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diff --git a/43999-8.txt b/43999-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c146c76..0000000 --- a/43999-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1295 +0,0 @@ - KITTY'S PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES - - - - -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 http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: Kitty's Picnic and other Stories -Author: Anonymous -Release Date: October 22, 2013 [EBook #43999] -Language: English -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KITTY'S PICNIC AND OTHER -STORIES *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover art] - - - - -[Illustration: 'KITTY SAT AT THE WINDOW.'--_Page_ 7.] - - - - - KITTY'S PICNIC - - And other Stories - - - _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - - - EDINBURGH & LONDON - OLIPHANT ANDERSON & FERRIER - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Contents] - - - *CONTENTS.* - - -Kitty's Picnic -Ellen's Letter -That Dear Duck -Little Miss Muffle -A New Red Riding-Hood -Lilla's Doll Show -Selina and her Doll - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to Contents] - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Kitty's Picnic] - - - *Kitty's Picnic.* - - -It was a fine spring morning, and Kitty sat at the window looking out at -the green fields and the trees with their young leaves, and far, far -beyond these to some towers that looked small in the distance, but when -you came close to them you found that they belonged to a grand old -castle in ruins. - -This castle Kitty had long wished to see, for she had heard so much -about it; and to-day she was thinking very much about it, for she knew -that there was going to be a great picnic, to which her cousins were -going, and Kitty wished she were going also, but she had not been -invited. As she gazed out of the window she saw several carriages full -of people on their way to the picnic. Then the tears came into Kitty's -eyes, and she dropped the book she was holding in her hand, and opened -the window so that she might see the carriages more clearly. They were -going very quickly, and Kitty could hear the people laughing and talking -as she watched them out of sight. - -She gave a great sigh. - -'How much I should like to go!' she said, half aloud. - -Just then the door opened, and her Uncle George walked into the room. - -'Why, Uncle George, where have you come from?' said Kitty, jumping up. -'I thought you were not coming home till next week.' - -'I came home last night,' said Uncle George, 'but I did not expect to -find you here. I thought you would be going to the picnic.' - -'I should like to go,' said Kitty, 'but I was not invited. I do not -know Mrs. Somers.' - -'Neither do I,' said Uncle George; 'but suppose we have a little picnic -of our own, Kitty? I have got my dog-cart at the door, and there is -room in the castle grounds for a dozen picnic parties; and we should not -take up much room.' - -Kitty clapped her hands. - -'Put on your hat, then, and we will go,' said Uncle George. 'My little -Kitty shall see the castle, and climb the ruins.' - -'Oh, Uncle George, how good you are!' said Kitty, as they drove along. -'I never thought I should be so happy as I am to-day.' - -'But, Kitty,' said Uncle George very gravely, 'I am afraid it can't be -quite a picnic, for we have brought nothing to eat with us. What shall -we do?' - -'I shan't mind,' said Kitty; 'but I am afraid that you will be hungry, -Uncle George.' - -Uncle George smiled. - -'Well, we won't be starved, Kitty; there is a nice little country inn -close by, where I put up my horse, and I daresay we shall manage to get -something there.' - -And so they did; and Kitty saw the old castle, and when she drove home -she said it was the happiest day she had ever spent. - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to Kitty's Picnic] - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Ellen's Letter] - - - *Ellen's Letter.* - - -'You must be sure to write it all down, Jessy,' said Ellen, looking over -her sister's shoulder: 'you must tell how naughty Bob was, and how he -threw your doll on the fire, and all the wax melted, and that he broke -my doll's arms and legs, so that I have had to sew them all over to keep -the bran from running out.' - -[Illustration: 'YOU MUST BE SURE TO WRITE IT ALL DOWN.'] - -'Yes--and how he trampled on our gardens, and broke down my rose-bush -and all my pinks. I don't think I shall have room for all the things -there are to tell mamma about him. There never was such a naughty boy! -When he gets one of his tempers he does not seem to know what he is -doing.' - -And Ellen leaned down on the table, and went on writing. - -Just then the door opened, and Bob