diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/44770-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/44770-8.txt | 3200 |
1 files changed, 3200 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/44770-8.txt b/old/44770-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6e6d471 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/44770-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3200 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Daisy's Work, by Joanna H. (Joanna Hooe) +Mathews + + +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: Daisy's Work + The Third Commandment + + +Author: Joanna H. (Joanna Hooe) Mathews + + + +Release Date: January 27, 2014 [eBook #44770] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DAISY'S WORK*** + + +E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel, Emmy, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from pagge images generously made +available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 44770-h.htm or 44770-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44770/44770-h/44770-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44770/44770-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Internet Archive. See + https://archive.org/details/daisysworkthirdc00mathiala + + + + + +DAISY'S WORK. + + +[Illustration] + +FLOWERETS. + +[Illustration] + + + * * * * * * + +Flowerets. + +A SERIES OF STORIES ON THE COMMANDMENTS. + +BY JOANNA H. MATHEWS, + +_Author of the "Bessie Books."_ + + + I. VIOLET'S IDOL. THE FIRST AND SECOND COMMANDMENTS $0.75 + + II. DAISY'S WORK. THE THIRD COMMANDMENT 0.75 + + III. ROSE'S TEMPTATION. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT 0.75 + + IV. LILY'S LESSON. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT 0.75 + + V. HYACINTHE AND HER BROTHERS. THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT 0.75 + + VI. PINKIE AND THE RABBITS. THE EIGHTH, NINTH, AND + TENTH COMMANDMENTS 0.75 + +_The set in a neat box, $4.50._ + + +ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, + +_New York_. + + + * * * * * * + + +[Illustration] + + + + + +DAISY'S WORK. + +The Third Commandment. + +by + +JOANNA H. MATHEWS, + +Author of the "Bessie Books." + + + "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; + for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his + name in vain." + + "Let your communication be yea, yea, and nay, nay; for + whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + +New York: +Robert Carter and Brothers, +530, Broadway. +1870. + +Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by +Robert Carter and Brothers, +In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. + +Cambridge: +Press of John Wilson and Son. + + + + +[Illustration] + + TO + _MY DEAR LITTLE COUSIN_, + LULU CHAUNCEY. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PAGE + I. THE LITTLE FLOWER-GIRL 11 + II. A CLUSTER OF DAISIES 35 + III. THE DAISY TRANSPLANTED 63 + IV. DAISY'S SISTER FLOWERETS 85 + V. DAISY AT STUDY 107 + VI. DAISY A TEACHER 127 + VII. THE SWEARING CLASS 151 + VIII. DAISY'S NAME 181 + IX. THE LOST FOUND 201 + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE LITTLE FLOWER-GIRL. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +DAISY'S WORK. + + + + +I. + +THE LITTLE FLOWER-GIRL. + + +THERE stood our Daisy. What a Daisy it was too; what a fair, sweet +floweret; pure and innocent-looking as the blossoms over which she +bent. There she stood beside her basket of flowers, a little spot of +brightness and beauty amidst all the dust and heat and turmoil of the +noisy street, on that warm summer afternoon. + +It was a street which ran beside a great railroad depot. Porters, +carmen, and hackmen were calling, shouting, and swearing; passengers +were hurrying by to catch the trains which were starting every few +minutes; carriages driving up with their loads of ladies and children; +and farther down the street were great trucks laden with freight, and +express-wagons filled with baggage, which the railroad porters were +unloading with a great amount of noise and crash; and amongst it all +was Daisy, standing opposite the door of the ladies' entrance. + +But not one of all those passers-by knew that she was a "Daisy," +or that those were her namesakes which she held so lovingly in her +little hands. Now and then one stopped to buy one of the five or ten +cent bouquets, so tastefully arranged, which lay in her basket; and +almost all who did so had a kind word to give the child; for there +was something in her look and air which pleaded for tenderness and +sympathy. It did not seem that this was her proper place; for even +in her homely dress she looked so dainty and delicate, and moved and +spoke so like a little lady, that it was easy to see that she had been +accustomed to a different kind of life. But all who noticed her, or +stopped to buy her flowers, were in such haste that none had time for +more than a passing interest in the child, and contented themselves +with wondering and pitying. + +Down the street came a lady with a little girl, the latter skipping and +jumping as she held her mother's hand. No wonder the little one was +happy, and as full of play and merry pranks as any kitten; for she had +been spending such a pleasant day with mamma in the city, and was now +going back with "such lots to tell about and heaps of pretty things" to +her own lovely country home. + +"Oh, see, mamma!" she said, as her eye fell upon the other child, "see +those pretty flowers that dear little girl is selling. She is just +about as large as Lola Swan, and _don't_ she look nice and sweet. Won't +you buy some flowers from her, mamma?" + +"You have plenty of flowers at home, dear Lily, and we have about as +much as we can carry now," answered her mother. + +"Oh, dear mamma, but those little brenkays" (bouquets, Lily meant) +"would take up such a tiny mite of room, and I want you to buy some for +kindness to the little girl. She looks so sorry out of her eyes, mamma." + +Moved by the pleadings of her little daughter, Mrs. Ward turned toward +the flower-girl, whom in her hurry she had nearly passed without a +look, and asked the price of her bouquets. + +"What a pretty pot of daisies! Can't I have that, mamma?" asked Lily. + +But at this the flower-girl drew back and put one hand over the pot of +daisies she held in the other, as if she feared it was to be taken from +her by force. + +"I'll ask papa to carry them for me, mamma," said Lily. + +"Ho! ho!" said a cheery voice behind her, "so you think papa has +nothing better to do than turn expressman and carry all your traps, do +you? I wonder how many bundles are already waiting in the depot for me +to put safely in the cars;" and turning about Lily saw her father, who +had overtaken his wife and little girl. + +"Oh! lots and lots!" said Lily, jumping about with new glee as she saw +him. "We bought something for everybody, papa; and I bought a present +for your birthday to-morrow; but it is a secret. Mamma is going to fill +it with ink and I'll put it on your writing-table 'fore you come down +in the morning; but you won't ask what it is, will you?" + +"Not on any account," said Mr. Ward. "But you must make haste and buy +your flowers, or we shall not find good seats in the cars. So you want +these daisies, do you? How much are they, my child?" + +But again the flower-girl drew back. + +"I couldn't sell them, sir," she said; "at least not now, not if,----" + +"Oh! they are for some favorite customer, hey? You see, Lily, you can't +have them. Well, pick out your bouquets; we'll hang them about our +necks if we can't carry them any other way," said Mr. Ward. "This is +the little girl I told you about, my dear," turning to his wife, who +had been looking at the sweet, sad face of the young flower vender. + +"What is your name, my child?" asked the lady. + +"My name is--they call me Margaret," said the child, with hesitation in +her voice and manner, and a sudden flush breaking over her face. + +"There," said Mr. Ward, when, having paid for the flowers which Lily +had chosen, he hurried his wife and daughter away; "there, my dear, I +did not say too much about that child, did I?" + +"Why no," said Mrs. Ward, looking back to the small figure beside its +basket of flowers, "there is certainly something very interesting about +her. Her speech and manner, as well as her looks, are strangely refined +and lady-like for one in her position. I wish we had time to talk more +to her." + +The flower-girl looked after them and sighed,--a long, weary sigh, as +she watched the frolicsome Lily. + +"Most all little girls have their fathers and mothers," she said softly +to herself; "but I don't have either. I wonder why God did take both of +mine away; if He didn't know how lonesome I would be, or why He didn't +take me too. I don't see what good I can be to Him all alone by myself, +except Betty and Jack. But then He knows, and maybe He only wants me to +be patient till He's ready to take me." + +[Illustration] + +But the wistful eyes brightened again, as, having watched Lily and her +friends disappear within the door of the depot, she turned them the +other way to see if new customers were coming. + +"There he comes," she said, as her eye fell upon a tall, +broad-shouldered gentleman coming down the street, "soldier" written in +every line and motion of his figure, from the erect, stately head, down +to the ringing, military tread of his firm foot. + +"Good afternoon, little woman," he said, returning with a pleasant +smile her welcoming look; "is my wife's bouquet all ready?" + +Taking from the corner of her basket a bouquet somewhat larger than the +rest, and of rather choicer flowers, she held it up to him. + +"Thank you, sir," she said, as she received the price; and then, with +rising color, added, "would it be too much trouble to carry this to the +lady?" + +"Too much trouble? No! How much is it?" he said, putting his hand again +into his pocket. + +"Oh! sir, I didn't mean that. I didn't want to sell it, but to give +it to you, if you would take it to the lady you buy flowers for every +day. I want to send it to her because you are so kind to me, and +because--because you put me in mind of--of somebody." + +"That is it, is it?" said the gentleman. "Well, I can't refuse such +a pretty gift, so prettily offered. And who do I put you in mind of, +pray?" + +"Of my papa, sir. You do look like him." + +"Humph!" said the gentleman, not much pleased at the idea that he was +like the father of this little poor child, above her station though she +looked. "And these are daisies, hey? My wife will like them." + +"General, do you mean to miss the train?" said an acquaintance, as he +passed. + +"Not with my own consent, certainly," said the gentleman. "I shall +thank you for the lady to-morrow, my little girl." + +But as he turned to go, his foot slipped upon a piece of orange-peel, +thrown down by some careless person, and he had nearly fallen. He would +have been down altogether but for his little companion; but as he +involuntarily put out his hand, she caught it; and that support, frail +and slight as it was, was sufficient to steady him. + +Kind of heart, noble and generous though he was, the soldier was +hasty-tempered and quick, and an oath--a fearful oath--burst from his +lips. + +"Ah, you were my good angel. You have saved me from a bad fall," he +said almost in the same breath, but in a very different tone and +manner, as he turned to the child. + +His good angel! Ah, yes! More than he knew, his good angel. Those +little hands should from this time hold him from falling into the sin +of which he had just been guilty. + +Years ago General Forster would have been shocked at the thought of +letting such words escape his lips, though even then he was none too +reverent or careful in speaking of sacred persons or things; but in +the bustle and excitement of war he had, alas! like many another brave +man, allowed himself to fall into the habit of taking God's holy +name in vain. But careless though he might be before men in moments +of forgetfulness, or when his hasty temper got the better of him, he +seldom or never suffered himself to use such words before women or +children; why, you shall learn. + +"Why, have I hurt you?" he asked, seeing with surprise her startled and +troubled face. + +"No, sir, oh! no," she answered, catching her breath, "but, but"-- + +"Well, but what?" + +"But I am so sorry;" and that she was so was proved, as she covered her +face with her hands and burst into tears. + +"Sorry for what?" he asked. + +She gave him no answer, but shrank a little away. + +"Sorry for what?" he repeated, as if determined to know; and the tone +of command, which seemed to say he was used to instant obedience, +forced her to speak, whether she would or no. + +"Sorry for those words you said, sir," she sobbed. + +"Those words? What words?" But his question answered itself as it +was spoken; for his wicked words, which but for this would have been +forgotten the next instant, came back to him, and he stood rebuked +before this poor little flower-girl. He repented already; but repented +only because he had distressed this simple child, in whom he took so +much interest, not yet because he had grieved and offended the Holy One +whose name he had profaned. + +Still he was vexed too. + +"Why, you don't mean to say," he said rather impatiently, "that you +never hear such words as those, standing here as you do, half the day, +with those rough men and boys about you?" + +"Oh, yes, sir!" she said, plaintively. "I do hear such words, often, +often. I try not to; but I can't help it, you see; and it makes me so +sorry. But I thought those poor men and boys could not know how to +read, and had never been taught better, or perhaps they did not know +what God had said in His commandments. But I did not think gentlemen +said such things; and I liked you _so_ much." + +And did she like him less now? He, the _gentleman_, the rich man, felt +that he could not wish to lose the respect and liking of this little +child whom he thought so far beneath him, and he was ashamed and sorry. +He knew that it was not impertinence, but only her innocent simplicity +and truthfulness, which had caused her to say what she did. But to know +that he was in the wrong and to acknowledge it, were one and the same +thing with this true-hearted man. + +"You are right, Margaret," he said, forgetting how fast the moments +were flying. "_Gentlemen_ should not say such things, especially before +ladies and children. It is bad manners; but I forgot myself just then." + +She took her hands from her face and looked up at him. There was an +unspoken question in the clear, earnest eyes, and it was plain that she +was not yet satisfied. + +"Well," he said smiling at her, "what troubles you still? Let me have +it all." + +"I was only thinking what difference could it make, sir." + +"What difference could what make?" + +"Whether it was ladies and children who heard it, sir," she answered +timidly. "God hears it all the same, doesn't He? And it can't make any +difference to Him who else hears it." + +She looked up as she spoke at the blue sky overhead, and the look and +the words brought to him a sudden sense of God's constant presence and +nearness. He had known it well enough before,--that the Almighty Eye +saw him always; that the Almighty Ear heard him always; but he had +never felt it as he did now. The gentle, timid reproof had gone far +deeper than the little giver had intended, and her hearer felt ashamed +that he had confessed to her that he would pay a respect to a woman or +child which he did not feel it needful to pay to his Maker. He could +make her no answer. + +"_You_ behind time, General?" said the voice of another friend as he +hurried past; and the scream of the warning whistle told the gentleman +that he had no time to lose. + +"I'll see you to-morrow. Good-by, my child. God bless you," he said +hurriedly, and rushed away. + +But just in time; he was the last passenger, and stepped upon the +platform of a car as the train was put in motion. The jar threw him +once more a little off his balance, and he caught by the rail to save +himself, while again hasty, profane words rose to his lips. + +But they did not pass them. What though no human ear should hear; "God +heard them all the same," and they were checked before even the summer +wind could catch them; and in their place the angels carried up the +heart-breathed prayer, "God keep me from them in time to come." + +His next neighbor in the cars thought General Forster remarkably silent +and unsociable that afternoon. He would not talk, but buried himself +behind his newspaper. If the neighbor had looked closer he would have +seen that the General's eyes were fixed, not on the paper held before +his face, but on the little pot of daisies which rested on his knee. +And over the delicate pink and white blossoms was breathed a vow,--a +vow registered in heaven and faithfully kept on earth. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +A CLUSTER OF DAISIES. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +II. + +A CLUSTER OF DAISIES. + + +"WHAT are you thinking of, Frank?" said Mrs. Forster, looking at her +husband as he stood leaning against the casing of the window, gazing +thoughtfully out at the lovely garden beyond. + +"Of a bad habit of mine," he answered. + +"You have none; at least none that I cannot put up with," she said +playfully. + +"That's not the question, dear Gertrude," he returned gravely. "It is +whether my Maker can put up with it, and I believe that He cannot, +since he has said He 'will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name +in vain.'" + +Mrs. Forster colored as she bent her head over the sleeping baby on her +lap. + +"You did not know, perhaps," her husband said, after a minute's +silence, "that I was ever guilty of this--sin?" + +"I did know it, Frank; at least I have heard you now and then, when you +were speaking to your dogs and horses, or even when you were a little +impatient with the men. But you did not mean me to hear such words; and +I noticed you never used them in my presence." + +"No," he said a little sadly: "I would not speak in my wife's presence +words which were not fit for her to hear; but I forgot an ear still +purer, which I was insulting and defying. That is the second thrust I +have had to-day, Gertrude, which has made me feel that I have treated +the Almighty with less of reverence and respect than I would show to +some of my fellow-creatures. Let me tell you of the innocent lesson I +received from the little flower-girl, who sent the daisies to you." + +And sitting down beside her, he told her of the teaching which had come +to him from the little wayside blossom; to whose lonely, thirsting +heart his few kind words and smiles had been as drops of dew from +heaven. + +But even while they talked of her and her pretty lady-like ways and +sayings, which seemed so far above her station, they did not know +she was a "Daisy," and that those were her namesakes over which Mrs. +Forster bent, dropping happy tears and kisses on them, mingled with +many a blessing on the little giver. + +Plucking one of the flowers from the stem, she opened her baby's tiny +hand and placed it within it. The fairy fingers closed around it, +clasping it tight, while the unconscious little one slept on. + +"Her name is Gertrude, but we'll call her Daisy, Frank, as soon as she +is old enough to be called any thing but baby," said the young mother, +"and her pretty pet name may serve as a reminder of this day's lesson, +if ever it should be forgotten." + +"You think I may need it," said her husband, smiling. "I trust not; for +the sin, to say nothing of the vulgarity, of taking God's name in vain, +has been set forth so plainly by my innocent little teacher, that I +must have a short memory, indeed, if I failed to remember her lesson. +She thought _gentlemen_ must know better." + +"But, dear," said the lady, "you said you would inquire about this +child, and see if we could not be of some use to her." + +"So I did," he answered; "and so I will, and should have done long +since; but day after day I have let business or pleasure keep me till +I had but just time to catch the train, and none to bestow on the +poor little creature who seems to have been so grateful for the few +kind words I have given her. You think I am rather fanciful about +this child, I know, Gertrude; but I am convinced that some of her few +years must have been spent among different people than those by whom +she is now surrounded. Nor am I the only one of her customers who has +noticed the grace of her speech and manners, so uncommon in a child +of her class. Ward, and others beside, have seen it; but like myself +have never made it their business to see after her. However, to-morrow +afternoon, I shall make it a point to be at the depot in time to have a +talk with her. I wonder if the woman who keeps the fruit-stall at the +corner, and whose child I believe she is, would give her up and let her +go to school." + +He was as good as his word; and more than an hour earlier than usual, +our little flower-girl saw "her gentleman" coming down the street +towards the depot. It was an eager, wistful little face, with some +questioning fear in it, that she raised to him, for she was anxious +lest she should have offended her kind friend, as she had learned to +think him, by her plain speech of the day before. + +She had scarcely meant to speak so plainly; the words had seemed to +escape her without her intending it, and, it was true, had been drawn +forth by the gentleman's own questions; but when she remembered them +afterwards she feared that he would think her rude and disrespectful. + +She need not have been afraid. His eye and voice were even kinder than +usual as he came near to her, and he laid his hand gently on her head, +saying,-- + +"Well, my little woman! and how does the world go with you to-day? The +lady told me to thank you very much for the daisies." + +The young face brightened. + +"Did she like them, sir?" + +"Very much indeed,--all the more because she has a little one at home +whom she is going to call 'Daisy' after your pretty flowers." + +"Is she your little girl, sir?" + +"Yes, she is a mite of a Daisy, but a very precious one," he answered; +then looking into the flushed face, with its soft, shining eyes and +parted lips, he added, "You are a Daisy yourself." + +The flowers she held dropped at her feet unheeded as she clasped both +hands upon her breast, and with quick-coming breath and filling eyes, +asked eagerly, "How _did_ you know it, sir? how did you know it?" + +"Know what, my child? What troubles you?" + +"How did you know I was Daisy?" she almost gasped. + +"I did not know it," he answered in surprise. "Is your name Daisy? I +thought it was Margaret." + +"They call me Margaret, sir,--Betty and Jack; but Daisy is my _own_, +_own_ name, that papa and mamma called me," she answered, recovering +herself a little. + +"And where are your papa and mamma?" he asked. "I thought the woman who +keeps the fruit-stall at the corner was your mother." + +"Oh, no, sir!" she said. "She is only Betty. She is very good to me, +but she is not mamma. Mamma was a lady," she added, with simple, +childish dignity, which told that she was a lady herself. + +"But _where_ are your father and mother?" he repeated, with fresh +interest in the child. + +"Mamma is drowned, sir; and we could never find papa," she answered, +with such pathos in her tones. + +"Come into the depot with me," said General Forster: "I want to talk to +you." + +She obeyed, and, taking up her basket, followed him into the +waiting-room, where, heedless of the many curious eyes around, he made +her sit down beside him, and drew from her her sad, simple story:--how +long, long ago she had lived with papa and mamma and her little brother +and baby sister in their own lovely home, far away from here; where it +was, she did not know, but in quite a different place from the great +bustling city which she had never seen till she came here with Betty +and Jack; how she had left home with mamma and the baby on a great +ship, where to go she could not remember; how Betty was on board, and +mamma had been kind to her; how a dreadful storm had come and there was +great confusion and terror; and then it seemed as if she went to sleep +for a long, long time, and knew nothing more till she found herself +living with Betty and Jack in their poor home far up in the city. + +They had been very good to her, nursing and caring for her during the +many months she had been weak and ailing; and now that she was stronger +and better, she tried to help them all she could, keeping the two small +rooms tidy, while Betty was away attending to her stall; and in the +afternoon selling the flowers which Jack raised in his little garden, +and she arranged in tasteful bouquets. And, lastly, she told how from +the very first time she had seen General Forster, she thought he +"looked so like papa" that she felt as if she must love him, and was so +happy when he stopped to buy flowers of her and spoke kindly to her. + +The story was told with a straightforward and simple pathos, which went +right to the listener's heart, and left him no doubt of its truth. But +the child could tell nothing of her own name or her parents', save that +she was always called "Daisy" at home, and that she had never since +heard the familiar name until to-day, when she thought this stranger +had given it to her. Betty and Jack always called her "Margaret;" and +Betty thought she knew mamma's name, but she did not. But she loved +daisies dearly for the sake of their name, which had been her own; and +she had raised and tended with loving care the little plant she had +given to "my gentleman" as a token of gratitude for his kindness, and +because he was "so like papa." + +Having learned all that he could from the child herself, the gentleman +went to the fruit-woman on the corner. + +"So," he said, "the little girl whom you call Margaret is not your own +daughter?" + +"Indade, no, sir," answered Betty; "niver a daughter of me own have +I barrin' Jack, and he's not me own at all, but jist me sister's son +what died, lavin' him a babby on me hands. More betoken that it's not +a little lady like her that the likes of me would be raisin', unless +she'd none of her own to do it." + +"Will you tell me how that came about?" + +Betty told the story in her turn, in as plain and simple a manner as +the child's, though in language far different. + +Her husband had been steward on a sailing vessel running between New +Orleans and New York; and about three years ago, she, being sick and +ordered change of air, had been allowed to go with him for the voyage. +But it made her worse instead of better; and on the return trip she +would have died, Betty declared, if it had not been for the kindness +and tender nursing of a lady, "Margaret's" mother. This lady--"her name +had been Saacyfut, she believed, but maybe she disremembered intirely, +for Marga_ret_ said it was not"--was on her way to New York with her +little girl who was sick, a baby, and a French nurse; but her home was +neither there nor in New Orleans,--at least so the child afterwards +said. + +Her own account of the storm was the same as the child's; but while the +recollection of the little one could go no further, Betty remembered +only too well the horrors of that day. + +When it was found that the ship must sink, and that all on board must +leave her, there had been, as the little girl said, great confusion. +How it was, Betty could not exactly tell; she had been placed in one +boat, the French nurse, with the child in her arms, beside her; and the +lady was about to follow with the infant, when a spar fell, striking +the Frenchwoman on the head and killing her instantly, knocking +overboard one of the three sailors who were in the boat,--while at the +same time the boat was parted from the ship and at the mercy of the +raging waves. In vain did the two sailors who were left try to regain +the ship: they were swept further and further away, and soon lost sight +of the vessel. They drifted about all night, and the next morning were +taken up by a fishing-smack which brought them to New York. + +Fright and exposure and other hardships, while they seemed to have +cured Betty, were too much for the poor little girl, and a long and +terrible illness followed: after which she lay for months, too weak to +move or speak, and appearing to have lost all memory and sense. And +when at last she grew better and stronger, and reason and recollection +came back, she could not tell the name of her parents or her home. + +"Marga_ret_ Saacyfut," Betty persisted in saying the French nurse had +called her little charge, "Mamsell Marga_ret_," "and if the lady's name +wasn't Saacyfut it was mightily nigh to it." + +"Marguerite" had been the French woman's name for "Daisy:" that the +General saw plainly enough, but he could make nothing of the surname. + +"But did you not seek for the child's friends, Betty?" he asked. + +"'Deed did I, sir," she answered. "Didn't I even ad_ver_tise her, an' +how she was to be heerd of, but all to no good. An' I writ to New +Orleans to them what owned the ship, but they were that oncivil they +niver answered, not they. An' it took a hape of money, sir, to be +payin' the paper, an' me such hard work to get along, an' Marga_ret_ on +me hands, an' I had to be done with it. For ye see me man was gone wid +the ship, an' niver heerd of along wid the rest to this day; an' I had +to use up the bit he'd put by in the savin's bank till the child was +mendin' enough for me to lave her wid Jack." + +"It was a very generous thing for you to burden yourself with the care +of her," said General Forster. + +"Burden is it, sir? Niver a burden was she, the swate lamb, not even +when the sense had left her. An' that was what the neighbors was always +a sayin', and why didn't I put her in the hospital. An' why would I do +that after the mother of her savin' me from a buryin' in the say, which +I niver could abide. For sure if it hadn't been for the lady I'd 'a +died on the ould ship, and they'd 'a chucked me overboard widout sayin' +by your lave; and sure I'd niver have got over such a buryin' as that +all the days of me life. And would I be turnin' out her child afther +that? An' isn't she payin' me for it now, an' 'arnin' her livin,' an' +mine too? She an' Jack tends the bit of a garden, an' arternoons she +comes down an' sells her flowers, an' where'd be the heart to refuse +her wid her pretty ways and nice manners; a lady every inch of her, +like her mother before her." + +And thrusting her head out from her stall, Betty gazed down the street +with admiring affection on her young _protégée_. + +"Och! but she's the jewel of a child," she went on; "and it is +surprisin' how me and Jack is improved and become ginteel all along of +her. Ye see, sir, I did use to say a hape of words that maybe wer'n't +jist so; not that I meant 'em for swearin', but it was jist a way of +spakin'. But after Marga_ret_ began to mend and get about, ye would +have thought she was kilt intirely if I let one out of me mouth. So +seein' how it hurted her, I jist minded what I was about, an' Jack the +same, for he was a boy that swore awful, poor fellow; he'd been left to +himself, and how was he to know better? At first him and me minded our +tongues, for that the child shouldn't be hurted; but by and by didn't +she make it plain to us that it was the great Lord himself what we was +offendin', and knowin' she'd been tached better nor me, I jist heeded +her. And now, sir, them words that I never thought no harm of and used +to come so aisy, I jist leave them out of me spache widout troublin'; +and a deal better it sounds, and widout doubt more plasin' to Him +that's above. And Jack the same mostly, though he does let one slip now +and agin. So ye see, sir, it's not a burden she is at all, at all, but +jist a little bit of light and comfort to the house that houlds her." + +Glad to find a listener in a "gintleman the likes of him," Betty had +talked away to the gentlemen, so taken up with her story, that she paid +little heed to the business of her stall. She made wrong change more +than once, gave quarts instead of pints, oranges in place of apples, +and peanuts for sugar-plums, and provoked some impatient customers not +a little; while one wicked boy, seeing her attention was taken up with +something else, ran off without paying for the pop-corn he asked for, +and was not called back. + +But Betty lost nothing by the time and thought she had given to the +gentleman, or the interest she had shown in her young charge, as she +found when she looked at the number upon the note he slipped into her +hand when he left her: a note which the warm-hearted Irishwoman laid by +"to buy that new gown and pair of shoes Margaret needed so bad." + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE DAISY TRANSPLANTED. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +III. + +THE DAISY TRANSPLANTED. + + +"BETTY," said General Forster, stopping the next morning at the +fruit-woman's stall, "could you make up your mind to give up that +little girl if you were sure it was for her good?" + +Betty sighed and shook her head mournfully as she answered,-- + +"I've always looked to give her up, sir, if them Saacyfuts, or whatever +their name'll be, turned up, and if it was for her good, sorra a word +would they hear out of me, though I won't say but it would go hard with +me and Jack. But ye'll not be tellin' me ye've been findin' her friends +since last night, sir?" + +"Not the people she belongs to, certainly, Betty; but I have found +those who will be friends to her, and provide for her, if you will +consent. She should go to school and be well taught: do you not think +so?" + +"Indade, an' there's none knows that better nor meself, sir. An' is it +yerself that's the friend ye're spakin' of?" and Betty gave a searching +look into the gentleman's face. + +He smiled. "Yes," he said: "I would like to put her to school and take +care of her. She seems a sweet child, and a good one. And you see, +Betty, I have it in my power to do more to find her friends than you +are able to do, and we may trace them yet. If we never find them, I +will promise to provide for her as long as it may be necessary. Are you +willing?" + +Betty again stared into the face of her questioner as if she would look +him through. + +"I'm sinsible of your kindness, sir," she answered; "but ye see I'm +in a way risponsible for the child, not to say that she is as dear to +me as me own flesh and blood, and I'd say 'yis,' and thank ye kindly, +but--ye'll excuse me plain spakin'--ye're a stranger to me, and I +couldn't be partin' wid Marga_ret_ widout I was certified as to yer +ka_rac_ter. For if I didn't think she'd be brought up right, niver +a foot should she stir to go wid ye. I seen Miss Gertrude Allston a +walkin' wid ye once last summer, sir, jist after I set up me stand +here, but she niver heeded me wid her swate face. But I used to be +laundress in her mother's house afore I was married, and a swate child +was Miss Gertrude and a good as ye're sayin' of Marga_ret_, and she'll +niver go far wrong, I'll answer for it. So, if ye'll jist bring me a +line from her and she says ye're all right, I'll not say ye nay." + +General Forster laughed heartily, not one whit offended at Betty's +"plain spakin'." + +"Miss Gertrude Allston, as you call her, will give me all the lines you +want, Betty; and she thought me right enough to marry me. She is my +wife,--Mrs. Forster." + +"An' is it so, sir?" said Betty, dropping the rosy-cheeked apple she +was polishing, and gazing at the gentleman with a mixture of curiosity +and admiration that was droll to see. "Well, but ye're in luck; and +if it's Miss Gertrude that has the managin' of ye, that's ka_rac_ter +enough of itself, an' I'll say take the child an' my blessin' on all +of yees. But when she gets among yer fine folks, ye'll not let her be +forgettin' the woman what cared for her when there was none else to do +it: will ye, sir? An' ye'll be lettin' me see her once in a while?" + +There is no need to say that this was readily promised, and the General +went on to tell Betty what plans he and his wife had for Daisy. She +was to be taken for a while to his home, where Mrs. Forster would +provide her with proper clothing; and then send her to Miss Collins' +boarding-school to be taught and trained in a way to satisfy her +friends if they should ever find her, or that she might one day be able +to earn her own living, if it should be needful. + +"An' I'm glad she should have the bringin' up of a lady which is what I +couldn't give her," said Betty, with another sigh, for it went to her +heart to part with her darling; "but ye'll not be able to make her more +of a lady nor she is now; no, not if ye dress her in gould and jewels, +an' silks an' satins. Niver a rough word nor way has she with her, if +she has been with me and Jack more nor two year, nor ye couldn't find a +purtier behaved child in all the land." + +An hour or two later, Betty, having found a friend to "mind" her stall +for her, guided General Forster to the tiny house in the suburbs of the +city where she lived with Daisy and Jack. + +The two children were out in the little garden gathering the flowers +which were to be tied up in bouquets for Daisy's afternoon sale; and +great was their surprise, when the sound of the gate-latch causing them +to look up, they saw Betty coming home at this unusual hour of the day, +and the gentleman with her. Their business was soon told; but although +Daisy flushed and smiled with astonishment and delight when she heard +what the "gentleman who looked so like papa" meant to do for her, the +little face soon shadowed over again, and she shook her head gently but +firmly when she was asked if she would go. + +"An' why for no, dear?" asked Betty. "Sure ye'd niver be for throwin' +away a chance the likes of that, not to spake of it's bein' ongrateful +to the gintleman's kindness, an' he no more nor less than the husband +of Miss Gertrude." + +But Daisy shook her head again; and then first begging the gentleman's +pardon, as a polite little girl should do, stepped up to her faithful +friend, and putting her arms about her neck whispered something in her +ear. + +The tears she had before with trouble kept back now started to Betty's +eyes. + +"Och, an' is it that, honey?" she said in her broadest brogue, "an' +ye'll not let that be thrubblin' yer dear heart. What a tinder, +grateful little sowl it is! Ye see, sir," she went on, turning to the +General, while she smoothed with her loving hand the little head which +lay upon her breast, "ye see, sir, it's just as I tellt ye. She's a +lady, every inch of her, an' has feelin's that's jist oncommon. An' +there's a matter of back rint jew, it's more'n a year, though me +landlord he's as good as gould, an' a bill at the poticary's, an' +little scores at the baker's an' grocers what I niver got paid off yet, +not since the child was sick an' I couldn't rightly make things go; an' +she says she won't be lavin' us now that she can turn a penny wid her +posies an' help along." + +Drawing the child to him, General Forster whispered to her in his +turn, promising that the "back rint" and other "scores" should be paid +off without delay if she would but come with him; and Daisy, feeling +herself nearer home and friends than she had ever done since the +dreadful day of the shipwreck, when she was parted from "mamma," put +her hand trustingly in his to be led where he would. + +But the parting went hard. Daisy could not leave those who had been +so kind, and shared their little all with her, without many a bitter +tear. Betty kissed her and clung to her and called down all heaven's +blessings on her head; and Jack hung over the gate, uttering frantic +howls as he watched the sobbing child led away by her new protector. +Not one thought gave Jack to his fourteen years; not one to the +"fellers from beyant the lot," who, drawn by his cries, came flocking +to see what ailed him who was all their terror and admiration: their +admiration, because he was bigger, stronger, braver than any other boy +of his age among their crew; their terror, because of late he allowed +no bad word to be used in his presence, banishing all who offended +in that way from their games, choosing as his favorites and chief +companions those who were most careful not to take God's name in vain. +So cursing and swearing had come to be much less frequent than of old +among the lanes and lots lying around the humble house where the little +Daisy had bloomed and grown during the last two years, dropping upon +the path which God had chosen for her good seed of which she knew not +herself. + +Betty went back to her stand with a heavy heart, knowing that when +she went home that night she should miss the sweet little face which +had brightened and cheered her after many a hard day's work; but she +was half-consoled for her own loss when she saw Daisy coming down the +street holding General Forster's hand. For the General's first care had +been to take the little girl to a place where children's clothes could +be had ready-made; and where he had her fitted out, as Betty said, "as +nice as a new pin and as became the little lady she was by right." + +But Daisy was as much a lady in the coarse but clean calico frock +and patched shoes she had worn yesterday, as she was now in the nice +clothes provided for her by General Forster; for it was the sweet +manners and pretty ways she had never lost which made her so, and the +new garments covered as warm and loving a little heart as the old +ones had done. And so Betty found, and knew that pride would have no +place there, when, as she reached the stand, Daisy drew her hand from +the gentleman's, and running behind the stall as she had many a time +done when she was eager to show Betty what a good afternoon's sale she +had made with her flowers, threw her arms about her neck and kissed +her again and again as lovingly as she had done when she had no other +friend in the world. + +Gentle Mrs. Forster gave Daisy a warm welcome to her new home; and the +manner in which the child fell at once into the ways and habits of +those about her plainly showed that they were not new to her, but that +she had at some time been well accustomed to a different life than that +she had led for the last two years. + +She had ways of her own, too, that were very charming: a pretty, dainty +grace in her behavior and speech; a thoughtfulness and care for others, +surprising in any child of her age,--for Daisy could not be more than +eight years old,--and particularly so for one who had had little +teaching for some time. It was easy to see that Daisy had received +careful training at one time, and that the lessons then learned had +taken deep root and were not yet forgotten in spite of the long +separation from her home and friends. + +It had been intended, as General Forster told Betty, to send the little +girl to boarding-school at Miss Collins'; but she soon grew so closely +to the hearts of her new friends that they felt as if they could not +bear to part with her; and it was at last settled that her home was to +be with them for the present, at least, and that she should only go +to Miss Collins for the morning, as most of the other little girls in +Glenwood did. + +Mrs. Forster could not bear to send from her this loving child, whose +greatest happiness seemed to be in making others happy, and she grew +every day more and more interesting as the familiar objects and customs +about her called up past recollections of the home and parents she +had lost. She would watch the General for hours at a time, as he sat +reading or writing, or follow him with wistful eyes as he mounted his +horse and rode down the broad avenue "just like papa;" would hang over +the lesser Daisy as she lay sleeping, "'cause she looks just as our +baby at home used to," and delighted to wait upon her and Mrs. Forster +in a dainty, neat-handed manner, which showed that such loving service +came quite naturally to her. + +She never called the infant "baby," as the rest of the family did. +With her it was always "little Daisy." She seemed to love the pretty +name, either given to herself or another; and all the variety of choice +flowers with which General Forster's garden was filled could not win +her chief affection from her old favorite daisies, "'cause mamma loved +them so and named me after them." + +But though she remembered so much, the child could not recall the name +of her parents, or where they had lived. Their name "was not what Betty +called it," she was sure; but none the less had it passed from her mind. + +"Francine," the French bonne, used to call mamma "Madame," and herself +"Mademoiselle Marguerite;" but when she was asked what other people +used to call mamma and papa, the little face grew clouded and pained +with the effort to remember; and when name after name was mentioned to +her, she shook her head at each one. + +The General tried by every means in his power to discover the friends +who must still be mourning the loss of their sweet little daisy +blossom, but all in vain; and as week after week went by, he and his +wife decided that they could not send her forth from their own roof +unless her relations came to claim her. She was an added ray of light +where all had been brightness and sunshine before,--a lovely, precious +little flower, lending new fragrance and beauty to the home where she +blossomed. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +DAISY'S SISTER FLOWERETS. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +IV. + +DAISY'S SISTER FLOWERETS. + + +"GOODNESS gracious! mercy _me_!" + +"I didn't mean to, Susy; 'pon my word and honor I didn't; just as sure +as I'm alive." + +Such were the words uttered by two different little voices which our +Daisy heard, as holding by General Forster's hand, she reached the gate +of Miss Collins' garden on the first morning of her going to school in +Glenwood. + +Now would it not have been thought that some terrible misfortune must +have called forth that exclamation from the first young speaker; or +that the second thought herself accused of some dreadful crime, and +that she must prove her innocence at once by all the strong words she +could think of, if she would escape severe punishment? + +And what was this mighty matter? + +Why, just this. + +Susy Edwards and several of her schoolmates were "making a land of +Egypt." For of late the geography lesson of the young class had been +upon that country, and they had been much interested in the pictures +of the pyramids and Sphinx. And Susy, who "liked to make her knowledge +of use in her plays," and who was considered by the other children to +have a great genius in that way, had proposed that they should turn a +portion of their play-ground into Egypt. This was thought a capital +plan, and the recess of the day before had been employed in this +way,--the little planners and builders leaving it with great regret, +and returning to it before school-time that morning with fresh pleasure +and some new ideas. + +The gravel walk was supposed to be the desert; the trough which led the +waste water from the spring, the River Nile; while a jointed wooden +doll, cruelly deprived for the purpose of all its limbs, had half of +its remainder buried in the gravel, to represent the Sphinx. Any number +of pyramids, four or five inches high, had been built out of pebbles, +and several were still going up. + +And Lily Ward, the pet and darling of the school, the youngest child, +and till that day the newest scholar there, had brought that morning a +tiny doll's bath-tub, with a doll to match lying in it, saying it was +to be "Moses in the bulrushes, for it couldn't be a real land of Egypt +without a Moses." + +Lily's idea was received with great applause and admiration, and she +felt rather proud of it herself when she heard it so much praised. + +But a difficulty arose. The little tub did duty for the ark of +bulrushes most beautifully, it was "so real and so cunning;" and never +was a meeker baby than the one which lay so quietly within it. But he +must be hidden, and nothing could be found to answer for flags. The +grass about the mock River Nile was quite too short for that purpose, +trampled on as it was through each day's playtime by at least twenty +pairs of little feet; and the willow twigs which Lola Swan planted +would not stand up straight enough to make a shade for the ark. + +"There isn't time to plant them deep enough," said Lola; "the +school-bell will ring in a few moments, and then we'll have to leave +it." + +"And the sun will go and come round here before recess," said Lily, in +a tone of distress, "and Moses will be all sunburned. Besides, it isn't +a bit real: they never leave babies lying out in the sun." + +"Put him out on the grass and turn the ark upside-down over him till we +come out again," said Susy. + +But Lily scouted the idea of having her Moses treated in this way; and +all began at once to deepen the holes for the willow twigs before the +bell should ring. + +But suddenly a bright thought struck Lily. + +"Let's play Moses' mother and Miriam put a pyramid over him," she said. +"We could do that pretty quick, and it will be nice and shady for him, +and very real too, 'cause they did have pyramids in Egypt." + +All agreed readily, for this was thought an excellent arrangement, and +they fell to work as fast as possible; while Bessie Norton whispered to +Violet Swan, "What a smart child Lily is, isn't she?" + +"Yes," said Violet, in the same tone, "very; and I expect when she is +grown up she will do something very remarkable." + +"What?" asked Susy Edwards, who heard them. + +"Be a genius, I expect," answered Violet, solemnly. + +"Oh, how nice!" said Bessie, who had not the least idea what genius +meant, but did not like to say so. + +The pyramid over the sleeping Moses was nearly completed, the little +builders expecting each moment to hear the bell, when Lola Swan, coming +with a fresh supply of pebbles, tripped over a stick which lay upon the +grass, and, trying to recover herself, let her load fall around and +upon the half-built pyramid, knocking down half a dozen or so of the +stones which composed it. Not much harm was done, but Susy immediately +exclaimed,-- + +"Goodness gracious! mercy me!" and Lola answered as you have heard in +the words which met Daisy's ear as she and General Forster entered the +garden. + +The click of the gate-latch caused all the children to look up, and +Moses and the pyramids were for the moment forgotten at the sight of +the new scholar. + +"Why! there's Daisy Forster," said Lily, for Daisy was now known by +this name. + +"I wonder if she's coming here to school," said another; and that +question was speedily answered, as, stopping by the little group, the +General, whom all knew and liked, said, "Here's a new schoolmate for +you. Will you be kind to her, and make her feel at home?" + +"Yes, sir, we will; and I'll take care of her," said Lily, scrambling +to her feet and taking Daisy's hand in a patronizing manner. "She won't +feel much strange after one day, 'cause we'll all be good to her, and +she shall help us make our land of Egypt." + +"Ah! that is what you are doing, is it?" said the General. + +"Yes, sir," answered Lily; "we're just putting a pyramid over Moses in +the bulrushes, 'cause we hav'n't time to fix so many bulrushes till +recess. And part of it is knocked down. Lola did it, but she didn't +mean to, and if you peep in there between those stones you can see +a little bit of the ark and Moses' dear little china arm poking up. +Please to peek, sir." + +The General did as he was requested, saying that he saw Moses quite +plainly. + +"It isn't much matter if we do have to leave him now," said Lily; "he's +pretty nicely covered up." + +"I think so," said the General, gravely; "and if I were Moses, with a +pyramid being built over me, I think I should prefer to have a small +breathing-hole left." + +"Why, so he would," said Lily; "and now we can leave him nicely fixed, +and play he's very comfortable in his pyramid, even if it's not quite +done." + +Lily being satisfied with the fate of Moses, all the rest were so; and +the bell now ringing, the little group turned towards the house. Daisy +wondering, as well she might, that a matter which was so easily settled +should call for such violent expressions of distress and alarm as she +had heard from two of the little girls. + +"Why, Miss Collins," said General Forster, as that lady met them at the +door, "what a bouquet of flowers you have here! A Rose, a Violet, a +Daisy, and a Lily; as choice a nosegay as one could wish for." + +"And the Lily is going to take care of the Daisy, and make her feel +to home, Miss Collins," said Lily, who still held Daisy's hand. "The +General said I could." + +"No, he didn't," said Susy. + +"Yes, he _did_, 'pon my word he did; least I said I would do it, and he +didn't say I couldn't: did you, sir?" said Lily, throwing back her head +to look up at the General's tall figure. + +"And that comes to the same thing, does it, Lily?" he said, laughing; +"well, I suppose it does; and I promise you shall look after Daisy till +she feels no longer a stranger among you." + +"She knows me, and Loly and Violet, as well as any thing," said Lily; +for the little girls had met several times before, and Lily felt +herself and the two Swans to be on rather intimate terms with Daisy +Forster. + +"All right, then. I leave her to you. Good-morning, Miss Collins," and +with a bow to the lady, with whom he had before made all the necessary +arrangements for Daisy, a pleasant nod for the little ones, and a kiss +for Daisy, he went away. + +Daisy felt rather lonely when he was gone, in spite of Miss Collins' +kind look, Lily's tight clasp of the hand, and Violet's, "We have real +nice times in school. Don't be afraid." For she was far more shy with +children than she was with grown people, probably because she had never +had any companions of her own age; and the number of young faces, most +of them strange, about her, made her long to be back again at Mrs. +Forster's side. And they all looked at her a good deal, for her story +was well known among them, and she was an object of great curiosity. + +Lily observed this, as she took her seat with Daisy beside her, and +thought she must speak up for her charge. + +"Miss Collins," she said, "please to make a rule." + +"Well," said Miss Collins, smiling; for Lily was constantly asking for +new rules concerning things which did not suit her. She had begun with +this more than a year ago when she was only a visitor at the school; +and she was even now not a regular scholar, but only coming for a few +weeks. For her papa and mamma had gone on a journey, and Lily, being +lonely at home when Ella and the boys were at school, it had been +arranged that she was to go with Ella in the morning. So she was rather +a privileged person, and spoke her mind freely concerning that which +did not please her, which the other children thought rather a joke, and +were generally ready enough to fall in with Lily's rules. So now they +all listened. + +"Please to make a rule that nobody must stare, ma'am," said Lily: "it +makes people feel so to be stared at,"--and Lily put up both hands to +her cheeks,--"specially if they are new." + +"Very true," answered Miss Collins: "let us all try to remember the +Golden Rule, and then we shall neither stare nor do any thing else to +hurt another's feelings." + +Then she struck the little bell which stood upon her table, and all +knew the school had begun, and they must be quiet. + +Next calling Bessie Norton to her, Miss Collins gave her a number of +Bibles, and the little girl handed one to each of her classmates. Then +Miss Collins read a verse aloud, and the children followed, each in her +turn. + +"Minnie Grey may take the Bibles," said Miss Collins when this was done. + +Minnie rose, and went from one to another collecting the Bibles. But +instead of taking as many as she could conveniently carry at one time, +giving them to Miss Collins, and coming back for the rest, she went on +piling one on top of another, till one arm was quite full, when she +came to Daisy and held out her other hand for her book. As she did so, +the top one of the pile fell to the floor. Minnie stooped for it, and +down went two or three more. + +"Oh! bother the old things," said Minnie, in a low voice, but very +impatiently. + +Daisy had stooped to help her pick up the Bibles, but the glow her +cheeks wore when she raised her head again was not all owing to that. + +Bother the old things! What old things? Why, the Bibles, God's own Holy +Word. + +Daisy was very much shocked, and she looked up at Miss Collins, +expecting to hear her reprove such _wicked words_, _she_ thought them. + +But Miss Collins had not heard Minnie's exclamation, though the noise +of the falling books had called her attention that way, and she said,-- + +"Minnie, my dear, you are careless with those Bibles: do you forget +whose books they are?" + +"I don't care," muttered Minnie, but not so that the lady could hear. +Daisy heard again; and the thought passed through her mind, "What a +wicked little girl Minnie must be!" + +And yet Daisy was mistaken. If she had asked Minnie's parents, +teacher, or playmates, they would all have told her that Minnie was +an uncommonly good and pleasant little girl; truthful, obedient, +industrious, and generous and obliging towards others. She had no +thought now that she was breaking one of God's commandments; and she +would have been both offended and grieved, if she had known what was +in Daisy's mind, believing herself, as she did, to be innocent of any +wrong. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +DAISY AT STUDY. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +V. + +DAISY AT STUDY. + + +DAISY was soon at home with her schoolmates, and a great favorite among +them. + +It was not strange that they liked and were interested in her. She was +such a gentle, modest, amiable little girl; watching and joining in the +games and lessons of the others with a kind of innocent wonder which +amused and touched them all. For Daisy was not at all accustomed to be +with children of her own age, and their ways were all new to her. + +And of course she was behind all the rest in her studies. She could +not even read as well as Lily Ward; and had to begin with the simplest +lessons, such as Lily and two or three of the very youngest children +learned. At first this troubled her, and she feared the rest of the +class would laugh at her. + +But she soon found she need not have been afraid of that, for the rule +of Miss Collins' infant class was the law of kindness; and any one of +the little girls would have thought it almost a crime to laugh or mock +at Daisy, for that which was her misfortune and not her fault. + +They might now and then fall out a little among themselves, for they +were by no means perfect children; sometimes there would be some +selfishness shown, or even a few angry words pass from one to another; +but, on the whole, they agreed about as well as any twenty little +girls could be expected to do; and not one among them would have had +the heart purposely to do an unkind thing to another. Least of all to +Daisy Forster, whom they all looked upon with a kind of tender pity and +interest, because of her sad and romantic history; and who was at once +taken up by both teacher and scholars as a sort of twin pet with Lily, +for whom allowances were to be made, and who was to be encouraged and +aided as much as possible. + +So Daisy found plenty of helpers, who, so far from laughing at her +mistakes and backwardness, were rather inclined to think her quick and +industrious, as indeed she was, trying hard to make up for lost time, +and "catch up" with those of her own age. + +She was almost too eager about this, and had to be checked now and +then, for since the long illness which had followed the shipwreck, +Daisy had never been strong; and too much fatigue or study, or even +too much play, would make her nervous and sick, and her little head +would become confused and ache. So now and then Mrs. Forster would have +to take the books from her, and forbid more study, sending her out to +play, or to work in the plot of ground which had been given her for a +garden of her own. + +She was not always pleased at this, and sometimes would be rather +fretful and impatient. But Mrs. Forster soon found a way to put a stop +to this. + +One afternoon she found the little girl bending over her slate with +flushed and heated cheeks, anxious eyes, and trembling hands. + +"Daisy," she said, quietly, "what are you doing? Miss Collins has not +given you lessons out of school, has she?" + +"No, ma'am," said Daisy; "but I asked Ella Ward to set me a whole lot +of sums so that I could do them at home, and I can't make this one come +right. I know it is not right, 'cause Ella put the answers on the other +side of the slate, and mine won't come the same, all I can do." + +Mrs. Forster took the slate from her hand. + +"This sum is too hard for you, Daisy," she said: "you do not know +enough arithmetic for this." + +"It is not any harder than the sums Lola and Violet and the other +girls as large as I am do," answered Daisy, looking ready to burst out +crying; "and I have to do arithmetic with the very little ones, like +Lily, and it makes me ashamed; so I want to go on all I can. _Please_ +give me the slate again, Aunt Gertrude," she added, as Mrs. Forster +laid it beyond her reach. + +"No, dear. I do not wish you to study out of school. I am glad you want +to improve, but you have as much to do there as is good for you; and at +home I want you to have rest and play. You are improving quite as fast +as could be