom-boy before, and could not make out if it meant a boy or a +girl, till afterwards, when Helena explained it to them, and then Willie +said he had thought it must mean a girl, "'cos of Maggie being a girl's +name." + +"I hope you will like them all," said Mrs. Frere. "By their Mother's +account they seem to be very hearty, sensible children; indeed, she +says they are just a little wild, for she and Mr. Kingley have been a +great deal abroad, and the three younger children were for two years +with a lady, who was rather too old to look after them properly." + +"How dreadfully unhappy they must have been," said Helena, in a tone of +pity. + +"No," said her Mother, "I don't think they were unhappy. On the +contrary, they were rather spoilt and allowed to run wild. Of course I +am telling you this just as a very little warning, in case Hugh and his +sisters ever propose to do anything you do not think I should like. Do +not give in for fear of vexing them; they will like you all the better +in the end if they see you try to be as good and obedient out of sight, +as when your Father and I are with you. Do you understand, dears?" + +"Yes," said Helena, "of course we won't do anything naughty, Mamma," +though in her heart she thought that "running wild" sounded rather nice. + +"And you, boys?" added their Mother, "do you understand, too?" + +"Yes, Mamma," they said, Willie adding, "If you're not there or Nurse, +we'll do whatever Nelly says." + +"That's right," said Mrs. Frere. "Nelly, you hear?--the responsibility +is on your shoulders, you see, dear," but she smiled brightly. For she +felt sure that Helena was to be trusted. + +It had been arranged by the two Mammas that the three Kingley children +were to spend the next afternoon at Halling Park, the Freres' home. They +were to come early, between two and three, and their Mother and Sybil +would drive over to fetch them about five. Some other friends of Mrs. +Frere's were expected too, which would give Mrs. Kingley an opportunity +of meeting her new neighbours. + +"Must we have our best things on then, Mamma?" asked Helena, rather +dolefully. + +Mrs. Frere glanced at her. It was full summer-time--late in June. The +little girl looked very nice in a pretty pink-and-white cotton, though +it could not have passed muster as perfectly fresh and spotless. + +"No," she said, "a clean frock like the one you have on will do quite +well--or stay, yes, a white frock would be nicer. And tell Nurse that +the boys may wear their white serge suits--it is so nice and dry +out-of-doors I don't think they could get dirty if they tried." + +And, as I have said already, the little Freres were not at all "wild" +children. + +To-morrow afternoon came at last, and with it, to the delight of Helena +and her brothers, the expected guests. They arrived in a pony-cart, +driven by Hugh, who seemed quite in his element as a coachman, and they +all three jumped out very cleverly without losing any time about it. +Mrs. Frere and _her_ three were waiting for them on the lawn, but anyone +looking on would have thought that the Kingleys were the "at home" ones +of the party, for they shook hands in the heartiest way, and began +talking at once, while the little Freres all seemed shy and timid, and +almost awkward. + +Their Mother felt just a little vexed with them. Then she said to +herself that she must remember how very seldom they had had any +playfellows, and that it was to be expected they would feel a little +strange. + +"I daresay you will enjoy playing out of doors far more than in the +house, as it is such a lovely day," she said. "Your Mamma and Sybil will +be coming before very long, will they not?" she added, turning to Freda. + +"About four o'clock," Freda replied; "but I don't want four o'clock to +come too soon; we should like a good long time for playing first." + +Mrs. Frere smiled. + +"Well, it is scarcely half-past two yet," she said. "When four o'clock +or half-past four comes, I daresay you will _not_ feel sorry, for you +will have had time to get hungry by then." + +"All right," said Freda; "come along then, Nelly," for she had already +caught up Helena's short name. "Hugh and Maggie and I have got heaps of +fun in our heads." + +She caught hold of Helena's hand as she spoke and started off, the +others following. Mrs. Frere stood looking after them with a smile, +though there was a little anxiety in her face too. + +"I hope they will be careful," she thought; "I can trust Helena, but +these children _are_ rather overpowering. Still, it would scarcely have +done to begin checking them the moment they