himself came in. He was a fat, rosy -little boy, and he did not look very fierce now; indeed, he looked quite -meek and gentle. He came up to his sisters, and said, 'Bob is sorry; he -won't spoil dolls and gardens again.' - -'Ah! it is too late now, Bob,' said Ellen; 'you have spoiled everything; -and I am telling mamma all about it in my letter, so she won't bring you -the baker's cart and the whip that you wanted.' - -You are a very naughty boy, Bob,' said Jessy, 'and I am not going to -play with you again.' - -Bob went very red. - -'Take care; he's going into a temper again,' said Ellen, as Bob made a -snatch at the letter she was writing. She held it out of his reach, and -then he gave a loud scream and began crying with all his might. - -'I'll go to nurse!' he cried, rushing out of the room, shouting as loud -as he could. - -'He is the worst boy that ever lived!' said Jessy. - -'Now we'll get on with the letter,' said Ellen. - -But just then they heard another scream--which was not Bob--and then a -bumping noise on the stairs. - -'He's fallen down-stairs. Perhaps he's killed,' said Jessy, turning -pale. And the two girls ran to see what was the matter. - -Yes, Bob, in his passion, did not see where he was going, and he -slipped, and fell from the top of the stairs to the bottom. - -'Oh, nurse, is he much hurt?' cried Ellen, for nurse and the rest of the -servants were there. - -It was a long time before Bob came to himself. - -The doctor was sent for, and he found that Bob's arm was broken; and -poor Bob had to suffer a great deal of pain in having it set. - -'Poor Bob!' said Ellen to Jessy; 'we won't send our letter to mamma.' - -'No,' said Jessy; 'it will be a great trouble to mamma to find poor Bob -so ill. We will not give her any more trouble.' And she tore up the -letter. - -But another letter was written to mamma to tell her what had happened, -and she came at once. - -Bob was lying quite still, muttering something to himself, but only loud -enough for Ellen and Jessy to hear the word 'Naughty, naughty.' - -'But we did not think you would fall down-stairs, Bob,' said Jessy. - -Bob looked up at Jessy, and said, 'No, no; naughty Bob, not naughty -Jessy.' - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to Ellen's Letter] - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to That Dear Duck] - - - *That Dear Duck.* - - -'Yes,' said Farmer Jones, looking down at them over the top bar of the -gate, 'you may come and play in the field for a bit; only mind, there is -to be no chasing the sheep or hens, or throwing stones at the ducks, or -it will be the last time you children get leave to come into my fields.' - -'We won't do any mischief, sir,' said Peggy earnestly, as she tried to -make the bundle she carried sit upright, and look something like a baby, -instead of cuddling up like a shapeless lump on her shoulder. - -'Very well, then, in you go.' - -The farmer held the gate open till the five children and two babies had -filed sedately through; then he dropped the bar into the socket, and -tramped away down the dusty lane. - -The sheep were away at the far side, and did not take the trouble to -glance up at the intruders. The hens were clucking busily on a piece of -bare ground beyond the barn. Down in the lowest corner of the field was -a shallow pond, where a plump mother duck and half a dozen downy -ducklings were sailing placidly about. They were new-comers -comparatively, and the children greeted them with shouts of approval. - -'Why can't babies swim about and do things, instead of always crying and -going to sleep?' asked Tommy, eyeing his small twin brothers with great -dissatisfaction, as they sat in a row on a fallen tree-trunk. 'I'd -rather have young ducks any day; they've twice as much sense.' - -'See that one eating up my bread and butter!' cried Jack; 'he's -something like a duck. I wish Farmer Jones would give him to me.' - -'I'm quite sure he wouldn't,' said Peggy sharply; 'ducks are dreadfully -dear things: mother's said so lots of times.' - -Jack didn't answer; he was leaning over the tree trunk, throwing tiny -bits of crusts to the duckling, who was doing his best to choke himself -with them. Soon after, the duckling came round in front of the trunk -where they were sitting; and it was the funniest little object, with its -stumpy wings, and a big yellow bill that opened and shut like a pair of -scissors. - -[Illustration: 'IT WAS THE FUNNIEST LITTLE OBJECT.'] - -There were five more swimming about beside their mother; there might be -dozens more in the farmyard, while they had nothing of their own. A -sharp little duck like that would be as good as a dog to play with. -Jack had watched it with longing eyes; he was certain the farmer would -never miss it, if he were to take it home for a little