expected, and for a time you must be content to go on with +those who are younger than yourself." + +"But it makes me ashamed," pleaded Daisy, again. + +"There is no reason for that," said Mrs. Forster, patting the hot cheek +she raised towards her. "The other children do not laugh at you and +make you uncomfortable, do they?" + +"Oh, no, ma'am," said Daisy; "they are all so good to me, and when they +can't help seeing what a dunce I am" (here Daisy's tears overflowed), +"they always say kind things about how I never went to school before, +and how my own dear mamma was drowned, and there was nobody to teach me +till I came to you." + +"You are not a dunce, dear," said the lady. "A child who idles away +her time when she should be studying, and does not care whether or no +she learns as much as is fit for her, is a dunce: not a little girl +who really wishes to be industrious, but does not know quite as much +as others of her own age only because God has not given her the same +advantages in time past. No one will think my Daisy a dunce. Now, we +must have no more studying at home, no more lessons than those Miss +Collins sets you." + +Daisy did not look satisfied: on the contrary, she even pouted a little. + +"Daisy," said Mrs. Forster, "suppose Uncle Frank were to give you some +beautiful and costly thing which would be of great use to you in time +to come if you took good care of it, say a watch: what would you do +with it?" + +"Why! I _would_ take great care, oh! such care of it," said Daisy, +opening her eyes in some surprise at the question. She did not see what +that could have to do with her studies. + +"I'd wind it up every night, and try to keep it right and safe every +way I could. But I don't know if I am quite large enough to have a +watch of my own, or take care of it; maybe the best way would be to ask +you or Uncle Frank to keep it for me till I was older." + +"And suppose for a while he gave you no key to this watch, but let it +run down and be quiet?" + +"I'd just put it away till he gave me a key, and be patient about it," +said Daisy, wondering more and more. + +"And if, by and by, when he gave you this key, you should go on winding +and winding the watch farther and faster than it was right for it to +go, till the wheels and springs were all spoiled and out of order, +would Uncle Frank think you cared much for his gift?" + +"Why, no, Aunt Gertrude; and he wouldn't think I cared much for him, +either, to use his pretty present so." + +"You are right, dear. And now I want my own little Daisy to see how it +is with herself. God has given to you a young mind, bright and quick +enough; but, for a while, He did not choose that it should do much +work. But now He has given you the key by which you may wind it and set +it to work; and if you use it without proper care, and so as to hurt +and wear out this precious gift, would it not seem as if you cared very +little about it, and did not respect and honor the Giver?" + +"Yes'm," answered Daisy, beginning to see what Mrs. Forster meant; "but +I never thought about that." + +"I believe I never thought about it before, dear," said Mrs. Forster, +smiling. "I am not afraid to praise you, Daisy; and I may safely say +that I have never seen any little child who showed such true honor and +reverence for her Maker, and all which belongs to Him. You must have +been well taught, my child; and to know and remember such lessons is +worth all the book learning in the world." + +Daisy was pleased, as she always was when any one spoke to her of her +long-lost home, or praised the teaching she had received from those +who had loved and cared for her there. And from this time there was no +further trouble about the lessons; for it was enough for Daisy to know +that she was misusing any one of God's good gifts, to make her change +her ways. Many a lesson might have been learned, and, indeed, had been +learned, by those older and wiser than herself, from the loving care +and respect paid by this little one to her Creator's name, and to all +the works of His hand. + +And it was a great trouble to her to hear the careless way in which +many of her schoolmates used sacred names and things. They did not +mean any harm; they did not think it any sin; but every day Daisy was +shocked and distressed by hearing such words as "mercy," "gracious," +"goodness," and "good heavens," and the like, from the lips of the +other children, as they were about their play and study. It had +become a habit with nearly all in the school; one caught it from +another almost without knowing it; even Lily Ward, who once thought +the clergyman "preached a sermon at her" because she said "hush up," +now and then followed the example of the others when any thing vexed +or surprised her. A few weeks at school had accustomed Lily to the +constant use of expressions which a year ago she would have considered +"real naughty words." + +The older girls in Miss Sarah Collins' room had fallen into this bad +habit as much, if not more, than the little ones of the infant class. + +And it was not only this carelessness of speech in which they were +all, large and small, to blame; but it seemed to Daisy so strange that +they could handle and treat the Bible, God's holy Word, with so little +reverence and respect, knocking it about among their other books as +if it were no better than these last, even using it, sometimes, for +purposes to which no book, even the most common one, should be put. + +Daisy wondered that Miss Collins did not teach them better; but +either she did not notice all this, or she did not think it of much +consequence; certain it is that she did not check them, and the evil +seemed to Daisy to grow worse from day to day. + +At first she did not like to speak herself. You may wonder that this +was so, since she had not feared to speak so plainly to General +Forster, who was a grown gentleman, so much older than herself; but she +had done that almost without knowing what she was saying, for, as you +know, his profane words had startled her so that he was surprised, and +he had almost forced her to tell him what had disturbed her. + +And here she was with every thing strange around her, school, +schoolmates, and teacher all new to her; so it is not astonishing that +she was rather shy and felt afraid to interfere with the others, or to +tell them that she thought they were doing wrong. + +But by and by there came a day when she could no longer hold her peace. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +DAISY A TEACHER. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +VI. + +DAISY A TEACHER. + + +ONE morning just after school commenced, a heavy shower came up; and +when it was time for the recess, which was always given to the infant +class at eleven o'clock, the ground was still so wet that the little +ones were forced to find amusement within doors or upon the piazza. + +"What shall we play?" asked Rosie Pierson. + +"Lady Queen Fair," said Bessie Norton: "we'll go out on the piazza and +play it." + +[Illustration] + +"Yes," said Violet; "and Lily shall be Lady Queen Fair, and we'll dress +her up a little. Miss Emily," as a third Miss Collins, who gave music +lessons to the girls, passed by, "may we have a rose to put in Lily's +hair for Lady Fair?" + +The young lady smiled, stopped and pulled a couple of roses from the +vine which wound itself around one of the pillars of the piazza, and +gave them to Violet, then passed on. + +Time had been when Violet would have hoped, perhaps would have asked +to be Lady Fair herself, and been sulky and displeased if the other +children had not agreed; but now she was very different, and more apt +to prefer another before herself. + +The roses were soon arranged, the one in the hair, the other in the +bosom of the little Lady Queen, who took her dignities in the calmest +manner. Meanwhile some of the other children were drawing forward one +of the rustic chairs with which the piazza was furnished, to serve as a +throne. + +But the little queen, like many another royal lady before her, found +her throne by no means an easy one. + +"Ow!" she said, rubbing her little round white shoulders where she had +scratched them against the rough bark of the twisted boughs which made +the back of the chair, "ow! this is not nice at all, or comfortal. My +feet don't come to the floor, and if I lean back I'm all scratched. I'd +rather be a queen without a throne." + +"Oh, no! You must have a throne," said Susy Edwards. "Queens have to." + +"I don't see why," said Lily, rather pettishly; for she did not feel +very well that morning, and that and the close heat of the day made her +more fretful than usual. "I should think queens could do just as they +have a mind to and make their subjiks do it too; and I don't see what +they have to have their skin all scraped up for if they don't want to;" +and Lily twisted her head to give an aggrieved look at the little fat +shoulder with that red mark upon it. + +"I'll fix you," said Lola. "I'll put Miss Collins' footstool under your +feet and you shall have the big cushion behind you. Some one bring the +cushion while I carry the stool." + +The footstool was brought in a moment; but the cushion was not to be +found. + +"The big girls had it yesterday," said Fanny Satterlee. "I saw them +with it in their recess when I was going home. There comes Cora Prime +now; let's ask her. Cora, what did the big girls do with that cushion +yesterday when they had done with it?" + +"The Lord knows; I don't," said Cora, playfully tapping Fanny on the +head with the roll of music in her hand. + +"Oh!" exclaimed Lily. + +Daisy did not speak; but as Cora's eye happened to fall upon her, her +face said as much as Lily's "Oh!" + +"What's the matter with you two?" asked Cora, looking from one to the +other of the little girls, but still good-natured. + +"You oughtn't to say that," said Lily. + +"Ought not to say what?" + +"The Lord knows," answered Lily. + +"Well, don't He know?" asked Cora. + +"No," said Lily, doubtfully, "I guess not. I don't believe He'd bother +Himself with knowing about a worn-out old cushion what has a hole in +the cover, and such things." + +"Yes, He does, too," said Cora, laughing; "are not the very hairs of +our head numbered?" + +"Now, I _know_ you ought to be 'shamed," said Lily. "You're talking +Bible; and that is not right, is it, Daisy?" + +"No," said Daisy, as boldly as Lily herself could have done, for +quoting Scripture in a careless manner was also a habit of many in the +school. + +"You two saucy monkeys! correcting your elders," said Cora, much +amused. "I heard you both talking Bible to Miss Collins this morning +with all the rest of your class." + +"We were only saying what we learned in Sunday school yesterday," said +Lily. "That's not the same thing. I _know_ it's not right to talk Bible +that kind of a way. Papa says so, and he tells us not to do it." + +"Your papa's saying so does not make a thing right or wrong," said Cora. + +"Yes, it does, too!" said Lily. "My papa knows a whole lot, and he +wouldn't tell a story for any thing. Cora, you'd better go to your +music lesson: I 'speck Miss Emily wants you." + +"Oh, you are very considerate for Miss Emily, all at once," said Cora, +more amused than ever; "but you haven't told me why I shouldn't say, +The Lord knows, when He does know." + +Lily looked at Daisy, who stood by the arm of her chair, for help. The +little one felt that Cora was wrong, but she did not exactly know how +to answer, and she had noticed how careful Daisy was to honor the name +of God. + +"Is it not taking the name of God in vain?" said Daisy. + +"Upon my word!" said Cora. "Do you mean to call that swearing?" + +"Well, yes," said Lily, taking up the word, "a kind of baby swearing, I +s'pose; but you know it's not very good of you, Cora." + +"Everybody says such things: they don't mean any thing," said Cora. + +"Not _everybody_," answered Lily. "Daisy don't." + +"Then Daisy's uncommonly good," said Cora. + +"Yes, she is," replied Lily; "and I s'pose _everybody_ ought to be +uncommonly good and never say them." + +Cora laughed again. + +"Everybody must mind their p's and q's before you: mustn't they, Lily?" +and away she ran to her music lesson. + +"Here's the cushion," said Rosie Pierson, running out from the +school-room. "I found it in the closet under the shelf where those +careless big girls left it, I s'pose." + +The cushion was put behind Lily's shoulders, but still the little queen +fidgeted on her throne and declared she was not yet "comfortal." + +"'Cause if I lean back against the cushion my feet won't touch the +stool," she said. + +"We'll put something else on the stool to make it higher," said Nettie +Prime, who was trying to arrange Lily satisfactorily: "what shall we +take? Oh, I know. Daisy, run and bring the big Bible off Miss Collins' +table for Lily to put her feet on." + +Daisy, who made a motion to start forward as Nettie began to speak, +stood still when she heard what she called for. + +"Make haste," said the latter, impatiently: "we won't have a bit of +time to play." + +Daisy did not move, but stood with rising color, trying to make up her +mind to speak. + +"Oh! you disobliging thing!" said Violet, and she ran for the book. + +"Oh! don't," said Daisy, as Violet came back and stooped to put the +Bible on the footstool; "I didn't mean to be disobliging, but we ought +not to use the Bible to play with." + +"Pooh!" said Violet: "Lily's little feet won't hurt it. It's all worn +out, any way. The cover is real shabby." + +"I didn't mean that," answered Daisy; "I meant because it is God's +book, and we ought to treat it very carefully." + +"Oh, fiddle! How awfully particular you are, Daisy!" said Minnie Grey. +"Why, girls, do you know, the other day, when I was playing paper-dolls +with her and I turned up a Bible to make the side of a house, she took +it away, and when I put it back again 'cause it stood up better than +the other books, she said she wouldn't play if I did so with the Bible." + +"I s'pose Daisy would call that 'taking God's name in vain,'" said +another, half reproachfully; "wouldn't you, Daisy?" + +"I think it is something the same," answered Daisy, feeling as if +all the others were finding fault with her and thinking her "awfully +particular," a crime which no little girl likes to have laid to her +charge. + +"I don't see how," said Lola. "I know we ought not to play with the +Bible; but I don't see how it is taking God's name in vain." + +"But the Bible is God's book, and He told it to the men who wrote it, +and His name is in it a great many times," said Daisy, "and I think it +seems like taking it in vain to play with it or to put things upon it, +or to knock it about like our other school-books. And it is not right +to say 'the Lord knows,' and 'mercy,' and 'gracious,' and such words, +when we are just playing, or when we are provoked." + +"What is the harm?" asked Rosie. "Mercy and gracious are not God's +name." + +"Well, no," said Daisy, slowly, not exactly knowing how to explain +herself. "And maybe I make a mistake; but it does seem to me as if it +was a kind of--of--" + +"Of little swearing, as Lily says," said Lola. + +"Yes," said Daisy. "Rosie thinks it is no harm; but even if it is not +much harm, I don't see what is the good of it. We can talk just as well +without saying such words." + +"I guess they are pretty wicked," said Lily. "The day mamma went away, +I said 'good heavens,' and she said 'Lily! Lily!' very quick, like she +does when I do something