arrived." + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + +_Part 2_ + + +The grounds of Halling Park were very large, the lawns and flower-beds +near the house were most carefully kept, and just now in their full +summer beauty. The first thought of the little Freres was to show their +new friends all over this ornamental part, for the Halling roses were +rather famed, and Helena knew the names of the finest and rarest among +them. + +But Freda Kingley flew past the rosebeds without stopping or letting +Helena stop, and, excited by her example, the three boys and Maggie came +rushing after them, till the run almost grew into a race, so that when +at last the very active young lady condescended to pull up to take +breath, Helena was redder and hotter than she had ever been before in +her life. Indeed, for a moment or two, she was almost frightened--her +heart beat so fast, and there was such a "choky" feeling in her throat. +She could not speak, but stood there gasping. + +Freda burst out laughing. + +"I say," she exclaimed, "you're in very bad condition; isn't she, +Hugh?" + +Helena stared, which made Freda laugh still more, Hugh joining her. + +"I don't understand what you mean," said the little girl at last, when +she could speak. + +"Oh, it's nothing you need mind," said Hugh good-naturedly. "It only +means you're not up to much running--you've not been training yourself +for it. Freda was nearly as bad once, before I went to school; she +didn't understand, you see. But the first holidays I took her in hand, +and she's not bad now--not for a girl. I'll take you in hand if you +like." + +"Thank you," said Helena; "no, I don't think I want to be taken in hand. +I don't care to run so fast. Won't you come back again to see the +flowers near the house? And the tennis-court is very nice for +puss-in-the-corner or Tom Tiddler's ground." + +"We know a game or two worth scores of those old-fashioned things--don't +we, Freda?" said Hugh. "But I daresay the tennis-ground's rather jolly, +if it's a good big one; we can look it up later on. First of all I want +to see the stream. We caught sight of it; it looks jolly enough." + +"And there's a bridge across it," said Maggie, speaking for the first +time, "a ducky little bridge. It would be fun to stand on it and throw +stones down to make the fishes jump." + +Willie broke in at this. + +"The fish aren't so silly," he said. "The water-hens would scatter away, +I daresay, if you threw stones. But Papa doesn't like us to startle +them, so it would be no good trying." + +"Water-hens!" exclaimed the Kingley children all together. "What are +they like? Do let's go and look at them. We've never seen any." + +"And most likely we won't see them now," said Helena. "They're very shy +creatures. And we mustn't startle them, as Willie says." + +"Oh, bother!" said Freda; "it wouldn't hurt them for once. And who would +know? Anyway, let's go to the bridge." + +And off she set again, though not quite so fast. Indeed, it would have +been impossible to race as she had done across the lawn, for the way to +the stream from where they were standing, lay across very high ground, +though there was a proper path, or road, leading to the bridge if they +had not come by the "cross-country" route. + +It was very pretty when they got there, so wild and picturesque--you +could have imagined yourself miles and miles away from any house, in +some lonely stretch of country. Even the restless Kingley children were +struck by it, and stood still in admiration for about a quarter of a +minute. + +"I say, it's awfully jolly here," said Hugh. "I wish we had a stream and +a bridge like this in our grounds." + +But almost immediately he began fidgeting about again--leaning over, +till Helena felt sure he would tumble in, and twisting himself about to +see what there was to be seen below them. + +"I know what _would_ be fun," said Freda suddenly. + +"What?" exclaimed the others. + +"Wading," she replied. "If we clamber down the side of the bank--it +isn't so very steep--we could get right under the bridge. There's a bit +of dry ground at each side of the water, isn't there, Hugh? We could +make that our dressing-room, or our bathing-van, whichever you like to +call it." + +"But," interrupted Helena, "you couldn't undress; we've no +bathing-dresses, and----" + +"How stupid you are!" interrupted Freda, in her turn. "We'd have to take +off our shoes and stockings, of course, and we can't do that on the +sloping bank; under the bridge is just the place. And we can pretend +it's the sea, and that we're going to bathe properly, and shiver and +shudder and push each other