while--only a -little while; he could easily bring it back again, and it wouldn't be -one bit the worse. - -The others played on with the daisies and the butterflies; the babies -sucked their thumbs and fell asleep in their small nurses' arms; the -little duck forgot his mother and his brothers and sisters, and strayed -farther and farther away after the crumbs, till presently two small -brown hands pounced down, and he found himself a prisoner. - -'Quack! quack!' called the mother duck, missing the wanderer. - -'Quack! quack!' cried the little duck. - -Peggy and Bessy looked round. - -'Why, what are you doing, Jack? Didn't Farmer Jones say you weren't to -tease the ducks?' - -'Who is teasing the ducks?' demanded Jack, in a tone of injured -innocence. 'I'm going to take it home for a bit, and teach it a lot of -tricks.' - -'You'd better leave it alone!' cried Peggy, in alarm; 'it would be -stealing.' - -'It would be nothing of the kind. I'm not going to keep the duck. -Girls haven't a bit of sense; they're just made to go telling tales.' - -'I don't ever tell tales,' returned Peggy, with dignity. 'Did I ever -tell who it was left the gate open when the pigs got in that day?' - -'Well, don't tell tales this time either,' was Jack's only -acknowledgment. 'We'd better be going now, before anybody comes.' - -Jack was the biggest boy, and liked his own way. Moreover, he generally -made the rest like it too. Peggy and Bessy uneasily got up from their -seat, and back the procession went across the green grass and daisies, -Jack carrying the duck inside his jacket, where it quacked loudly, and -made the company look round anxiously, for fear of stray listeners. - -'What will mother say when she sees it?' suggested Tommy, as they slunk -along the lane. - -'Mother is not going to see it,' returned Jack; 'it's going into the -wood-shed. I'll make it a nice house there, all to itself--better than -it had at the farm by a long way.' - -So instead of going straight into the house, the party repaired to the -wood-shed at the end of the garden, where the duck was carefully fenced -in behind some boards, and supplied with the remainder of the crusts for -supper. - -'He'll go off to sleep in a bit,' said Jack, with a sigh of relief. 'Now -we'll go in; and mind, you're not to say anything about it.' - -It was easy for Jack to say that, but it wasn't by any means so easy to -do it. Every minute or two somebody would begin to say something -bearing upon the subject, and break off short in sudden alarm. Every -time there was a moment's silence, they would be listening for faint -quacks from the wood-shed, and somehow it befell that there came no -further opportunity of visiting the prisoner that evening; for it was -Saturday,--the great festival of the bath-tub,--and by the time the -whole seven had gone through the performance, it was too late for -anything but bed. - -Never mind; to-morrow would be Sunday, and Jack promised himself a -lovely time with his dear cluck. He would slip a piece of bread into -his pocket at breakfast; there was a noble ditch not very far off, where -nobody ever went, and he would take it there for a swim. Jack took a -last look through the curtainless window at the shed roof, and went to -bed brimful of plans for to-morrow and the duck. - -Ah, if that duck had but known or understood the joys that lay before -him! But he didn't; he was only a poor solitary baby duck, taken away -from his mother and his home, and left all alone in a cold, strange -place, and the night was very long and very bleak, and his little body -ached with cold and hunger, and he quacked and quacked till his throat -grew sore, and the quacks wouldn't come any longer, and at last, just as -it was beginning to grow grey morning, he feebly curled up his yellow -toes, and rolled over on his back--and died! - -'Tommy, come down the garden, and mind nobody sees you,' whispered Jack, -after breakfast. 'We'll take that duck to the ditch, and have some fun. -Hurry up!' - -The two raced down to the wood-shed; all was quiet enough inside. Jack -looked round in some astonishment. 'He must be fast asleep yet; I -thought he'd have been quacking like anything for some food.' - -Tommy was peering into the corner. He got up suddenly with a startled -face. - -'Jack,' he said solemnly, 'I do believe he's gone and died! See how -he's lying.' - -Jack had him up in his arms in an instant. He did not know much about -dead ducks, but the first touch of the little body, that had been so -soft and warm the night before, sent a cold chill right through him. He -looked down at it for a minute in speechless dismay, and then he burst -out into a perfect storm of sobs. - -'Let's go and tell mother,' said Tommy, beginning to cry too; and off -they went. - -But even mother could not bring the little duck back to life. She -quietly put it into a basket, and told Jack to take it up to Farmer -Jones, and tell him all about his wrong-doing. - -Tommy went with him for company, and the pair felt exactly as if they -were going to a funeral; and certainly no funeral they had ever seen -went half so slowly, and with so many halts and pauses. Sooner or -later, however, they _had_ to get there, and Jack had to falter out his -confession as best he might. - -'It was because it was such a dear little duck that Jack wanted it,' -explained Tommy valiantly, when Jack got to the end. 'We didn't mean to -hurt it.' - -The farmer listened in grim silence. 'Perhaps not,' he said; 'but I -can't have you in my fields again: you'll have to be content with the -lane for the rest of the summer, so I'm thinking you'll find it's been a -dear duck for you more ways than one.' - -'Mother was quite right,' said Jack, as they trudged back down that -dusty lane; 'ducks _are_ dreadfully dear things!' - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to That Dear Duck] - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Little Miss Muffle] - - - - - *Little Miss Muffle.* - - -Little Miss Muffle was sitting waiting. She had on her new winter coat -and her new winter bonnet, and she sat as still as a mouse. - -[Illustration: 'LITTLE MISS MUFFLE WAS SITTING WAITING.'] - -'Why is little Miss Muffle so gay, -In her winter coat and bonnet to-day? -Because she is going with mother away -For a drive in a carriage and pair,' - -said Uncle George, coming into the room. He always called his niece -Miss Muffle, though her real name was Annette. - -'Yes,' said Miss Muffle, 'I am going with my mother, and I shall not be -a bit cold. I am never cold in the winter; my mother keeps me so warm.' - -'Yes,' said Uncle George; 'your father and mother are rich, and can give -their little girl all she wants. I wonder if Miss Muffle would like to -go and see some little girls who have no warm coats or shoes and -stockings?' - -Miss Muffle looked up at Uncle George. - -'I should like to see those little girls, Uncle George. Will you take -me to see them?' - -So Uncle George went in the carriage with Miss Muffle and her mother. -And as they were driving along he told the coachman to stop at some poor -cottages near the road. He lifted Miss Muffle out of the carriage, and -told her mother they would not be long, if she would not mind waiting. -Uncle George knocked at the door of the first cottage. - -Miss Muffle gave a little shiver, for there was no fire, and sitting -close together on the floor were three little children, trying to get -warm under an old shawl of their mother's. - -'And how are the children getting on at school?' said Uncle George. - -'Only Ben has gone,' said the mother, 'for the others have on shoes, -except a pair of slippers that they wear in turn on fine days, but such -weather as this they would be wet through at once.' - -'Have they had their dinner?' asked Uncle George. - -'They have each had a piece of dry bread; that is all I can give them, -for the father is out of work.' - -The tears were in Miss Muffle's eyes. - -Uncle George slipped out of the door, and presently came back with a -great basket, which he opened, and gave each of the children a large -sandwich, at sight of which their eyes gleamed with joy. How hungry -they were! - -'And you must get some coal at once, Mrs. Trotter,' said Uncle George, -putting some money on the table, and at the same time taking out of the -basket tea, sugar, bread, cheese, bacon, and all sorts of food. 'And -you must have a good meal for your husband and the children, and we will -see about shoes and stockings in a day or two.' - -'Uncle George,' said Miss Muffle, when they returned to the carriage, 'I -will give them all the money I have, and father and mother will give -some, and we will buy clothes and shoes and stockings for the poor -little children. - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to Little Miss Muffle] - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to A New Red Riding-hood] - - - - - *A New Red Riding-hood.* - - -'Now, Miss Sibyl, why did you go and tell that "Red Riding-hood" to -Baby? You know it always makes him cry, the soft-hearted darling!' - -'Well, he ought to learn not to be so silly. I won't amuse the little -ones again, nurse, if you want me to spoil them!' said Sibyl, with -dignity. - -'I do think you might make the story end nicely, any way,' grumbled -nurse, hushing Baby, who was crying lustily. - -'I can't make it end well, nurse. It would not be true to say she was -saved, because she wasn't--she was _eaten_!' - -This was Sibyl's parting shot as she ran out of the nursery. - -'Never you mind what she says, my lambie; there are no wolves here at -all, and Red Riding-hood was not killed. There, stop crying, my beauty, -and you shall come and help me sort the linen in the next room. No, not -you, Miss Jean; one is enough to worrit; you just stay here till -tea-time, like a good girl.' - -So nurse went away with Baby, leaving little seven-year-old Jean alone -in the great nursery. - -The gas was not yet lit, and the familiar room looked strange and -mysterious in the dim, uncertain light of the fire. The corners were -shrouded in gloom, and the dancing flames threw huge, flickering shadows -upon the walls. - -Jean drew her stool nearer the fire and shivered, but not with cold. She -was a very nervous child, with a horror of the dark. She could not -explain, even to herself, exactly what it was she feared; it was a kind -of nameless something, but the form it sometimes took was 'wolves.' She -knew there were no wolves in this country, she knew there was nothing to -hurt her--yet she was afraid. The child was often laughed at, and was -much ashamed of her fears, and no one knew what she suffered at times. - -Oh, the fright that story of Red Riding-hood gave her! In vain she -tried to think of something else; it came back again and again, and she -shivered with sympathetic terror as she pictured to herself Red -Riding-hood's walk through the wood, and the horror she must have felt -when her grandmother turned out to be a wolf! Half of her knew that it -was only a fairy tale, and all nonsense, but the other half argued that -Sibyl said it was true, and Sibyl always spoke the truth. Nurse said it -was not true, but then she only said that to soothe Baby. - -So poor little Jean sat quaking with fear, starting at every sound, -fancying that she saw things move, and feeling that she must look behind -her, and yet dared not. - -But at last tea was brought in; nurse and Baby returned, the gas was -lit, and Jean forgot her fears, for a time, in bread and jam. - -The next day was Christmas Eve, and there was a great deal of fun going -on at the Vicarage. The Merivals were a large family, and every one had -secrets from every one else, and wonderful plans for the morrow. Mr. -Merival always gave a packet of tea and sugar to some of the old women -in the village on Christmas Eve, and all of these had been to the -Vicarage that morning to fetch it, except one. She was a poor old body, -who lived about a mile away, at the end of a wood, and was often too ill -with rheumatism to venture out of doors. - -'Sibyl,' said Mr. Merival, meeting her in the hall as he went to put on -his greatcoat,--'Sibyl, I want you to take Grannie Dawson her tea this -afternoon. Take it before dark.' - -'All right, father; I'll do it when'--and Sibyl's voice was lost in the -distance as she bounded out of doors. - -'Little giddy-pate!' ejaculated her father; then, turning to Jean, he -said,-- - -'See that some one takes that tea to poor old Grannie, little one. I -would not have her feel neglected for anything.' - -So saying, he departed, leaving the little girl in the hall. - -Jean waited long and patiently, but no one came. Every one was either -busy or not to be found. Mother and the elder girls were decorating the -church, the maids were busy, and Sibyl and the three boys were off on -some important business of their own. - -As time went on, Jean became more and more convinced that, as usual, -thoughtless Sibyl had forgotten everything but what she was doing at -that moment. It was past three, it would soon be dark, and Grannie -Dawson's tea--what was to be done? Father would be vexed with Sibyl if -she forgot to take it, and no one would like merry Sibyl to be in -disgrace on Christmas Eve. Could she go herself? Oh no; father never -meant _her_ to go. Besides, it was getting dark, and the way was through -a wood. Wolves! Horrible thought! And yet poor old Grannie Dawson was -so ill, so lonely. - -'Sibyl! Sibyl!' - -No answer. - -Little Jean sat some time longer struggling with herself. Then she -started up, slipped on her little warm red cloak, and, taking the basket -with the tea and sugar, walked resolutely out of the house, down the -garden, and along the road. - -The weather was cold--not real nice Christmas cold, but damp and raw, -and the roads were wet and sloppy with half-melted snow. - -Jean's heart beat fast, and she drew her cloak tightly round her as she -neared the wood. The sky was overcast, and the wind blew in fitful -gusts in her face, and sobbed and sighed in the pine trees on either -side. It really was very dark in the wood. The waving branches made -the shadows move in a weird manner, and there was no saying what evil -beast might not lurk behind those misty bushes, ready to pounce out on -the unwary passer-by. - -[Illustration: 'SHE DREW HER CLOAK TIGHTLY ROUND HER.'] - -The child thought many times of turning back, but then she remembered -the poor old woman, and pressed on. Her teeth chattered, and she -grasped her basket convulsively, glancing on either side with wide-open, -terrified eyes. Oh, why had she come? Surely that was a wolf's -howl--and behind her, so that she could not turn back! - -Very quietly she crept along till she came in sight of the little -thatched cottage where Grannie lived. Then she gathered herself -together, ready to set off running. - -But what was that noise?--it was not fancy. That huge form bounding -towards her--a wolf! - -With a wild scream of terror, little Jean fled towards the cottage, the -wolf after her. Nearer and nearer it came, but fear lent wings to the -child's feet, and she just reached the door in time to burst in and slam -it in the wolf's face. Then she threw herself on the floor and burst -into a fit of frightened crying. - -'Oh, the wolf! the wolf!' she sobbed, as old Grannie tried to soothe -her. 'Listen, it is at the door.' - -And sure enough the old woman heard it whining and scratching outside, -and then came the sound of a man's voice. - -Leaving Jean in the next room, Grannie Dawson opened the door, and in -walked--Farmer Martin and his big collie! So big and shaggy was that -collie-dog, and yet so very quiet and gentle, that no child, even timid -little Jean, could be afraid of him. The Merivals knew him well, and -used often to pet and tease him when they went to the farm to see Mrs. -Martin, and the farmer had now called at Grannie Dawson's cottage to ask -whose child it was who seemed so afraid of his dog. - -So the wolf was only dear old Cheviot, who had recognised Jean, and -wanted to be patted. Oh, how relieved she was, and how much ashamed of -herself! - -When Jean had recovered herself a little, kind Farmer Martin carried her -home in his arms, Cheviot trotting on before, wagging his tail and -looking over his shoulder at her, as if to apologise for frightening her -so. - -It was quite dark when they reached the Vicarage, and some of the family -had come home, and were wondering where Jean could be. The farmer told -her story, and, to her surprise, she was petted and made much of by all. - -But she had had a serious fright; her nerves were shaken, and she was -not at all well for some days. The Merival children began to see that -what they had laughed at as 'Jean's nonsense' was very real to her. -They left off teasing and laughing at her, and encouraged her instead, -for each of them wondered, in their heart of hearts, if they themselves -could have shown such true courage as little Jean showed when she did -what she was so much afraid of because she thought it right. - -Jean was always nervous, but she left off being afraid of 'wolves,' for -each time she heard her new pet name of Red Riding-hood she remembered -what that terrible wolf had turned out to be. - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to A New Red Riding-hood] - - - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Lilla's Doll Show] - - - - - *Lilla's Doll Show.* - - -Lilla had more dolls than she knew what to do with. - -Some were sitting in chairs, some lying in cradles, and one was seated -in a perambulator. - -'I have more dolls than any other little girl has,' said she, as she -held three in her arms. 'I have been counting them, and I have fifteen -large dolls, and ten small ones, and twelve very small ones, and then -there are the little china dolls in the bath and in the china cradles. -To think of one little girl having so many dolls, mother! Sometimes I -think I have too many. And there is no one but myself to play with -them. I wish I knew what to do with them all.' - -[Illustration: 'SHE HELD THREE IN HER ARMS.'] - -Mrs. Lee stroked Lilla's curly hair. - -'Well, said Mrs. Lee, 'there are some very good little girls at the -school in the village, and I am sure it would be a great treat to them -to see all your dolls. And I want to give them a treat, so I will ask -them to come here, and you shall arrange all your dolls and playthings -in the nursery for them to look at. Don't you think that will be a very -good plan?' - -Lilla clapped her hands. - -'Oh, how very nice that would be!' - -And she and her mother dressed the dolls in their best clothes, and -placed them all round the nursery. - -'How pretty they look!' said Lilla; 'I think the little girls will like -them. And may I give them some dolls to take home?' - -'You may do as you please,' said Mrs. Lee, 'for they are your own -dolls.' - -So the little girls came--six of them; and they all said, 'Oh!' - -'What a lot of dolls!' said one little girl; 'more dolls than there are -at the shop.' - -After the show Mrs. Lee gave the children some tea and plumcake; and -then Lilla handed each of them a doll. - -How pleased were the six little girls when they found they were each to -have a doll! And all of them said that Miss Lilla's doll show was the -best treat they had ever had. - - -[Illustration: headpiece to Selina and her Doll.] - - - - - *Selina and her Doll.* - - -'I should like to have a large wax doll of my own,' said Selina; 'large -enough for me to make clothes for, with buttons and strings, to fasten -and unfasten: I should play with it all day, and undress it at night, -and put it in a cradle. It should have eyes to open and shut, and I -should shut them at night, and then it would seem to be asleep. How -nice it would be!' - -Selina was sitting in the garden talking to herself, and did not think -that any one heard her; but her mother had come into the garden and -heard what her little girl was saying. - -[Illustration: 'SELINA WAS SITTING IN THE GARDEN.'] - -'You have two or three dolls, Selina,' said she. - -'Yes, mother, but they are small ones, and I want a very large one. And -my dolls have brown hair and black eyes, and I want a doll with blue -eyes and light hair, and one that can open and shut its eyes, like -Cousin Bella's.' - -And Selina looked up at her mother. - -'Mother, will you buy one for me?' - -'I am afraid that I cannot buy one for you. I have not so much money as -your Aunt Sarah has to spend upon dolls and playthings.' - -Selina was silent for a moment, then she said,-- - -'Yes, I know that. Mother, I do not care about the large doll. I will -make some new clothes for my small ones, and try to think that they are -large.' - -'That is a good child,' said her mother; 'and perhaps some day I shall -be able to get a larger one for you.' - -So Selina tried to think no more of her Cousin Bella's large doll, and -her mother gave her a piece of muslin to make a frock for one of her own -dolls, and some blue ribbon for a sash. - -Selina sewed away merrily, and she and her mother talked over a letter -that had come from her father, who was in France, and who said he hoped -to be home again in a day or two. - -'And tell Selina that I have got a box for her, with a present inside.' - -'I wonder what it is?' said Selina. - -She had not long to wait, for two days after they had had the letter, -her father came. They were very glad to see him, and he was very glad -to see them. And for a little time Selina forgot all he had said about a -present. But her father said,--- - -'Well, Selina, you have not asked about your present.' - -'Oh dear no! I had quite forgotten,' said Selina. 'What is it?' - -'That you must find out,' said her father. - -So Selina had the box opened. - -'Oh, mother, mother! look, look! It is the most beautiful doll I have -ever seen--more beautiful than Cousin Bella's, and it has light hair and -blue eyes, and is as large as a baby.' - -'I bought it in Paris,' said her father. 'They make very wonderful -dolls there--dolls that can speak; and this doll that I have bought for -my little Selina can say "Mamma" and "Papa."' - -How pleased was Selina with her doll! Her father showed her how to -press the doll to make it speak, and all Selina's little friends came to -see the wonderful French doll that could say 'Mamma' and 'Papa.' - - -[Illustration: tailpiece to Selina and her Doll] - - - - - * * * * * * * * - - - - - _A NEW BOOK FOR GIRLS_ - - - *MOLLY* - - *A. C. HERTFORD* - - EDINBURGH & LONDON - OLIPHANT ANDERSON & FERRIER - -[Illustration: Molly] - - - - - _A NEW BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS_ - - - *COMRADES TRUE* - - *By - ELLINOR DAVENPORT ADAMS* - - *ILLUSTRATIONS BY EDITH SCANNELL* - - EDINBURGH & LONDON - OLIPHANT ANDERSON & FERRIER - -[Illustration: Comrades True] - - - - - *LIST OF BOOKS IN THIS SERIES* - - -Adventures of King Clo -A Princess in Disguise -A Stranger in the Tea -The King's Counsellor -Poor Cock Robin -Nellie at the Cave -The House that Jack Built -Fighting a Goose, and other Stories -Kitty's Picnic -Charley's Pussies -The Girl without Shoes -Aillie's Prayer -The Rescue -The Lieutenant's Daughters -The German Pastor -Dick Ennis -How to be Beautiful -Little Henry -The Little Woodman -Clive's Conquest -Daring Dot -Minnie Fenian's Wrong-doing -Fanny Garden -Henry and Eliza -Sing a Song of Sixpence -Mary, Mary, quite Contrary -Where the Sky Falls -The Highland Chairman -Little Patience -Mary Grant -Mary and Archie Graham -The Military Blacksmith -Fanny's Old Frock -The First Christmas Tree - - - EDINBURGH & LONDON - OLIPHANT ANDERSON & FERRIER - _And all Booksellers_ - - - MORRISON AND GIBB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KITTY'S PICNIC AND OTHER STORIES -*** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43999 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. 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