very naughty, and she asked me where I learned +that; and I told her Elly said it. I didn't mean to tell a tale about +Elly; but mamma looked sorry, and she told me never to say it again. I +guess 'mercy' is 'most the same, and I guess I won't say it any more; +and, Daisy, if I hear the other girls say those words, I'll help you +correct 'em." + +Lily promised this with an air of such grave importance that the other +children laughed. Not in the least abashed, Lily went on,-- + +"Papa's coming home day after to-morrow, and I'll ask him to tell me a +whole lot about God's name, and why it is wrong to say those things; +and then I'll tell all you girls. But I'm not coming to school any more +when mamma comes home; so you'll have to come to my house, and I'll +have a swearing class, and teach you all about it." + +Lily's words might have been taken with a different meaning from that +which she intended to give them; but the other children understood her, +and that was enough. + +"But, Daisy," said Lola, "how do you know so much about these things +when you don't know a great deal about every-day lessons, and have had +no one to teach you for so long?" + +"I don't know," said Daisy. "I think my own mamma who was drowned used +to teach me in the home I used to have;" and the dreamy look came into +her eyes which they always wore when she spoke of her far-away home and +those she had loved there. "I think I've forgotten a good many things," +she added; "but you know I couldn't forget what mamma taught me about +Jesus and what He wanted us to do if we loved Him. And I think if we do +love Him we won't say words about His name, His heaven, or any thing +that is His, that are not very good and gentle, and that we are very +sure He would like us to say." + +"But you are so _very_ particular, Daisy," said Minnie; "I think you +are most _too_ particular." + +"I didn't think we could be too particular about doing what Jesus +likes," said Daisy. + +The other children had all gathered about Daisy, and were listening +with interest to what she said. Perhaps they heard her with more +patience than they would have given to any one else; for Daisy was a +kind of mystery to them, and they looked upon her as a sort of fairy +or princess in disguise, and would not have been at all surprised to +hear the most extravagant stories about her, for she was "just like a +story-book child." Lily had said so one day when she was speaking of +her at home. + +"No," said Lola, thoughtfully; "but it does not seem as if such little +things could be wrong. I know it can't be right to play with the +Bible or say its words just when we are joking or for our own common +talk; but I don't see the harm of saying 'goodness,' or 'mercy,' or +'heavens,' or those words which you never will say, Daisy; they are not +God's name, and I don't see how it is taking it in vain to say them." + +Daisy looked thoughtful. She felt she was right, and wanted to explain +herself; but she was rather shy and could not find words to do so. + +But Lily, whom shyness never troubled, came to her aid. + +"Never mind," she said: "I'll ask papa just as soon as he comes home, +and he'll tell us all about it; and if he says it is naughty, why, it +is, and we won't do it; and if he says it's good enough, why, we will. +That's the way to fix it." + +Here the bell rang. + +"There, now," said Susy Edwards, "we have to go in, and we've wasted +all our time talking, and never had a bit of good of our recess." + +But I think Susy was mistaken, and that they had one and all gained +more good from their talk than they could have done from any amount +of play; for it had set more than one young mind thinking; and from +this day, even the most careless among them would check herself when +she found she was on the point of using these words which had grown +so common among them, more from want of thought than from any wish or +temptation to do wrong. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE SWEARING CLASS. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +VII. + +THE SWEARING CLASS. + + +WHEN Lily's papa and mamma came home, she was so glad to see them, and +there was so much to hear and to talk about, that she quite forgot her +purpose of asking her father to teach her about the third commandment. +Besides, she no longer went to school now that her mother was at home, +but had her lesson each day with her as she had done before Mrs. Ward +went on her journey; and so she was not as apt to hear or to say those +careless words which Daisy Forster had said it was not right to use. + +But it was at last brought to her mind one evening as the family all +sat at the tea-table. + +"Mamma," said Ella, "will you let Lily and me have a tea-party +to-morrow? I want to ask half a dozen of our girls, and I suppose Lily +would like to have a few of the little ones at the same time." + +"Yes," answered Mrs. Ward, "you may each ask six of your most intimate +friends." + +"Can Walter and I ask some of the fellows?" said Ned. + +"Oh, mercy! no," said Ella: "we don't want any boys. It is not to be a +regular party, Ned. I just want the girls to spend the afternoon and +drink tea; and it makes more fuss to have boys too." + +"Goodness me! You needn't get into such a way about it," said Ned. + +"Children," said Lily, her brother's and sister's words bringing back +to her what Daisy had said, "children, you needn't either of you swear +about it." + +Lily's efforts to keep the family straight were generally considered +as a good joke, and her reproofs and advice received with a laugh; but +this plain speaking was rather _too_ much for either Ella or Ned, and +the former exclaimed,-- + +"Well, who is swearing, I'd like to know?" + +"And who gave you leave to correct your elders?" said Ned. + +"Nobody: I just took it," said unabashed Lily; and then, turning to her +father, she exclaimed, "Papa, I b'lieve the girls in our school are +pretty heathen, and don't know enough about the comman'ments. So I told +them we'd have a swearing class, and I'd ask you to teach it, 'cause +I s'pose you know a good deal about swearing; and this will be a good +chance when they come to-morrow." + +This speech turned the vexation of Ella and Ned into amusement, and +they laughed with the others. + +"I don't think your playmates will thank you for asking them here to +take tea and then bringing them up for a lecture from me, my pet," said +Mr. Ward. + +"Yes: they will, papa. They want to know about it, and I think we'd +better make a swearing party of this. I b'lieve it would do those big +girls good too. They swear, oh, dreadfully! and they don't seem to +think they do, least Cora don't. Mamma, let's make a rule we won't have +any swearing in this house: won't you?" + +"Certainly," said mamma, smiling; "and I think we must find out what +_swearing_ is, and be careful not to break the rule." + +"If one is going to call 'goodness' and 'mercy,' and such things, +swearing, one might as well give up talking altogether," said Ella. + +"Perhaps not exactly swearing," said her father; "but the use of them +is a bad habit, and one that I have noticed is quite too frequent among +all the young people of this place. It is growing stronger too, as all +such habits do, and going from bad to worse. But I must go out now, and +have not time to talk to you about it. If Lily can persuade her little +friends to take the 'swearing class,' as part of their afternoon's +entertainment to-morrow, well and good; if not, we will have a little +private talk among ourselves some other time." + +Ella was not at all pleased by Lily's proposal; and hoping that it +would pass from the child's mind before the afternoon, she was careful +not to make her remember it by the use of any such words as had called +forth Lily's reproof. + +This had very nearly proved successful; and in the excitement of +arranging her baby-house, setting out the new tea-set mamma had brought +her, and dressing the doll which had been papa's present, Lily had +almost forgotten her plan for mingling wholesome instruction with the +amusement provided for her young friends. + +There were Lola and Violet Swan, Daisy Forster, Rosie Pierson, Minnie +Grey, and Bessie Norton; and they were all having a real good time +sitting around a small table and playing tea out of the new china set, +when Minnie said,-- + +"I have a secret to tell all of you, if you'll promise never to tell." + +"I won't," said Violet. + +"On your sacred word and honor?" said Minnie. + +"On my sacred word and honor," repeated Violet. + +"And you, Rosie?" asked Minnie. + +"On my word and honor," said Rosie. + +"Sacred?" said Minnie. + +"Sacred. Sacred word and honor," was Rosie's answer. + +Lily repeated the words as desired, and next came Daisy's turn. + +"I won't tell," she said, when Minnie looked at her. + +"On your sacred word and honor?" asked Minnie. + +"I promise I won't tell, Minnie." + +"But you must say on your word and honor." + +"I can't," said Daisy. + +"Then I shan't tell you; and you're real mean, Daisy Forster," said +Minnie. "Why won't you say so?" + +"I don't see why I need, and I don't know if it is quite right," +answered Daisy, coloring. + +"Oh, Daisy Forster, what a girl you are!" said Rosie. + +"Well," said Lily, "there's nothing left, 'cept these two caramels. +Daisy, you eat up this; and, Bessie, you eat up the other. Now +the tea-party is all done, and we'll go and ask papa about that +comman'ment. He's been playing croquet with the big girls, but they +seem to be resting now." + +Lily was right. Mr. Ward had been persuaded to make the eighth in a +game of croquet, for he was a great favorite with all the young people +in Glenwood, and his presence never put any check upon their games or +pleasure parties. + +But the afternoon proved rather warm for exercise, even the gentle one +of bewitching croquet; and, after a long game was finished, the whole +party were ready to agree to Ella's proposal that they should take a +rest, and send to the house for some cooling drink. + +So Mr. Ward was at liberty to attend to Lily, when she came rushing up +to him, followed, rather more slowly, by the rest of the children. + +"Papa," she said, throwing herself across his knee, as he sat upon +the green mound which was raised about the foot of one of the fine +elm-trees which shaded the croquet-ground, "papa, Daisy says we +oughtn't to say upon our words and honors! Oughtn't we? And will you +teach us about taking God's name in vain now? It's the _singalest_ +circumstance, but I went and forgot all about the swearing class, till +Daisy said that." + +"A very singular circumstance, certainly;" said Mr. Ward, lifting Lily +to a seat upon his knee, and smiling, while the other girls laughed at +her speech. "I am quite willing to have a little talk with you all on +this subject; but tell me first what you want to know." + +"Daisy is so awfully particular, Mr. Ward," said Minnie, in an +aggrieved tone. "She won't let us say any thing; at least, she says +every thing is 'wrong.'" + +"Every thing?" said Mr. Ward: "that is bad. Does Daisy want you all to +keep silence? That _must_ spoil your play." + +"Oh, no!" said Minnie, "not that; but she says such lots of things are +wrong to say. Why, sir, she won't say 'upon her word and honor,' 'cause +she don't think it is right." + +"Why do you want her to say it?" asked Mr. Ward. + +"I was just going to tell them all a great secret, and I wanted her to +promise, on her sacred word and honor, she would never tell; and she +wouldn't do it." + +"So Daisy is apt to break her promises, is she?" said the gentleman, +with a smile at Daisy, which told very plainly that he was only joking. + +"Oh, no, sir!" said Minnie. "Indeed she is not. Daisy always tells the +truth, and never does what she says she won't; at least, we never knew +her to do it: did we, girls?" + +A chorus of young voices was raised in Daisy's favor. + +"And yet you cannot trust her unless she swears to what she promises," +said Mr. Ward. + +"Swears, sir!" said Minnie. "I'm sure I don't want her to swear! 'Word +and honor' are not bad words, are they?" + +"Not in themselves, certainly;" answered Mr. Ward. "Many a thing which +is good in itself when properly used, becomes bad and hurtful if put to +a wrong purpose. Now to swear is to say, by some word or person which +you consider holy and sacred, that you will or will not do, that you +have or have not done, a certain thing. Suppose some man were accused +of a crime, and that the judge were about to try him, and punish him if +he were guilty, and it was thought that I knew whether or no the man +had done that of which he was accused. So I am called to the court, +and there made to promise that I will tell the truth, and nothing but +the truth; and to make sure of this I am made to lay my hand on the +Bible,--God's holy word,--and call upon Him, to hear me tell what I +know. And this is considered a very solemn thing, even by many who +have little care or respect for God in other ways; and it is called +swearing, or taking the oath." + +"They ought to be 'shamed of theirselves," said Lily, indignantly; +"they ought to know you would never tell a story, papa. And to go and +make you swear too! I wouldn't do it if I was you; but I'd tell 'em the +third comman'ment, and run away fast from them." + +"But if this is done in the fear of God, and as a sort of prayer that +He will hear and help us to tell that which is true, it is not taking +His name in vain, Lily," said Mr. Ward; "and to do it falsely is +considered even by men to be a great crime. This is called perjury; +and if any one is found guilty of it, he is severely punished by the +law. Now it may be wise, and even necessary, for a man to take an +oath at such a time as this, when the very life of another may depend +on whether he tells the truth or no; but it can hardly be necessary +for one little girl at play with another to make her promise sure by +swearing to it. For to say 'by your sacred word and honor' is neither +more nor less than a sort of swearing or taking an oath that what you +say is true." + +"Then we'll make a rule not to say it any more," said Lily. "We +didn't know it was naughty before, papa. But please tell us now about +other words. Daisy says we mustn't say 'mercy,' and 'gracious,' and +'heavens,' and maybe we mustn't; but why is that swearing? Swearing is +taking God's name in vain, and how do such words take His name in vain +if we don't speak it? And she thinks playing with the Bible, or saying +its words when we are playing or just talking common talk, is taking +God's name in vain, too. Is it?" + +"I will tell you," said Mr. Ward. "Suppose, Lily, that some great king +or queen, or the president of our own country, were to come here; would +you not wish to be particularly polite and respectful to them, both in +your manner and way of speaking?" + +"Um-m-m, I don't know," answered Lily, doubtfully; "not partic'lar. I +guess I'd just as lieve be saucy to them as to any one else." + +Mr. Ward saw this would not do, at least, not for Lily: he must go +higher than earthly rulers. + +"Suppose, then," he said, "that Jesus should come down here among us, +so that we could see Him with our eyes, walking and talking with us, +what would you all do?" + +"I'd fall down and worship Him," said Minnie. + +"I'd listen to every word He said, and never speak one myself for fear +I should miss one," said Daisy; "and then I'd remember them all the +days of my life." + +"Dear child!" said Mr. Ward, laying his hand