in. Oh! it'll be great fun--come along, all +of you, do." + +And somehow she got them all to go--not that she had any difficulty in +persuading her own brother and sister; they were, as they would +themselves have expressed it, "up to anything"; but the three Freres +knew quite well that it was not the sort of play--especially for +Helena--that their Mother would have approved of. It was very muddy down +under the bridge, and the paddling about in cold fresh water, when one +is already overheated, is not a very wholesome thing to do. Nor were +they dressed for this sort of play. + +But Freda and Hugh had got the upper hand of them. Helena could not bear +to be laughed at, and Willie was terribly afraid of being thought "soft" +by a real schoolboy like Hugh. + +It was not so easy to get down by the bank without accidents, and before +they reached the "dressing-room," frocks and knickerbockers already told +a tale. + +"Never mind," said Freda, "it'll brush off when it's dry, and even if it +doesn't quite, you can't be expected never to get the least bit dirty. +Now let's get off our shoes and stockings as quick as we can," and down +she plumped and began unbuttoning her own boots without further ado. + +"I think I'd rather not wade," said Helena. + +"Oh, what rubbish!" cried Freda. "In I'll go first and show you how +jolly it is," and in another moment, in she went, paddling about on the +firmer ground in the middle of the stream, after some very muddy slips +or slides to get there. + +"It's all right once you get out here," she called back. "Awfully +jolly--as cold as ice; come along." + +[Illustration: "_It was not so easy to get down by the bank._"] + +And in a few minutes all six children were waddling about in the not +very clear water, for the stirred-up mud at the edge had quite spoiled +the look of things for the time being, and I am sure the waterfowl, and +the fish, and even the water-rats were extraordinarily frightened at the +strange things that were happening, poor dears! + +All went well, or fairly well, for some time, though little Leigh's face +began to look very blue, and his teeth chattered, and but for his fear +of being thought a baby, I rather think he would have begun to cry. + +Helena did not notice him for some time; she was feeling a little giddy +and queer herself, and found it not too easy to keep her skirts, short +as they were, out of the water, and herself on her feet. There were some +sharp pebbles among those that made the bed of the stream, and she had +never before tried walking barefoot out of doors, even on a smooth +surface, and therefore found it very difficult. + +But when at last she happened to catch sight of her little brother, she +started violently and nearly lost her balance. "Go back at once, Leigh," +she cried. "Look at him, Freda--he's all white and blue." + +Freda was a kind-hearted girl, and she too was startled. + +"I'll take him to the bank--he'll be all right when I've rubbed his +feet," she exclaimed, and she hurried forward. But for all her good +intentions she only made matters worse. + +Instead of taking hold of the child to help him, she managed to push him +over--and in another second Leigh was floundering in the mud at the edge +of the little stream! + + + + +_Part 3_ + + +[Illustration] + +POOR Leigh! What an object he was! + +At first the three Kingleys burst out laughing. + +But when Helena and Willie turned upon them sharply, they quickly grew +serious, for they were far from unkind children, and the sight of their +little friend's real distress and fear made them anxious to help to put +things to right. + +[Illustration] + +"He's as white as a sheet," said Helena, who was almost in tears. "And +shivering so. Oh! Leigh dear, do you feel very bad?" + +"N-no, don't cry, Nelly," said the little boy. "It's--it's my jacket and +knickerbockers I mind about." + +Freda turned him round promptly. + +"It's only on one side," she said; "and a lot of it will brush off the +jacket, at least, and after all, the knickerbockers can be washed. What +I mind about is you're shivering so. Sit down, young man--here's a nice +dry place, and I'll give your feet a good rub." + +So she did, using for that purpose one of her brother Hugh's long rough +stockings, quite heedless of his grumbling. She was certainly a very +energetic girl. In a few minutes Leigh's feet were in a glow, and the +colour crept back to his face again, and he left off shivering. + +"There now," she said, "you are all right again, or at least you will +be, when you've run home and got a clean jacket. After all, you're quite +dry underneath--the mud is thick and hasn't soaked through. Now, what +had we best do, Nelly?" + +"Get him home as quick as possible some back way, so that we won't meet +anyone, I should say," said Hugh, as he drew on his stockings, very glad +to have recovered his property. + +But just as he spoke, there came a well-known sound--well known at least +to the Frere children, for it was their Mother's voice calling them. + +"Nell-ly! Nell-ly! Will-ie! Will! where are you?" it said. + +They looked at each other. + +"It's Mamma," said Willie. + +"What can have made her come out so soon?" said Helena. "She was going +to wait till the other ladies came to tea, and then she said she and +Sybil would stroll out with them, and see what we were doing in the +garden. But I never thought they'd come down here--we scarcely ever do, +'cos Nurse thinks we'll fall into the water." + +Nurse's fears were not without reason, were they? + +"We mustn't be seen like this," said Freda, "that's certain. Let's +crouch in here quite quietly for a minute or two, till they're out of +the way--don't speak or anything. Hush! perhaps we can hear their +voices." + +Hiding from Mamma was a new experience to Helena and her brothers, and +they did not like the feeling of it. But just now there was nothing else +to do, and Freda had taken it all into her own hands. So they did as she +said. + +[Illustration] + +No sound of voices reached them for some moments, but they heard +footsteps overhead. Several people were crossing the bridge. "Goodness +gracious," said Freda, in a whisper, "we've only just hidden ourselves +in time. Do come closer, and don't speak, whatever you do," though no +one had been speaking but herself. + +Then the steps stopped, and a faint murmur was heard, but not loud +enough to distinguish the words; and then the newcomers' steps moved on +again. + +The children began to breathe more freely. + +"Better stay quiet another minute or two," said Freda. + +But Helena was not happy in her mind about little Leigh. + +"It's so damp and chilly in here under the bridge," she said to Freda. +"He's sure to catch cold unless he gets a run in the sunshine." + +"He must be awfully delicate then," said Hugh, with some contempt in his +voice. "You should see the wettings _we_ get--even Maggie, and she's a +_girl_." + +At this Leigh grew very red, and Helena found he was going to burst out +crying, which would not have been a very good way of showing he was a +man, I consider. + +But Freda told Hugh not to talk nonsense, for she was sensible enough to +know that what Helena said was true. + +"I'll peep out now," she said, "and if the coast is clear, I'll 'cooey' +to you very softly, like we do at 'I spy,' and then you can all come +out. I'll wait for you at the top of the bank. It's a bother to go up it +and down and up again--it's such slippery work." + +She peeped out as she said--cautiously at first; then again encouraged, +she made her way half way up the bank and glanced round her. + +It seemed safe enough. + +The group of ladies was to be seen at some little distance now; they +were returning towards the house by the proper road, which it would be +easy for the children to avoid. + +And in her satisfaction, Freda gave a loud "cooey"--much louder than was +needed, as her companions were close by. + +[Illustration] + +Out popped all the heads from below the bridge, but before their owners +had time to begin to climb the bank, they were stopped by a "Hush," and +an energetic shake of the head from Freda, who next, greatly to their +surprise, flopped straight down among the high grass at the top, and lay +there motionless and quite flat. + +The reason of this was soon explained. Again came the cry--"Nell-y! +Will-ie! Nell-y!" from Mrs. Frere, and a whistle, which Hugh Kingley +whispered to the others was his sister Sybil's. + +"They've heard Freda's 'cooey,'" he said. "What a goose she was to call +so loud!" + +Again there was nothing for it but to stay quiet, which was becoming +very tiresome. + +The Frere children began to think that their ideas of "great fun," and +the Kingleys', did not at all agree. + +"Wasting all the afternoon in this nasty damp hole, and risking Leigh's +getting really ill," thought Helena. + +And at last she sprang up and called out to Freda. + +"I won't stay here any longer," she cried. "Whether we are scolded or +not, I won't. It isn't safe for Leigh." + +"How cross you are!" said Freda coolly. "I was just going to tell you to +come out. I think it's all right now; they've moved on. We can make a +rush for the house across the grass somehow, can't we? There must be +some back way in, where we shouldn't meet anyone. Then you and I can +take Leigh up to the nursery and say he had an accident, which is quite +true--and when he's clean again he can come out to us and your Mamma +needn't know anything about it. The rest of us are all quite tidy--quite +as tidy as can be expected after running about." + +Helena did not reply. She was feeling too annoyed and vexed, and she did +not like Freda's wish to hide what had really caused their troubles. + +But she took Leigh by the hand--Freda, it must be allowed, taking him +kindly by the other, and they all set off as fast as they could to the +house. They could not go quite straight for fear of being seen; they had +to "dodge" once or twice, but in the end they got safely there without +meeting anyone more formidable than a tradesman's cart driving away from +the stables, or an under-gardener laden with a basketful of vegetables. + +Nurse looked grave, as she well might do, when she saw Leigh's plight. +But Freda had a very pleasant bright manner, and Nurse was quite +satisfied with her explanations. + +And as the run home had brought back the colour to the little boy's +cheeks, nothing much was said as to the fear of his having caught cold. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + +_Part 4_ + + +SOME half an hour or so afterwards, all the party, the children +included, assembled on the lawn for tea. + +Nurse had seized the opportunity of Helena's running in with Leigh, to +"tidy her up a bit," and Freda too had not objected to a little setting +to rights, so that both the girls looked quite in order. + +And Willie and Hugh had also removed all traces of their adventures; +only Maggie was still rather rumpled and crumpled, but as she was +counted a tom-boy at all times, it did not so much matter. + +"What became of you all, this afternoon?" asked Mrs. Frere. "We walked +down to the bridge to look for you, as one of the men said he had seen +you going that way. And I am _sure_ I heard one of you 'cooeying'--did I +not? Yet when I called, no one replied." + +The children looked at each other. Mrs. Frere felt surprised. + +"What is the mystery?" she said, though with a smile. + +"Oh," began Freda, "there wasn't any mystery--we were only----" She +stopped, for she felt that Helena's eyes were fixed on her, and Freda +was not by nature an untruthful child. It was through her heedlessness +and wildness that she often got into what she would have called +"scrapes," from which there seemed often no escape but by telling +falsehoods, or at least allowing what was not the case to be believed. + +She grew red, and Mrs. Frere, feeling that it was not very kind to +cross-question a guest, finished her sentence for her. + +"Hiding?" she said. "Were you hiding?" though she wondered why Freda +should blush and hesitate about so simple a thing. + +"Yes," said Helena quickly, replying instead of Freda, "yes, Mamma, we +_were_ hiding--under the bridge." + +At the moment she only felt glad to be able to say what _in words_ was +true. + +For hiding they certainly had been. And Mrs. Frere, thoroughly trusting +Helena, turned away and thought no more about it, only adding that it +must have been rather dirty under the bridge; another time she would +advise them to find a cleaner place. + +"I suppose it was 'I spy' you were playing at," she said, and she did +not notice that no one answered her. + +The rest of the afternoon passed quietly enough. + +Hugh and Freda were rather unusually quiet, at which their Mother and +elder sister rejoiced. + +"I do hope," said Sybil, as she drove home with Mrs. Kingley, leaving +the younger ones to follow as they had come, "I do hope those Frere +children, though they are younger, will have a good influence upon Hugh +and the girls, Freda especially. She has been getting wilder and wilder. +And Helena is such a lady-like, well-bred little girl." + +"I hope so too," said her Mother. "I own I was a little afraid of our +children startling the Freres, but they seem to have got on all right." + +[Illustration] + +"Good night, dears," said Mrs. Frere to her three children an hour or so +later. "You were happy with your new friends, I hope? I think they seem +nice children, and they were very quiet and well-behaved to-day. Leigh, +my boy, you look half asleep--are you very tired?" + +"My eyes are tired," said Leigh, "and my head, rather." + +"Well, off with you to bed, then," she said cheerfully. She would not +have felt or spoken so cheerfully if she could have seen into her little +daughter's heart. + +Nurse too noticed that Leigh looked pale and heavy-eyed. + +She said she was afraid he had somehow caught cold. So she gave him +something hot to drink after he was in bed, and soon he was fast asleep, +breathing peacefully. + +"He can't be very bad," thought Helena, "if he sleeps so quietly." + +But though she tried not to be anxious about him, she herself could not +succeed in going to sleep. + +She tossed about, and dozed a little, and then woke up again--wider +awake each time, it seemed to her. It was not _all_ anxiety about Leigh; +the truth was, her conscience was not at peace; she felt as if she +deserved to be anxious about her little brother, for she saw clearly +now, how she had been to blame--first, for giving in to the Kingleys in +doing what she knew her Mother would not have approved of, and besides, +and even worse than that--in concealing the wrong-doing, and telling +what was "not quite true" to her trusting Mother. + +The tears forced their way into Helena's eyes when she owned this to +herself, and at last she felt that she could bear it no longer. + +She got softly out of bed without waking Nurse, and made her way to the +little room where Willie slept alone. + +"Willie," she said at the door, almost in a whisper, but Willie heard +her. He, too, for a wonder, was not able to sleep well to-night, and he +at once sat straight up in bed. + +"Yes, Nelly," he said, in a low, though frightened voice, "what is it? +Is Leigh ill?" + +"No," Helena replied; "at least, I hope not, though I'm awfully unhappy +about him. It's partly that and partly--everything, Willie--all we did +this afternoon. And worst of all," and here poor Nelly had hard work to +choke down a lump that began to come in her throat, "I didn't tell Mamma +the truth, when she asked what we were doing, you remember, Willie." + +"Yes," said Willie, "I remember. You said we were hiding, and so we +were." + +"But it wasn't quite true the way I let her think it," persisted Helena. +"Even if the words were true, the _thinking_ wasn't. And it has made me +so dreadfully unhappy. I didn't know how to wait till the morning to +tell her--I know I shan't go to sleep all night," and she did indeed +look very white and miserable. + +Willie considered; he had good ideas sometimes, though Helena often +called him slow and stupid. + +"I know what," he said. "You shall write a letter to Mamma--now, this +minute. I've got paper and ink and pens and everything, in my new +birthday writing-case, and I've got matches. Since my birthday, Papa +said I might have them in my room." + +For Willie was a very careful little boy. If there was no likelihood of +his "setting the Thames on fire," his Father had said once, "there was +even less fear of his setting the _house_ on fire," and though Willie +did not quite understand about the "Thames"--how could a _river_ +burn?--he saw that Papa meant something nice, so he felt quite pleased. + +And the next morning, the first thing Mrs. Frere saw on her toilet-table +was a note addressed rather shakily in pencil, to "dear Mamma." + +It was only a few lines, but it made her hurry to throw on her +dressing-gown and hasten to the nursery. + +"How is Leigh?" were her first words to Nurse. + +[Illustration: "_Willie at once sat straight up in bed._"] + +"He's got a little cold in his head, ma'am, but nothing much," was the +cheerful reply, and Mamma saw by the child's face that there were no +signs of anything worse. + +"But, Miss Helena," Nurse went on, "has had a bad night, and her head is +aching, so I thought it better to keep her in bed to breakfast." + +Poor Nelly! she had not much appetite for breakfast, and the first thing +she did when Mamma's dear face appeared at the door was to burst into +tears. + +But such tears do good, and still more relief was the telling the whole +story, ending up with-- + +"Oh, Mamma, dear Mamma, I couldn't bear to think I had told you what was +_not quite true_. And Willie feels just the same." + +For Willie had crept in too, looking very grave, and winking his eyes +hard to keep from crying. + +It was all put right, of course; there was really no need for their +Mother to show them where they had been wrong. They knew it so well. And +Leigh did not get ill, after all. + +Freda Kingley had had a lesson too, I am glad to say. + +That very afternoon she and Hugh walked over to Halling Park, to "find +out" if Leigh was all right. + +And this gave Mrs. Frere a good opportunity of showing the kind-hearted +but thoughtless children the risk they had run of getting themselves and +their little friends into real trouble--above all, by concealing their +foolish play, and causing Nelly and her little brothers for the first +time in their lives to act at all deceitfully. + +"You will be afraid to let them play with us any more," said Freda very +sadly, "and I'm sure I don't wonder." + +"No, dear," said her new friend. "On the contrary, I shall now feel sure +that I _may trust_ you and Hugh and Maggie." + +Freda grew red with pleasure. + +"You may indeed," she said; "I promise you we won't lead them into +mischief and--and if ever we do, we'll tell you all about it at once." + +Mrs. Frere laughed at this quaint way of putting it. + +"I don't think my children will be any the worse for a little more +'running wild' than they have had," she said. + +"And we won't be any the worse for having to think a little before we +rush off on some fun," said Freda. "I really never did see before how +very easy it would be to get into telling regular _stories_, if you +don't take care." + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration: In the Chimney Corner] + +by + +Frances E. Crompton + + +"IT'S a welly anxietious thing, yoasting chestnuts is," Rupert said, +shaking his head seriously. + +Rupert is only four years old, but he is very fond of grand words. He +speaks quite plainly and nicely, Nurse says (excepting the _v_'s and +_r_'s), only, of course, he cannot remember always just the shape of the +big words; but he uses much grander ones than I do, though I am nearly +six. + +But he is the nicest little boy in all the world, and we do love each +other better than anybody else at all, after Mother and Father. + +We made what Rupert calls an "arranglement" about always being friends +with each other; that was the night we roasted the chestnuts. + +It was one of the most interesting things we had ever done--and then to +be allowed to do it alone! You see, this was the way. + +It was the dreadfullest day we can remember in all our lives. + +Because you know, first of all, Mother was so ill. And then there was a +birthday party we were to have gone to. + +And Sarah, who is the housemaid, said she didn't see why we couldn't go +just the same, and Nurse said very sharply: + +"I'm not going to let them go, I can tell you, with things as they are." + +And then she said, in another kind of voice: + +"Just suppose they had to be sent for to go in to the mistress----" + +And then she went away again into Mother's dressing-room. + +That was another horrid thing, that nobody seemed to be able to look +after us at all; we could have got into all sorts of mischief if we had +wanted, but everything was so dreadful that it made us not want. + +There were two doctors, who went and came several times, and someone +they called Nurse, but she wasn't our Nurse. + +And our Nurse could not be in the nursery with us, but kept shutting +herself up in Mother's dressing-room, and that made us be getting into +everybody's way. + +So at last, when evening came, Nurse sent us down to the drawing-room, +because somebody had let the nursery fire go almost out, and she told us +to stay there and be good, and Father said he would perhaps come and sit +with us by-and-by. + +But I don't know what we should have done there so long if Sarah had +not brought us a plate of chestnuts, and shown us how to roast them. + +(We feel sure that Nurse would not have allowed it by ourselves, and +would have called it "playing with fire," but Father looked in at us +once, and did not stop us at all, but only said we were very good, and +Cook and Sarah kept looking in too, and they were very kind, only rather +quiet and queer.) + +[Illustration] + +So that was how it was that we came to be allowed to be roasting +chestnuts in the drawing-room by ourselves, which does seem a little +funny, if you did not know about that dreadful day. + +"There's only two left now," Rupert said. + +We hadn't eaten all the plateful, of course, because so many of them, +when they popped, had popped quite into the fire, and we were not to try +to get them out. + +We had roasted one each for Sarah, and for Cook, and for Nurse, and for +Father, and of course the biggest of all for Mother. + +We thought she might enjoy it when she got better. And they were all +done, and there were only two left besides what we had eaten and lost. + +So we put them together on the bar to roast, and Rupert said: + +"One for you, and one for me. Yours is the light one, and mine is the +dark one." + +And I said: + +"Yes, and let us do them as Sarah did with two of them, and try if they +will keep together till they are properly done, and then it will be as +if we kept good friends and loved each other always." + +So that was what Rupert called the "anxietious" part, because, you know, +one of them might have flown into the fire before the other was roasted, +and we were so excited about it that I believe we should have cried. + +But they were the nicest chestnuts of all the plateful, and that was the +nicest thing of all that long day that had so many nasty ones in it. + +For the dark chestnut and the light one kept together all the time, and +split quite quietly and comfortably, and began to have a lovely smell, +and then we thought it was fair to rake them off. + +"Those chestnuts were welly fond of each other," said Rupert, in his +solemnest way, while they were cooling in the fender. "Like you and me, +Nella." + +[Illustration: "Rupert knelt down on the rug."] + +"And so we'll promise on our word-of-honours to be friends like them +and love each other for always and always," I said. + +And we held each other's hands, and when the chestnuts were cooled and +peeled, ate them up, and enjoyed them most of all the chestnuts. + +But after we had made that play last as long as we could, and it grew +later and later, it began to seem miserabler than ever. + +And nobody came to take us to bed, although it did feel so dreadfully +like bedtime, and nobody brought us any bread-and-milk, and chestnuts do +not really make a good supper, even if you have roasted them yourself. +And I tried to tell Rupert "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," but he grew +cross because I couldn't tell it as well as Mother. + +So I said: + +"Well, let us lie down here on the rug, and perhaps if we make believe, +it will seem like going to bed." + +But Rupert said, how could he go to bed without saying his prayers, and +he was so tired and cross that I said: + +"Well, you say yours, and I'll hear them." + +And so Rupert knelt down on the rug, and said his prayers, and I heard +them; at least, I mean, we tried; but I couldn't always remember what +came next, and then _he_ remembered that he wanted Mother, and burst out +crying. + +So I did not know what to do any more, and I could only huggle him, as +he calls it, and wipe his eyes on my frock, and we sat there and huggled +each other. + +And I think we fell asleep in the chimney corner after that. + +At least, the next thing we remember is being picked up by Father and +Nurse, and Nurse carried Rupert upstairs, and Father carried me. + +And I said: + +"We've tried to be good, Father, but we were obliged to go to sleep on +the floor--just there; we really and truly couldn't keep awake any +longer." + +[Illustration] + +And Father did not think it naughty, I am sure, for he kissed us both +ever so many times at the nursery door, with a great big hug, although +he went away without speaking. + +And Nurse undressed us as quickly as she could, and as Rupert calls it, +"'scused" our baths, for we were so dreadfully sleepy; and I did think +once that Nurse seemed to be crying, but I was too tired to notice any +more. + +And that was the end of the dreadfullest day we have ever known. + +It began to be happier quite soon next day, for Granny came, and stayed +with us, and had time to love us very much. + +We told her about the chestnuts, and she thought it ever so nice. + +And she told us something too, two things, and one was very beautiful, +and one was very dreadful. + +And the beautiful thing was that God had sent us a baby sister on that +dreadful evening. But then He saw that He could take better care of her +than even Mother and Nurse, and He loved her so much that He sent an +angel to fetch her away again. + +And though we were sorry not to have the little sister (and that was +another reason to make Rupert and me love each other all the more, +Granny said), yet she told us how beautiful it was to know that Baby +Lucy would never do a naughty thing, or say a naughty word, but always +be kept quite safe now. + +And the dreadful thing was--but I can only say it in a whisper--that +God had almost taken _Mother_ away, to be with Baby Lucy too. + +But He looked down at us, and at Father, Granny said, and was sorry for +us; and I think the time when He was sorry was when Rupert was crying, +and I was trying to hear his prayers, because He must have seen that I +could not be like Mother to Rupert, not however much I tried. + +And so He was sorry for us, and Mother stayed. + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Title page, "878" changed to "1878" + +A table of contents was created for this book by the transcriber. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Christmas Fairy, by +John Strange Winter and Frances E. 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