fondly on hers: "I believe +you do treasure your Lord's words and try to live according to them." + +"I'd ask Him to put His hand on my head and bless me just as He did +those other little children when He was on earth before," said Lola, +softly. + +"So would I. And I'd be glad there were no disciples to forbid us to +come to Him," said Lily. "I s'pose they thought Jesus wouldn't care +about children; but He did, didn't He? And you wouldn't think so, papa, +would you?" and the little child laid her hand lovingly against her +father's cheek. "I'd keep very close to Him all the time He was here, +and take fast hold of His hand, only I wouldn't be troublesome, but +just keep as still as a mouse; and I'd give Him every thing of mine +that He wanted." + +"So you would all show your love and reverence for Him by every means +in your power," said Mr. Ward, "trying not to grieve or offend Him +by treating His name or His presence with the least carelessness or +disrespect, but letting Him see that you honored the one and were +blessed by the other: is it not so?" + +"Yes, sir," came from the older as well as the younger children. + +"And if, after He had gone away, He should send you each a letter, +telling you what He wanted you to do, how you were to love and serve +Him, and in which you would find all the advice, help, and comfort you +might need at any time,--how would you treat that letter?" + +"I'd keep it all my life, and take such good care of it," said Rosie. + +"I'd read it, and read it, and read it; and kiss it, and kiss it, and +kiss it," said Lily, "and then I'd put it in my bosom, and keep it, oh! +so carefully." + +"And so would I, and I, and I," said the rest, satisfied to have Lily +for spokeswoman. + +"And if you saw any one misusing that letter, how would you feel?" +asked Mr. Ward. + +"I'd be very provoked with them," answered Lily, "and I think I +wouldn't love them any more, 'cept it was you, papa, or mamma, or Elly, +or any one of my own that I _have_ to love; and then I'd cry, and ask +you not to serve my Jesus' letter so." + +"You mean the Bible is Jesus' letter to us: don't you, sir?" asked +Daisy. + +"Yes; and, dear children, our Lord's presence is here among us as much +as if He were in man's form which He once wore on earth. His ear is as +quick to hear our words of love and praise, or those of carelessness +and disrespect, as it was then; His eye as ready to see the use we make +of the precious Word He has given us. But we forget this when we use +His book more carelessly than we would any gift from an earthly friend, +or when we take His name lightly or without thought upon our lips. To +do this is to take it in vain, and it displeases Him." + +"But, Mr. Ward," said Minnie, "it is not cursing and swearing to say +'mercy,' and 'gracious,' and 'good Lord,' and such things, is it?" + +"Not cursing, certainly: that is to use God's name profanely, or to +call on Him to destroy us or other people; and this is a most terrible +sin. But, Minnie, the use of such words in play or thoughtlessness is a +bad habit, and leads to worse. Suppose a man breaks open a bank here, +and takes all the money from it: that is stealing, is it not?" + +"Why, yes, sir," answered Minnie. + +"And suppose you take a sugar-plum belonging to your sister: it is a +very small thing compared to the money taken from the bank, but is it +not stealing, all the same?" + +"Yes, sir; and if I was to be so bad as to take Julia's sugar-plums, +I'm afraid I'd maybe steal something worse some time." + +"Just so," said the gentleman; "and now you see why it is not wise or +right to make use of such expressions. It is, as Lily says, a kind of +little swearing, and may lead to worse. Besides, it is very useless. +You can surely believe one another,--unless, indeed, it is some false +and deceitful child,--without saying 'upon your sacred word and honor,' +'as sure as you live,' 'Heaven knows,' and so forth. And there is so +little temptation to fall into this sin that it seems strange it should +be so common. There is nothing to be gained by it, even of this world's +good,--no pleasure, no profit. It is only an idle, useless habit, +most displeasing and vexing to the holy ear of Him whose commandment +we break without thought or care. Goodness and mercy and graciousness +belong to the Almighty; and so, too, we must take heed that we do not +speak of what belongs to Him in an irreverent, careless way. And now I +think we have had enough talk on this subject for this afternoon. You +did not ask your friends here that I might lecture them." + +"Oh, yes! I did, papa," said Lily; "for we all deserved it very much, +'specially the big girls. But, papa, do you believe the Lord troubles +Himself to know where the girls put an old, worn-out cushion, and such +things; and if He does, ought we to say He does?" + +"God knows every thing, Lily; even the smallest trifle is seen by Him; +but it is very wrong to say, in a heedless way, 'the Lord knows,' for +I suppose that is what you mean. And this very thought, that His eye +and His ear are always with us, noticing every word and look, knowing +the very feelings of our hearts, should make us all the more careful +how we use His holy name. I am glad this question has come up among +you; for heedlessness in using God's name, and other sacred words, in +quoting Scripture,--talking Bible, my Lily calls it,--and other such +habits, were becoming too common, I fear, among all the young people +in Glenwood; and we older ones too, I believe, fall too often into the +custom. We have, too many of us, constant need of the prayer, 'Set a +watch, O Lord, upon my mouth; keep the door of my lips.'" + +"It is Daisy's doing, sir, that we have come to think of this," said +honest Cora. "I, for one, have been very thoughtless about offending +God in this way, and have set a bad example to the rest. I believe the +little ones have caught it from us larger girls, and we have to thank +Daisy that she has taught us a better lesson." + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +DAISY'S NAME. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +VIII. + +DAISY'S NAME. + + +"INDADE, now, and hasn't me words come true, sir? For wasn't I afther +tellin' ye she was as nate a little lady as iver stepped in two shoes?" +said Betty Macarthy, as she stood with her arms akimbo, her head on one +side, and her honest face one broad glow of delight and satisfaction, +gazing at the dainty-looking little creature who stood before her, her +young face bright with as much pleasure as Betty's own. + +For Daisy's old friend had come to live at Mrs. Forster's; and this was +the way it had been brought about. + +The lady had wanted a laundress; and, thinking that Betty, who had once +held that post in her father's family, might know of one, had begged +the General to ask her. + +No sooner had he put the question than Betty eagerly answered she +should be only too glad of the place herself; for she was tired of her +present position, and a countrywoman of her own was ready to take it +off her hands, stock, fixtures, goodwill, and all. "For her heart was +sore for the child," Betty said, and to be where she could see her +every day, and to live once more with "Miss Gertrude," would be almost +as much happiness as she could wish for; and then she would try to put +Jack out with some gardener to learn his trade, for which he had always +had a turn. + +So the General, having talked the matter over with his wife, and +mindful of the generous care and kindness shown to their Daisy by these +poor people, not only told Betty she should come to live with them, but +also put Jack under his own gardener, though there was really no need +of any more hands about the place. + +Thus did the "bread cast upon the waters" by this kind-hearted +Irishwoman, come back to her, blessed sevenfold. + +Nothing was told to Daisy of this arrangement till one afternoon, when +the General had returned from the city, Mrs. Forster said to her, "I am +going to speak to the new laundress and gardener's boy. Come with me, +Daisy;" and half wondering, the little girl obeyed. + +But her surprise soon changed into delight and gratitude when she saw +who the new domestics were; for, in spite of all the pleasure she felt +in her new way of life, Daisy's loving little heart often longed for +the old friends who had been so good to her in her time of need, and +she wanted not only to see them, but to share some of her many comforts +with them. + +So you may know how glad she was when her eye fell upon the two figures +standing by the back door, and she knew that they had been brought to +live in the same place with her. + +With an excitement very unusual in her, she flew at Betty, and, +throwing both arms about her neck, covered her broad, smiling face with +warm kisses. Betty returned them with a will, holding her fast in both +arms; and then, putting her from her and looking at her from head to +foot, put on an air of strong approval, and spoke to the General in the +words you have read at the beginning of this chapter. + +"An' isn't it fit for a princess, she is?" she continued, quite unable +to keep back her admiration and pleasure at the child's improved +appearance. "Isn't it fit for a princess she is; and Saacyfuts or no +Saacyfuts, isn't it a right her own folks would have to the name if +they found her now? Sure I'd be saacy meself to have the ownin' of a +child like that. An' her not a bit spoiled, but just as lovin' and +free-like as when she had none but me an' Jack." + +Then Daisy was told she might take Betty and Jack away and show them +the neat little wash-house, shaded by a fine clump of trees, with its +nice bleaching and drying ground beyond, its laundry on the first +floor, and two small bedrooms above, where they were to sleep. Betty +was enchanted, and expressed over and over again her satisfaction at +the change in her life. It was far better, she thought, to stand at the +wash-tub or ironing-table, breathing the sweet country air, with all +its pleasant sights and sounds about her, than to do the same at her +stall in the hot, dusty, crowded city. + +As for Jack, when he saw the splendid garden, when Daisy had led +them there, and knew it was to be his privilege to work among those +lovely flowers, he could not contain himself, but shouted and shouted, +turned somersault after somersault, till recalled to himself by +Betty's reminder that he must "remember that Margaret--she begged +her pardon,--Miss Daisy--was a little lady now, and he must mind his +manners before her." + +But Daisy was so like her old self, so free from any pride or +haughtiness in her new position, that Jack found it hard to remember +she was any other than the little waif whom he had pitied and petted +for so long; and his "manners" were brought to his mind with much more +force by the sight of the gray-haired old Scotch gardener under whom he +was to work, and before whom his gambols ceased at once. + +Meanwhile General and Mrs. Forster were talking on a very interesting +subject, for Betty's words about Daisy's lost friends had given the +lady a new idea. + +"Frank," she said to her husband, "did you notice what Betty said about +Daisy's friends?" + +"Yes," he answered. "I hope she won't turn Daisy's head and make her +vain with her praise and flattery." + +"I'm not afraid," said his wife. "Daisy has a right to her name, the +modest, unaffected little girl; and she has too much sense to be +spoiled by what she looks upon only as the overflowing of Betty's +affection. But don't you know that the Irish often say _saacy_ when +they mean proud?" + +"Oh, yes. I have often noticed it in people of Betty's class," answered +the General; "but what has that to do with Daisy's friends?" + +"Is it not possible that their name is Proudfoot or Proudfit, and that +'Saacyfut' is Betty's way of calling it?" + +The General laughed heartily. + +"Hardly, I think," he said; "and yet--I do not know. It may be. But it +never struck me. It took a woman's wit to think of that." + +"We will ask Daisy when she comes," said Mrs. Forster. "If Proudfoot +_was_ their name, she must remember it when she hears it spoken, I +think. She can hardly have forgotten it so entirely that she would not +recognize it. And then, if it should be so, it will be a help to find +her friends." Mrs. Forster spoke the last words more slowly. + +"Yes," said her husband, giving words to the thought which had made her +half unwilling to utter them; "and if found, we must give up our Daisy." + +"But we must not seek them the less for that," she said, "or I shall +feel as if we had found some lovely jewel that we were striving to +hide from the rightful owner. I know what terrible longings must fill +her mother's heart;" and a tear dropped from Mrs. Forster's eye on her +baby's face, as she clasped it more tenderly than ever in her arms. + +"Daisy," said the General that evening, as the little girl stood by his +knee, "did you ever hear the name of Proudfoot?" + +Daisy started, drew a quick, gasping breath, and suddenly threw herself +into his arms. + +"That is it!" she cried, in a rapid, excited manner, "that is it! That +is my name, that is what they called papa and mamma. I never heard it +since; but I know it now. I am Daisy Proudfoot, I am, I am!" + +It was some time before the child's excitement could be calmed; but +there was no farther knowledge to be gained from her. Proudfoot was her +name, of that she was quite sure; and the recollection of it at this +late hour seemed to fill her with a kind of tremulous happiness; but +still she could not tell where she belonged. + +Betty too, when she was asked if Proudfoot was the name of Daisy's +mother, answered,-- + +"Sure, an' it was, ma'am. Didn't I say so all along, only she was +always gainsayin' it?"[A] + +The matter was settled; and General Forster, loath as he was to part +with Daisy, feeling that he must leave no stone unturned to trace her +friends, again put advertisements in the papers, saying, that if any +family of the name of Proudfoot had had a child supposed to be lost at +sea, they might hear of her at such and such a place. + +Daisy was not told of this; she was contented and happy in her new home +and among her new friends, and it was not thought best to disturb her +mind with fresh hopes of finding those who might never come to claim +her. + +But although she was still called Daisy Forster by all in Glenwood, it +was a satisfaction to herself and to the kind friends who had taken her +up and cared for her, to know the name which rightly belonged to her. + +However, days and weeks and months went by, and still no one came to +seek the Daisy blossom which had been transplanted to such pleasant +soil. And there it grew and flourished, and did its Master's work; +proving how much even such a simple floweret can do by its own modest +example and teaching to win others to honor Him. + +It was surprising to see how much her schoolmates thought of her +opinion; how they profited by the simple lesson she had taught them, +and tried to break themselves of the foolish and sinful habit into +which nearly all of them had fallen, of using sacred names and things +in such a heedless, unthinking manner. + +It was not only the very little girls, but the older ones also, and +even Miss Collins herself, who learned from our Daisy to set a watch +upon their lips, and to remember whose ear was ever present, hearing +each thoughtless word which dishonored Him or that which especially +belonged to Him. + +Perhaps they gave more heed to Daisy's words than they would have +done to those of any other one of their number. There was such a +half-mystery about her, and their thoughts were so tender towards her, +that they checked their heedless speech for her sake at first; then, as +they learned to think more about it, for a better and higher reason, +till at last the bad habit was broken up; and if, by chance, such a +word as "mercy," "heavens," "good Lord," or the like, came from the +lips of any child, the surprised and reproving looks of her companions +told her of her fault, and punished her sufficiently. + +And the good influence spread far and wide. Since the little ones were +so careful, their parents and older friends felt that they, too, must +take heed lest they offended in this way; and so it came to pass that +among the families of Glenwood God's name and word came to be held in +such true reverence and honor as had never been before. + +And so nearly a year passed by, and brought the Daisy and her +sister-flowerets to another spring. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[A] If this is considered far-fetched, the writer can only say that +Betty's rendering of the name of Proudfoot was actually given by a +domestic in her own family, and occasioned considerable bewilderment, +till the quick wit of one of its members solved the riddle. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE LOST FOUND. + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +IX. + +THE LOST FOUND. + + +"IS that you, Daisy?" + +"Yes, sir. Is that you, Uncle Frank?" answered Daisy, playfully. + +"Well, I thought it was this morning when I went to town; but I am +doubtful of it now." + +"Why?" asked Daisy, laughing, as she reached up on tiptoe to offer the +kiss with which she always welcomed her uncle on his return from the +city. + +"Baby Daisy is not doubtful, at least," said Mrs. Forster, coming +forward, and putting her little daughter, all crows and smiles, in her +father's arms. "Let her pull your hair a little to convince you of the +fact." + +"It will be difficult," said the General. "There was a man in the cars +so like me, face, height, and figure, that some of my friends were +taking him for me; others accusing me of having a brother whom I have +never owned. He sat two or three seats in front of me, and I could not +help being amused. Ward came in, nodded familiarly to my double, with, +"How are you, General?" passed on to me, stopped, and looked from one +to the other with a mixture of surprise and curiosity that was droll; +then asked for information which I could not give him. It was the same +with many others. I hope the stranger will keep himself out of mischief +while he is in Glenwood, or I may be held responsible for his wrong +doings." + +"Did he come to Glenwood?" asked Daisy. + +"Yes: I left him standing on the platform at the station, and I hardly +knew whether my own carriage belonged to him or to me. However, he made +no claim as I stepped into it." + +"Who was he?" asked Mrs. Forster. "Did not you find out?" + +"No. No one could tell me, and I could not go and ask the man who he +was, merely for the reason that he resembled me so much. There, there, +little woman," as the baby gave a vigorous pull at his hair. "I've +had enough of mamma's proofs, and am satisfied that no other man than +Frank Forster would submit to such usage at these tiny hands. I rather +imagine this stranger came up to look at Beechgrove, which is to let, +as I heard him asking the railway porter in which direction it lay, and +where the agent was to be found." + +A fortnight went by, and nothing more was seen of the stranger who +looked so like General Forster; nor after that evening did the General +or his wife think of him. + +Not so Daisy. She thought often of him with a kind of half wish that +she might see him; why she scarcely knew herself, but she never spoke +of it. She was rather a shy, quiet child, keeping her ideas and wishes +pretty much to herself, unless they were drawn out by some one whom she +loved or trusted; and neither the General nor Mrs. Forster suspected +what was working in her mind. + +Her idea, too, that the General looked so like her own papa, they +regarded only as a childish fancy, ready to see a likeness between +the two she most admired and loved in all the world. And they never +imagined how the child was dreaming and wondering over this unseen +stranger who had had such a passing interest for them. + +Meanwhile, it became certain that Beechgrove, as the place was called, +was taken; for the placards advertising it to rent were taken down, and +the house was going through a thorough cleaning. + +But the General and his wife, being people who never gossiped or +concerned themselves about their neighbors' affairs, did not trouble +themselves in the matter. And those who were curious and asked +questions received no satisfaction from old Dr. Harding, who had charge +of the property. + +All Miss Collins' young scholars, however, thought themselves very much +concerned in the letting of Beechgrove, and with good reason. For a +large aviary belonged to the place, containing many rare and beautiful +birds, and the former owner, who was fond of children, often used to +invite the young people of Glenwood to see these birds, and to amuse +themselves in other ways about his grounds. But since Dr. Harding had +had the care of the place, not a child had been suffered to come within +sight or hearing of the aviary, which had a new charm for them since it +was a forbidden pleasure. + +So the new occupants of Beechgrove, and the question as to whether +they were likely to recover their old privileges there or no, had been +a subject of great interest to our young friends, and they were very +anxious for information on the matter. + +One morning when Daisy came to school, she found the rest of the +class grouped about Mattie Prime and Rosie Pierson, who lived beyond +Beechgrove, and had to pass it on their way to Miss Collins'. + +"The new people have gone to Beechgrove," said Violet Swan, when Daisy +asked what they were talking about; "and Mattie and Rosie saw a little +girl there this morning. We are glad there is a child there, because +maybe having her will make the papa good to other children, and he will +let us go in and see the birds because of her." + +"She's a very little thing," said Rosie. "She can't speak plain. Such a +crooked tongue." + +"But she's very cunning," said Mattie. "We were going past the gate and +she called out to us, 'Itty dirls, itty dirls;' and when we stopped she +put her face through the rails to kiss us, and handed us some flowers +she had. She was real sweet." + +"What is her name?" asked Daisy. + +"We asked her, but we could not make out what she said. Mamy Modwit it +sounded like; but she did speak so crooked," said Mattie. + +"Do you know," said Rosie, "I think she looked like Daisy. Don't you, +Mattie?" + +"Why, so she does," said Mattie. "Isn't that funny? Only Daisy's eyes +always look sorry except when she is laughing or speaking, and that +little girl's were so full of mischief and laughing." + +"How big was she?" asked Lola. + +"Oh, about as large as your sister Bertie. Not near old enough to come +to school." + +"I s'pose there are no other children but her," said Fanny Delisle. +"Willie saw the family come yesterday; and he said there were only the +lady and gentleman, and the little girl and servants. If there are no +children as old as us, maybe it won't come into their heads to let us +see the aviary again." + +This short conversation put an end to the half hope, half wish, that +had been in Daisy's heart. Even supposing the stranger who looked so +like General Forster were the gentleman who had taken Beechgrove, he +could be nothing to her (not until now had she said even to herself +that she had hoped it might be so), for the family did not answer to +her own. She had papa and mamma, little brother Theodore, and a baby +sister, a very little baby; and only this child of three years old or +more seemed to belong to the new-comers; and she had no sister so old. + +Daisy reasoned this all out for herself with a sad, disappointed little +heart, forgetting that time had not stood still with her own family any +more than it had with her, and that changes might have come to them as +well as to herself. + +This was on Friday, and nothing more was seen or heard of the strangers +by Daisy or her playmates, till Sunday came. But then such a strange +and happy thing came to pass, and in such a wonderful way. "Just like a +book thing," Lily Ward afterwards said. + +It was the loveliest of Sabbath days, and every thing seemed to feel it. + +"What day is it, Bertie?" asked Mr. Swan, as his youngest daughter +stood on the piazza steps ready for church. + +"Jesus' happy Sunday," answered the little one; "and, oh, didn't He +mate a nice one!" + +Other people than Bertie thought so; a nice one indeed. + +It was the softest, sweetest, warmest of May Sundays. A busy little +breeze, carrying with it the perfume of the apple-blossoms over which +it had passed, stole in at the open windows of the church, and wandered +around among aisles, pillars, and pews, now fluttering the leaves of +a book, now toying with a ribbon, now tossing a curl upon some sunny +head, now fanning some cheek flushed with a walk in the almost summer +heat. A robin, saucy birdie, swung himself lightly to and fro on the +branch of one of the fine old elms outside the church-door, and poured +forth his hymn of praise; while from far and near came the answering +notes of his mates; and mingling with his song were heard the voices of +the children in the Sunday school beyond, as they sang the closing hymn. + +Then they came trooping in gently, and with soft footsteps, as became +the house of God (honoring His name and His word had taught them also +to honor the place where He was worshipped), and took their places +beside their parents and friends. + +Watching them from one of the pews which ran by the side of the pulpit, +were a pair of roguish, dancing eyes, which Rosie Pierson and Mattie +Prime recognized at once. They were those of the little girl who had +peeped at them through the railing of the Beechgrove grounds. Now they +were peeping over the top of the pew-door as she stood at its foot, +her hands crossed upon it, her chin resting upon them. What a bright, +merry, laughing face it was, and how like Daisy's! General and Mrs. +Forster had noticed it from their seat, which commanded a full view of +that of the strangers. + +Beside the little girl sat a gentleman, half turned from the +congregation, his face partly shaded by his hand; but there could be no +doubt that he was the man who was so like the General. Mrs. Forster saw +the likeness at once, even in the turn and shape of his head. Beyond +him was a lady in deep mourning, closely veiled. + +"Frank must find out who they are," said Mrs. Forster to herself. "That +child is so like Daisy. Can it be--oh, can it be?" Then she tried to +collect her thoughts and bring them back to the service of Him whom she +had come to worship. + +Daisy came in a little behind the rest of the infant class (she had +lingered for a word with her teacher), and took her seat. Almost +immediately her eye fell on the new-comers to Glenwood. Mrs. Forster +saw her start, flush all over, neck and face, and press her small hands +tightly together, as if trying to keep back some exclamation which rose +to her lips. + +With a beating heart the child watched the strangers, striving in vain +to get a better view of the face of the gentleman, gazing from him to +the veiled lady, and then at the little girl. + +The bell ceased tolling, the congregation were gathered, the hour of +service had come, and the clergyman rose in the pulpit. + +But at that moment the lady drew aside her veil; and ere Dr. Parker had +opened his lips, a little voice rang through the still church. + +"Mamma! Oh, my own mamma!" + +How much was in those few words! What a tale they told! What a world of +longing, of love, of joy, they held! + +The stranger lady--ah! no stranger was she to our Daisy--started to her +feet, stretched out her hands, then with a little cry sank fainting +into the arms of the gentleman who had also suddenly arisen. + +She was carried out; General and Mrs. Forster following with the +excited, trembling Daisy; and so the father and mother found the +long-lost child. + +Who could describe it? Who could find words for the joy, the wonder, +the gratitude of those concerned; who tell the sympathy which filled +the hearts of all in that congregation, which dimmed their eyes with +tears, and filled their hearts with adoration, as, before another word +of the morning service was begun, the beloved minister called on all +to render thanks for the great and signal mercy just shown to those +long-parted parents and their little one! + +And now there is little more to tell. Only how Daisy's mamma, and +the little sister whom she remembered only as a tiny baby, had been +rescued from the sinking ship with some of the other passengers; how, +having been unable to trace their lost treasure, and believing that the +boat, with all whom it contained, had gone down in the deep waters, +the parents had gone abroad, where they had remained till a few months +before this time, and so had never seen the advertisements which might +have told them she was still living: all this was soon explained. + +And then Daisy must tell her story, and Betty must come in to help her +out where memory failed and the past was a blank, because of that long, +wasting illness. And how Betty laughed and cried by turns, and would +hear of no praise or thanks for what she had done, declaring that "Miss +Daisy had done her and Jack far more good nor she resaved, taching them +to mind their tongues afore God Almighty." + +And though General and Mrs. Forster must now give up, to her rightful +owners, the darling of whom they had grown so fond, yet they did not +have to part with her altogether; for she was so near to them that they +saw her every day; indeed, the two families became almost as one, and +Daisy felt as if she had two homes. + +The little brother, whom Daisy remembered so well, had gone to a home +beyond the sky, but a few weeks before her father and mother came to +Glenwood. + +And so the Daisy blossom, which had been parted from its parent stem +and cast by the wayside, where stranger hands had gathered and lovingly +tended it, was planted once more in the soil where it belonged, after +it had done the Master's work, and scattered the good seed which budded +for His glory; proving well, that those who "honor" the Lord He will +"delight to honor." + + +[Illustration] + + Cambridge: Press of John Wilson & Son + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DAISY'S WORK*** + + +******* This file should be named 44770-8.txt or 44770-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/4/7/7/44770 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +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. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at + www.gutenberg.org/license. + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +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 + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 +North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email +contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the +Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |