diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-27 07:55:07 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-27 07:55:07 -0800 |
| commit | 896f19fc5404bbd7470de04e3f33bfab6b6f82a2 (patch) | |
| tree | d97c08749b2292b4698cff16ffca721c9129cd29 | |
| parent | 8fa999264f40029f87f956ed16c8ce6eef33f3a6 (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-0.txt | 2943 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-0.zip | bin | 54138 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h.zip | bin | 2177618 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/60065-h.htm | 4415 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 108393 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_007.jpg | bin | 25108 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_009.jpg | bin | 38733 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_009a.jpg | bin | 18491 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_011.jpg | bin | 113555 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_025.jpg | bin | 26487 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_026.jpg | bin | 38112 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_026a.jpg | bin | 17380 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_027.jpg | bin | 66485 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_033.jpg | bin | 98906 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_035.jpg | bin | 30348 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_036.jpg | bin | 36633 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_036a.jpg | bin | 17707 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_045.jpg | bin | 29606 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_046.jpg | bin | 40111 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_046a.jpg | bin | 15687 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_047.jpg | bin | 55782 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_049.jpg | bin | 109506 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_059.jpg | bin | 38433 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_059a.jpg | bin | 17317 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_061.jpg | bin | 124155 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_069.jpg | bin | 37570 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_069a.jpg | bin | 17082 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_076.jpg | bin | 30401 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_077.jpg | bin | 90124 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_079.jpg | bin | 31700 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_080.jpg | bin | 39609 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_080a.jpg | bin | 17729 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_087.jpg | bin | 21265 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_088.jpg | bin | 39739 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_088a.jpg | bin | 16560 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_091.jpg | bin | 98355 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_095.jpg | bin | 115303 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_101.jpg | bin | 54633 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_109.jpg | bin | 39892 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_109a.jpg | bin | 16245 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_116.jpg | bin | 26444 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_117.jpg | bin | 40978 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_117a.jpg | bin | 16818 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_122.jpg | bin | 63139 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_123.jpg | bin | 132884 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_130.jpg | bin | 29498 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_131.jpg | bin | 38650 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_131a.jpg | bin | 16322 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_138.jpg | bin | 54499 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_139.jpg | bin | 24077 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_140.jpg | bin | 37363 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_140a.jpg | bin | 16881 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_142.jpg | bin | 64084 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_149.jpg | bin | 67538 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_150.jpg | bin | 18852 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_151.jpg | bin | 40534 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_151a.jpg | bin | 17440 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_152.jpg | bin | 45420 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_159.jpg | bin | 27929 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_frontispiece.jpg | bin | 126016 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_title.jpg | bin | 56182 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_v.jpg | bin | 15340 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60065-h/images/i_vi.jpg | bin | 35046 -> 0 bytes |
66 files changed, 17 insertions, 7358 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6ca4356 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60065 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60065) diff --git a/old/60065-0.txt b/old/60065-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9136ea9..0000000 --- a/old/60065-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2943 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wings and Stings, by A. L. O. E. - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Wings and Stings - A Tale for the Young - -Author: A. L. O. E. - -Release Date: August 6, 2019 [EBook #60065] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINGS AND STINGS *** - - - - -Produced by Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - - - -WINGS AND STINGS. - - -[Illustration: COMING TO THE RESCUE - - _page 48_] - - - - -[Illustration] - - WINGS AND STINGS. - - A Tale for the Young. - - BY - - A. L. O. E., - - AUTHOR OF “THE SILVER CASKET,” “THE ROBBERS’ CAVE,” - ETC. ETC. - - How doth the little busy bee - Improve each shining hour, - And gather honey all the day - From every opening flower! - - WATTS. - - LONDON: - T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW; - EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK. - - 1879. - - - - -Preface. - - -What is the use of a preface? Most of my young readers will regard it -as they would a stile in front of a field in which they were going to -enjoy haymaking; as something which they hastily scramble over, eager -to get to what is beyond. Such being the case, I think it best to make -my preface as short, my stile as small as possible, not being offended -if some of my friends should skip over it at one bound. To the more -sober readers I would say, If you look for some fun in the little field -which you are going to enter, remember that in haymaking there is -profit as well as amusement; in turning over thoughts in our minds, -as in turning over newly-mown grass, we may “make hay while the sun -shines,” which will serve us when cloudier days arise. - - A. L. O. E. - -[Illustration] - - - - -Contents. - - - I. THE BIG HIVE AND THE LITTLE ONE, 9 - - II. SOME ACCOUNT OF A WATERFALL, 26 - - III. A FLATTERING INVITATION, 36 - - IV. HOME LESSONS AND HOME TRIALS, 46 - - V. CONVERSATION IN THE HIVE, 59 - - VI. A STINGING REPROOF, 69 - - VII. A WONDERFUL BORE, 80 - - VIII. A CHASE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES, 88 - - IX. PRISONS AND PRISONERS, 109 - - X. A CONFESSION, 117 - - XI. A SUDDEN FALL, 131 - - XII. AN UNPLEASANT JOURNEY, 140 - - XIII. WINGS AND STINGS, 151 - - - - -[Illustration] - -WINGS AND STINGS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE BIG HIVE AND THE LITTLE ONE. - - -“Had you not better go on a little faster with your work, Polly?” said -Minnie Wingfield, glancing up for a minute from her own, over which her -little fingers had been busily moving, and from which she now for the -first time raised her eyes. - -“I wish that there were no such thing as work!” exclaimed Polly, from -her favourite seat by the school-room window, through which she had -been watching the bees thronging in and out of their hive, some flying -away to seek honied treasure, some returning laden with it to their -home. - -“I think that work makes one enjoy play more,” replied Minnie, her -soft voice scarcely heard amidst the confusion of sounds which filled -the school-room; for there was a spelling-class answering questions at -the moment, and the hum of voices from the boys’ school-room, which -adjoined that of the girls, added not a little to the noise. - -The house might itself be regarded as a hive, its rosy-cheeked scholars -as a little swarm of bees, and knowledge as the honey of which they -were in search, drawn, not from flowers, but from the leaves of certain -dog’s-eared books, which had few charms for the eyes of Polly Bright. - -“I never have any play,” said the little girl peevishly. “As soon -as school is over, and I should like a little fun, there is Johnny -to be looked after, and the baby to be carried. I hate the care of -children--mother knows that I do--and I think that baby is always -crying on purpose to tease me.” - -[Illustration: THE BIG HIVE.] - -“Yet it must be pleasant to think that you are helping your mother and -doing your duty.” - -Polly uttered a little grunting sound, which did not seem like -consent, and ran her needle two or three times into her seam, always -drawing it back instead of pushing it through, which every one knows is -not the way to get on with work. - -“Why, even these little bees,” Minnie continued, “have a sort of duty -of their own; and how steadily they set about it!” - -“Pretty easy duty,--playing amongst flowers and feasting upon honey!” - -“Oh but--” - -“Minnie Wingfield, no talking allowed in school!” cried the teacher -from the top of the room, turning towards the corner near the window. -“Polly Bright, you are always the last in your class.” - -This time the lazy fingers did draw the needle through, but a cross, -ill-tempered look was on the face of the little girl; while her -companion, Minnie, colouring at the reproof, only worked faster than -before. - -We will leave them seated on their bench, with their sewing in their -hands, and passing through the little window, as only authors and -their readers can do, cross the narrow garden, with its small rows of -cabbages and onions, bordered by a line of stunted gooseberry bushes, -and mixing with the busy inhabitants of the hive, glide through the -tiny opening around which they cluster, and enter the palace of the -bees. Now I have a suspicion that though my young readers may be -well acquainted with honey-comb and honey, and have even had hives -on a bench in their own gardens, they never in their lives have been -inside one, and are totally ignorant of the language of bees. For your -benefit, therefore, I intend to translate a little of the buzzing -chit-chat of the winged nation; and, begging you to consider yourself -as little as possible, conduct you at once to the palace of Queen -Farina. - -A very curious and beautiful palace it is; the Crystal Palace itself -is not more perfect in its way. Look at the long lines of cells, -framed with the nicest care, row above row, built of pure white wax, -varnished with gum, and filled with provisions for the winter. Yonder -are the nurseries for the infant bees; these larger apartments are -for the royal race; that, largest of all, is the state-chamber of -the queen. How strait are the passages--just wide enough to let two -travellers pass without jostling! And as for the inhabitants of this -singular palace, or rather, I should say, this populous city, though -for a moment you may think them all hurrying and bustling about in -utter confusion, I assure you that they are governed by the strictest -order--each knows her own business, her own proper place. I am afraid -that before you are well acquainted with your small companions, you may -find some difficulty in knowing one from another, as each bee looks as -much like her neighbour as a pin does to a pin. I am not speaking, of -course, of her majesty the queen, distinguished, as she is, from all -her subjects by the dignified length of her figure and the shortness -of her wings; but you certainly would not discover, unless I told you, -that the little creature hanging from the upper comb is considered -a beauty in Bee-land. You must at once fancy your eyes powerful -microscopes, till a daisy is enlarged to the size of a table, and the -thread of a spider to a piece of stout whip-cord; for not till then can -you find out the smallest reason why Sipsyrup should be vain of her -beauty. Yet why should she not pride herself on her slender shape or -her fine down? Vanity may seem absurd in a bee, but surely it is yet -more so in any reasonable creature, to whom sense has been given to -know the trifling worth of mere outside looks; and I fear that I may -have amongst my young readers some no wiser than little Sipsyrup. - -She is not buzzing eagerly about like her companions, who are now -working in various parties; some raising the white walls of the cells; -some carrying away small cuttings of wax, not to be thrown away, but -used in some other place, for bees are very careful and thrifty; -some putting a fine brown polish on the combs, made of a gum gathered -from the buds of the wild poplar; some bringing in provisions for the -little workmen, who are too busy to go in search of it themselves. -No; Sipsyrup seems in her hive as little satisfied as Polly in her -school-room, as she hangs quivering her wings with an impatient -movement, very unworthy of a sensible bee. - -“A fine morning this!” buzzed an industrious young insect, making -bee-bread with all her might. I may here remark that the subject of the -weather is much studied in hives, and that their inhabitants show a -knowledge of it that might put to shame some of the learned amongst us. -I am not aware that they ever make use of barometers, but it is said -that they manage seldom to be caught in a shower, and take care to keep -at home when there is thunder. - -“A fine morning, indeed,” replied Sipsyrup. “Yes; the sunshine looks -tempting enough, to be sure; no doubt the flowers are all full of -honey, and the hills covered with thyme; but of what use is this to -a poor nurse-bee like me, scarcely allowed to snatch a hasty sip for -myself, but obliged to look after these wretched little larvæ” (that is -the name given to young baby-bees), “and carry home tasteless pollen to -make bread for them, when I might be enjoying myself in the sunshine?” - -“We once were larvæ ourselves,” meekly observed Silverwing. - -“Yes, and not very long ago,” replied Sipsyrup rather pertly, glancing -at the whitish down that showed her own youth; for it was but three -days since she had quitted her own nursery, which may account for her -being so silly a young bee. - -“And but for the kindness of those who supplied our wants when we were -poor helpless little creatures, we should never have lived to have -wings,” continued her companion. - -“Don’t remind me of that time,” buzzed Sipsyrup, who could not bear -to think of herself as a tiny, feeble worm. “Anything more weary and -tiresome than the life that I led, shut up all alone in that horrid -cell, spinning my own coverlet from morning till night, I am sure that -I cannot imagine. Ah, speaking of that spinning, if you had only seen -what I did yesterday.” - -“What was that?” inquired Silverwing. - -“As I flew past a sunny bank, facing the south, I noticed a small hole, -at the entrance of which I saw one of our cousins, the poppy-bees. Her -dress, you must know, is different from ours” (Sipsyrup always thought -something of dress). “It is black, studded on the head and back with -reddish-gray hairs, and her wings are edged with gray. Wishing to -notice a little more closely her curious attire, I stopped and wished -her good-day. Very politely she invited me into her parlour, and I -entered the hole in the bank.” - -“A dull, gloomy place to live in, I should fear.” - -“Dull! gloomy!” exclaimed Sipsyrup, quivering her feelers at the -recollection; “why, the cell of our queen is a dungeon compared to it. -The hole grew wider as we went further in, till it appeared quite roomy -and large, and all round it was hung with the most splendid covering, -formed of the leaves of the poppy, of a dazzling scarlet, delightful to -behold. Since I saw it, I have been scarcely able to bear the look of -this old hive, with its thousands of cells, one just like another, and -all of the same white hue.” - -“Had the poppy-bee a queen?” inquired Silverwing. - -“No; she is queen, and worker, and everything herself; she has no one -to command her, no one to obey; no waspish companion like Stickasting -there.” - -“What’s that? who buzzes about me?” cried a large thick bee, hurrying -towards them with an angry hum. Stickasting had been the plague of -the hive ever since she had had wings. She was especially the torment -of the unfortunate drones, who, not having been gifted with stings -like the workers, had no means of defence to protect them from their -bullying foe. When a larva, her impatient disposition was not known. -She had spun her silken web like any peaceable insect, then lain quiet -and asleep as a pupa or nymph. But no sooner did the young bee awake -to life, than, using her new powers with hearty good-will, she ate her -way through the web at such a quick rate, that the old bees who looked -in pronounced at once that she was likely to be a most active worker. -Nor were they disappointed, as far as work was concerned; no one was -ready to fly faster or further, no one worked harder at building the -cells; but it was soon discovered that her activity and quickness were -not the only qualities for which she was remarkable. If ever bee had a -bad temper, that bee was Stickasting. Quarrelling, bullying, attacking, -fighting, she was as bad as a wasp in the hive. No one would ever -have trusted larvæ to her care. Sipsyrup might neglect or complain -of her charge, but Stickasting would have been positively cruel. Her -companionship was shunned, as must be expected by all of her character, -whether they be boys or bees; and she seldom exchanged a hum, except of -defiance, with any creature in the hive. - -Sipsyrup, the moment that she perceived Stickasting coming towards her, -flew off in alarm, leaving poor Silverwing to bear the brunt of the -attack. - -“Who buzzes about me?” repeated Stickasting fiercely, flying very close -up to the little nurse-bee. - -“Indeed, I never named you,” replied Silverwing timidly, shrinking back -as close as she could to the comb. - -“If you were not talking against me yourself, you were listening to and -encouraging one who did. Who dare say that I am waspish?” continued -Stickasting, quivering her wings with anger till they were almost -invisible. “It is this gossip and slander that make the hive too hot -to hold us. I once thought better of you, Silverwing, as a quiet -good-natured sort of a bee, but I now see that you are just like the -rest, and as silly as you are ugly.” - -This was a very provoking speech--it was intended to be so; but -Silverwing was not a creature ready to take offence; whatever she felt, -she returned no answer--an example which I would strongly recommend to -all in her position, whether standing on six feet or on two. - -But Stickasting was resolved to pick a quarrel if possible, especially -with one whom she considered less strong than herself; for she was -not one of those generous beings who scorn to take advantage of the -weakness of another. Stickasting much resembled the class of rude, -coarse-minded boys, who find a pleasure in teasing children and -annoying little girls, and like to show their power over those who dare -not oppose it. - -“I owe you a grudge, Silverwing, for your conduct to me yesterday. When -I was toiling and working at the cells like a slave, not having time to -go out for refreshment, I saw you fly past me two or three times, and -not a drop of honey did you offer me.” - -“I was carrying pollen for my little larvæ,” gently replied Silverwing. -“It is not my office to supply the builders, though I am sure that -I should do so with pleasure; but the baby-bees are placed under my -charge, and you know what care they need till they begin to spin.” - -“Yes, idle, hungry, troublesome creatures that they are! Have they not -set about their spinning yet? I’ll make them stir themselves,”--and -Stickasting made a movement towards the nursery-cells. - -“The larvæ do not like to be disturbed!” cried Silverwing, anxious for -her charges, and placing herself between them and the intruder. - -“Like! I daresay not,--but who cares what they like! Get out of the -way; I’ll prick them up a little!” - -“You shall not come near them!” hummed the little nurse, resolutely -keeping her place. - -“I say that I shall,--who shall hinder me? Get out of my way, or I’ll -let you feel my sting.” - -Silverwing trembled, but she did not stir, for she was a faithful -little bee. As the hen is ready to defend her chickens from the hawk, -and even the timid wren will fight for her brood, so this feeble insect -would have given up her life rather than have forsaken the little ones -confided to her care. - -But she was not left alone to struggle with her assailant. Two of her -winged companions came to the rescue; and Stickasting, who had no wish -to encounter such odds, and was fonder, perhaps, of bullying than of -fighting, no sooner saw Waxywill and Honeyball on the wing, than with -an angry hum she hurried out of the hive. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER II. - -SOME ACCOUNT OF A WATERFALL. - - -I wish that all little nurses were as trustworthy as Silverwing, or -as kind and patient with their charges! While Polly Bright has sat in -her mother’s cottage trimming her bonnet, till it looks as absurd as -pink ribbons can make it, the poor baby has been crying unheeded in -his cradle, except that now and then, when vexed more than usual by -the noise, with an almost angry look she pauses for a moment to rock -the cradle with her foot. She does not notice that little Johnny has -been clambering up by the pail, which her mother has set aside for her -washing, till the sudden sound of a fall, and a splash, and a child’s -frightened cry, startle her, and she sees little streams running all -over the stone floor, and Johnny flat on his face in the middle of a -loud roar,--and a pool of water. - -[Illustration: A MISHAP.] - -Up she jumps, not in the best of tempers. Poor Johnny is dragged up by -one arm, and receives one or two slaps on the back, which only makes -him cry louder than before; he stands a picture of childish misery, -with dripping dress and open mouth, the tears rolling down his rosy -cheeks, helpless and frightened, as his careless sister shakes and -scolds him, and shakes him again, for what was the effect of her own -negligence. - -Happily for the little boy, Minnie Wingfield is a near neighbour, and -comes running at the sound of his distress. - -“Why, what is the matter, my dear little man?” are her first words as -she enters the cottage. - -“Look here! did you ever see anything like it? His dress clean on -to-day! I cannot turn my back for a moment but he must be at the -pail,--naughty, tiresome, mischievous boy!” and poor Johnny received -another shake. “A pretty state the cottage is in,--and there--oh, my -bonnet! my bonnet!” exclaimed Polly, as she saw that in her hurry and -anger she had thrown it down, and that, pink ribbons and all, it lay on -the floor, right across one of the little streams of water. - -“Never mind the bonnet; the poor child may be hurt, and--oh, take care, -the baby will be wetted!” and without waiting for Polly’s tardy aid, -Minnie pushed the cradle beyond reach of danger. - -While Polly was yet bemoaning her bonnet, and trying to straighten -out its damaged ribbons, Minnie had found out something dry for the -shivering little boy, had rubbed him, and comforted him, and taken him -upon her knee; then asking him to help her to quiet poor baby, had -hushed the sickly infant in her arms. Was there no pleasure to her kind -heart when its wailing gradually ceased, and the babe fell into a sweet -sleep,--or when Johnny put his plump arms tight round her neck, and -pressed his little lips to her cheek? - -There are some called to do great deeds for mankind, some who bestow -thousands in charity, some who visit hospitals and prisons, and live -and die the benefactors of their race. But let not those who have -not power to perform anything _great_, imagine that because they can -do little, they need therefore do nothing to increase the sum of -happiness upon earth. There is a terrible amount of suffering caused by -neglect of, or unkindness to, little children. Their lives--often how -short!--are embittered by harshness, their tempers spoiled, sometimes -their health injured; and can those to whose care the helpless little -ones were confided, imagine that there is no sin in the petulant word, -the angry blow, or that many will not have one day to answer for all -the sorrow which they have caused to their Lord’s feeble lambs, to -those whose spring-time of life should be happy? - -Would my readers like to know a little more of Minnie Wingfield, whose -look was so kind, whose words were so gentle, that her presence was -like sunshine wherever she went? She lived in a little white cottage -with a porch, round which twined roses and honeysuckle. There was a -little narrow seat just under this porch, where Minnie loved to sit -in the summer evenings with her work, or her book when her work was -done, listening to the blackbird that sang in the apple-tree, and the -humming of the bees amidst the blossoms. Little Minnie led a retired -life, but by no means a useless one. If her mother’s cottage was the -picture of neatness, it was Minnie who kept it so clean. Her brother’s -mended stockings, his nicely-washed shirts, all did credit to her neat -fingers. Yet she could find time to bestow on the garden, to trim the -borders, to water the plants, to tie up the flowers in which her sick -mother delighted. Nor did Minnie neglect the daily school. She was not -clever, but patient and ever anxious to please; her teacher regarded -her as one of her best scholars, and pointed her out as an example to -the rest. But Minnie’s great enjoyment was in the Sunday-school; there -she learned the lessons which made duty sweet to her, and helped her on -the right way through the week. The small Bible which had been given to -her by her father, with all his favourite verses marked, was a precious -companion to Minnie: not studied as a task-book, or carelessly read -as a matter of custom; but valued as a treasure, and consulted as a -friend, and made the rule and guide of daily life. - -And was not Minnie happy? In one sense she certainly was so, but still -she had her share of this world’s trials. The kind father whom she -had fondly loved had died the year before; and besides the loss of so -dear a friend, his death had brought poverty upon his family. It was -a hard struggle to make up the rent of the little cottage, which Mrs. -Wingfield could not bear to quit, for did not everything there remind -her of her dear husband,--had he not himself made the porch and planted -the flowers that adorned it! Often on a cold winter’s day the little -fire would die out for want of fuel, and Minnie rise, still hungry, -from the simple meal which she had spared that there might be enough -for her parent and her brother. - -[Illustration: MINNIE WITH THE FIREWOOD.] - -Mrs. Wingfield’s state of health was another source of sorrow. She -was constantly ailing, and never felt well, and though saved every -trouble by her attentive child, and watched as tenderly as a lady -could have been, the sufferings of the poor woman made her peevish and -fretful, and sometimes even harsh to her gentle daughter. - -Tom, her brother, was also no small trial to Minnie. Unlike her, he -had little thought for anything beyond self; he neither considered the -comfort nor the feelings of others. If Minnie was like sunshine in the -cottage of her mother, Tom too often resembled a bleak east wind; and -though Mrs. Wingfield and her daughter never admitted such a thought, -their home was happiest when Tom was not in it. - -But it is time to return to our hive. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER III. - -A FLATTERING INVITATION. - - -Waxywill and Honeyball had both come to the assistance of Silverwing, -and she buzzed her thanks in a grateful way to both, though different -motives had brought them to her aid, for they were very different bees -in their dispositions. - -Honeyball was a good-humoured, easy kind of creature. Very ready to -do a kindness if it cost her little trouble, but lazy as any drone in -the hive. Honeyball would have liked to live all day in the bell of a -foxglove, with nothing to disturb her in her idle feast. It was said in -the hive that more than, once she had been known to sip so much, that -at last she had been unable to rise, and for hours had lain helpless on -the ground. Sipsyrup, who, like other vain, silly creatures, was very -fond of talking about other people’s concerns, had even whispered that -Honeyball had been seen busy at one of the provision-cells stored for -the winter’s use, which it is treason in a bee to touch; but as those -who talk much generally talk a little nonsense, we may hope that there -was no real ground for the story. - -Waxywill was one of whom such a report would never have been believed; -there was not a more honourable or temperate worker in the hive. Yet -Stickasting herself was scarcely less liked, so peevish and perverse -was the temper of this bee. If desired to do anything, it was sure to -be the very thing which she did not fancy. Were cells to be built--she -could not bear moping indoors; if asked to bring honey--she always -found out that her wings were tired. She could not bear submission to -the laws of the hive, and once actually shook her wings at the queen! -When she flew to help Silverwing, it was less out of kindness to her -than the love of opposing Stickasting. And yet Waxywill was not an -ungenerous bee; she had more sense too than insects generally possess; -she would have been respected and even loved in the hive, had not her -stubborn, wilful temper spoilt all. - -We will now follow Sipsyrup in her hasty flight, as, leaving both her -friend and her charges behind, she made her retreat from Stickasting. -How delightful she found the fine fresh air, after the heated hive! -Now up, now down, she pursued her varying course, sometimes humming -for a moment around some fragrant flower, then, even before she had -tasted its contents, deserting it for one yet more tempting. Deeply she -plunged her long tongue into its cup; her curious pliable tongue, so -carefully guarded by Nature in a nicely fitting sheath. “_Sheathe your -tongue!_” was an expression which the gossipping little bee had heard -more often than she liked, especially from the mouth of Waxywill. It -might be an expressive proverb in other places than Bee-land, for there -are tongues whose words are more cutting than swords, that much need -the sheath of discretion. - -The movements of the lively insect were watched with much interest -by Spinaway the spider, from her quiet home in a rosebush. Sipsyrup, -disdaining the narrow garden of the school, had winged her way over -the wall, and turning into a narrow green lane that was near, was now -sporting with the blossoms by Mrs. Wingfield’s porch. Spinaway was a -clever, artful spider, somewhat ambitious too in her way. She had made -her web remarkably firm and strong, and expected to be rewarded by -nobler game than the little aphis, or bony gnat. She had once succeeded -in capturing a blue-bottle fly, and this perhaps it was that raised -her hopes so high, that she did not despair of having a bee in her -larder. - -“Good-morning,” said Spinaway in a soft, coaxing tone, as Sipsyrup came -fluttering near her. “You seem to have travelled some distance, my -friend, and if you should like to rest yourself here, I am sure that -you would be heartily welcome.” - -Sipsyrup was a young, inexperienced bee, but she did not much fancy -the looks of the spider, with her hunchback and long hairy legs. She -politely, therefore, declined the invitation, and continued her feast -in a flower. - -“I am really glad to see a friend in a nice quiet way,” continued the -persevering spider. “I find it very dull to sit here all day; I would -give anything to have wings like a bee.” - -Sipsyrup, who loved gossip, advanced a little nearer, taking care to -keep clear of the web. - -“I do long to hear a little news of the world, to know what passes -in your wonderful hive. I am curious to learn about your queen; your -manner and style of dress is such, that I am sure that you must have -been much about the court.” - -Settling upon a leaf, still at a safe distance, Sipsyrup indulged her -taste for chit-chat, glad to have so attentive a listener. Spinaway -soon heard all the gossip of the hive,--how the present queen had -killed in single combat the queen of another swarm, whilst the bees of -both nations watched the fight; and how the hostile band, when they -saw their queen dead, had submitted to the conqueror at once. How a -slug had last morning crept into the hive and frightened her out of her -wits, but had been put to death by fierce Stickasting before it had -crawled more than an inch. Sipsyrup then related--and really for once -her conversation was very amusing--all the difficulties and perplexity -of the people of the hive as to how to get rid of the body of the -intruder. She herself had been afraid to venture near the monster, but -Silverwing and the rest had striven with all their might to remove the -dead slug from their hive. - -“And did they succeed?” said Spinaway, much interested. - -“Oh, it was quite impossible to drag out the slug! We were in such -distress--such a thing in the hive--our hive always kept so neat and -clean that not a scrap of wax is left lying about!” - -“What did you do?” said the spider; “it really was a distressing -affair.” - -“Waxywill thought of a plan for preventing annoyance. She proposed that -we should cover the slug all over with wax, so that it should rather -appear like a piece of the comb than a dead creature left in the hive.” - -“A capital plan!” cried Spinaway. “And was the thing done?” - -“Yes, it was, and before the day was over.” - -“So there Mrs. Slug remains in a white wrapping,” laughed the spider; -“a warning to those who go where they are not wanted. You were, I -daresay, one of the foremost in the work.” - -“Not I; I would not have touched the ugly creature with one of my -feelers!” - -“I beg your pardon!” said the spider; “indeed, I might have judged by -your appearance that nothing but the most refined and elegant business -would ever be given to you. You look as though you had never touched -anything rougher than a rose.” - -This speech put Sipsyrup in high good-humour; she began to think that -she had judged the spider harshly, and that she really was an agreeable -creature in spite of her ugly hunch. - -“If you speak of delicate work,” observed the bee very politely, “I -never saw anything so fine as your web.” - -“It is tolerably well finished,” said the spider with a bow; “would -you honour me by a closer inspection?” - -“Oh, thank you, I’m not curious in these matters,” replied Sipsyrup, -still feeling a little doubtful of her new friend. - -“You have doubtless remarked,” said Spinaway, “that each thread is -composed of about five thousand others, all joined together.” - -“No, really, I had no idea of that--how wonderfully fine they must be!” - -“I am surprised that you did not see it; at least if the powers of -your eyes equal their beauty. I never beheld anything like them -before--their violet colour, their beautiful shape, cut, as it were, -into hundreds of divisions, like fine honey-comb cells, and studded all -over with most delicate hair. I would give my eight eyes for your two!” - -“Two!” cried Sipsyrup, mightily pleased; “I have three more on the back -of my head.” - -“I would give anything to see them, if they are but equal to the -faceted ones. No creature in the world could boast of such a set! -Might I beg--would you favour me?”-- - -Silly Sipsyrup! foolish bee! not the first, however, nor, I fear, the -last, to be caught by sugary words. Blinded by vanity, forward she -flew--touched the sticky, clammy web--entangled her feet--struggled -to get free--in vain, in vain!--quivered her wings in terrified -efforts--shook the web with all her might--but could not escape. -Her artful foe looked eagerly on, afraid to approach until the poor -bee should have exhausted herself by her struggles. Ah, better for -Sipsyrup had she kept in her hive, had she spent all the day in making -bee-bread, to feed the little larvæ in their cells! - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER IV. - -HOME LESSONS AND HOME TRIALS. - - -Buzz, buzz, buzz!--“There’s a bee in a web!” cried Tom, looking up from -the bowl of porridge which he was eating in the rose-covered porch. - -“Poor thing!” said Minnie, rising from her seat. - -“A precious fright it must be in! what a noise it makes!” cried her -brother. - -“It is not much entangled--I think that I could set it free!”--and -Minnie ran up to the web. - -“And be stung for your pains. Nonsense--leave it alone. It is good fun -to watch it in its struggles.” - -[Illustration: POOR SIPSYRUP IN A SNARE.] - -“It never can be good fun to see any creature in misery,” replied -Minnie; and with the help of a little twig, in a very short time poor -Sipsyrup was released from the web. - -“Poor little bee!” said Minnie, “it has hurt its wing, and some of the -web is still clinging to its legs. I am afraid that it cannot fly.” - -“I hope that it will sting you!” laughed Tom. “Are you going to nurse -and pet it here, and get up an hospital for sick bees?” - -“I think that it must belong to our school-mistress’s hive. I will -carry it there, and put it by the opening, and let its companions take -care of it.” And notwithstanding Tom’s scornful laugh, Minnie bore off -the bee on her finger. - -“You are the most absurd girl that I ever knew,” said he on her return. -“What does it matter to you what becomes of one bee? I should not mind -smothering a whole hive!” - -“Ah, Tom,” said his sister, “when there is so much pain in the world, I -do not think that one would willingly add ever so little to it. And I -have a particular feeling about animals. You know that they were placed -under man, and given to man, and they were all so happy until--until -man sinned; now, innocent as they are, they share his punishment -of pain and of death; and it seems hard that _we_ should make that -punishment more bitter!” - -“Then my tender-hearted sister would never taste mutton, I suppose.” - -[Illustration: MINNIE AND THE BEE.] - -“No; the sheep are given to us for food; but I would make them as happy -as I could while they lived. O Tom, we are commanded in the Bible to be -‘tender-hearted,’ and ‘merciful,’ and surely to be cruel is a grievous -sin!” - -“I wonder that you did not crush the spider that would have eaten up -your bee.” - -“Why should I? She did nothing wrong. It is Nature that has taught her -to live on such food; I would be merciful to spiders as well as to -bees.” - -“You carried off her dinner--she would not thank you for that.” - -“Perhaps I did foolishly,” said Minnie with a smile; “but I cannot see -a creature suffering and not try to help it.” - -“I wish that you saw the green-grocer’s horse with his bones all -starting through his skin, and the marks of the blows on his head. What -would you say to the master of that horse?” - -“Oh, I wish that he would remember that one verse from the Bible, -‘_Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy._’ Without -mercy, what would become of the best--without mercy, we all should be -ruined for ever. And if _only_ the merciful can obtain mercy, oh! what -will become of the cruel?” - -“Pshaw!” cried Tom, not able to dispute the truth of Minnie’s words, -but not choosing to listen to them, for he had too many recollections -of bird-nesting, cockchafer-spinning, and worrying of cats, to make -the subject agreeable. Some find it easier to silence an opponent with -a “pshaw!” than by reason or strength of argument; and this was Tom’s -usual way. He did not wish to continue the conversation, and, perhaps -with a view to change its subject, said in a sudden, abrupt tone, as he -stirred his porridge with his pewter spoon-- - -“You’ve not put a morsel of sugar in my bowl.” - -“Yes, indeed, I put some,” replied Minnie. - -“But you know that I like plenty; I have told you so a thousand times.” - -“But, dear Tom, I have not plenty to give you--we have nearly come to -the end of our little store. And you know,” continued she, lowering her -voice, “that we cannot buy more until we are paid for these shirts.” - -The little girl did not add that for the last three days she had not -tasted any sugar herself. - -“Nonsense!” cried Tom, starting up from his seat, and hastily entering -the cottage. He took down from the shelf a large broken cup, which was -used to contain the store of sugar. Mrs. Wingfield was lying asleep in -the back-room, being laid up with a worse headache than usual. - -Fearing lest her mother should be roused from her sleep, Minnie -followed her brother, her finger on her lip, a look of anxious warning -on her face. But both look and gesture were lost upon Tom, who was -thinking of nothing but himself. - -“Here’s plenty for to-day,” he said in a careless tone, emptying half -the supply into his bowl. - -“But, Tom--our poor mother--she is ill, you know--” - -“Well, I’ve not taken it all.” - -“But we cannot afford--” - -“Don’t torment me!” cried Tom angrily, helping himself to more. - -“Oh, dear Tom,” said the little girl, laying her hand upon his arm. - -“I’ll not stand this nonsense!” exclaimed the boy fiercely; and turning -suddenly round, he flung the rest of the sugar into the dusty road. -“There--that serves you right; that will teach you another time to mind -your own business and leave me alone;” and noisily setting down the -empty cup, the boy sauntered out of the cottage. - -Something seemed to rise in Minnie’s throat; her heart was swelling, -her cheek was flushed with mingled sorrow and indignation. Oh, how much -patience and meekness we require to meet the daily little trials of -life! - -Minnie was roused by her mother’s feeble, fretful voice. “I wish that -you and Tom had a little more feeling for me. You have awoke me with -your noise.” - -“I am sorry that you have been disturbed, dear mother; I’ll try and not -let it happen again. Do you feel better now?” - -“No one feels better for awaking with a start,” returned Mrs. Wingfield -peevishly. “I should not have expected such thoughtlessness from you.” - -Minnie’s eyes were so brimful of tears that she dared not shut them, -lest the drops should run over on her cheek. She knew that her mother -would not like to see her cry, so, turning quietly away, she went to -the small fire to make a little tea for the invalid. - -There was nothing that Mrs. Wingfield enjoyed like a cup of warm tea; -and when Minnie brought one to the side of her bed, with a nice little -piece of dry toast beside it, even the sick woman’s worn face looked -almost cheerful. As soon, however, as she had tasted the tea, she set -down the cup with a displeased air. - -“You’ve forgotten the sugar, child.” - -“Not forgotten, mother, but--but I have none.” - -“More shame to you,” cried Mrs. Wingfield, her pale face flushing with -anger; “I am sure that a good deal was left this morning. You might -have thought of your poor sick mother; she has few enough comforts, I -am sure.” - -Poor Minnie! she left the room with a very heavy heart; she felt for -some minutes as if nothing could cheer her. Angry with her brother, -grieved at her mother’s undeserved reproach, as she again sat down to -work in the little porch, her tears fell fast over her seam. Presently -Conscience, that inward monitor to whose advice the little girl was -accustomed to listen, began to make itself heard. “This is foolish, -this is wrong,--dry up your tears, they can but give pain to your sick -mother. You must patiently bear with the fretfulness of illness, and -not add to its burden by showing that you feel it. You know that you -have not acted selfishly, you need not regret your own conduct in the -affair,--is not that the greatest of comforts? But I know very well,” -still Conscience whispered in her heart, “that you never will feel -quite peaceful and happy till no anger remains towards your brother. A -little sin disturbs peace more than a great deal of sorrow; ask for aid -to put away this sin.” - -Minnie listened to the quiet voice of Conscience, and gradually her -tears stopped and her flushed cheek became cool. She made a hundred -excuses in her mind for poor Tom. He had been always much indulged,--he -would be sorry for what he had done,--how much better he was than other -boys that she knew, who drank, or swore, or stole. And for herself, -what a sin it was to have felt so miserable! How many blessings were -given her to enjoy! She had health, and sight, and fingers able to do -work; and neither she nor her mother had difficulty in procuring it, -the ladies around were so kind. Then there was the church, and the -school, and the Best of Books;--and the world was so beautiful, with -its bright sun and sweet flowers,--there was so much to enjoy, so much -to be thankful for! And Minnie raised her eyes to the blue sky above, -all dotted over with rosy clouds; for it was the hour of sunset, and -she thought of the bright happy place to which her dear father had -gone, and how she might hope to join him there, and never know sorrow -again. What wonder, with such sweet thoughts for her companions, if -Minnie’s face again grew bright, and she worked away in her little -porch with a feeling of peace and grateful love in her breast which a -monarch might have envied. - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER V. - -CONVERSATION IN THE HIVE. - - -Poor Sipsyrup! how sadly she stood at the entrance of the hive, where -her gentle preserver had left her. The fine down, of which she had been -so vain, was all rubbed and injured by her struggles in the web; one of -her elegant wings was torn; she felt that all her beauty was gone! She -had hardly courage to enter the hive, and was ashamed to be seen by the -busy bees flocking in and out of the door. I am not sure that insects -can sigh, or I am certain that she must have sighed very deeply. The -first thing that gave her the least feeling of comfort was the sound -of Silverwing’s friendly hum;--the poor wounded insect exerted her -feeble strength, and crept timidly into the hive. - -“Sipsyrup!--can it be!” cried Honeyball, rousing herself from a nap as -the bee brushed past her. - -“Sipsyrup, looking as though she had been in the wars!” exclaimed -Waxywill, who, in the pride of her heart, had always looked with -contempt on her vain, silly companion. - -“My poor Sipsyrup!” cried Silverwing, hastening towards her. Their -feelers met (that is the way of embracing in Bee-land), the kind bee -said little, but by every friendly act in her power showed her pity and -anxiety to give comfort. - -What pleased Sipsyrup most was the absence of Stickasting, who had not -returned to the hive which she had left an hour before in a passion. - -[Illustration: MINNIE AT THE HIVE.] - -After resting for a little on a half-finished cell, while Silverwing -with her slender tongue gently smoothed her ruffled down, and -brought a drop of honey to refresh her, Sipsyrup felt well enough to -relate her sad story, to which a little group of surrounding bees -listened with no small interest. Sipsyrup left altogether out of her -account the fine compliments paid her by Spinaway, she could not bear -that her vanity should be known; but she gained little by hiding the -truth, as this only made her folly appear more unaccountable. - -“I cannot understand,” said Waxywill, “how any bee in her senses could -fly into a web with her eyes open.” - -“When there was not even a drop of honey to be gained by it,” hummed -Honeyball. - -Sipsyrup hastened to the end of her story, and related how she had been -saved from the spider by the timely help of a kind little girl. - -“May she live upon eglantine all her life,” exclaimed Silverwing with -enthusiasm, “and have her home quite overflowing with honey and -pollen!” - -“This is the strangest part of your adventure,” said Honey ball; “this -is the very first time in my life that I ever heard of kindness shown -to an insect by a human being.” - -“I thought that bees were sometimes fed by them in winter,” suggested -Silverwing. - -“Fed with sugar and water!--fit food for a bee!” cried Honeyball, -roused to indignation upon the only subject that stirred her up to -anything like excitement. “And have you never heard how whole swarms -have been barbarously murdered, smothered in the hive which they had -filled with so much labour, that greedy man might feast upon their -spoils!” - -“If you talk of greediness, Honeyball,” drily observed Waxywill, “I -should say, _Keep your tongue in a sheath._” - -“I am glad that it is not the custom for men to eat bees as well as -their honey,” laughed Silverwing. - -“Oh, they are barbarous to everything, whether they eat it or not,” -exclaimed Waxywill, with an angry buzz. “Have I not seen a poor -butterfly, basking in the sun, glittering in her vest of purple and -gold--ah, Sipsyrup, in your very best day, you were no better than a -blackbeetle compared to her!” - -An hour before, Sipsyrup would have felt ready to sting Waxywill for -such an insolent speech, but the pride of the poor bee was humbled; and -when Waxywill observed her silence and noticed her drooping looks, she -felt secretly ashamed of her provoking words. She continued: “Have -I not seen the butterfly, I say, dancing through the air, as though -life was all sunshine and joy!--I have seen a boy look on her--not to -admire, not to feel pleasure in beholding her beauty, but eager to lay -that beauty in the dust, and seize on his little victim. I have watched -him creeping softly, his hat in his hand, as anxious about his prize, -as if to destroy a poor insect’s happiness was the way to secure his -own. Now the unconscious butterfly rose, high above the reach of her -pursuer, then sank again to earth, to rest upon a flower, whose tints -were less bright than its wings. Down came the hat--there was a shout -from the boy--the butterfly was prisoner at last. If he had caught -it to eat it, as the spider caught Sipsyrup, I could have forgiven -him--for men as well as bees must have food, and I suspect that they do -not live entirely upon honey; but it made me wish for a hundred stings -when I saw the wretched insect lying on the ground, fluttering in the -agonies of death. The boy had barbarously torn off its bright beautiful -wings, and had not even the mercy to put it out of pain by setting his -foot upon it.” - -“It had never injured him,” murmured Silverwing. - -“It had never injured any one--it desired nothing but to be allowed to -spend its short life in peace.” - -“How would the boy have liked to have had his wings torn off,” said -Honeyball, “for the amusement of some creature stronger than himself?” - -“Men and boys are worse than hornets,” muttered Waxywill. - -“But we have found one of human-kind,” hummed Silverwing cheerfully, -“who could be merciful even to a bee. Perhaps in the world there may -be others like her, too noble, too generous to use their strength to -torture and destroy what cannot resist them.” - -Waxywill and Honeyball now took their departure--I fear rather for -their own pleasure than for the benefit of the hive; as Waxywill was -not in a humour to work, and Honeyball was always in a humour to idle. -As soon as they had flown out of reach of hearing, poor Sipsyrup said, -in a very dull tone,-- - -“I wonder what is to become of me now, poor unhappy insect that I am. -I fear that I shall never be able to fly; and to live on here in this -wretched way is almost worse than to be eaten by a spider.” - -“Oh, you should not say so,” replied gentle Silverwing; “you can still -crawl about, and you are safe in your own home.” - -“Safe!--I am miserable! With what pleasure I had thought of joining the -first swarm that should fly off. I am tired of the hive--this noisy, -bustling hive--I have lost everything that I cared for, everything that -made life pleasant--my beauty, my strength, my power of flying; I have -nothing left--” - -“But your duties,” added Silverwing; “make them your pleasures. My dear -friend, if you no more can be pretty, you may still be useful; if you -no more can be admired, you can still be loved. You may not be able to -go far, or to see much; but there are better joys to be found in your -own home.” - -Before the night closed, both the little nurse-bees were busy feeding -the larvæ. - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER VI. - -A STINGING REPROOF. - - -The sunset was still casting a red glow over the earth, throwing the -long shadows of the trees on the ground, and lighting up the cottage -windows, as Polly Bright stood at the door of her cottage, watching for -her mother’s return. - -Mrs. Bright was a hard-working woman, who, during the absence of her -husband, a soldier in the Crimea, earned many an honest shilling as -charwoman in the house of the Squire on the hill. She generally managed -to let Polly have the advantage of attending the school in the morning. -Though herself unable to read, she liked the idea of her daughter -being a scholar; and as plain-work was also taught in the school, she -thought that what Polly acquired there might make her not only more -learned, but more useful. But it was only for attendance in the morning -that the charwoman’s child could be spared from her home. During her -mother’s frequent absence, all the charge of the cottage, and care of -the children, belonged of course to Polly Bright. - -I cannot say that the little parlour could compare in neatness with -that of Mrs. Wingfield. There was a chest of drawers in one of the -corners, and on it was heaped a strange medley of things. Tea-pot and -broken jug, old shawl and a baby’s rattle, nutmeg-scraper, bellows, -saucepan and books, were piled in sad confusion. Nor would I have -advised you to have attempted to open one of the drawers. They were -sometimes too full to be opened at all, and stuck tight against every -effort, as if aware that they were not fit to be seen. Polly was too -fond of adorning herself to care for adorning her cottage. She was -not aware how far better it looks to be simple, neat, and clean, and -dressed according to our station, than to be decked out with gaudy -finery, and try to ape the appearance of those whom Providence has -placed above us. - -You will remember that we visited this cottage in the third chapter, -and there is little change in the appearance of things there now. The -damp on the floor occasioned by Johnny’s accident has dried up, and so -have the tears of the little boy, who, seated upon a stool near his -sister’s feet, is cramming his mouth with bread and butter, with an -air of great content. But the thin sickly baby is still in his cradle, -still uttering his feeble, unheeded wail, for the poor little creature -is teething hard, and has no other way of expressing his pain. Polly -never notices his heated lips and swelled gums; she is more occupied -with herself this evening than usual, for Mrs. Larkins, the farmer’s -wife, has invited her to tea, and as soon as her mother returns to -take her place, she will be off to amuse herself at Greenhill. Oh yes; -you might be certain that some gay meeting was expected! Look at the -necklace of false coral round her neck, the half-soiled lace which -she has sewn round her frock, and her hair all in papers at this hour -of the day; you would laugh were you to see her, but to me the sight -of her folly is really too sad for laughing. Of what is she thinking -as she quickly untwists the papers, and curls her long hair round her -fingers? Her thoughts are divided between impatience at her mother’s -delay, fears of herself being late for the party, and wishes that the -pedlar would only happen to call at her cottage. - -She had heard that day, from one of her school-fellows, that a man had -been going about the neighbourhood with a pack so full of beautiful -things, that such a collection had never before been seen in the -village. Polly had been particularly tempted by the description of -some brooches made of false diamonds, and exactly like real ones, as -the girl, who had never seen a jewel in her life, very positively -affirmed. One of these fine brooches was to be had for sixpence--how -eager was Polly to be its possessor! She counted over her little -treasure of pence, and found that she had sufficient for the purchase. - -But how was she to find the pedlar? Had Polly not been tied to the -cottage by what she called “these tiresome children,” she would long -ago have gone in search of him. She could hardly expect him to pass -down her little lane, but she was near enough to the high-road to see -if any one passed along it in going through the village. At one time -she had set little Johnny to watch, and more than once her hopes had -been raised as the little fellow shouted aloud, “There’s the man!” But -Polly came running first to see a drover with pigs, then the baker -with his little cart going his rounds;--she had a disappointment, poor -Johnny a slap, and he was sent crying into the cottage. This was rather -hard upon him, poor little fellow. How could a child, not three years -old, be expected to know the difference between a pedlar and a baker? - -But all was quiet again in the cottage, Johnny occupied with his -supper, and Polly with her curl-papers, when in through the open door -who should make her entrance but Stickasting. She came in, as usual, -in no amiable mood, quite ready to take offence on the very shortest -notice. She first settled on the little baby’s arm; but the infant lay -perfectly still, half-comforted in his troubles by sucking his thumb: -the most passionate bee in the world could find no excuse for being -angry with him. Stickasting rested for a few moments on the thin, tiny -arm, then rose and approached Polly Bright. - -Every sensible person knows that when a bee or a wasp hovers near, -the safest way is to keep quiet and take no notice; but Polly was not -a very sensible person, and being not very courageous either, was -quite frightened when the insect touched her face. If Stickasting -had mistaken it for a flower, she would very soon have found out her -blunder, and left the little girl in peace; but, starting back with a -cry, Polly struck the bee, and Stickasting, roused to fury, quickly -returned the blow. Mad with passion, the insect struck her sting so -deep, that it was impossible to withdraw it again, and she left it -behind, which occasions certain death to a bee. - -Stickasting felt at once that she had thrown away her life in a wild -desire for revenge; that her destruction was caused by her own violent -act--she crawled feebly a few inches from the spot where she fell, and -expired--a victim to her temper. - -Loud was the scream which Polly Bright uttered on being stung; so loud -that it brought, from the opposite cottage, both Minnie Wingfield -and her brother. On finding out the cause of Polly’s distress, Minnie -hastily ran back for the blue-bag, or a little honey, to relieve the -pain of her school-fellow. But Tom, who had very little pity in his -nature, stood shaking with laughter at the adventure. - -[Illustration: POOR STICKASTING.] - -“Stung by a bee!--stung on the very tip of the nose!--what a beauty you -will look at Greenhill to-night!--ha! ha! ha!--if you could only see -how funny you look, your hair half in curl-papers, and half hanging -down, and your eyes as red with crying as the coral round your neck! -You are for all the world like silly Sally!” - -[Illustration: TOM LAUGHING AT POLLY.] - -“It does not show much, does it?” said poor Polly anxiously, as Minnie -returned with the blue-bag. - -“It is swelling!” cried Tom--“swelling higher and higher!--’twill be -just like the turkey-cock’s comb!” - -“Then I can’t go to-night!--I will not go!” exclaimed Polly, sitting -down and bursting into tears. - -Tom laughed louder, Minnie in vain tried to comfort,--all Polly’s -happiness was for the time overthrown by a bee! It rested but on -trifles, and a trifle was enough to make her wretched for the rest of -that day. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER VII. - -A WONDERFUL BORE. - - -The sun set, the rooks in the squire’s park had gone to roost, the bats -flew round the ivy-covered tower of the village church. The hive was -becoming quiet and still, the bees hanging in clusters prepared to go -to sleep; but Stickasting had never returned. Silverwing listened in -vain for the well-known sound of her angry hum, and wondered what could -have delayed her companion. But never again was the poor bee to fly -back to the hive, never again to labour at the waxen cells; and, alas! -how little was her presence missed--still less was it regretted. - -The next morning was warm, bright, and sunny, the bees were early on -the wing. The larvæ were beginning to spin their webs, and therefore no -longer required food; so Silverwing was free to range over the fields, -and gather honey for the hive. So tempting was the day, that even -Honeyball shook her lazy wings and crept to the door; there stood for -a few moments, jostled by her more active fellow-servants, and finally -flew off in quest of food. - -How delightful was the air!--how fragrant the breeze! The buttercups -spread their carpet of gold, and the daisies their mantle of silver -over the meadows, all glittering with the drops of bright dew. -Honeyball soon found a flower to her taste, and never thought of -quitting it till she had exhausted all its honied store. She had a dim -idea that it was her duty to help to fill the cells, but poor Honeyball -was too apt to prefer pleasure to duty. - -“I should like to have nothing to do,” she murmured, little thinking -that a listener was near. - -“Like to have nothing to do! Is it from a hive-bee that I hear such -words?--from one whose labour is itself all play?” - -Honeyball turned to view the speaker, and beheld on a sign-post near -her the most beautiful bee that she had ever seen. Her body was larger -than that of a hive-bee, and her wings were of a lovely violet colour, -like the softest tint of the rainbow.[A] - -Honeyball felt a little confused by the address, and a little ashamed -of her own speech; but as all bees consider each other as cousins, felt -it best to put on a frank, easy air. - -“Why, certainly, flying about upon a morning like this, and making -_elegant extracts_ from flowers, is pleasant enough for a time. But may -I ask, lady-bee,” continued Honeyball, “if you think as lightly of -working in wax?” - -“Working in wax!” half contemptuously replied Violetta; “a soft thing -which you can bend and twist any way, and knead into any shape that you -choose. Come and look at my home here, and then ask yourself if you -have any reason to complain of your work.” - -Honeyball looked forward with her two honey-combed eyes, and upwards -and backwards with her three others, but not the shadow of a hive could -she perceive anywhere. “May I venture to ask where you live?” said she -at last. - -“This way,” cried Violetta, waving her feeler, and pointing to a little -round hole in the post, which Honeyball had not noticed before. It -looked gloomy, and dark, and strange to the bee; but Violetta, who took -some pride in her mansion, requested Honeyball to step in. - -“You cannot doubt my honour,” said she, observing that the hive-worker -hesitated, “or be suspicious of a cousin?” - -Honeyball assured her that she had never dreamed of such a thing, and -entered the hole in the post. - -For about an inch the way sloped gently downwards, then suddenly became -straight as a well, so dark and so deep, that Honeyball would have -never attempted to reach the bottom, had she not feared to offend her -new acquaintance. She had some hopes that this perpendicular passage -might only be a long entrance leading to some cheerful hive; but after -having explored to the very end, and having found nothing but wood to -reward her search, she crept again up the steep narrow way, and with -joy found herself once more in the sunshine. - -“What do you think of it?” said Violetta, rather proudly. - -“I--I do not think that your hive would hold many bees. Is it perfectly -finished, may I inquire?” - -“No; I have yet to divide it into chambers for my children, each -chamber filled with a mixture of pollen and honey, and divided from the -next by a ceiling of sawdust. But the boring was finished to-day.” - -“You do not mean to say,” exclaimed Honeyball in surprise, “that that -long gallery was ever bored by bees!” - -“Not by _bees_,” replied Violetta, with a dignified bow, “but by one -bee. I bored it all myself.” - -The indolent Honeyball could not conceal her amazement. “Is it possible -that you sawed it all out with your teeth?” - -“Every inch of the depth,” Violetta replied. - -“And that you can gather honey and pollen enough to fill it?” - -“I must provide for my children, or they would starve.” - -“And you can make ceilings of such a thing as sawdust to divide your -home into cells?” - -“This is perhaps the hardest part of my task, but nevertheless this -must be done.” - -“Where will you find sawdust for this carpenter’s work?” - -“See yonder little heap; I have gathered it together. Those are my -cuttings from my tunnel in the wood.” - -“You are without doubt a most wonderful bee. And you really labour all -alone?” - -“All alone,” replied Violetta. - -Honeyball thought of her own cheerful hive, with its thousands of -workers and divisions of labour, and waxen cells dropping with golden -honey. She scarcely could believe her own five eyes when she saw what -one persevering insect could do. Her surprise and her praise pleased -the violet-bee, who took pride in showing every part of her work, -describing her difficulties, and explaining her manner of working. - -“One thing strikes me,” said Honeyball, glancing down the tunnel; “I -should not much like to have the place of your eldest larva, imprisoned -down there in the lowest cell, unable to stir till all her sisters have -eaten their way into daylight.” - -Violetta gave what in Bee-land is considered a smile. “I have thought -of that difficulty, and of a remedy too. I am about to bore a little -hole at the end of my tunnel, to give the young bee a way of escape -from its prison. And now,” added Violetta, “I will detain you no -longer, so much remains to be done, and time is so precious. You -probably have something to collect for your hive. I am too much your -friend to wish you to be idle.” - -Honeyball thanked her new acquaintance and flew away, somewhat the -wiser for her visit, but feeling that not for ten pairs of purple wings -would she change places with the carpenter-bee. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER VIII. - -A CHASE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. - - -“There’s the pedlar! Oh dear! and just as mother has gone out!” cried -Polly, who on beginning her afternoon business of nurse to the little -children, saw, or thought that she saw, at the end of her lane, a man -with a pack travelling along the high-road. “There he is. Oh, if I -could only stop him, or if any one would look after the baby whilst I -am gone! Minnie Wingfield! Ah, how stupid I am to forget that she is -now at the afternoon school! I think that baby would keep very quiet -for five minutes; he cannot roll out of his cradle. But Johnny, he’d be -tumbling down, or setting the cottage on fire; I cannot leave him for -a minute by himself.--Johnny,” said she suddenly, “I want to catch the -pedlar and see his pretty things; will you come with me, like a good -little boy?” - -Johnny scrambled to his feet in a moment, to the full as eager as -herself. Polly held his fat little hand tight within her own, and began -running as fast as she could drag him along. But the poor child’s round -heavy figure and short steps were altogether unsuited for anything like -a race. Polly felt him as a dead weight hanging to her arm. In vain she -pulled, dragged, and jerked, now began to encourage, and now to scold; -poor Johnny became tired, frightened, and out of breath, and at last -fairly tumbled upon his face. - -“Get up--I’m in such a hurry!”--no answer but a roar. “Stupid child! -he’ll be gone!”--Johnny bellowed louder than before. “There, I’ll -leave you on the road, you great tiresome boy; you have half pulled out -my arm with dragging you on. I’ll leave you there, and silly Sally may -get you.” - -Then, without heeding the poor little child’s cries and entreaties that -she would stop, as he lay on the ground, half suffocated with sobs, -Polly Bright, thinking only of the prize which her vanity made her so -much desire, hastened after the pedlar. - -[Illustration: POOR SALLY.] - -Silly Sally, who has been twice mentioned in my tale, was a poor -idiot-woman who lived with some kind neighbours on a common about two -miles from the village. She was perfectly harmless, and therefore -allowed to go about with freedom wherever she chose; but the terrible -misfortune, alas! exposed her to the scorn and sometimes even -persecution of wicked children, who made the worst use of the senses -left them, by tormenting one already so much afflicted. Poor Sally used -to wander about the lanes, uttering her unmeaning sound. Perhaps even -she had some pleasure in life, when the sun shone brightly and the -flowers were out, for she would gather the wild roses from the bank, or -the scarlet poppies from the field, and weave them into garlands for -her head. Nothing pleased her more than when she found a long feather -to add to her gaudy wreath. If the poor witless creature had delight -in making herself gay, Polly at least had no right to laugh at her. - -Timid and easily frightened, the idiot felt a nervous terror for -schoolboys, for which they had given her but too much cause. She had -been hooted at, even pelted with mud, pursued with laughter like a -hunted beast. Twice had Minnie to interfere with her brother, pleading -even with tears for one so helpless and unhappy. If there be anything -more brutal and hateful than cruelty to a harmless animal, it is -heartless barbarity to a defenceless idiot--to one who bears our image, -is descended from our race, and whose only crime is the being most -unfortunate. Deal gently, dear children, with the poor senseless idiot; -we trust that there is a place in heaven even for him. The powers -denied him in this world may be granted in the next; and in a brighter -realm, although never here below, he may be found at his Lord’s feet, -_clothed and in his right mind_. - -On hastened the little girl, breathless and panting. At the place -where the roads joined she looked anxiously up the highway, to see if -she had not been mistaken in her distant view of the traveller. No; -there was the pedlar, pack and all, and no mistake, but walking more -briskly than might have been expected from his burden and the warmth of -the afternoon. His pack must have been much lightened since he first -set out with it. - -Polly called out; but he either did not hear, or did not attend. The -wind was blowing the dust in her face, she was tired with her vain -attempts to drag poor Johnny, her shoes were down at heel and hindered -her running; for it by no means follows that those who wish to be fine -care to be tidy also. But the brooch of false diamonds--the coveted -brooch--the thought of that urged her on to still greater efforts; even -the remembrance of her swelled nose was lost in the hope of possessing -such a beautiful ornament. Polly, as she shuffled hastily along, saw -more than one person meet the pedlar. If they would but stop him--if -only for one minute--to give her time to get up with him at last. No -one stopped him--how fast he seemed to walk! Polly’s face was flushed -and heated, her hair hung about her ears--would that we were as eager -and persevering in the pursuit of what really is precious, as the girl -was in that of a worthless toy! - -At last her gasped-out “Stop!” reached the ear of the pedlar. He -paused and turned round, and in a few minutes more his pack was opened -to the admiring eyes of Polly. Ah, how she coveted this thing and -that! how she wished that her six pennies were shillings instead! A -cherry-coloured neckerchief, a pink silk lace, a large steel pin, -and a jewelled ring,--how they took her fancy, and made her feel how -difficult it is to decide when surrounded by many things alike tempting! - -[Illustration: POLLY AND THE PEDLAR.] - -But at last the wonderful brooch of false diamonds was produced. -There was only one left in the pedlar’s stock. How fortunate did Polly -think it that it also had not been sold! Neckerchief, lace, pin, or -ring was nothing compared to this. She tried it on, had some doubts of -the strength of the pin, tried in vain to obtain a lessening of the -price. It ended in the girl’s placing all her pence in the hand of the -pedlar, and carrying home her prize with delight. She had had her wish. -Her vanity was gratified--the brooch was her own; but to possess is not -always to enjoy. - -Polly returned to her cottage with much slower steps; she was heated, -and tired, and perhaps a little conscious that she had not been -faithful to her trust. As she came near her home she quickened her -pace, for to her surprise she heard voices within, and voices whose -tones told of anxiety and fear. These were the words which struck her -ear, and made her pause ere she ventured to enter,-- - -“What a mercy it is that I returned for the basket that I had -forgotten! If I had not, what would have become of my poor babe!” -exclaimed Mrs. Bright in much agitation. - -“I can’t understand how it happened,” replied another voice, which -Polly knew to be that of Mrs. Wingfield. - -“You may well say that,” said the mother. Polly could hear that she -was rocking her chair backwards and forwards, as she sometimes did -when hushing the sick child to sleep. “I left Polly in charge of the -children: I came back to find her gone, and my poor, poor baby in a -fit.” - -Polly turned cold, and trembled so that she could hardly stand. - -“Is there no one who could go for a doctor?” continued the agitated -mother; “another fit may come on--I would give the world to see him!” - -“I am so feeble,” replied Mrs. Wingfield, “that I am afraid--” - -“Take the baby, then, and I’ll go myself; not a moment is to be lost.” - -“No, no; there’s my boy Tom,” cried Mrs. Wingfield, as she saw her son -run hastily into her little cottage, which was just opposite to Mrs. -Bright’s. - -“Oh, send him, in mercy send him!” cried the mother; and her neighbour -instantly crossed over to fulfil her wishes, passing Polly as she did -so, and looking at her with mingled surprise and scorn, though in too -much haste to address her. - -“My boy, my own darling!” murmured the anxious mother, pressing her -sick child to her bosom, “what will your father say when he hears of -this?” Except her low, sad voice, the cottage was so still that the -very silence was terrible to Polly; it would have been a relief to have -heard the feeble, fretful wail which had made her feel impatient so -often. - -With pale, anxious face and noiseless step, dreading to meet her -mother’s eye, the unhappy girl stole into the cottage. There sat Mrs. -Bright, her bonnet thrown back from her head, her hair hanging loose, -her gaze fixed upon the child in her arms; whilst the poor little -babe, with livid waxen features and half-closed eyes, lay so quiet, -and looked so terribly ill, that but for his hard breathing his sister -would have feared that his life had indeed passed away. - -Mrs. Bright raised her head as Polly entered, and regarded her with -a look whose expression of deep grief was even more terrible than -anger. She asked no question; perhaps the misery in which she saw the -poor girl made her unwilling to add to her suffering by reproach; or -perhaps, and this was Polly’s own bitter thought, she considered her -unworthy of a word. Whatever was the cause, no conversation passed -between them, except a few short directions from the mother about -things connected with the comfort of the baby, as poor Polly, with an -almost bursting heart, tried to do anything and everything for him. - -[Illustration: POLLY IN DISGRACE.] - -In the meantime Tom had gone for the doctor, though with an -unwillingness and desire to delay which had made his mother both -surprised and indignant. - -“He should go by the fields,” he said, though he well knew that to -be the longest way; and he would have done so, had not Mrs. Wingfield -roused herself to such anger, that even her rude and undutiful son did -not dare to disobey her. - -The doctor came in about an hour, Tom having happily found him at home, -and, with an anxiety which those who have attended beloved ones in the -hour of sickness only can tell, Mrs. Bright and Polly listened for his -opinion of the case. The doctor examined the child, and asked questions -concerning his illness: “How long had the fit lasted?” There was a -most painful pause. Mrs. Bright looked at her daughter. Polly could -not utter a word; it was not till the question was repeated that the -distressing reply, “No one knows,” was given. - -“Was the child long ailing?” - -“How was he when you left him?” said Mrs. Bright to the miserable -Polly. - -“Very well--that’s to say--I don’t exactly--he was--I think--” - -“There has been gross negligence here,” said the doctor sternly; “gross -negligence,” he repeated, “and it may cost the child his life.” - -Polly could only clasp her hands in anguish; but the mother exclaimed, -“Oh, sir, is there no hope for my boy?” - -“While there is life there is hope,” replied the doctor in a more -kindly tone; “he must be bled at once. Have you a basin here?” he -added, taking a small instrument-case from his pocket. - -Polly was at all times timid and nervous, and quite unaccustomed to -self-command, and now, when she would have given worlds to have been -useful, her hand shook so violently, her feelings so overcame her, that -there was no chance of her doing anything but harm. - -“Give the basin to me, dear,” said a gentle voice behind her; Minnie -Wingfield had just entered the cottage. “You look so ill, you must not -be present. Go up-stairs, Polly; I will help your mother.” - -“Oh, what shall I do?” cried the miserable girl, wringing her hands. - -“Go and pray,” whispered Minnie as she glided from her side; and Polly, -trembling and weeping, slowly went up the narrow wooden staircase, and -entering her little chamber, sank down upon her knees. - -“Oh, spare him, only spare him, my darling little brother!” she could -at first utter no other words. She had never loved the baby as she did -now, when she feared that she might be about to lose him, and bitterly -she lamented her own impatient temper that had made her weary of the -duty of tending him. Oh, that we would so act towards our relations, -that if death should remove any one from our home, our grief should -not be embittered by the thought, “I was no comfort or blessing to him -while he was here, and now the opportunity of being so is gone for -ever!” - -But the most terrible thought to Polly was, that the baby’s danger -might be partly owing to her neglect. Should he die--should the little -darling be taken away--could her mother ever forgive her? As Polly -sobbed in an agony of grief, something fell from her bosom upon the -floor; she started at the sight of her forgotten brooch, that which -she had coveted so much, that which had cost her so dear. Snatching it -up, and springing to her feet, with a sudden impulse she ran to the -window, and flung it far out into the lane. Then once more falling on -her knees, again she prayed, but more calmly, and she implored not only -that the baby might live, but that her own weak, vain heart might be -cleansed, that she might henceforth live not only for herself, but do -her duty as a faithful servant of God. She rose somewhat comforted, and -creeping down-stairs, listened ere she ventured to enter the little -parlour. - -“I hope that he may do well now. I shall send something for him -to-night. Keep him quiet. I shall call here to-morrow.” These were -the doctor’s parting words, and they were a great relief to Polly. -She came in softly, and bent down by the baby, now laid again in his -little cradle, and looking white as the sheet that was over him; she -would have kissed his thin, pale face, but she feared to disturb the -poor child. Her heart was full of mingled sorrow and love; she felt as -though she could never bear to leave him again. - -“Thank you, Minnie, my girl,” said Mrs. Bright earnestly; “you have -been a real comfort to me in my time of need. Your mother is a happy -woman to have such a child.” - -“Can I do anything else for you now?” said Minnie; “if you would allow -me to sit up instead of you to-night?” - -“No, no; I could not close an eye. But I should be glad if you would -bring Johnny home, my dear; it is near his bed-time, and I do not think -that he will disturb the baby.” - -“I will bring him with pleasure; where is he?” said Minnie. - -“Where is he?” repeated Mrs. Bright; “is he not at your home?” - -“No; he has not been there all day.” Polly started as if she had been -stabbed. - -“Then where is he?” cried Mrs. Bright, looking anxiously round. “Is he -up-stairs, Polly?” The miserable girl shook her head. Her fears for the -baby had made her quite forget her little brother, and it now flashed -across her mind that she had not passed him in the lane, when she had -retraced her steps to the cottage. Where could he have gone, where -could he be now? - -Mrs. Bright had endured much, but her cup seemed now to overflow. She -walked close up to Polly, laid a heavy grasp upon her shoulder, and -said, in a tone which the girl remembered to her dying day, “When was -your brother last with you?” - -“About two hours ago, just before you returned home,” faltered Polly. - -“And where did you leave him?” - -“In the lane, near the high-road.” - -“Go and find him,” said the mother, between her clenched teeth, “or -never let me set eyes on you again!” - -Polly rushed out of the cottage, and began her anxious search up and -down the lane, by the hedge, in the ditch, along the road, asking -every person that she met, and from every one receiving the same -disheartening answer. No one had seen the boy, no one could think -what had become of him. He was too young to have wandered far; had he -run towards the road, he must have been met by Polly--if the other -way, he must have been seen by his mother; he could not have got over -the hedge; there was no possibility of his having lost his way. Many -neighbours joined in the search; many pitied the unhappy mother, but -she was less to be pitied than Polly. - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER IX. - -PRISONS AND PRISONERS. - - -We will now return to our little friend, Honeyball, whom we left flying -from the curious dwelling of the carpenter-bee. We will follow her as -she lazily proceeded along the lane in which were situated the cottages -of Mrs. Wingfield and Mrs. Bright, the sweet flowers in the garden of -the former rendering it a favourite resort for bees. This was not long -after noon, and therefore a few hours before all the troubles related -in the last chapter had occurred, while Polly and her two little -charges were yet safe in their own comfortable cottage. - -Honeyball looked at Spinaway busily mending her net, torn by the -adventure of Sipsyrup, and laughed as she thought of the folly of her -companion. Honeyball was not vain enough to be enticed by sugared -words; her dangers arose from quite another source--her greediness and -great self-indulgence. Her eye was now attracted by a little bottle -hung up by the porch, not far from the rosebush; it had been placed -there by Tom to catch wasps. Perhaps he had hoped to entrap some -others of the winged tribes, for he had just taken a fancy to make a -collection of insects, and woe unto any small creature that might fall -into his merciless hands! - -Honeyball alighted on the bottle, then fluttered to the top, allured by -the sugary scent. The brim was sticky; she unsheathed her long bright -tongue, tasted, approved, and then sipped again. At this moment she -heard a buzz near her, and looking up with her back eyes, perceived her -friend Silverwing. - -“Do come from that huge, bright, hard cell,” cried the bee; “I am sure -that it never was formed by any of our tribe, and I do not believe that -it holds honey.” - -“It holds something very good, and in such abundance too,” replied -Honeyball; “a thousand honeysuckles would not contain so much!” - -“There is danger, I am certain that there is danger,” cried Silverwing. -“What if it should have been placed there on purpose to catch us?” - -“You think me as foolish as Sipsyrup!” - -“No, not foolish, but--” - -“Too fond of good living, and too lazy to like trouble in procuring it. -Well, I daresay that you are right, Silverwing; I believe that, as you -say, there may be danger.” - -“Then why not come away?” persisted the bee. - -“Because the taste is so good,” said her companion, bending over the -rim--the next moment she was struggling in the syrup! - -Ah, Honeyball, weak, foolish insect! In vain do you struggle, in -vain do you buzz, in vain your grieved friend flutters against the -glass,--you have sacrificed yourself for a little indulgence, like -thousands who look at the tempting glass, know their danger, yet will -not abstain! - -As Silverwing on the outside of the bottle was uttering her hum of pity -and regret, suddenly a handkerchief was thrown over her, and the loud, -rough voice of Tom was heard. - -“Rather a paltry beginning to my collection, a wretched hive-bee! But -I caught it so cleverly, without its being crushed, or spoiled by the -syrup; and I will keep it till I get that stuff which Ben told me of, -which kills insects without hurting their beauty!” - -Poor unhappy Silverwing! she was indeed in a terrible position. She -had not even power to use her sting in self-defence, for to plunge it -into the handkerchief would have been useless indeed; and she felt -all that a bee might be expected to feel, in the power of its most -cruel foe. Tom carried her into the cottage, and carefully unclosing -the handkerchief, after he had mounted upon a chair to reach the shelf -easily, he shook his poor prisoner into his own mug, and tied some -paper firmly over the top. - -Silverwing flew round and round, buzzing in terror; she only hurt her -wings against the sides. Then she crawled over the paper which formed -the ceiling of her prison; but no hole for escape could she find. It -was clear that she was now shut out from all hope, condemned perhaps -to some lingering death. While her companions were flying about, busy -and happy, she was to pine, a lonely prisoner, here. At first her -feelings were those of despair; then, quietly, though sadly, she made -up her mind to submit to her cruel fate. She no longer fluttered about -restlessly, but settling at the bottom of the mug, in patience awaited -the return of her tormentor. - -Hours passed before Tom came back. There had been other voices in the -cottage, but no one had touched the place of Silverwing’s imprisonment. -Mrs. Wingfield had been called out hastily by her neighbour Mrs. -Bright, on the discovery of the illness of the baby; and as Minnie -had not then returned from school, the cottage was left quite empty. -Presently there was a rapid step, then the sound of some one jumping up -on the chair. Silverwing felt the mug moved, then the paper raised; she -was ready to make a last effort to escape through the opening; but her -little tyrant took good care to give no time for that; he only shook in -another victim, and then shut down the paper quickly, and placed a book -on the top. - -Silverwing paid no attention to what was passing in the cottage round -her, though I may as well remind the reader of what passed in the -last chapter,--how Tom had scarcely got down from the chair before -his mother came in and ordered him to go off for the doctor, as Mrs. -Bright’s baby was very ill indeed; how Tom hesitated, and said that he -would go by the fields, and then was sent off direct by his mother in -much displeasure. To all this, as I said, Silverwing paid no attention; -her little world was contained in the mug, and all her interest was -aroused by her fellow-prisoner. Poor Violetta, with her fine purple -wings, was the prey of the collector of insects! He had not cared to -explore her curious home, to learn her customs and ways, or admire her -instinct; he only wished to have the dead body of an insect that he -thought curious, and had no scruple about destroying it to gratify this -wish. - -Violetta was not so patient as poor Silverwing had been. She dashed -herself against the mug in passionate distress; she would listen to -no words of comfort! Then she vainly tried to exercise her wonderful -powers of gnawing. From a wooden box she perhaps might have worked -her way to freedom, but the hard slippery crockery resisted her utmost -efforts; her poor little teeth could not even make an impression! -Exhausted at last, she remained quite still, and Silverwing, forgetful -of her own distress, began to attempt to soothe her companion. - -Thus they remained till the evening without food, almost without hope. -Mrs. Wingfield had gone to attempt to comfort her neighbour, nearly -wild at the loss of her Johnny; and now Minnie and Tom both entered the -cottage together. Their conversation had no interest for the bees, in -their mug; but as it is possible that it may have some for my reader, I -shall proceed to give some account of it in the following chapter. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER X. - -A CONFESSION. - - -“Oh, Tom,” said Minnie, “is not this a terrible misfortune that has -happened to poor Mrs. Bright?” - -Tom gave a sort of grunt of assent. - -“And the baby so ill! Mother doubts if he will live over the night! I -am glad that you found the doctor so soon. But what can have become -of dear little Johnny? The Barnes and the Smiths have been all on the -search; they say that if the wind had not been blowing the dust so -much along the lane, the little fellow might have been tracked by his -footsteps. No one can imagine where he can have gone,--he is so very -young,--so unable to wander far. Poor Polly! I am so sorry for her!” - -“I wish that you would not be talking for ever about Johnny!” exclaimed -Tom in a petulant tone. - -“How can one think or talk of anything else?” replied Minnie sadly,--“I -did so love that noble boy!” - -“Have done with it!” cried her brother, more angrily than before. - -Minnie looked at him with pain, and then said in a low tone, “I thought -that you had even joined in the search.” - -“I have joined,--I would give anything to find him!” exclaimed Tom, -striking his hand on the table as he spoke, with such passionate energy -that he almost startled his sister. - -“Did you see nothing of the dear child,” said Minnie, as a thought -suddenly occurred to her, “when you came to our cottage,--just before -you went for the doctor, you know?” - -“Didn’t I tell you that I wanted to hear no more about the matter!” -cried Tom, his whole face becoming the colour of crimson. - -Minnie’s eyes were fixed upon him, steadily, earnestly; rude, bold -boy as he was, he shrank from her piercing gaze. Going nearer to her -brother, and speaking very distinctly, but in a voice hardly above a -whisper, she said, “I believe that you know more about Johnny than you -will tell.” - -“Believe what you like, and let me alone.” - -“Tom, I implore you, hide nothing from us. Oh, think of the misery of -the poor broken-hearted mother!” and she laid her hand upon his arm. - -“Speak another word and I’ll strike you!” cried Tom, roughly shaking -her off. - -“Strike me if you will, but I _must_ speak. Where did you see that -child last?” - -“You can get nothing out of me,” growled Tom. - -“Then I must call those who can,” said Minnie firmly, turning round -as if to quit the cottage. “This is a matter of life or death.” She -looked pale, but very determined. - -“Whom are you going to call?” said Tom, his manner betraying some fear. - -“My mother--if necessary, the clergyman--or--the magistrate!” - -Tom caught her by the arm as he exclaimed, “Stop, Minnie, oh, -stop,--you shall hear all and judge! I don’t know where the boy is,--I -would give my right hand that I did. It is true that I saw him last, -and I have searched all the place again and again. You would not betray -me--you would not, Minnie?--you might ruin me, but could not help -Johnny. Sit down here, and listen to me quietly, and you shall know -everything that has happened!” - -Minnie sat down beside him, her heart beating fast. He gave her a short -but true account of what had passed, omitting, however, some little -particulars which we shall relate more at length. - -You will remember that we left poor Johnny crying in the lane, vainly -trying to call back his sister, as she hurried in pursuit of the -pedlar. When the child found his terrors unheeded, his loud roar -gradually sank into a low broken sob, he scrambled to his feet, rubbed -his plump dusty hand across his eyes to brush away the tears, and began -to think of trotting back to the cottage. - -Just as the little fellow was commencing his journey, he heard a voice -call him from the other side of the hedge which bordered the narrow -lane. At first, fancying that it might be silly Sally, with whom he -had been threatened, Johnny was inclined to run the faster for the -call; but he soon knew Tom, when he saw him clambering over and holding -something in his hand. - -“Here’s something for you, my jolly little man!” cried Tom, who amused -himself sometimes by playing with, but more often by teasing, his -little rosy-cheeked neighbour. - -“What got?” asked the child, as Tom jumped down beside him. Johnny was -always sparing of his words. - -[Illustration: A NEST OF LITTLE BIRDS.] - -“A nest of little birds that was swinging on a bough. I knocked off the -nest, and down came the birds!” - -“All dead!” said Johnny sadly. - -[Illustration: TOM TEASING JOHNNY] - -“Why, yes; you see they had some way to fall. The little things broke -their necks, so there was an end of them.” - -“Poor ’ittle birds! knocked off tree!” said the pitying child. Tom was -provoked at seeing the pity. - -“What a silly little goose you are, Johnny! It was fine fun to set nest -and all a-flying, and finish the whole family at once!” - -But whatever might be the opinion of Tom, the plump little cottager -kept to his own, and only more sadly repeated the words, “Poor ’ittle -birds! knocked off tree!” - -“Oh, if you’ve such a fancy for swinging on a tree, we’ll have you -up directly, and make an ‘’ittle bird of you!’” And laughing at the -struggles and entreaties of the child, Tom suddenly lifted him over -the hedge, and followed him into the field, flinging the wretched dead -birds into a ditch. - -In vain Johnny kicked and pushed and roared; Tom was a remarkably tall -and strong boy, and catching the poor child up in his arms, he ran -with him across the field. There was another hedge at the opposite -side, which Tom passed as easily as he had done the first, and they now -found themselves at the edge of a wood, thickly filled with trees of -various sizes. - -It was a delight to Tom to cause terror and alarm; no feeling of pity -with him ever cut short a joke. In a few moments poor Johnny was -perched upon a branch, clinging and roaring with all his might. - -“There, ‘’ittle bird,’ I hope that you like your bough. Shall I shake -it an _’ittle_, just to give you a nice swing? Hold tight, mind you -don’t fall, or you’ll break your fat neck as the _’ittle_ birds did!” -Then he began to sing-- - - “Hushaby, baby, on the tree-top, - When the wind blows the cradle will rock; - When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, - Down comes poor baby, cradle and all!” - -How long Tom might have gone on tormenting the child no one can tell, -if suddenly he had not been struck by the appearance of a curious bee, -which had alighted for a moment upon a wild flower near. - -“Oh, what a splendid bee!” he cried, leaving hold of the branch to -which Johnny still clung. “Sit you there till I catch it. Isn’t it a -beauty!--I never saw such fine purple wings!” - -My reader has probably guessed that it was poor Violetta whose -fatal beauty had attracted his eye. Johnny and his terrors all were -forgotten, while Tom rushed forward in eager pursuit; the frightened -child stopping his crying to watch the chase, which ended in Tom’s -securing his prize in his handkerchief. - -Impatient to carry it at once to a safe place, afraid of its either -escaping or being crushed in his hold, Tom, whose cottage was so near -that he could reach it in a few minutes, sprang over the hedge, and -ran fast across the field. Thus Johnny was left in a position of some -peril. Not knowing how long the boy’s absence might be, he shouted as -loudly and as vainly after Tom as he before had done after his sister. - -“And did you not return soon?” cried Minnie, as Tom reached this part -of his story. - -“How could I? Mother sent me off directly for the doctor.” - -“Oh, why, why did you not tell her?” - -“Very likely, indeed, that I should tell her that I had left little -Johnny sticking in a tree? I could only hope that he would stick there -until I could get back. I returned at full speed from the doctor’s, I -can assure you; but when I reached the wood not a trace of the little -fellow could I find.” - -“O Tom,” exclaimed Minnie, with a look of horror, “such a terrible -thought has struck me!” - -“I daresay that it has struck me before,” gloomily replied her brother. - - -“Was it, oh! was it far from the well?” - -“If he’s there,” said Tom in a hollow voice, “he’s dead long before -now.” - -“Did you search there?” - -“I looked down, and saw nothing.” - -“Looked down! O Tom, this is worse than mockery! If the waters were -above him--it is so deep--so dark!--” - -“What is to be done?” exclaimed the boy. - -“Some one must go down in the bucket. Oh, there is not a moment to be -lost!” Minnie would have rushed from the cottage, but her brother held -her fast. - -“There is no use in rousing the village _now_!” he cried. “Do you mean -to ruin, to destroy me? Minnie, if you betray me--if it is found that -the child is drowned--people will say that--that,”--and his look of -terror told a great deal more than his words. - -“But you never threw him in--it was only foolish play.” - -“Who can prove that? O Minnie, would you bring me to a jail, or perhaps -to worse?” - -“Then let us go ourselves,” exclaimed the little girl, divided between -anxiety for her brother and fears for the lost child. “I must either go -or send; and if there is danger to you--” - -“We will go--do anything, only in pity be silent! Minnie, Minnie, you -cannot tell how miserable I am!” - -Without pausing another moment, both ran out of the cottage, only -fearful lest they should be seen and detained. Tom helped Minnie over -the low hedge; but she hardly needed help, so eager was she to reach -the well. The rose-tint of sunset had now given place to evening’s -gray, the dew was falling, dark clouds gathered over the sky; but -heeding nothing, pausing for nothing, the Wingfields pressed on, and -were soon standing by the side of the well. - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER XI. - -A SUDDEN FALL - - -“What has become of these two children of mine?” said Mrs. Wingfield -fretfully, as on her return from her neighbour’s she found the cottage -empty. “I’m sure such a day of bustle as I have had--scarce out of one -trouble before I am into another! Well, poor Mrs. Bright is still worse -off, that is one thing. I am glad that the baby has at last dropped -asleep.” - -It grew darker and darker. Mrs. Wingfield became uneasy. She stirred -the fire, filled the kettle, then with a long weary sigh sat down to -rest. She missed Minnie and her quiet attentions. - -“I suppose that they are still out, searching for little Johnny. I fear -that there will be rain. I wish that they were back.” Mrs. Wingfield -fancied that she heard a low knock at the door. - -“Come in,” she said; but no one entered. Mrs. Wingfield drew her chair -nearer to the fire, leaned her head upon her hand, and wished that Tom -and Minnie would not stay out so late. - -Again the same low knock. She called out louder, “Come in,” and the -faint light which came through the doorway was darkened by a figure -which seemed to linger, as if in fear, on the threshold. Then the voice -of poor Polly was heard--“O Mrs. Wingfield, can you tell me how baby -is?” - -“What! Polly, is that you? Come in, my poor child. All cold and wet -with the dew! Why don’t you go home?” - -“I dare not,” said Polly, bursting into tears; “mother forbade me -till Johnny is found. Oh, tell me how baby is. Is he better? will he -live?”--she could hardly speak through her sobs. - -“Yes, he is better; that is to say, he is asleep.” - -“Not _dead_!” exclaimed Polly, alarmed at the word. - -“Dead! no, child. Why, how you tremble! Come to the fire; I’ll get you -a little tea and toast.” - -“I could not eat, it would choke me! Oh, that I had never left the -children--that I had done my duty as Minnie would have done! She--she -has been a comfort in her home--but I--” - -“Come, come,” said Mrs. Wingfield in a soothing tone, “don’t go -breaking your heart in this way; all may come right at last. Would not -you like to see the baby?” - -“Oh, if I might only sit up with him all night! But I may not return -without Johnny.” - -“Your mother never meant that. Come, I’ll take you to her myself. When -she sees how you feel all this, I am sure that she will forgive you.” - -Mrs. Wingfield was a kind-hearted woman, and taking Polly’s trembling -hand within her own, she crossed over the lane to Mrs. Bright’s. Polly -shrank back as they reached the door. - -“Oh, say, do you bring me news of my child?” cried the poor anxious -woman from within. - -“Not of Johnny, yet still of your child. There is one here who is -afraid to come in. Poor thing, she has almost cried herself to death.” - -“Polly,” murmured the mother, and stretched out her arms. In another -moment the poor girl was sobbing upon her bosom. - -Amidst the troubles of our human friends we must not quite forget those -of our little winged ones. The frightened hungry bees, confined in -their small prison, passed the long hours in most uncomfortable plight. - -“What a bitter thing it is,” cried Violetta, sinking exhausted after a -last effort to gnaw through the unyielding crockery, “to think of all -the joy and happiness left in the world, from which we are shut out for -ever. To-morrow the lark will be rising on high, the butterfly flitting -over the daisied meadow, your comrades feasting in the dewy flowers, -all Nature one hum of life!” - -“I am glad that they can enjoy still, there is some comfort in that,” -said Silverwing. - -“That is a feeling which I cannot understand,” observed Violetta. -“It is strange that the very same thought should give pain to me and -pleasure to you!” - -Violetta had had no great experience of life, or she would have known -that such is often the case. Living by herself as a solitary insect, -she had never heard one of the mottoes of Bee-land: _From the blossom -of a comrade’s success one draws the poison of envy, another the honey -of delight._ - -The village church-clock had struck the hour of nine; it was seldom -that its sound could be heard in the cottage of Mrs. Wingfield, but -now the place was so still that the breeze bore it distinctly to her -listening ear. Weary, she lay on her bed, unwilling to sleep till her -children should return. The rain was beginning to fall without; the -heavy clouds bending towards earth, made the night much darker than is -usual in summer. Presently a sound was heard at the door. - -“Minnie, is that you?” cried the mother. - -“It is Polly,” answered a mournful voice, as the little girl entered -the cottage. - -“Is the baby worse?” asked Mrs. Wingfield. - -“I hope not; but mother is in such a state about Johnny. If it were not -for baby, she would be wandering all night in the rain. I come to ask -if you could kindly give her a little hartshorn--I know that that is -what you take when you are poorly.” - -“You are heartily welcome to what I have,” replied the cottager; “I -daresay that you can find it yourself--I need not rise. Snuff the long -wick of the candle, and there--don’t put it in the draught--mind you -don’t snuff it out--why, how your poor fingers tremble!” - -How changed was Polly since the morning’s sun had risen! Her cheeks -pale and haggard, her eyes swollen with weeping, her dress hanging damp -around her chill form; who would have guessed that she ever could have -been the gayest girl in the village. - -“You will find the bottle on the shelf; you can reach it with a chair,” -continued Mrs. Wingfield, raising herself on one arm to watch the -proceedings of the girl. “There, do you not see, just behind that -mug! Why, what have you done?” she cried in a tone of impatience, as -something came crashing upon the floor. - -What had she done indeed. She had thrown down Tom’s mug, and set two -little prisoners free. Yes, they were free, free as the air which -they now joyously beat with their little wings! Uttering a loud hum of -delight, they flew round the cottage, darted to the door, then drew -back, afraid of the damp, and at last both settled sociably under the -table, to enjoy together a nice crumb of sugar that Tom had dropped on -the floor. - -[Illustration: AT LIBERTY.] - -Oh, if liberty be so sweet, so precious to all, who would deprive even -an insect of its birthright! Let them spread the free wing, unconfined -and happy, and let us find our pleasure rather in seeing them in the -position for which Providence formed and designed them, than in keeping -them as captives, the slaves to our will, deprived of their life’s -dearest blessing! - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER XII. - -AN UNPLEASANT JOURNEY. - - -Minnie and her brother stood at the brink of the well, and gazed with -straining eyes into its depths. - -“Which of us should go down?” said Minnie. - -“You need not have asked such a question; you know that you are not -strong enough to draw me up; and I doubt,” added Tom, passing his hand -along the rope--“I doubt if this is strong enough to bear me.” - -Minnie drew one step backwards. “If it should break with me!” she -murmured. - -“You should have thought of that before,” was Tom’s only reply. - -“Tom, at all risks I must go--I could not sleep to-night with this -horrible doubt on my mind, and you will not let me call others to help. -I trust that the Almighty will take care of me, for my only hope is in -Him. Help me to get into the bucket; and, oh! be very careful, dear -Tom--you do not know how much frightened I am.” - -“Hold the rope firmly,” said her brother; “and here, take this long -stick to feel about in the water when you are down.” Tom was extremely -anxious to have his own mind relieved, or, heartless as he was, he -could hardly have consented to let his young sister run this risk. But -there was nothing that the selfish boy dreaded so much as that his -share in Johnny’s wanderings should be known, if his fearful suspicion -were true, and the poor child had indeed perished through his folly. - -Minnie shook with terror as the bucket began to descend; every moment -she fancied the rope giving way, and that she should be plunged into -the water below. The strange damp smell, the dim light, the peculiar -sound of her own voice in that hollow confined place, all added to her -feeling of fear. - -[Illustration: DOWN THE WELL.] - -“Stop, Tom,” she cried, as the bucket touched the water. Tom looked -down, and could perceive some one below; but, all indistinct and dim, -he could not have recognized that it was his sister. - -“Can you find anything?” he whispered, kneeling down, after fixing the -wheel, and leaning over with his hands resting on the brink. He heard a -little splashing in the water, and waited for the answer of Minnie with -great anxiety. “Can you find anything there?” he repeated. - -“No.” Oh, the relief brought by that one little word! - -“Have you searched well?” said Tom; “have you searched to the bottom?” - -“Quite to the bottom; there is nothing but water--Heaven be praised,” -said the hollow voice from below. “Now draw me up again; but softly, -very softly. Oh, how thankful I shall be if I ever reach the top!” - -There was not another word spoken by either brother or sister, while -Tom, with painful exertion, turned the handle of the wheel, and first -Minnie’s clinging hands, and then her frightened face, appeared above -the level of the well. - -Tom helped her to the side, which she could not have reached by -herself, and then falling on her knees, the poor little girl returned -her fervent thanks to Heaven, at once for Johnny’s deliverance from the -well and her own. - -“Now let us return,” said Tom; “there is no use in remaining here. -It is growing quite dark, and beginning to rain. We can continue our -search in the morning.” - -“But if poor little Johnny should be somewhere in this wood, only think -what he would suffer left out all night. It would kill him with fright, -if not with the weather. Remember, Tom, that no one else is likely to -have looked for him _here_; a place which he could never have reached -by himself.” - -Tom muttered something between his teeth, which, perhaps, it was as -well that Minnie did not hear; but he certainly looked around him more -carefully. - -Minnie had wandered a few steps from her brother, and was slowly -walking round the greensward surrounding the well--a clear space which -was almost inclosed by the wood, only open on the side by which they -had approached it, and from which two dark narrow paths, scarce wide -enough to permit two persons to pass each other, led into the depths of -the forest. On a sudden she stopped, stooped down, then eagerly cried -out, “Oh, look what I have here!--he must be near!--he must be near!” -Tom hastened to the spot, and beheld in Minnie’s hand a little dusty -shoe, with its strap and round black button, which both felt certain -had belonged to the lost child. - -“Well, he could not walk far without his shoe,” observed Tom. “I -daresay that he is near enough to hear me. Halloo, Johnny!” he shouted, -“halloo!” There was no reply but the echo. - -“He must have gone down one of those little paths,” said Minnie; “we -had better search one of them at once.” - -“Better search both of them, as there are two of us,” said Tom; “if we -took but one, we should be sure to choose the wrong one.” - -Poor Minnie gave a woful look at the dark walks; however tempting they -might, have looked when nuts were on the boughs, and the sunbeams -struggled through their green shade, to the eye of the little girl they -looked anything but tempting now, when approaching night was wrapping -them in deepest gloom. - -“Why, you are not afraid!” cried Tom, with his rude coarse laugh; for -now that he was relieved from his fear that the child was actually -dead, the thought of what he might be suffering weighed little upon his -mind. - -“If it be right for me to go alone, I will go,” faltered Minnie, -“whether I am afraid or not.” - -Tom laughed again, but he had little cause to laugh at words that -expressed more true courage than all the idle vaunts that he had ever -uttered. He might have remembered that his sister had just ventured -upon what an older and wiser companion than himself would never have -suffered her to have attempted. But having no fear of a night walk in -a lonely wood himself, he now, as was ever the case with him, had no -consideration for the feelings of another. - -The brother and sister parted in the darkness and rain; Minnie, -trembling half with fear and half with cold, went cautiously along the -gloomy way. Every few steps she paused, and softly called, “Johnny!” -but her listening ear caught no sound but the pattering of the rain. -Many, many times she stopped, and almost resolved to go back, when the -thought of her little rosy-cheeked friend, out in the darkness and -rain, frightened, cold, and wet, encouraged her to pursue her journey. -For more than an hour the young girl wandered on, when at last the -wood came to an end, and she found herself alone on a dark wide heath, -dotted over here and there by furze-bushes. - -“Johnny!” once more she cried, almost in despair, a sickening feeling -of disappointment coming over her heart. Weary and sad, she could have -sat down and cried. She saw, a little on her left hand, one lonely -light, which appeared to proceed from some cottage. Here at least she -might beg for shelter, and towards it she slowly walked. The light -shone steady and bright from a little window; and before she ventured -to knock at the door, Minnie Wingfield cautiously peeped in. - -An aged man sat with his back to the window, and a large book open on -the table before him, the very sight of which gave hope and confidence -to Minnie. His wife, in her arm-chair, was listening opposite--a mild, -calm expression in her venerable face; and in the corner crouched poor -silly Sally, her brow no longer bound with her chaplet of wild flowers; -she had wreathed it round the lost Johnny, whom, with a delight which -repaid all her fears, Minnie beheld slumbering in the arms of the -idiot! - -[Illustration: FOUND.] - -It was this poor helpless creature who had found the little boy -clinging in terror to the bough! There was still a woman’s instinct -left in her breast, an instinct of tenderness towards a child. -Terrified at first to behold the dreaded Sally, it was only the -necessity of his case that made poor Johnny suffer her to touch him; -but kindness soon finds its way to the heart--she fondled him, stroked -his curly locks, decked him out with her favourite flowers, and then -carried him away, through the still greenwood, to her own little home -on the common, pleased as a child that has found a new toy. Strange -that the life which had been endangered by the thoughtlessness of a -companion, should be guarded by the tenderness of one bereft of reason. - -Minnie Wingfield soon entered the cottage, and was received with -Christian hospitality. She was placed by the fire, her dress dried, and -food placed before her; and her mind was relieved by hearing that a -messenger had been sent to her village to bear tidings to Mrs. Bright -that her Johnny was safe and under shelter. What a joyful end to all -Minnie’s anxieties; how sweet the reward of all the painful efforts -that she had made! - -[Illustration] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER XIII. - -WINGS AND STINGS. - - -It is now time that I should draw my tale to a close; but as my reader -may like to know what became of the little people, with wings and -without wings, that we have followed through this story, I shall give a -few more pages to an account of their fate. - -The first sunbeam which shone the next morning upon the hive, glittered -on Silverwing, as with joyous speed she hastened back to her home. -She continued there her busy and her happy life, finding sweetness -everywhere, honey in each flower, and cheering the less joyous -existence of Sipsyrup, whose wing never quite recovered its power. As -the injured bee was unable to fly out with the next swarm, her friend -remained behind to bear her company: they passed the summer days in -active employ and the winter in plenty and repose. - -[Illustration: SILVERWING AND SIPSYRUP.] - -I have a less pleasing account to give of Waxywill, who was certainly -a most wayward bee. She chose to go out honey-seeking one day, when -required for work in the hive; she resolved, contrary to orders, to -visit the dwelling of a humble-bee, and because she knew that her -cousins of that race live underground, against the warnings of her -companions she entered a little hole in a bank, and found herself -in the midst of a nest of wasps! Her melancholy fate may easily be -imagined; she died beneath the stings of her enemies. - -But, perhaps, you are more desirous to hear what befell our heroes and -heroines of the human race. - -Let my reader then fancy himself again beneath the little porch which -adorns the front of Mrs. Wingfield’s cottage. It is now later in -the year, the finest flowers in the garden have faded, one or two -sunflowers and a few dahlias look gay still; but the fresh feel of the -morning air, the white tinge on the grass, and the heavy dew which has -strung Spinaway’s web with numberless tiny beads, show that the autumn -is now advanced. Beneath the porch sits Minnie, busy as usual with her -work, before the hour for going to school. Tom is near her, engaged in -stringing together little egg-shells, collected in the spring; pretty -enough in themselves, but won at the expense of much misery to the -poor birds whose nests he had robbed. - -Who approaches from the opposite side of the lane, bearing a baby -carefully wrapped up in her arms? You will scarcely recognize poor -Polly, once so fond of finery and folly. How much nicer she looks in -her present quiet dress, with her gentle subdued look and kindly air. - -Then the baby did live? Yes, he did live; a poor sickly delicate child. -But oh, the tenderness with which he has been watched by Polly, who -now seems to think that she can never do enough for her brothers! She -appears to have thrown away her vanity with her diamond-brooch; or -rather, she has thoroughly learned the painful lesson taught through -that terrible evening and night. The resolutions that she then made -she has not forgotten, the prayers which she then uttered were from -the heart,--and there is not in the whole village to be found a more -sober, modest, quietly-dressed girl, always placing her duties before -her pleasures, than the once vain, selfish Polly Bright. - -She now drew near, carrying the baby, with little Johnny trotting after -her, his cheeks just as rosy, and his figure as round, as before his -adventure in the woods. It had left on his mind a great affection for -Minnie, who had always been a favourite with the child; and he now ran -up to his friend with an apple in his hand, as round and as rosy as -himself. - -“Minnie Wings,” said the little boy, holding it up to her lips, “Minnie -Wings, you take bite.” - -Minnie smilingly accepted the proffered kindness of the child, after -stooping down to kiss his rosy face. - -“Come here, you little rogue,” said Tom, in a tone half surly and -half good-humoured; “tell me why you call her Minnie Wings instead of -Wingfield?” - -“’Cause,” said Johnny, with dimpling cheeks, “she fly to help me.” - -“So did I,” observed Tom; “so I suppose that I am ‘Wings’ too.” - -Johnny fixed his round eyes full upon his neighbour, and slowly -retreating backwards, as if rather afraid, replied, “No; you Tommy -Stings.” - -Tommy would have been angry at the speech, if he could have helped -laughing at it; but the manner and look of the child, half resolute, -half frightened, were so irresistibly comic, that Tommy Stings put the -best face upon the matter, and appeared good-humoured for once in his -life. He was certainly in a mood more amiable than usual, having that -morning been engaged to go as an errand-boy in a neighbouring town, -where, under the eye of a strict master, we may hope that his conduct -may improve, and that he may cease to deserve the title bestowed upon -him by little Johnny. - -“I have come to give you good news, dear Minnie,” said Polly, after -joining in the laugh which her little brother had occasioned; “we have -had a letter from the Crimea, and my dear father is well.” - -“I am so glad of that!” cried Minnie, who was ever ready to rejoice -with the rejoicing. - -“And you looked so bright when I first saw you,” said Polly, “that I -suspect that you have some good news of your own to give me in return.” - -“You are quite right; I have famous news, dear Polly. The squire’s lady -was here late last evening; you know how kind she is. She wants to -place her baby’s foster-brother in some cottage near her, and, to my -joy, has fixed upon ours!” - -“And will she pay well?” - -“Oh, more than we could have ventured to hope. We really shall now be -quite comfortable. My mother is so much pleased; I do not think that I -have seen her so well or so cheerful ever since our great troubles last -year. How good God has been to us!” added the little girl, her eyes -glistening with bright tears of gratitude and pleasure; “He has always -raised up friends for us in our need.” - -“Yes, Minnie, and you, who are a friend to all who require one, are -never likely to be in want of a friend.” - -“I shall so enjoy having a dear little child to look after; I am sure -that it will be a pleasure rather than a trouble.” - -“It is easy to guess,” said Polly, with a good-natured smile, “why the -lady chose your cottage for the home of the baby.” - -Johnny, after two or three vain attempts, had succeeded in clambering -up the bench on which Minnie was seated. She now felt his little arms -pressed round her neck, as he drew her down towards him to whisper -close in her ear, “Everybody happy with my Minnie Wings.” - - * * * * * - -And now, nothing remains but that A. L. O. E. should bid her young -readers farewell. If they have liked her little book, let them -remember that her story is but as the comb, which may be pleasant to -the eye, but that its moral is the honey which is treasured within. -However young, however weak, dear children, you may be, know that the -youngest, the weakest, have some power here to give either pleasure -or pain. A generous spirit shrinks from inflicting suffering on the -smallest insect or the feeblest worm; and I trust that no reader of my -little tale will hesitate which part to take for his own, or leave it -doubtful whether he ought to be classed under the title of WINGS OR -STINGS. - -[Illustration: ·FINIS·] - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[A] Naturalists doubt whether the violet-bee is a native of Britain. It -is known that one species of carpenter-bee is to be found in England, -but the one described above probably belongs to foreign lands. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wings and Stings, by A. L. O. E. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINGS AND STINGS *** - -***** This file should be named 60065-0.txt or 60065-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/0/6/60065/ - -Produced by Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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 in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. 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 unprotected by copyright law 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 in the United States and - most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (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 The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, 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 -works not protected by U.S. copyright law 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 in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, 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 not protected by copyright 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. - diff --git a/old/60065-0.zip b/old/60065-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4c1efbe..0000000 --- a/old/60065-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h.zip b/old/60065-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8270b54..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/60065-h.htm b/old/60065-h/60065-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 2d7e424..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/60065-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4415 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wings and Stings, by A. L. O. E.. - </title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - -div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} -div.titlepage p {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 2em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - - - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - - - .tdr {text-align: right;} - - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; -} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - - -.caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: center;} - -@media screen, print -{ - img.drop-cap - { - float: left; - margin: -0.5em 0em 0 0; - } - - p.drop-cap:first-letter - { - color: transparent; - visibility: hidden; - margin-left: -0.9em; - } -} -@media handheld -{ - img.drop-cap - { - display: none; - } - - p.drop-cap:first-letter - { - color: inherit; - visibility: visible; - margin-left: 0; - } -} - - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.xxlarge {font-size: 175%;} -.xlarge {font-size: 150%;} - -.antiqua { - font-family: Blackletter, Fraktur, Textur, "Old English Text MT", "Olde English Mt", "Olde English", Gothic, serif, sans-serif;} - -.indent {margin-left: 12em;} -.indent2 {margin-left: 2em;} - - -.ph1 {text-align: center; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph2 {text-align: center; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;} -.ph3 {text-align: center; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;} - -.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} - -.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: - none; -} - -.poetry-container {text-align: center;} -.poetry {display: inline-block; text-align: left;} -.poetry .verse {text-indent: -2.5em; padding-left: 3em;} - - -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wings and Stings, by A. L. O. E. - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Wings and Stings - A Tale for the Young - -Author: A. L. O. E. - -Release Date: August 6, 2019 [EBook #60065] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINGS AND STINGS *** - - - - -Produced by Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<h1>WINGS AND STINGS.</h1> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_frontispiece.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">COMING TO THE RESCUE<br /> - -<span class="indent"><i>page 48</i></span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_title.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">WINGS AND STINGS.</span><br /> - -<span class="xlarge"><span class="antiqua">A Tale for the Young.</span></span></p> - -<p>BY<br /> - -<span class="xlarge">A. L. O. E.,</span><br /> - -AUTHOR OF “THE SILVER CASKET,” “THE ROBBERS’ CAVE,”<br /> -ETC. ETC.</p> - -<p>How doth the little busy bee<br /> -<span class="indent2">Improve each shining hour,</span><br /> -And gather honey all the day<br /> -<span class="indent2">From every opening flower!</span><br /> - -<span class="indent"><span class="smcap">Watts.</span></span></p> -<br /> -<p>LONDON:<br /> -T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;<br /> -EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.<br /> - -1879.</p> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span> -<h2 class="nobreak">Preface.</h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_v.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">WHAT is the use of a preface? -Most of my young readers will -regard it as they would a stile in -front of a field in which they -were going to enjoy haymaking; -as something which they hastily scramble -over, eager to get to what is beyond. Such -being the case, I think it best to make my -preface as short, my stile as small as possible, -not being offended if some of my friends -should skip over it at one bound. To the -more sober readers I would say, If you look -for some fun in the little field which you -are going to enter, remember that in haymaking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span> -there is profit as well as amusement; -in turning over thoughts in our minds, as -in turning over newly-mown grass, we may -“make hay while the sun shines,” which -will serve us when cloudier days arise.</p> - -<p class="right">A. L. O. E.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_vi.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_007.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="antiqua">Contents.</span></h2></div> - - - - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="table"> - - -<tr><td class="tdr">I.</td><td> THE BIG HIVE AND THE LITTLE ONE,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_9"> 9</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">II.</td><td> SOME ACCOUNT OF A WATERFALL,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_26"> 26</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">III.</td><td> A FLATTERING INVITATION,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_36"> 36</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">IV.</td><td> HOME LESSONS AND HOME TRIALS,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_46"> 46</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">V.</td><td> CONVERSATION IN THE HIVE,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_59"> 59</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VI.</td><td> A STINGING REPROOF,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_69"> 69</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VII.</td><td> A WONDERFUL BORE,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_80"> 80</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VIII.</td><td> A CHASE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_88"> 88</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">IX.</td><td> PRISONS AND PRISONERS,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_109"> 109</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">X.</td><td> A CONFESSION,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_117"> 117</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XI.</td><td> A SUDDEN FALL,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_131"> 131</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XII.</td><td> AN UNPLEASANT JOURNEY,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_140"> 140</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIII.</td><td> WINGS AND STINGS,</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_151"> 151</a></td></tr> -</table> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span></p> -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_009.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - - -<p class="ph1">WINGS AND STINGS.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I.<br /> - -<small>THE BIG HIVE AND THE LITTLE ONE.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_009a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">“HAD you not better go on a little -faster with your work, Polly?” -said Minnie Wingfield, glancing -up for a minute from her own, -over which her little fingers had -been busily moving, and from which she -now for the first time raised her eyes.</p> - -<p>“I wish that there were no such thing as -work!” exclaimed Polly, from her favourite -seat by the school-room window, through -which she had been watching the bees<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -thronging in and out of their hive, some -flying away to seek honied treasure, some -returning laden with it to their home.</p> - -<p>“I think that work makes one enjoy play -more,” replied Minnie, her soft voice scarcely -heard amidst the confusion of sounds which -filled the school-room; for there was a -spelling-class answering questions at the -moment, and the hum of voices from the -boys’ school-room, which adjoined that of -the girls, added not a little to the noise.</p> - -<p>The house might itself be regarded as a -hive, its rosy-cheeked scholars as a little -swarm of bees, and knowledge as the honey -of which they were in search, drawn, not -from flowers, but from the leaves of certain -dog’s-eared books, which had few charms -for the eyes of Polly Bright.</p> - -<p>“I never have any play,” said the little -girl peevishly. “As soon as school is over, -and I should like a little fun, there is -Johnny to be looked after, and the baby to -be carried. I hate the care of children—mother<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -knows that I do—and I think that -baby is always crying on purpose to tease -me.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_011.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">THE BIG HIVE.</p> - -<p>“Yet it must be pleasant to think that -you are helping your mother and doing your -duty.”</p> - -<p>Polly uttered a little grunting sound,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -which did not seem like consent, and ran -her needle two or three times into her seam, -always drawing it back instead of pushing it -through, which every one knows is not the -way to get on with work.</p> - -<p>“Why, even these little bees,” Minnie -continued, “have a sort of duty of their -own; and how steadily they set about it!”</p> - -<p>“Pretty easy duty,—playing amongst -flowers and feasting upon honey!”</p> - -<p>“Oh but—”</p> - -<p>“Minnie Wingfield, no talking allowed in -school!” cried the teacher from the top of -the room, turning towards the corner near -the window. “Polly Bright, you are -always the last in your class.”</p> - -<p>This time the lazy fingers did draw the -needle through, but a cross, ill-tempered -look was on the face of the little girl; while -her companion, Minnie, colouring at the -reproof, only worked faster than before.</p> - -<p>We will leave them seated on their bench, -with their sewing in their hands, and passing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -through the little window, as only authors -and their readers can do, cross the narrow -garden, with its small rows of cabbages and -onions, bordered by a line of stunted gooseberry -bushes, and mixing with the busy inhabitants -of the hive, glide through the -tiny opening around which they cluster, and -enter the palace of the bees. Now I have -a suspicion that though my young readers -may be well acquainted with honey-comb -and honey, and have even had hives on a -bench in their own gardens, they never in -their lives have been inside one, and are -totally ignorant of the language of bees. -For your benefit, therefore, I intend to translate -a little of the buzzing chit-chat of the -winged nation; and, begging you to consider -yourself as little as possible, conduct you at -once to the palace of Queen Farina.</p> - -<p>A very curious and beautiful palace it is; -the Crystal Palace itself is not more perfect -in its way. Look at the long lines of cells, -framed with the nicest care, row above row,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -built of pure white wax, varnished with gum, -and filled with provisions for the winter. -Yonder are the nurseries for the infant bees; -these larger apartments are for the royal -race; that, largest of all, is the state-chamber -of the queen. How strait are -the passages—just wide enough to let two -travellers pass without jostling! And as -for the inhabitants of this singular palace, or -rather, I should say, this populous city, -though for a moment you may think them -all hurrying and bustling about in utter confusion, -I assure you that they are governed -by the strictest order—each knows her own -business, her own proper place. I am afraid -that before you are well acquainted with -your small companions, you may find some -difficulty in knowing one from another, as -each bee looks as much like her neighbour -as a pin does to a pin. I am not speaking, -of course, of her majesty the queen, distinguished, -as she is, from all her subjects by -the dignified length of her figure and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -shortness of her wings; but you certainly -would not discover, unless I told you, that -the little creature hanging from the upper -comb is considered a beauty in Bee-land. -You must at once fancy your eyes powerful -microscopes, till a daisy is enlarged to the -size of a table, and the thread of a spider to -a piece of stout whip-cord; for not till then -can you find out the smallest reason why -Sipsyrup should be vain of her beauty. Yet -why should she not pride herself on her -slender shape or her fine down? Vanity -may seem absurd in a bee, but surely it is -yet more so in any reasonable creature, to -whom sense has been given to know the -trifling worth of mere outside looks; and I -fear that I may have amongst my young -readers some no wiser than little Sipsyrup.</p> - -<p>She is not buzzing eagerly about like her -companions, who are now working in various -parties; some raising the white walls of the -cells; some carrying away small cuttings of -wax, not to be thrown away, but used in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -some other place, for bees are very careful -and thrifty; some putting a fine brown -polish on the combs, made of a gum -gathered from the buds of the wild poplar; -some bringing in provisions for the little -workmen, who are too busy to go in search -of it themselves. No; Sipsyrup seems in -her hive as little satisfied as Polly in her -school-room, as she hangs quivering her -wings with an impatient movement, very -unworthy of a sensible bee.</p> - -<p>“A fine morning this!” buzzed an industrious -young insect, making bee-bread -with all her might. I may here remark -that the subject of the weather is much -studied in hives, and that their inhabitants -show a knowledge of it that might put to -shame some of the learned amongst us. I -am not aware that they ever make use of -barometers, but it is said that they manage -seldom to be caught in a shower, and take -care to keep at home when there is thunder.</p> - -<p>“A fine morning, indeed,” replied Sipsyrup.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -“Yes; the sunshine looks tempting -enough, to be sure; no doubt the flowers are -all full of honey, and the hills covered with -thyme; but of what use is this to a poor -nurse-bee like me, scarcely allowed to snatch -a hasty sip for myself, but obliged to look -after these wretched little larv” (that is -the name given to young baby-bees), “and -carry home tasteless pollen to make bread -for them, when I might be enjoying myself -in the sunshine?”</p> - -<p>“We once were larv ourselves,” meekly -observed Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and not very long ago,” replied -Sipsyrup rather pertly, glancing at the -whitish down that showed her own youth; -for it was but three days since she had -quitted her own nursery, which may account -for her being so silly a young bee.</p> - -<p>“And but for the kindness of those who -supplied our wants when we were poor helpless -little creatures, we should never have -lived to have wings,” continued her companion.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>“Don’t remind me of that time,” buzzed -Sipsyrup, who could not bear to think of -herself as a tiny, feeble worm. “Anything -more weary and tiresome than the life that -I led, shut up all alone in that horrid cell, -spinning my own coverlet from morning till -night, I am sure that I cannot imagine. -Ah, speaking of that spinning, if you had -only seen what I did yesterday.”</p> - -<p>“What was that?” inquired Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“As I flew past a sunny bank, facing the -south, I noticed a small hole, at the entrance -of which I saw one of our cousins, the poppy-bees. -Her dress, you must know, is different -from ours” (Sipsyrup always thought -something of dress). “It is black, studded -on the head and back with reddish-gray -hairs, and her wings are edged with gray. -Wishing to notice a little more closely her -curious attire, I stopped and wished her -good-day. Very politely she invited me -into her parlour, and I entered the hole in -the bank.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>“A dull, gloomy place to live in, I should -fear.”</p> - -<p>“Dull! gloomy!” exclaimed Sipsyrup, -quivering her feelers at the recollection; -“why, the cell of our queen is a dungeon -compared to it. The hole grew wider as we -went further in, till it appeared quite roomy -and large, and all round it was hung with -the most splendid covering, formed of the -leaves of the poppy, of a dazzling scarlet, -delightful to behold. Since I saw it, I have -been scarcely able to bear the look of this -old hive, with its thousands of cells, one -just like another, and all of the same white -hue.”</p> - -<p>“Had the poppy-bee a queen?” inquired -Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“No; she is queen, and worker, and -everything herself; she has no one to command -her, no one to obey; no waspish companion -like Stickasting there.”</p> - -<p>“What’s that? who buzzes about me?” -cried a large thick bee, hurrying towards<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -them with an angry hum. Stickasting had -been the plague of the hive ever since she -had had wings. She was especially the -torment of the unfortunate drones, who, not -having been gifted with stings like the -workers, had no means of defence to protect -them from their bullying foe. When a -larva, her impatient disposition was not -known. She had spun her silken web like -any peaceable insect, then lain quiet and -asleep as a pupa or nymph. But no sooner -did the young bee awake to life, than, using -her new powers with hearty good-will, she -ate her way through the web at such a -quick rate, that the old bees who looked in -pronounced at once that she was likely to be -a most active worker. Nor were they disappointed, -as far as work was concerned; no -one was ready to fly faster or further, no -one worked harder at building the cells; -but it was soon discovered that her activity -and quickness were not the only qualities -for which she was remarkable. If ever bee<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -had a bad temper, that bee was Stickasting. -Quarrelling, bullying, attacking, fighting, -she was as bad as a wasp in the hive. No -one would ever have trusted larv to her -care. Sipsyrup might neglect or complain -of her charge, but Stickasting would have -been positively cruel. Her companionship -was shunned, as must be expected by all -of her character, whether they be boys or -bees; and she seldom exchanged a hum, -except of defiance, with any creature in the -hive.</p> - -<p>Sipsyrup, the moment that she perceived -Stickasting coming towards her, flew off in -alarm, leaving poor Silverwing to bear the -brunt of the attack.</p> - -<p>“Who buzzes about me?” repeated -Stickasting fiercely, flying very close up to -the little nurse-bee.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, I never named you,” replied -Silverwing timidly, shrinking back as close -as she could to the comb.</p> - -<p>“If you were not talking against me yourself,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -you were listening to and encouraging -one who did. Who dare say that I am -waspish?” continued Stickasting, quivering -her wings with anger till they were almost -invisible. “It is this gossip and slander -that make the hive too hot to hold us. I -once thought better of you, Silverwing, as a -quiet good-natured sort of a bee, but I now -see that you are just like the rest, and as -silly as you are ugly.”</p> - -<p>This was a very provoking speech—it was -intended to be so; but Silverwing was not a -creature ready to take offence; whatever -she felt, she returned no answer—an example -which I would strongly recommend -to all in her position, whether standing on -six feet or on two.</p> - -<p>But Stickasting was resolved to pick a -quarrel if possible, especially with one whom -she considered less strong than herself; for -she was not one of those generous beings -who scorn to take advantage of the weakness -of another. Stickasting much resembled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -the class of rude, coarse-minded boys, -who find a pleasure in teasing children -and annoying little girls, and like to show -their power over those who dare not oppose -it.</p> - -<p>“I owe you a grudge, Silverwing, for your -conduct to me yesterday. When I was toiling -and working at the cells like a slave, not -having time to go out for refreshment, I saw -you fly past me two or three times, and not -a drop of honey did you offer me.”</p> - -<p>“I was carrying pollen for my little -larv,” gently replied Silverwing. “It is -not my office to supply the builders, though -I am sure that I should do so with pleasure; -but the baby-bees are placed under my -charge, and you know what care they need -till they begin to spin.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, idle, hungry, troublesome creatures -that they are! Have they not set about -their spinning yet? I’ll make them stir -themselves,”—and Stickasting made a movement -towards the nursery-cells.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>“The larv do not like to be disturbed!” -cried Silverwing, anxious for her charges, -and placing herself between them and the -intruder.</p> - -<p>“Like! I daresay not,—but who cares -what they like! Get out of the way; I’ll -prick them up a little!”</p> - -<p>“You shall not come near them!” hummed -the little nurse, resolutely keeping her -place.</p> - -<p>“I say that I shall,—who shall hinder -me? Get out of my way, or I’ll let you -feel my sting.”</p> - -<p>Silverwing trembled, but she did not stir, -for she was a faithful little bee. As the hen -is ready to defend her chickens from the -hawk, and even the timid wren will fight for -her brood, so this feeble insect would have -given up her life rather than have forsaken -the little ones confided to her care.</p> - -<p>But she was not left alone to struggle -with her assailant. Two of her winged companions -came to the rescue; and Stickasting,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -who had no wish to encounter such odds, -and was fonder, perhaps, of bullying than -of fighting, no sooner saw Waxywill and -Honeyball on the wing, than with an angry -hum she hurried out of the hive.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_025.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_026.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER II.<br /> - -<small>SOME ACCOUNT OF A WATERFALL.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_026a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">I WISH that all little nurses were as -trustworthy as Silverwing, or as -kind and patient with their charges! -While Polly Bright has sat in her -mother’s cottage trimming her bonnet, till it -looks as absurd as pink ribbons can make it, -the poor baby has been crying unheeded in -his cradle, except that now and then, when -vexed more than usual by the noise, with -an almost angry look she pauses for a -moment to rock the cradle with her foot. -She does not notice that little Johnny has -been clambering up by the pail, which her -mother has set aside for her washing, till the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -sudden sound of a fall, and a splash, and a -child’s frightened cry, startle her, and she -sees little streams running all over the stone -floor, and Johnny flat on his face in the -middle of a loud roar,—and a pool of water.</p> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_027.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">A MISHAP.</p> - -<p>Up she jumps, not in the best of tempers. -Poor Johnny is dragged up by one arm, -and receives one or two slaps on the back, -which only makes him cry louder than before; -he stands a picture of childish misery, -with dripping dress and open mouth, the -tears rolling down his rosy cheeks, helpless -and frightened, as his careless sister shakes -and scolds him, and shakes him again, for -what was the effect of her own negligence.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>Happily for the little boy, Minnie Wingfield -is a near neighbour, and comes running -at the sound of his distress.</p> - -<p>“Why, what is the matter, my dear little -man?” are her first words as she enters -the cottage.</p> - -<p>“Look here! did you ever see anything -like it? His dress clean on to-day! I cannot -turn my back for a moment but he must -be at the pail,—naughty, tiresome, mischievous -boy!” and poor Johnny received -another shake. “A pretty state the cottage -is in,—and there—oh, my bonnet! my bonnet!” -exclaimed Polly, as she saw that in -her hurry and anger she had thrown it -down, and that, pink ribbons and all, it lay -on the floor, right across one of the little -streams of water.</p> - -<p>“Never mind the bonnet; the poor child -may be hurt, and—oh, take care, the baby -will be wetted!” and without waiting for -Polly’s tardy aid, Minnie pushed the cradle -beyond reach of danger.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>While Polly was yet bemoaning her -bonnet, and trying to straighten out its -damaged ribbons, Minnie had found out -something dry for the shivering little boy, -had rubbed him, and comforted him, and -taken him upon her knee; then asking him -to help her to quiet poor baby, had hushed -the sickly infant in her arms. Was there -no pleasure to her kind heart when its wailing -gradually ceased, and the babe fell into -a sweet sleep,—or when Johnny put his -plump arms tight round her neck, and -pressed his little lips to her cheek?</p> - -<p>There are some called to do great deeds -for mankind, some who bestow thousands in -charity, some who visit hospitals and prisons, -and live and die the benefactors of their -race. But let not those who have not power -to perform anything <i>great</i>, imagine that -because they can do little, they need therefore -do nothing to increase the sum of happiness -upon earth. There is a terrible -amount of suffering caused by neglect of, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -unkindness to, little children. Their lives—often -how short!—are embittered by harshness, -their tempers spoiled, sometimes their -health injured; and can those to whose care -the helpless little ones were confided, imagine -that there is no sin in the petulant word, -the angry blow, or that many will not have -one day to answer for all the sorrow which -they have caused to their Lord’s feeble -lambs, to those whose spring-time of life -should be happy?</p> - -<p>Would my readers like to know a little -more of Minnie Wingfield, whose look was -so kind, whose words were so gentle, that -her presence was like sunshine wherever -she went? She lived in a little white cottage -with a porch, round which twined roses -and honeysuckle. There was a little narrow -seat just under this porch, where Minnie -loved to sit in the summer evenings with -her work, or her book when her work was -done, listening to the blackbird that sang in -the apple-tree, and the humming of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -bees amidst the blossoms. Little Minnie -led a retired life, but by no means a useless -one. If her mother’s cottage was the picture -of neatness, it was Minnie who kept it -so clean. Her brother’s mended stockings, -his nicely-washed shirts, all did credit to -her neat fingers. Yet she could find time -to bestow on the garden, to trim the borders, -to water the plants, to tie up the flowers in -which her sick mother delighted. Nor did -Minnie neglect the daily school. She was -not clever, but patient and ever anxious to -please; her teacher regarded her as one of -her best scholars, and pointed her out as an -example to the rest. But Minnie’s great -enjoyment was in the Sunday-school; there -she learned the lessons which made duty -sweet to her, and helped her on the right -way through the week. The small Bible -which had been given to her by her father, -with all his favourite verses marked, was a -precious companion to Minnie: not studied -as a task-book, or carelessly read as a matter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -of custom; but valued as a treasure, and -consulted as a friend, and made the rule and -guide of daily life.</p> - -<p>And was not Minnie happy? In one -sense she certainly was so, but still she had -her share of this world’s trials. The kind -father whom she had fondly loved had died -the year before; and besides the loss of so -dear a friend, his death had brought poverty -upon his family. It was a hard struggle to -make up the rent of the little cottage, which -Mrs. Wingfield could not bear to quit, for -did not everything there remind her of her -dear husband,—had he not himself made the -porch and planted the flowers that adorned -it! Often on a cold winter’s day the little -fire would die out for want of fuel, and -Minnie rise, still hungry, from the simple -meal which she had spared that there might -be enough for her parent and her brother.</p> - - - -<p>Mrs. Wingfield’s state of health was -another source of sorrow. She was constantly -ailing, and never felt well, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -though saved every trouble by her attentive -child, and watched as tenderly as a lady -could have been, the sufferings of the poor -woman made her peevish and fretful, and -sometimes even harsh to her gentle daughter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_033.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">MINNIE WITH THE FIREWOOD.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>Tom, her brother, was also no small trial -to Minnie. Unlike her, he had little thought -for anything beyond self; he neither considered -the comfort nor the feelings of -others. If Minnie was like sunshine in the -cottage of her mother, Tom too often resembled -a bleak east wind; and though Mrs. -Wingfield and her daughter never admitted -such a thought, their home was happiest -when Tom was not in it.</p> - -<p>But it is time to return to our hive.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_035.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - - -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_036.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER III.<br /> - -<small>A FLATTERING INVITATION.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_036a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">WAXYWILL and Honeyball had -both come to the assistance of -Silverwing, and she buzzed her -thanks in a grateful way to both, -though different motives had -brought them to her aid, for they were very -different bees in their dispositions.</p> - -<p>Honeyball was a good-humoured, easy -kind of creature. Very ready to do a kindness -if it cost her little trouble, but lazy as -any drone in the hive. Honeyball would -have liked to live all day in the bell of a -foxglove, with nothing to disturb her in her -idle feast. It was said in the hive that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -more than, once she had been known to sip -so much, that at last she had been unable -to rise, and for hours had lain helpless on -the ground. Sipsyrup, who, like other -vain, silly creatures, was very fond of talking -about other people’s concerns, had even -whispered that Honeyball had been seen -busy at one of the provision-cells stored for -the winter’s use, which it is treason in a bee -to touch; but as those who talk much generally -talk a little nonsense, we may hope -that there was no real ground for the story.</p> - -<p>Waxywill was one of whom such a report -would never have been believed; there was -not a more honourable or temperate worker -in the hive. Yet Stickasting herself was -scarcely less liked, so peevish and perverse -was the temper of this bee. If desired to -do anything, it was sure to be the very thing -which she did not fancy. Were cells to be -built—she could not bear moping indoors; -if asked to bring honey—she always found -out that her wings were tired. She could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -not bear submission to the laws of the hive, -and once actually shook her wings at the -queen! When she flew to help Silverwing, -it was less out of kindness to her than the -love of opposing Stickasting. And yet -Waxywill was not an ungenerous bee; she -had more sense too than insects generally -possess; she would have been respected and -even loved in the hive, had not her stubborn, -wilful temper spoilt all.</p> - -<p>We will now follow Sipsyrup in her hasty -flight, as, leaving both her friend and her -charges behind, she made her retreat from -Stickasting. How delightful she found the -fine fresh air, after the heated hive! Now -up, now down, she pursued her varying -course, sometimes humming for a moment -around some fragrant flower, then, even -before she had tasted its contents, deserting -it for one yet more tempting. Deeply she -plunged her long tongue into its cup; her -curious pliable tongue, so carefully guarded -by Nature in a nicely fitting sheath.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -“<i>Sheathe your tongue!</i>” was an expression -which the gossipping little bee had heard -more often than she liked, especially from -the mouth of Waxywill. It might be an -expressive proverb in other places than Bee-land, -for there are tongues whose words are -more cutting than swords, that much need -the sheath of discretion.</p> - -<p>The movements of the lively insect were -watched with much interest by Spinaway -the spider, from her quiet home in a rosebush. -Sipsyrup, disdaining the narrow garden -of the school, had winged her way over -the wall, and turning into a narrow green -lane that was near, was now sporting with -the blossoms by Mrs. Wingfield’s porch. -Spinaway was a clever, artful spider, somewhat -ambitious too in her way. She had -made her web remarkably firm and strong, -and expected to be rewarded by nobler -game than the little aphis, or bony gnat. -She had once succeeded in capturing a blue-bottle -fly, and this perhaps it was that raised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -her hopes so high, that she did not despair -of having a bee in her larder.</p> - -<p>“Good-morning,” said Spinaway in a -soft, coaxing tone, as Sipsyrup came fluttering -near her. “You seem to have travelled -some distance, my friend, and if you should -like to rest yourself here, I am sure that you -would be heartily welcome.”</p> - -<p>Sipsyrup was a young, inexperienced bee, -but she did not much fancy the looks of the -spider, with her hunchback and long hairy -legs. She politely, therefore, declined the -invitation, and continued her feast in a -flower.</p> - -<p>“I am really glad to see a friend in a nice -quiet way,” continued the persevering spider. -“I find it very dull to sit here all day; I -would give anything to have wings like a -bee.”</p> - -<p>Sipsyrup, who loved gossip, advanced a -little nearer, taking care to keep clear of -the web.</p> - -<p>“I do long to hear a little news of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -world, to know what passes in your wonderful -hive. I am curious to learn about your -queen; your manner and style of dress is -such, that I am sure that you must have -been much about the court.”</p> - -<p>Settling upon a leaf, still at a safe distance, -Sipsyrup indulged her taste for chit-chat, -glad to have so attentive a listener. -Spinaway soon heard all the gossip of the -hive,—how the present queen had killed in -single combat the queen of another swarm, -whilst the bees of both nations watched the -fight; and how the hostile band, when they -saw their queen dead, had submitted to the -conqueror at once. How a slug had last -morning crept into the hive and frightened -her out of her wits, but had been put to -death by fierce Stickasting before it had -crawled more than an inch. Sipsyrup then -related—and really for once her conversation -was very amusing—all the difficulties -and perplexity of the people of the hive as -to how to get rid of the body of the intruder.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -She herself had been afraid to venture near -the monster, but Silverwing and the rest -had striven with all their might to remove -the dead slug from their hive.</p> - -<p>“And did they succeed?” said Spinaway, -much interested.</p> - -<p>“Oh, it was quite impossible to drag out -the slug! We were in such distress—such -a thing in the hive—our hive always kept -so neat and clean that not a scrap of wax -is left lying about!”</p> - -<p>“What did you do?” said the spider; “it -really was a distressing affair.”</p> - -<p>“Waxywill thought of a plan for preventing -annoyance. She proposed that we -should cover the slug all over with wax, so -that it should rather appear like a piece of -the comb than a dead creature left in the -hive.”</p> - -<p>“A capital plan!” cried Spinaway. “And -was the thing done?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it was, and before the day was over.”</p> - -<p>“So there Mrs. Slug remains in a white<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -wrapping,” laughed the spider; “a warning -to those who go where they are not wanted. -You were, I daresay, one of the foremost in -the work.”</p> - -<p>“Not I; I would not have touched the -ugly creature with one of my feelers!”</p> - -<p>“I beg your pardon!” said the spider; -“indeed, I might have judged by your -appearance that nothing but the most refined -and elegant business would ever be -given to you. You look as though you had -never touched anything rougher than a rose.”</p> - -<p>This speech put Sipsyrup in high good-humour; -she began to think that she had -judged the spider harshly, and that she -really was an agreeable creature in spite of -her ugly hunch.</p> - -<p>“If you speak of delicate work,” observed -the bee very politely, “I never saw anything -so fine as your web.”</p> - -<p>“It is tolerably well finished,” said the -spider with a bow; “would you honour me -by a closer inspection?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>“Oh, thank you, I’m not curious in these -matters,” replied Sipsyrup, still feeling a -little doubtful of her new friend.</p> - -<p>“You have doubtless remarked,” said -Spinaway, “that each thread is composed -of about five thousand others, all joined -together.”</p> - -<p>“No, really, I had no idea of that—how -wonderfully fine they must be!”</p> - -<p>“I am surprised that you did not see it; -at least if the powers of your eyes equal -their beauty. I never beheld anything like -them before—their violet colour, their -beautiful shape, cut, as it were, into hundreds -of divisions, like fine honey-comb -cells, and studded all over with most delicate -hair. I would give my eight eyes for -your two!”</p> - -<p>“Two!” cried Sipsyrup, mightily pleased; -“I have three more on the back of my head.”</p> - -<p>“I would give anything to see them, if -they are but equal to the faceted ones. No -creature in the world could boast of such a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -set! Might I beg—would you favour -me?”—</p> - -<p>Silly Sipsyrup! foolish bee! not the first, -however, nor, I fear, the last, to be caught -by sugary words. Blinded by vanity, forward -she flew—touched the sticky, clammy -web—entangled her feet—struggled to get -free—in vain, in vain!—quivered her wings -in terrified efforts—shook the web with all -her might—but could not escape. Her artful -foe looked eagerly on, afraid to approach -until the poor bee should have exhausted -herself by her struggles. Ah, better for -Sipsyrup had she kept in her hive, had she -spent all the day in making bee-bread, to -feed the little larv in their cells!</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_045.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> - - - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_046.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IV.<br /> - -<small>HOME LESSONS AND HOME TRIALS.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_046a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">BUZZ, buzz, buzz!—“There’s a bee -in a web!” cried Tom, looking up -from the bowl of porridge which -he was eating in the rose-covered -porch.</p> - -<p>“Poor thing!” said Minnie, rising from -her seat.</p> - -<p>“A precious fright it must be in! what a -noise it makes!” cried her brother.</p> - -<p>“It is not much entangled—I think that -I could set it free!”—and Minnie ran up to -the web.</p> - -<p>“And be stung for your pains. Nonsense—leave -it alone. It is good fun to watch -it in its struggles.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_047.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">POOR SIPSYRUP IN A SNARE.</p> - -<p>“It never can be good fun to see any -creature in misery,” replied Minnie; and -with the help of a little twig, in a very -short time poor Sipsyrup was released from -the web.</p> - -<p>“Poor little bee!” said Minnie, “it has -hurt its wing, and some of the web is still -clinging to its legs. I am afraid that it -cannot fly.”</p> - -<p>“I hope that it will sting you!” laughed -Tom. “Are you going to nurse and pet it -here, and get up an hospital for sick bees?”</p> - -<p>“I think that it must belong to our -school-mistress’s hive. I will carry it there,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -and put it by the opening, and let its companions -take care of it.” And notwithstanding -Tom’s scornful laugh, Minnie bore off -the bee on her finger.</p> - -<p>“You are the most absurd girl that I -ever knew,” said he on her return. “What -does it matter to you what becomes of one -bee? I should not mind smothering a -whole hive!”</p> - -<p>“Ah, Tom,” said his sister, “when there -is so much pain in the world, I do not think -that one would willingly add ever so little -to it. And I have a particular feeling -about animals. You know that they were -placed under man, and given to man, and -they were all so happy until—until man -sinned; now, innocent as they are, they -share his punishment of pain and of death; -and it seems hard that <i>we</i> should make that -punishment more bitter!”</p> - -<p>“Then my tender-hearted sister would -never taste mutton, I suppose.”</p> - - - - - -<p>“No; the sheep are given to us for food;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -but I would make them as happy as I could -while they lived. O Tom, we are commanded -in the Bible to be ‘tender-hearted,’ -and ‘merciful,’ and surely to be cruel is a -grievous sin!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_049.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">MINNIE AND THE BEE.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>“I wonder that you did not crush the -spider that would have eaten up your bee.”</p> - -<p>“Why should I? She did nothing -wrong. It is Nature that has taught her -to live on such food; I would be merciful -to spiders as well as to bees.”</p> - -<p>“You carried off her dinner—she would -not thank you for that.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps I did foolishly,” said Minnie -with a smile; “but I cannot see a creature -suffering and not try to help it.”</p> - -<p>“I wish that you saw the green-grocer’s -horse with his bones all starting through his -skin, and the marks of the blows on his head. -What would you say to the master of that -horse?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I wish that he would remember -that one verse from the Bible, ‘<i>Blessed are</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -<i>the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.</i>’ -Without mercy, what would become of the -best—without mercy, we all should be -ruined for ever. And if <i>only</i> the merciful -can obtain mercy, oh! what will become -of the cruel?”</p> - -<p>“Pshaw!” cried Tom, not able to dispute -the truth of Minnie’s words, but not choosing -to listen to them, for he had too many -recollections of bird-nesting, cockchafer-spinning, -and worrying of cats, to make the -subject agreeable. Some find it easier to -silence an opponent with a “pshaw!” than -by reason or strength of argument; and this -was Tom’s usual way. He did not wish to -continue the conversation, and, perhaps -with a view to change its subject, said in a -sudden, abrupt tone, as he stirred his -porridge with his pewter spoon—</p> - -<p>“You’ve not put a morsel of sugar in my -bowl.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed, I put some,” replied Minnie.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>“But you know that I like plenty; I -have told you so a thousand times.”</p> - -<p>“But, dear Tom, I have not plenty to -give you—we have nearly come to the end of -our little store. And you know,” continued -she, lowering her voice, “that we cannot -buy more until we are paid for these shirts.”</p> - -<p>The little girl did not add that for the -last three days she had not tasted any -sugar herself.</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” cried Tom, starting up from -his seat, and hastily entering the cottage. -He took down from the shelf a large broken -cup, which was used to contain the store of -sugar. Mrs. Wingfield was lying asleep in -the back-room, being laid up with a worse -headache than usual.</p> - -<p>Fearing lest her mother should be roused -from her sleep, Minnie followed her brother, -her finger on her lip, a look of anxious -warning on her face. But both look and -gesture were lost upon Tom, who was -thinking of nothing but himself.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>“Here’s plenty for to-day,” he said in a -careless tone, emptying half the supply into -his bowl.</p> - -<p>“But, Tom—our poor mother—she is ill, -you know—”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’ve not taken it all.”</p> - -<p>“But we cannot afford—”</p> - -<p>“Don’t torment me!” cried Tom angrily, -helping himself to more.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear Tom,” said the little girl, laying -her hand upon his arm.</p> - -<p>“I’ll not stand this nonsense!” exclaimed -the boy fiercely; and turning suddenly -round, he flung the rest of the sugar into -the dusty road. “There—that serves you -right; that will teach you another time to -mind your own business and leave me -alone;” and noisily setting down the empty -cup, the boy sauntered out of the cottage.</p> - -<p>Something seemed to rise in Minnie’s -throat; her heart was swelling, her cheek -was flushed with mingled sorrow and indignation. -Oh, how much patience and meekness<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -we require to meet the daily little trials -of life!</p> - -<p>Minnie was roused by her mother’s feeble, -fretful voice. “I wish that you and Tom -had a little more feeling for me. You have -awoke me with your noise.”</p> - -<p>“I am sorry that you have been disturbed, -dear mother; I’ll try and not let it -happen again. Do you feel better now?”</p> - -<p>“No one feels better for awaking with a -start,” returned Mrs. Wingfield peevishly. -“I should not have expected such thoughtlessness -from you.”</p> - -<p>Minnie’s eyes were so brimful of tears -that she dared not shut them, lest the drops -should run over on her cheek. She knew -that her mother would not like to see her -cry, so, turning quietly away, she went to -the small fire to make a little tea for the -invalid.</p> - -<p>There was nothing that Mrs. Wingfield -enjoyed like a cup of warm tea; and when -Minnie brought one to the side of her bed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -with a nice little piece of dry toast beside it, -even the sick woman’s worn face looked -almost cheerful. As soon, however, as she -had tasted the tea, she set down the cup -with a displeased air.</p> - -<p>“You’ve forgotten the sugar, child.”</p> - -<p>“Not forgotten, mother, but—but I have -none.”</p> - -<p>“More shame to you,” cried Mrs. Wingfield, -her pale face flushing with anger; “I -am sure that a good deal was left this -morning. You might have thought of your -poor sick mother; she has few enough comforts, -I am sure.”</p> - -<p>Poor Minnie! she left the room with a -very heavy heart; she felt for some minutes -as if nothing could cheer her. Angry with -her brother, grieved at her mother’s undeserved -reproach, as she again sat down to -work in the little porch, her tears fell fast -over her seam. Presently Conscience, that -inward monitor to whose advice the little -girl was accustomed to listen, began to make<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -itself heard. “This is foolish, this is wrong,—dry -up your tears, they can but give pain -to your sick mother. You must patiently -bear with the fretfulness of illness, and not -add to its burden by showing that you feel -it. You know that you have not acted selfishly, -you need not regret your own conduct -in the affair,—is not that the greatest of -comforts? But I know very well,” still -Conscience whispered in her heart, “that -you never will feel quite peaceful and happy -till no anger remains towards your brother. -A little sin disturbs peace more than a great -deal of sorrow; ask for aid to put away this -sin.”</p> - -<p>Minnie listened to the quiet voice of Conscience, -and gradually her tears stopped and -her flushed cheek became cool. She made -a hundred excuses in her mind for poor Tom. -He had been always much indulged,—he -would be sorry for what he had done,—how -much better he was than other boys that -she knew, who drank, or swore, or stole.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -And for herself, what a sin it was to have -felt so miserable! How many blessings -were given her to enjoy! She had health, -and sight, and fingers able to do work; and -neither she nor her mother had difficulty in -procuring it, the ladies around were so kind. -Then there was the church, and the school, -and the Best of Books;—and the world was -so beautiful, with its bright sun and sweet -flowers,—there was so much to enjoy, so -much to be thankful for! And Minnie -raised her eyes to the blue sky above, all -dotted over with rosy clouds; for it was the -hour of sunset, and she thought of the bright -happy place to which her dear father had -gone, and how she might hope to join him -there, and never know sorrow again. What -wonder, with such sweet thoughts for her -companions, if Minnie’s face again grew -bright, and she worked away in her little -porch with a feeling of peace and grateful -love in her breast which a monarch might -have envied.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> - - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_059.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER V.<br /> - -<small>CONVERSATION IN THE HIVE.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_059a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">POOR Sipsyrup! how sadly she stood -at the entrance of the hive, where -her gentle preserver had left her. -The fine down, of which she had -been so vain, was all rubbed and -injured by her struggles in the web; one of -her elegant wings was torn; she felt that all -her beauty was gone! She had hardly -courage to enter the hive, and was ashamed -to be seen by the busy bees flocking in and -out of the door. I am not sure that insects -can sigh, or I am certain that she must have -sighed very deeply. The first thing that -gave her the least feeling of comfort was the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -sound of Silverwing’s friendly hum;—the -poor wounded insect exerted her feeble -strength, and crept timidly into the hive.</p> - -<p>“Sipsyrup!—can it be!” cried Honeyball, -rousing herself from a nap as the bee -brushed past her.</p> - -<p>“Sipsyrup, looking as though she had been -in the wars!” exclaimed Waxywill, who, in -the pride of her heart, had always looked -with contempt on her vain, silly companion.</p> - -<p>“My poor Sipsyrup!” cried Silverwing, -hastening towards her. Their feelers met -(that is the way of embracing in Bee-land), -the kind bee said little, but by every friendly -act in her power showed her pity and anxiety -to give comfort.</p> - -<p>What pleased Sipsyrup most was the absence -of Stickasting, who had not returned -to the hive which she had left an hour before -in a passion.</p> - - - -<p>After resting for a little on a half-finished -cell, while Silverwing with her slender -tongue gently smoothed her ruffled down,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -and brought a drop of honey to refresh her, -Sipsyrup felt well enough to relate her sad -story, to which a little group of surrounding -bees listened with no small interest. Sipsyrup -left altogether out of her account the -fine compliments paid her by Spinaway, she -could not bear that her vanity should be -known; but she gained little by hiding the -truth, as this only made her folly appear -more unaccountable.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_061.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">MINNIE AT THE HIVE.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span>“I cannot understand,” said Waxywill, -“how any bee in her senses could fly into a -web with her eyes open.”</p> - -<p>“When there was not even a drop of -honey to be gained by it,” hummed Honeyball.</p> - -<p>Sipsyrup hastened to the end of her story, -and related how she had been saved from the -spider by the timely help of a kind little girl.</p> - -<p>“May she live upon eglantine all her -life,” exclaimed Silverwing with enthusiasm, -“and have her home quite overflowing with -honey and pollen!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>“This is the strangest part of your adventure,” -said Honey ball; “this is the very -first time in my life that I ever heard of -kindness shown to an insect by a human -being.”</p> - -<p>“I thought that bees were sometimes fed -by them in winter,” suggested Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“Fed with sugar and water!—fit food for -a bee!” cried Honeyball, roused to indignation -upon the only subject that stirred her -up to anything like excitement. “And -have you never heard how whole swarms -have been barbarously murdered, smothered -in the hive which they had filled with so -much labour, that greedy man might feast -upon their spoils!”</p> - -<p>“If you talk of greediness, Honeyball,” -drily observed Waxywill, “I should say, -<i>Keep your tongue in a sheath.</i>”</p> - -<p>“I am glad that it is not the custom for -men to eat bees as well as their honey,” -laughed Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“Oh, they are barbarous to everything,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -whether they eat it or not,” exclaimed -Waxywill, with an angry buzz. “Have I -not seen a poor butterfly, basking in the -sun, glittering in her vest of purple and -gold—ah, Sipsyrup, in your very best day, -you were no better than a blackbeetle compared -to her!”</p> - -<p>An hour before, Sipsyrup would have felt -ready to sting Waxywill for such an insolent -speech, but the pride of the poor bee was -humbled; and when Waxywill observed her -silence and noticed her drooping looks, she -felt secretly ashamed of her provoking words. -She continued: “Have I not seen the butterfly, -I say, dancing through the air, as -though life was all sunshine and joy!—I -have seen a boy look on her—not to admire, -not to feel pleasure in beholding her beauty, -but eager to lay that beauty in the dust, and -seize on his little victim. I have watched -him creeping softly, his hat in his hand, as -anxious about his prize, as if to destroy a -poor insect’s happiness was the way to secure<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -his own. Now the unconscious butterfly -rose, high above the reach of her pursuer, -then sank again to earth, to rest upon a -flower, whose tints were less bright than its -wings. Down came the hat—there was a -shout from the boy—the butterfly was prisoner -at last. If he had caught it to eat it, -as the spider caught Sipsyrup, I could have -forgiven him—for men as well as bees must -have food, and I suspect that they do not -live entirely upon honey; but it made me -wish for a hundred stings when I saw the -wretched insect lying on the ground, fluttering -in the agonies of death. The boy had -barbarously torn off its bright beautiful -wings, and had not even the mercy to put it -out of pain by setting his foot upon it.”</p> - -<p>“It had never injured him,” murmured -Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“It had never injured any one—it desired -nothing but to be allowed to spend its short -life in peace.”</p> - -<p>“How would the boy have liked to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -had his wings torn off,” said Honeyball, “for -the amusement of some creature stronger -than himself?”</p> - -<p>“Men and boys are worse than hornets,” -muttered Waxywill.</p> - -<p>“But we have found one of human-kind,” -hummed Silverwing cheerfully, “who could -be merciful even to a bee. Perhaps in the -world there may be others like her, too -noble, too generous to use their strength to -torture and destroy what cannot resist -them.”</p> - -<p>Waxywill and Honeyball now took their -departure—I fear rather for their own pleasure -than for the benefit of the hive; as -Waxywill was not in a humour to work, and -Honeyball was always in a humour to idle. -As soon as they had flown out of reach of -hearing, poor Sipsyrup said, in a very dull -tone,—</p> - -<p>“I wonder what is to become of me now, -poor unhappy insect that I am. I fear that -I shall never be able to fly; and to live on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -here in this wretched way is almost worse -than to be eaten by a spider.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you should not say so,” replied -gentle Silverwing; “you can still crawl -about, and you are safe in your own home.”</p> - -<p>“Safe!—I am miserable! With what -pleasure I had thought of joining the first -swarm that should fly off. I am tired of the -hive—this noisy, bustling hive—I have lost -everything that I cared for, everything that -made life pleasant—my beauty, my strength, -my power of flying; I have nothing left—”</p> - -<p>“But your duties,” added Silverwing; -“make them your pleasures. My dear -friend, if you no more can be pretty, you -may still be useful; if you no more can be -admired, you can still be loved. You may -not be able to go far, or to see much; but -there are better joys to be found in your -own home.”</p> - -<p>Before the night closed, both the little -nurse-bees were busy feeding the larv.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> - - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_069.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VI.<br /> - -<small>A STINGING REPROOF.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_069a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE sunset was still casting a red glow -over the earth, throwing the long -shadows of the trees on the ground, -and lighting up the cottage windows, -as Polly Bright stood at the door of her cottage, -watching for her mother’s return.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bright was a hard-working woman, -who, during the absence of her husband, a -soldier in the Crimea, earned many an honest -shilling as charwoman in the house of the -Squire on the hill. She generally managed -to let Polly have the advantage of attending -the school in the morning. Though herself -unable to read, she liked the idea of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -daughter being a scholar; and as plain-work -was also taught in the school, she thought -that what Polly acquired there might make -her not only more learned, but more useful. -But it was only for attendance in the morning -that the charwoman’s child could be -spared from her home. During her mother’s -frequent absence, all the charge of the cottage, -and care of the children, belonged of -course to Polly Bright.</p> - -<p>I cannot say that the little parlour could -compare in neatness with that of Mrs. Wingfield. -There was a chest of drawers in one -of the corners, and on it was heaped a strange -medley of things. Tea-pot and broken jug, -old shawl and a baby’s rattle, nutmeg-scraper, -bellows, saucepan and books, were piled in -sad confusion. Nor would I have advised -you to have attempted to open one of the -drawers. They were sometimes too full to -be opened at all, and stuck tight against -every effort, as if aware that they were not -fit to be seen. Polly was too fond of adorning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -herself to care for adorning her cottage. -She was not aware how far better it looks to -be simple, neat, and clean, and dressed according -to our station, than to be decked out -with gaudy finery, and try to ape the appearance -of those whom Providence has placed -above us.</p> - -<p>You will remember that we visited this -cottage in the third chapter, and there is -little change in the appearance of things -there now. The damp on the floor occasioned -by Johnny’s accident has dried up, -and so have the tears of the little boy, -who, seated upon a stool near his sister’s -feet, is cramming his mouth with bread and -butter, with an air of great content. But -the thin sickly baby is still in his cradle, still -uttering his feeble, unheeded wail, for the -poor little creature is teething hard, and has -no other way of expressing his pain. Polly -never notices his heated lips and swelled -gums; she is more occupied with herself -this evening than usual, for Mrs. Larkins,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -the farmer’s wife, has invited her to tea, and -as soon as her mother returns to take her -place, she will be off to amuse herself at -Greenhill. Oh yes; you might be certain -that some gay meeting was expected! Look -at the necklace of false coral round her neck, -the half-soiled lace which she has sewn round -her frock, and her hair all in papers at -this hour of the day; you would laugh were -you to see her, but to me the sight of her -folly is really too sad for laughing. Of what -is she thinking as she quickly untwists the -papers, and curls her long hair round her -fingers? Her thoughts are divided between -impatience at her mother’s delay, fears of -herself being late for the party, and wishes -that the pedlar would only happen to call at -her cottage.</p> - -<p>She had heard that day, from one of her -school-fellows, that a man had been going -about the neighbourhood with a pack so full -of beautiful things, that such a collection -had never before been seen in the village.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -Polly had been particularly tempted by the -description of some brooches made of false -diamonds, and exactly like real ones, as the -girl, who had never seen a jewel in her life, -very positively affirmed. One of these fine -brooches was to be had for sixpence—how -eager was Polly to be its possessor! She -counted over her little treasure of pence, and -found that she had sufficient for the purchase.</p> - -<p>But how was she to find the pedlar? -Had Polly not been tied to the cottage -by what she called “these tiresome children,” -she would long ago have gone in -search of him. She could hardly expect -him to pass down her little lane, but she -was near enough to the high-road to see if -any one passed along it in going through the -village. At one time she had set little -Johnny to watch, and more than once her -hopes had been raised as the little fellow -shouted aloud, “There’s the man!” But -Polly came running first to see a drover<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -with pigs, then the baker with his little cart -going his rounds;—she had a disappointment, -poor Johnny a slap, and he was sent -crying into the cottage. This was rather -hard upon him, poor little fellow. How -could a child, not three years old, be expected -to know the difference between a -pedlar and a baker?</p> - -<p>But all was quiet again in the cottage, -Johnny occupied with his supper, and Polly -with her curl-papers, when in through the -open door who should make her entrance -but Stickasting. She came in, as usual, in -no amiable mood, quite ready to take offence -on the very shortest notice. She first settled -on the little baby’s arm; but the infant lay -perfectly still, half-comforted in his troubles -by sucking his thumb: the most passionate -bee in the world could find no excuse for -being angry with him. Stickasting rested -for a few moments on the thin, tiny arm, -then rose and approached Polly Bright.</p> - -<p>Every sensible person knows that when a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -bee or a wasp hovers near, the safest way -is to keep quiet and take no notice; but -Polly was not a very sensible person, and -being not very courageous either, was quite -frightened when the insect touched her face. -If Stickasting had mistaken it for a flower, -she would very soon have found out her -blunder, and left the little girl in peace; but, -starting back with a cry, Polly struck the -bee, and Stickasting, roused to fury, quickly -returned the blow. Mad with passion, the -insect struck her sting so deep, that it was -impossible to withdraw it again, and she left -it behind, which occasions certain death to a -bee.</p> - -<p>Stickasting felt at once that she had -thrown away her life in a wild desire for -revenge; that her destruction was caused -by her own violent act—she crawled feebly -a few inches from the spot where she fell, -and expired—a victim to her temper.</p> - -<p>Loud was the scream which Polly Bright -uttered on being stung; so loud that it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -brought, from the opposite cottage, both -Minnie Wingfield and her brother. On -finding out the cause of Polly’s distress, -Minnie hastily ran back for the blue-bag, or -a little honey, to relieve the pain of her -school-fellow. But Tom, who had very -little pity in his nature, stood shaking with -laughter at the adventure.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_076.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">POOR STICKASTING.</p> - - - - -<p>“Stung by a bee!—stung on the very tip -of the nose!—what a beauty you will look -at Greenhill to-night!—ha! ha! ha!—if you -could only see how funny you look, your -hair half in curl-papers, and half hanging -down, and your eyes as red with crying as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -the coral round your neck! You are for all -the world like silly Sally!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_077.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">TOM LAUGHING AT POLLY.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>“It does not show much, does it?” said -poor Polly anxiously, as Minnie returned -with the blue-bag.</p> - -<p>“It is swelling!” cried Tom—“swelling -higher and higher!—’twill be just like the -turkey-cock’s comb!”</p> - -<p>“Then I can’t go to-night!—I will not -go!” exclaimed Polly, sitting down and -bursting into tears.</p> - -<p>Tom laughed louder, Minnie in vain tried -to comfort,—all Polly’s happiness was for -the time overthrown by a bee! It rested -but on trifles, and a trifle was enough to -make her wretched for the rest of that day.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_079.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_080.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VII.<br /> - -<small>A WONDERFUL BORE.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_080a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">THE sun set, the rooks in the squire’s -park had gone to roost, the bats -flew round the ivy-covered tower of -the village church. The hive was -becoming quiet and still, the bees hanging -in clusters prepared to go to sleep; but -Stickasting had never returned. Silverwing -listened in vain for the well-known -sound of her angry hum, and wondered what -could have delayed her companion. But -never again was the poor bee to fly back to -the hive, never again to labour at the waxen -cells; and, alas! how little was her presence -missed—still less was it regretted.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>The next morning was warm, bright, and -sunny, the bees were early on the wing. -The larv were beginning to spin their webs, -and therefore no longer required food; so -Silverwing was free to range over the fields, -and gather honey for the hive. So tempting -was the day, that even Honeyball shook -her lazy wings and crept to the door; there -stood for a few moments, jostled by her -more active fellow-servants, and finally flew -off in quest of food.</p> - -<p>How delightful was the air!—how fragrant -the breeze! The buttercups spread -their carpet of gold, and the daisies their -mantle of silver over the meadows, all glittering -with the drops of bright dew. Honeyball -soon found a flower to her taste, and -never thought of quitting it till she had exhausted -all its honied store. She had a dim -idea that it was her duty to help to fill the -cells, but poor Honeyball was too apt to -prefer pleasure to duty.</p> - -<p>“I should like to have nothing to do,”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -she murmured, little thinking that a listener -was near.</p> - -<p>“Like to have nothing to do! Is it from -a hive-bee that I hear such words?—from -one whose labour is itself all play?”</p> - -<p>Honeyball turned to view the speaker, -and beheld on a sign-post near her the most -beautiful bee that she had ever seen. Her -body was larger than that of a hive-bee, and -her wings were of a lovely violet colour, like -the softest tint of the rainbow.<a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a></p> - -<p>Honeyball felt a little confused by the -address, and a little ashamed of her own -speech; but as all bees consider each other -as cousins, felt it best to put on a frank, -easy air.</p> - -<p>“Why, certainly, flying about upon a -morning like this, and making <i>elegant extracts</i> -from flowers, is pleasant enough for a -time. But may I ask, lady-bee,” continued<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -Honeyball, “if you think as lightly of working -in wax?”</p> - -<p>“Working in wax!” half contemptuously -replied Violetta; “a soft thing which you -can bend and twist any way, and knead into -any shape that you choose. Come and look -at my home here, and then ask yourself if -you have any reason to complain of your -work.”</p> - -<p>Honeyball looked forward with her two -honey-combed eyes, and upwards and backwards -with her three others, but not the -shadow of a hive could she perceive anywhere. -“May I venture to ask where you -live?” said she at last.</p> - -<p>“This way,” cried Violetta, waving her -feeler, and pointing to a little round hole in -the post, which Honeyball had not noticed -before. It looked gloomy, and dark, and -strange to the bee; but Violetta, who took -some pride in her mansion, requested Honeyball -to step in.</p> - -<p>“You cannot doubt my honour,” said she,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -observing that the hive-worker hesitated, -“or be suspicious of a cousin?”</p> - -<p>Honeyball assured her that she had never -dreamed of such a thing, and entered the -hole in the post.</p> - -<p>For about an inch the way sloped gently -downwards, then suddenly became straight -as a well, so dark and so deep, that Honeyball -would have never attempted to reach -the bottom, had she not feared to offend her -new acquaintance. She had some hopes -that this perpendicular passage might only -be a long entrance leading to some cheerful -hive; but after having explored to the very -end, and having found nothing but wood to -reward her search, she crept again up the -steep narrow way, and with joy found herself -once more in the sunshine.</p> - -<p>“What do you think of it?” said Violetta, -rather proudly.</p> - -<p>“I—I do not think that your hive would -hold many bees. Is it perfectly finished, -may I inquire?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>“No; I have yet to divide it into chambers -for my children, each chamber filled -with a mixture of pollen and honey, and -divided from the next by a ceiling of sawdust. -But the boring was finished to-day.”</p> - -<p>“You do not mean to say,” exclaimed -Honeyball in surprise, “that that long -gallery was ever bored by bees!”</p> - -<p>“Not by <i>bees</i>,” replied Violetta, with a -dignified bow, “but by one bee. I bored it -all myself.”</p> - -<p>The indolent Honeyball could not conceal -her amazement. “Is it possible that you -sawed it all out with your teeth?”</p> - -<p>“Every inch of the depth,” Violetta replied.</p> - -<p>“And that you can gather honey and -pollen enough to fill it?”</p> - -<p>“I must provide for my children, or they -would starve.”</p> - -<p>“And you can make ceilings of such a -thing as sawdust to divide your home into -cells?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>“This is perhaps the hardest part of my -task, but nevertheless this must be done.”</p> - -<p>“Where will you find sawdust for this -carpenter’s work?”</p> - -<p>“See yonder little heap; I have gathered -it together. Those are my cuttings from -my tunnel in the wood.”</p> - -<p>“You are without doubt a most wonderful -bee. And you really labour all alone?”</p> - -<p>“All alone,” replied Violetta.</p> - -<p>Honeyball thought of her own cheerful -hive, with its thousands of workers and -divisions of labour, and waxen cells dropping -with golden honey. She scarcely could -believe her own five eyes when she saw -what one persevering insect could do. Her -surprise and her praise pleased the violet-bee, -who took pride in showing every part -of her work, describing her difficulties, and -explaining her manner of working.</p> - -<p>“One thing strikes me,” said Honeyball, -glancing down the tunnel; “I should not -much like to have the place of your eldest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -larva, imprisoned down there in the lowest -cell, unable to stir till all her sisters have -eaten their way into daylight.”</p> - -<p>Violetta gave what in Bee-land is considered -a smile. “I have thought of that -difficulty, and of a remedy too. I am about -to bore a little hole at the end of my tunnel, -to give the young bee a way of escape from -its prison. And now,” added Violetta, “I -will detain you no longer, so much remains -to be done, and time is so precious. You -probably have something to collect for your -hive. I am too much your friend to wish -you to be idle.”</p> - -<p>Honeyball thanked her new acquaintance -and flew away, somewhat the wiser for her -visit, but feeling that not for ten pairs of -purple wings would she change places with -the carpenter-bee.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_087.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_088.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER VIII.<br /> - -<small>A CHASE, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_088a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">“THERE’S the pedlar! Oh dear! and -just as mother has gone out!” cried -Polly, who on beginning her afternoon -business of nurse to the little -children, saw, or thought that she saw, at -the end of her lane, a man with a pack -travelling along the high-road. “There he -is. Oh, if I could only stop him, or if any -one would look after the baby whilst I am -gone! Minnie Wingfield! Ah, how stupid -I am to forget that she is now at the afternoon -school! I think that baby would -keep very quiet for five minutes; he cannot -roll out of his cradle. But Johnny, he’d be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -tumbling down, or setting the cottage on -fire; I cannot leave him for a minute by -himself.—Johnny,” said she suddenly, “I -want to catch the pedlar and see his pretty -things; will you come with me, like a good -little boy?”</p> - -<p>Johnny scrambled to his feet in a moment, -to the full as eager as herself. Polly held -his fat little hand tight within her own, and -began running as fast as she could drag him -along. But the poor child’s round heavy -figure and short steps were altogether unsuited -for anything like a race. Polly felt -him as a dead weight hanging to her arm. -In vain she pulled, dragged, and jerked, -now began to encourage, and now to scold; -poor Johnny became tired, frightened, and -out of breath, and at last fairly tumbled -upon his face.</p> - -<p>“Get up—I’m in such a hurry!”—no -answer but a roar. “Stupid child! he’ll be -gone!”—Johnny bellowed louder than before. -“There, I’ll leave you on the road, you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -great tiresome boy; you have half pulled -out my arm with dragging you on. I’ll -leave you there, and silly Sally may get -you.”</p> - -<p>Then, without heeding the poor little -child’s cries and entreaties that she would -stop, as he lay on the ground, half suffocated -with sobs, Polly Bright, thinking only of -the prize which her vanity made her so -much desire, hastened after the pedlar.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_091.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">POOR SALLY.</p> - -<p>Silly Sally, who has been twice mentioned -in my tale, was a poor idiot-woman -who lived with some kind neighbours on a -common about two miles from the village. -She was perfectly harmless, and therefore -allowed to go about with freedom wherever -she chose; but the terrible misfortune, alas! -exposed her to the scorn and sometimes -even persecution of wicked children, who -made the worst use of the senses left them, -by tormenting one already so much afflicted. -Poor Sally used to wander about the lanes, -uttering her unmeaning sound. Perhaps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -even she had some pleasure in life, when -the sun shone brightly and the flowers were -out, for she would gather the wild roses -from the bank, or the scarlet poppies from -the field, and weave them into garlands for -her head. Nothing pleased her more than -when she found a long feather to add to her -gaudy wreath. If the poor witless creature<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -had delight in making herself gay, Polly at -least had no right to laugh at her.</p> - -<p>Timid and easily frightened, the idiot felt -a nervous terror for schoolboys, for which -they had given her but too much cause. -She had been hooted at, even pelted with -mud, pursued with laughter like a hunted -beast. Twice had Minnie to interfere with -her brother, pleading even with tears for one -so helpless and unhappy. If there be anything -more brutal and hateful than cruelty -to a harmless animal, it is heartless barbarity -to a defenceless idiot—to one who bears our -image, is descended from our race, and whose -only crime is the being most unfortunate. -Deal gently, dear children, with the poor -senseless idiot; we trust that there is a place -in heaven even for him. The powers denied -him in this world may be granted in the -next; and in a brighter realm, although -never here below, he may be found at his -Lord’s feet, <i>clothed and in his right mind</i>.</p> - -<p>On hastened the little girl, breathless and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -panting. At the place where the roads -joined she looked anxiously up the highway, -to see if she had not been mistaken in her -distant view of the traveller. No; there -was the pedlar, pack and all, and no mistake, -but walking more briskly than might -have been expected from his burden and -the warmth of the afternoon. His pack -must have been much lightened since he -first set out with it.</p> - -<p>Polly called out; but he either did not -hear, or did not attend. The wind was -blowing the dust in her face, she was tired -with her vain attempts to drag poor Johnny, -her shoes were down at heel and hindered -her running; for it by no means follows -that those who wish to be fine care to be -tidy also. But the brooch of false diamonds—the -coveted brooch—the thought of that -urged her on to still greater efforts; even -the remembrance of her swelled nose was -lost in the hope of possessing such a beautiful -ornament. Polly, as she shuffled hastily<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -along, saw more than one person meet the -pedlar. If they would but stop him—if -only for one minute—to give her time to get -up with him at last. No one stopped him—how -fast he seemed to walk! Polly’s -face was flushed and heated, her hair hung -about her ears—would that we were as -eager and persevering in the pursuit of what -really is precious, as the girl was in that of -a worthless toy!</p> - -<p>At last her gasped-out “Stop!” reached -the ear of the pedlar. He paused and turned -round, and in a few minutes more his pack -was opened to the admiring eyes of Polly. -Ah, how she coveted this thing and that! -how she wished that her six pennies were -shillings instead! A cherry-coloured neckerchief, -a pink silk lace, a large steel pin, and -a jewelled ring,—how they took her fancy, -and made her feel how difficult it is to -decide when surrounded by many things -alike tempting!</p> - - - -<p>But at last the wonderful brooch of false<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -diamonds was produced. There was only -one left in the pedlar’s stock. How fortunate -did Polly think it that it also had not -been sold! Neckerchief, lace, pin, or ring -was nothing compared to this. She tried -it on, had some doubts of the strength of the -pin, tried in vain to obtain a lessening of the -price. It ended in the girl’s placing all her -pence in the hand of the pedlar, and carrying -home her prize with delight. She had -had her wish. Her vanity was gratified—the -brooch was her own; but to possess is -not always to enjoy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_095.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">POLLY AND THE PEDLAR.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>Polly returned to her cottage with much -slower steps; she was heated, and tired, and -perhaps a little conscious that she had not -been faithful to her trust. As she came -near her home she quickened her pace, for -to her surprise she heard voices within, and -voices whose tones told of anxiety and fear. -These were the words which struck her ear, -and made her pause ere she ventured to -enter,—</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span>“What a mercy it is that I returned for -the basket that I had forgotten! If I had -not, what would have become of my poor -babe!” exclaimed Mrs. Bright in much -agitation.</p> - -<p>“I can’t understand how it happened,” -replied another voice, which Polly knew to -be that of Mrs. Wingfield.</p> - -<p>“You may well say that,” said the -mother. Polly could hear that she was -rocking her chair backwards and forwards, -as she sometimes did when hushing the sick -child to sleep. “I left Polly in charge of -the children: I came back to find her gone, -and my poor, poor baby in a fit.”</p> - -<p>Polly turned cold, and trembled so that -she could hardly stand.</p> - -<p>“Is there no one who could go for a -doctor?” continued the agitated mother; -“another fit may come on—I would give -the world to see him!”</p> - -<p>“I am so feeble,” replied Mrs. Wingfield, -“that I am afraid—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span>“Take the baby, then, and I’ll go myself; -not a moment is to be lost.”</p> - -<p>“No, no; there’s my boy Tom,” cried Mrs. -Wingfield, as she saw her son run hastily -into her little cottage, which was just opposite -to Mrs. Bright’s.</p> - -<p>“Oh, send him, in mercy send him!” -cried the mother; and her neighbour instantly -crossed over to fulfil her wishes, -passing Polly as she did so, and looking at -her with mingled surprise and scorn, though -in too much haste to address her.</p> - -<p>“My boy, my own darling!” murmured -the anxious mother, pressing her sick child -to her bosom, “what will your father say -when he hears of this?” Except her low, -sad voice, the cottage was so still that the -very silence was terrible to Polly; it would -have been a relief to have heard the feeble, -fretful wail which had made her feel impatient -so often.</p> - -<p>With pale, anxious face and noiseless -step, dreading to meet her mother’s eye, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -unhappy girl stole into the cottage. There -sat Mrs. Bright, her bonnet thrown back -from her head, her hair hanging loose, her -gaze fixed upon the child in her arms; -whilst the poor little babe, with livid -waxen features and half-closed eyes, lay -so quiet, and looked so terribly ill, that -but for his hard breathing his sister would -have feared that his life had indeed passed -away.</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bright raised her head as Polly -entered, and regarded her with a look whose -expression of deep grief was even more -terrible than anger. She asked no question; -perhaps the misery in which she saw the -poor girl made her unwilling to add to her -suffering by reproach; or perhaps, and this -was Polly’s own bitter thought, she considered -her unworthy of a word. Whatever -was the cause, no conversation passed between -them, except a few short directions -from the mother about things connected -with the comfort of the baby, as poor Polly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -with an almost bursting heart, tried to do -anything and everything for him.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_101.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">POLLY IN DISGRACE.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Tom had gone for the -doctor, though with an unwillingness and -desire to delay which had made his mother -both surprised and indignant.</p> - -<p>“He should go by the fields,” he said,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -though he well knew that to be the longest -way; and he would have done so, had not -Mrs. Wingfield roused herself to such anger, -that even her rude and undutiful son did -not dare to disobey her.</p> - -<p>The doctor came in about an hour, Tom -having happily found him at home, and, -with an anxiety which those who have attended -beloved ones in the hour of sickness -only can tell, Mrs. Bright and Polly listened -for his opinion of the case. The doctor examined -the child, and asked questions concerning -his illness: “How long had the fit -lasted?” There was a most painful pause. -Mrs. Bright looked at her daughter. Polly -could not utter a word; it was not till the -question was repeated that the distressing -reply, “No one knows,” was given.</p> - -<p>“Was the child long ailing?”</p> - -<p>“How was he when you left him?” said -Mrs. Bright to the miserable Polly.</p> - -<p>“Very well—that’s to say—I don’t exactly—he -was—I think—”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span>“There has been gross negligence here,” -said the doctor sternly; “gross negligence,” he -repeated, “and it may cost the child his life.”</p> - -<p>Polly could only clasp her hands in anguish; -but the mother exclaimed, “Oh, sir, is there -no hope for my boy?”</p> - -<p>“While there is life there is hope,” replied -the doctor in a more kindly tone; “he must -be bled at once. Have you a basin here?” -he added, taking a small instrument-case -from his pocket.</p> - -<p>Polly was at all times timid and nervous, -and quite unaccustomed to self-command, -and now, when she would have given worlds -to have been useful, her hand shook so -violently, her feelings so overcame her, that -there was no chance of her doing anything -but harm.</p> - -<p>“Give the basin to me, dear,” said a gentle -voice behind her; Minnie Wingfield had just -entered the cottage. “You look so ill, you -must not be present. Go up-stairs, Polly; -I will help your mother.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>“Oh, what shall I do?” cried the miserable -girl, wringing her hands.</p> - -<p>“Go and pray,” whispered Minnie as she -glided from her side; and Polly, trembling -and weeping, slowly went up the narrow -wooden staircase, and entering her little -chamber, sank down upon her knees.</p> - -<p>“Oh, spare him, only spare him, my -darling little brother!” she could at first -utter no other words. She had never loved -the baby as she did now, when she feared -that she might be about to lose him, and -bitterly she lamented her own impatient -temper that had made her weary of the duty -of tending him. Oh, that we would so act -towards our relations, that if death should -remove any one from our home, our grief -should not be embittered by the thought, -“I was no comfort or blessing to him while -he was here, and now the opportunity of -being so is gone for ever!”</p> - -<p>But the most terrible thought to Polly -was, that the baby’s danger might be partly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -owing to her neglect. Should he die—should -the little darling be taken away—could her -mother ever forgive her? As Polly sobbed -in an agony of grief, something fell from her -bosom upon the floor; she started at the -sight of her forgotten brooch, that which she -had coveted so much, that which had cost -her so dear. Snatching it up, and springing -to her feet, with a sudden impulse she -ran to the window, and flung it far out into -the lane. Then once more falling on her -knees, again she prayed, but more calmly, -and she implored not only that the baby -might live, but that her own weak, vain -heart might be cleansed, that she might -henceforth live not only for herself, but do -her duty as a faithful servant of God. She -rose somewhat comforted, and creeping -down-stairs, listened ere she ventured to -enter the little parlour.</p> - -<p>“I hope that he may do well now. I shall -send something for him to-night. Keep him -quiet. I shall call here to-morrow.” These<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -were the doctor’s parting words, and they -were a great relief to Polly. She came in -softly, and bent down by the baby, now laid -again in his little cradle, and looking white -as the sheet that was over him; she would -have kissed his thin, pale face, but she feared -to disturb the poor child. Her heart was -full of mingled sorrow and love; she felt as -though she could never bear to leave him -again.</p> - -<p>“Thank you, Minnie, my girl,” said Mrs. -Bright earnestly; “you have been a real -comfort to me in my time of need. Your -mother is a happy woman to have such a -child.”</p> - -<p>“Can I do anything else for you now?” -said Minnie; “if you would allow me to sit -up instead of you to-night?”</p> - -<p>“No, no; I could not close an eye. But -I should be glad if you would bring Johnny -home, my dear; it is near his bed-time, and -I do not think that he will disturb the -baby.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>“I will bring him with pleasure; where -is he?” said Minnie.</p> - -<p>“Where is he?” repeated Mrs. Bright; -“is he not at your home?”</p> - -<p>“No; he has not been there all day.” -Polly started as if she had been stabbed.</p> - -<p>“Then where is he?” cried Mrs. Bright, -looking anxiously round. “Is he up-stairs, -Polly?” The miserable girl shook her -head. Her fears for the baby had made -her quite forget her little brother, and it -now flashed across her mind that she had -not passed him in the lane, when she had -retraced her steps to the cottage. Where -could he have gone, where could he be now?</p> - -<p>Mrs. Bright had endured much, but her -cup seemed now to overflow. She walked -close up to Polly, laid a heavy grasp upon -her shoulder, and said, in a tone which the -girl remembered to her dying day, “When -was your brother last with you?”</p> - -<p>“About two hours ago, just before you -returned home,” faltered Polly.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span>“And where did you leave him?”</p> - -<p>“In the lane, near the high-road.”</p> - -<p>“Go and find him,” said the mother, between -her clenched teeth, “or never let me -set eyes on you again!”</p> - -<p>Polly rushed out of the cottage, and began -her anxious search up and down the lane, by -the hedge, in the ditch, along the road, asking -every person that she met, and from -every one receiving the same disheartening -answer. No one had seen the boy, no one -could think what had become of him. He -was too young to have wandered far; had he -run towards the road, he must have been -met by Polly—if the other way, he must -have been seen by his mother; he could -not have got over the hedge; there was no -possibility of his having lost his way. Many -neighbours joined in the search; many pitied -the unhappy mother, but she was less to be -pitied than Polly.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_109.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER IX.<br /> - -<small>PRISONS AND PRISONERS.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_109a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">WE will now return to our little -friend, Honeyball, whom we left -flying from the curious dwelling -of the carpenter-bee. We will -follow her as she lazily proceeded -along the lane in which were situated the -cottages of Mrs. Wingfield and Mrs. Bright, -the sweet flowers in the garden of the former -rendering it a favourite resort for bees. -This was not long after noon, and therefore -a few hours before all the troubles related -in the last chapter had occurred, while Polly -and her two little charges were yet safe in -their own comfortable cottage.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>Honeyball looked at Spinaway busily -mending her net, torn by the adventure of -Sipsyrup, and laughed as she thought of the -folly of her companion. Honeyball was not -vain enough to be enticed by sugared words; -her dangers arose from quite another source—her -greediness and great self-indulgence. -Her eye was now attracted by a little bottle -hung up by the porch, not far from the rosebush; -it had been placed there by Tom to -catch wasps. Perhaps he had hoped to entrap -some others of the winged tribes, for -he had just taken a fancy to make a collection -of insects, and woe unto any small -creature that might fall into his merciless -hands!</p> - -<p>Honeyball alighted on the bottle, then -fluttered to the top, allured by the sugary -scent. The brim was sticky; she unsheathed -her long bright tongue, tasted, approved, -and then sipped again. At this moment she -heard a buzz near her, and looking up with her -back eyes, perceived her friend Silverwing.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>“Do come from that huge, bright, hard -cell,” cried the bee; “I am sure that it -never was formed by any of our tribe, and -I do not believe that it holds honey.”</p> - -<p>“It holds something very good, and in -such abundance too,” replied Honeyball; “a -thousand honeysuckles would not contain so -much!”</p> - -<p>“There is danger, I am certain that there -is danger,” cried Silverwing. “What if it -should have been placed there on purpose to -catch us?”</p> - -<p>“You think me as foolish as Sipsyrup!”</p> - -<p>“No, not foolish, but—”</p> - -<p>“Too fond of good living, and too lazy to -like trouble in procuring it. Well, I daresay -that you are right, Silverwing; I believe -that, as you say, there may be danger.”</p> - -<p>“Then why not come away?” persisted -the bee.</p> - -<p>“Because the taste is so good,” said her -companion, bending over the rim—the next -moment she was struggling in the syrup!</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>Ah, Honeyball, weak, foolish insect! In -vain do you struggle, in vain do you buzz, -in vain your grieved friend flutters against -the glass,—you have sacrificed yourself for -a little indulgence, like thousands who look -at the tempting glass, know their danger, -yet will not abstain!</p> - -<p>As Silverwing on the outside of the bottle -was uttering her hum of pity and regret, -suddenly a handkerchief was thrown over -her, and the loud, rough voice of Tom was -heard.</p> - -<p>“Rather a paltry beginning to my collection, -a wretched hive-bee! But I caught it -so cleverly, without its being crushed, or -spoiled by the syrup; and I will keep it till -I get that stuff which Ben told me of, which -kills insects without hurting their beauty!”</p> - -<p>Poor unhappy Silverwing! she was indeed -in a terrible position. She had not even -power to use her sting in self-defence, for to -plunge it into the handkerchief would have -been useless indeed; and she felt all that a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -bee might be expected to feel, in the power -of its most cruel foe. Tom carried her into -the cottage, and carefully unclosing the -handkerchief, after he had mounted upon a -chair to reach the shelf easily, he shook his -poor prisoner into his own mug, and tied -some paper firmly over the top.</p> - -<p>Silverwing flew round and round, buzzing -in terror; she only hurt her wings against -the sides. Then she crawled over the paper -which formed the ceiling of her prison; but -no hole for escape could she find. It was -clear that she was now shut out from all -hope, condemned perhaps to some lingering -death. While her companions were flying -about, busy and happy, she was to pine, a -lonely prisoner, here. At first her feelings -were those of despair; then, quietly, though -sadly, she made up her mind to submit to -her cruel fate. She no longer fluttered -about restlessly, but settling at the bottom -of the mug, in patience awaited the return -of her tormentor.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>Hours passed before Tom came back. -There had been other voices in the cottage, -but no one had touched the place of Silverwing’s -imprisonment. Mrs. Wingfield had -been called out hastily by her neighbour -Mrs. Bright, on the discovery of the illness -of the baby; and as Minnie had not then -returned from school, the cottage was left -quite empty. Presently there was a rapid -step, then the sound of some one jumping -up on the chair. Silverwing felt the mug -moved, then the paper raised; she was ready -to make a last effort to escape through the -opening; but her little tyrant took good -care to give no time for that; he only shook -in another victim, and then shut down the -paper quickly, and placed a book on the -top.</p> - -<p>Silverwing paid no attention to what was -passing in the cottage round her, though I -may as well remind the reader of what -passed in the last chapter,—how Tom had -scarcely got down from the chair before his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -mother came in and ordered him to go off -for the doctor, as Mrs. Bright’s baby was -very ill indeed; how Tom hesitated, and -said that he would go by the fields, and then -was sent off direct by his mother in much -displeasure. To all this, as I said, Silverwing -paid no attention; her little world was -contained in the mug, and all her interest -was aroused by her fellow-prisoner. Poor -Violetta, with her fine purple wings, was -the prey of the collector of insects! He -had not cared to explore her curious home, -to learn her customs and ways, or admire -her instinct; he only wished to have the -dead body of an insect that he thought -curious, and had no scruple about destroying -it to gratify this wish.</p> - -<p>Violetta was not so patient as poor Silverwing -had been. She dashed herself against -the mug in passionate distress; she would -listen to no words of comfort! Then she -vainly tried to exercise her wonderful powers -of gnawing. From a wooden box she perhaps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -might have worked her way to freedom, but -the hard slippery crockery resisted her -utmost efforts; her poor little teeth could not -even make an impression! Exhausted at -last, she remained quite still, and Silverwing, -forgetful of her own distress, began -to attempt to soothe her companion.</p> - -<p>Thus they remained till the evening without -food, almost without hope. Mrs. Wingfield -had gone to attempt to comfort her -neighbour, nearly wild at the loss of her -Johnny; and now Minnie and Tom both -entered the cottage together. Their conversation -had no interest for the bees, in -their mug; but as it is possible that it may -have some for my reader, I shall proceed to -give some account of it in the following -chapter.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_116.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_117.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER X.<br /> - -<small>A CONFESSION.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_117a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">“OH, Tom,” said Minnie, “is not this a -terrible misfortune that has happened -to poor Mrs. Bright?”</p> - -<p>Tom gave a sort of grunt of assent.</p> - -<p>“And the baby so ill! Mother doubts -if he will live over the night! I am glad -that you found the doctor so soon. But -what can have become of dear little Johnny? -The Barnes and the Smiths have been all -on the search; they say that if the wind -had not been blowing the dust so much -along the lane, the little fellow might have -been tracked by his footsteps. No one can -imagine where he can have gone,—he is so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -very young,—so unable to wander far. -Poor Polly! I am so sorry for her!”</p> - -<p>“I wish that you would not be talking -for ever about Johnny!” exclaimed Tom in -a petulant tone.</p> - -<p>“How can one think or talk of anything -else?” replied Minnie sadly,—“I did so -love that noble boy!”</p> - -<p>“Have done with it!” cried her brother, -more angrily than before.</p> - -<p>Minnie looked at him with pain, and then -said in a low tone, “I thought that you had -even joined in the search.”</p> - -<p>“I have joined,—I would give anything -to find him!” exclaimed Tom, striking his -hand on the table as he spoke, with such -passionate energy that he almost startled -his sister.</p> - -<p>“Did you see nothing of the dear child,” -said Minnie, as a thought suddenly occurred -to her, “when you came to our cottage,—just -before you went for the doctor, you -know?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span>“Didn’t I tell you that I wanted to hear -no more about the matter!” cried Tom, his -whole face becoming the colour of crimson.</p> - -<p>Minnie’s eyes were fixed upon him, -steadily, earnestly; rude, bold boy as he -was, he shrank from her piercing gaze. -Going nearer to her brother, and speaking -very distinctly, but in a voice hardly above a -whisper, she said, “I believe that you know -more about Johnny than you will tell.”</p> - -<p>“Believe what you like, and let me alone.”</p> - -<p>“Tom, I implore you, hide nothing from -us. Oh, think of the misery of the poor -broken-hearted mother!” and she laid her -hand upon his arm.</p> - -<p>“Speak another word and I’ll strike -you!” cried Tom, roughly shaking her off.</p> - -<p>“Strike me if you will, but I <i>must</i> speak. -Where did you see that child last?”</p> - -<p>“You can get nothing out of me,” growled -Tom.</p> - -<p>“Then I must call those who can,” said -Minnie firmly, turning round as if to quit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -the cottage. “This is a matter of life or -death.” She looked pale, but very determined.</p> - -<p>“Whom are you going to call?” said -Tom, his manner betraying some fear.</p> - -<p>“My mother—if necessary, the clergyman—or—the -magistrate!”</p> - -<p>Tom caught her by the arm as he exclaimed, -“Stop, Minnie, oh, stop,—you shall -hear all and judge! I don’t know where -the boy is,—I would give my right hand -that I did. It is true that I saw him last, -and I have searched all the place again and -again. You would not betray me—you -would not, Minnie?—you might ruin me, -but could not help Johnny. Sit down here, -and listen to me quietly, and you shall know -everything that has happened!”</p> - -<p>Minnie sat down beside him, her heart -beating fast. He gave her a short but true -account of what had passed, omitting, however, -some little particulars which we shall -relate more at length.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>You will remember that we left poor -Johnny crying in the lane, vainly trying to -call back his sister, as she hurried in pursuit -of the pedlar. When the child found his -terrors unheeded, his loud roar gradually -sank into a low broken sob, he scrambled to -his feet, rubbed his plump dusty hand across -his eyes to brush away the tears, and began -to think of trotting back to the cottage.</p> - -<p>Just as the little fellow was commencing -his journey, he heard a voice call him from -the other side of the hedge which bordered -the narrow lane. At first, fancying that it -might be silly Sally, with whom he had -been threatened, Johnny was inclined to -run the faster for the call; but he soon -knew Tom, when he saw him clambering -over and holding something in his hand.</p> - -<p>“Here’s something for you, my jolly little -man!” cried Tom, who amused himself -sometimes by playing with, but more often -by teasing, his little rosy-cheeked neighbour.</p> - -<p>“What got?” asked the child, as Tom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> -jumped down beside him. Johnny was -always sparing of his words.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_122.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">A NEST OF LITTLE BIRDS.</p> - -<p>“A nest of little birds that was swinging -on a bough. I knocked off the nest, and -down came the birds!”</p> - -<p>“All dead!” said Johnny sadly.</p> - - - - - -<p>“Why, yes; you see they had some way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> -to fall. The little things broke their necks, -so there was an end of them.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_123.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">TOM TEASING JOHNNY</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>“Poor ’ittle birds! knocked off tree!” said -the pitying child. Tom was provoked at -seeing the pity.</p> - -<p>“What a silly little goose you are, -Johnny! It was fine fun to set nest and all -a-flying, and finish the whole family at -once!”</p> - -<p>But whatever might be the opinion of -Tom, the plump little cottager kept to his -own, and only more sadly repeated the -words, “Poor ’ittle birds! knocked off -tree!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, if you’ve such a fancy for swinging -on a tree, we’ll have you up directly, and -make an ‘’ittle bird of you!’” And laughing -at the struggles and entreaties of the child, -Tom suddenly lifted him over the hedge, -and followed him into the field, flinging the -wretched dead birds into a ditch.</p> - -<p>In vain Johnny kicked and pushed and -roared; Tom was a remarkably tall and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> -strong boy, and catching the poor child up -in his arms, he ran with him across the field. -There was another hedge at the opposite -side, which Tom passed as easily as he had -done the first, and they now found themselves -at the edge of a wood, thickly filled -with trees of various sizes.</p> - -<p>It was a delight to Tom to cause terror -and alarm; no feeling of pity with him ever -cut short a joke. In a few moments poor -Johnny was perched upon a branch, clinging -and roaring with all his might.</p> - -<p>“There, ‘’ittle bird,’ I hope that you like -your bough. Shall I shake it an <i>’ittle</i>, just -to give you a nice swing? Hold tight, -mind you don’t fall, or you’ll break your fat -neck as the <i>’ittle</i> birds did!” Then he began -to sing—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“Hushaby, baby, on the tree-top,</div> -<div class="verse">When the wind blows the cradle will rock;</div> -<div class="verse">When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,</div> -<div class="verse">Down comes poor baby, cradle and all!”</div> -</div></div> - -<p>How long Tom might have gone on tormenting -the child no one can tell, if suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> -he had not been struck by the appearance -of a curious bee, which had alighted for a -moment upon a wild flower near.</p> - -<p>“Oh, what a splendid bee!” he cried, -leaving hold of the branch to which Johnny -still clung. “Sit you there till I catch it. -Isn’t it a beauty!—I never saw such fine -purple wings!”</p> - -<p>My reader has probably guessed that it -was poor Violetta whose fatal beauty had -attracted his eye. Johnny and his terrors -all were forgotten, while Tom rushed forward -in eager pursuit; the frightened child -stopping his crying to watch the chase, -which ended in Tom’s securing his prize in -his handkerchief.</p> - -<p>Impatient to carry it at once to a safe -place, afraid of its either escaping or being -crushed in his hold, Tom, whose cottage was -so near that he could reach it in a few -minutes, sprang over the hedge, and ran fast -across the field. Thus Johnny was left in a -position of some peril. Not knowing how<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> -long the boy’s absence might be, he shouted -as loudly and as vainly after Tom as he -before had done after his sister.</p> - -<p>“And did you not return soon?” cried -Minnie, as Tom reached this part of his -story.</p> - -<p>“How could I? Mother sent me off -directly for the doctor.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, why, why did you not tell her?”</p> - -<p>“Very likely, indeed, that I should tell -her that I had left little Johnny sticking in -a tree? I could only hope that he would -stick there until I could get back. I returned -at full speed from the doctor’s, I can -assure you; but when I reached the wood -not a trace of the little fellow could I -find.”</p> - -<p>“O Tom,” exclaimed Minnie, with a look -of horror, “such a terrible thought has -struck me!”</p> - -<p>“I daresay that it has struck me before,” -gloomily replied her brother.</p> - -<p>“Was it, oh! was it far from the well?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>“If he’s there,” said Tom in a hollow -voice, “he’s dead long before now.”</p> - -<p>“Did you search there?”</p> - -<p>“I looked down, and saw nothing.”</p> - -<p>“Looked down! O Tom, this is worse -than mockery! If the waters were above -him—it is so deep—so dark!—”</p> - -<p>“What is to be done?” exclaimed the boy.</p> - -<p>“Some one must go down in the bucket. -Oh, there is not a moment to be lost!” -Minnie would have rushed from the cottage, -but her brother held her fast.</p> - -<p>“There is no use in rousing the village -<i>now</i>!” he cried. “Do you mean to ruin, to -destroy me? Minnie, if you betray me—if -it is found that the child is drowned—people -will say that—that,”—and his look of terror -told a great deal more than his words.</p> - -<p>“But you never threw him in—it was -only foolish play.”</p> - -<p>“Who can prove that? O Minnie, would -you bring me to a jail, or perhaps to worse?”</p> - -<p>“Then let us go ourselves,” exclaimed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> -the little girl, divided between anxiety for -her brother and fears for the lost child. -“I must either go or send; and if there is -danger to you—”</p> - -<p>“We will go—do anything, only in pity -be silent! Minnie, Minnie, you cannot tell -how miserable I am!”</p> - -<p>Without pausing another moment, both -ran out of the cottage, only fearful lest they -should be seen and detained. Tom helped -Minnie over the low hedge; but she hardly -needed help, so eager was she to reach the -well. The rose-tint of sunset had now given -place to evening’s gray, the dew was falling, -dark clouds gathered over the sky; but heeding -nothing, pausing for nothing, the Wingfields -pressed on, and were soon standing by -the side of the well.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_130.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> - - - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_131.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XI.<br /> - -<small>A SUDDEN FALL</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_131a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">“WHAT has become of these two children -of mine?” said Mrs. Wingfield -fretfully, as on her return -from her neighbour’s she found -the cottage empty. “I’m sure -such a day of bustle as I have had—scarce -out of one trouble before I am into another! -Well, poor Mrs. Bright is still worse off, -that is one thing. I am glad that the baby -has at last dropped asleep.”</p> - -<p>It grew darker and darker. Mrs. Wingfield -became uneasy. She stirred the fire, -filled the kettle, then with a long weary sigh -sat down to rest. She missed Minnie and -her quiet attentions.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span>“I suppose that they are still out, searching -for little Johnny. I fear that there will -be rain. I wish that they were back.” -Mrs. Wingfield fancied that she heard a low -knock at the door.</p> - -<p>“Come in,” she said; but no one entered. -Mrs. Wingfield drew her chair nearer to the -fire, leaned her head upon her hand, and -wished that Tom and Minnie would not -stay out so late.</p> - -<p>Again the same low knock. She called out -louder, “Come in,” and the faint light which -came through the doorway was darkened by -a figure which seemed to linger, as if in fear, -on the threshold. Then the voice of poor -Polly was heard—“O Mrs. Wingfield, can -you tell me how baby is?”</p> - -<p>“What! Polly, is that you? Come in, -my poor child. All cold and wet with the -dew! Why don’t you go home?”</p> - -<p>“I dare not,” said Polly, bursting into -tears; “mother forbade me till Johnny is -found. Oh, tell me how baby is. Is he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> -better? will he live?”—she could hardly -speak through her sobs.</p> - -<p>“Yes, he is better; that is to say, he is -asleep.”</p> - -<p>“Not <i>dead</i>!” exclaimed Polly, alarmed -at the word.</p> - -<p>“Dead! no, child. Why, how you tremble! -Come to the fire; I’ll get you a little tea and -toast.”</p> - -<p>“I could not eat, it would choke me! -Oh, that I had never left the children—that -I had done my duty as Minnie would -have done! She—she has been a comfort -in her home—but I—”</p> - -<p>“Come, come,” said Mrs. Wingfield in a -soothing tone, “don’t go breaking your -heart in this way; all may come right at -last. Would not you like to see the baby?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, if I might only sit up with him all -night! But I may not return without -Johnny.”</p> - -<p>“Your mother never meant that. Come, -I’ll take you to her myself. When she sees<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> -how you feel all this, I am sure that she will -forgive you.”</p> - -<p>Mrs. Wingfield was a kind-hearted woman, -and taking Polly’s trembling hand within -her own, she crossed over the lane to Mrs. -Bright’s. Polly shrank back as they reached -the door.</p> - -<p>“Oh, say, do you bring me news of my -child?” cried the poor anxious woman from -within.</p> - -<p>“Not of Johnny, yet still of your child. -There is one here who is afraid to come in. -Poor thing, she has almost cried herself to -death.”</p> - -<p>“Polly,” murmured the mother, and -stretched out her arms. In another moment -the poor girl was sobbing upon her -bosom.</p> - -<p>Amidst the troubles of our human friends -we must not quite forget those of our little -winged ones. The frightened hungry bees, -confined in their small prison, passed the -long hours in most uncomfortable plight.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>“What a bitter thing it is,” cried Violetta, -sinking exhausted after a last effort to gnaw -through the unyielding crockery, “to think -of all the joy and happiness left in the world, -from which we are shut out for ever. To-morrow -the lark will be rising on high, the -butterfly flitting over the daisied meadow, -your comrades feasting in the dewy flowers, -all Nature one hum of life!”</p> - -<p>“I am glad that they can enjoy still, -there is some comfort in that,” said Silverwing.</p> - -<p>“That is a feeling which I cannot understand,” -observed Violetta. “It is strange -that the very same thought should give -pain to me and pleasure to you!”</p> - -<p>Violetta had had no great experience of -life, or she would have known that such is -often the case. Living by herself as a solitary -insect, she had never heard one of the -mottoes of Bee-land: <i>From the blossom of -a comrade’s success one draws the poison of -envy, another the honey of delight.</i></p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>The village church-clock had struck the -hour of nine; it was seldom that its sound -could be heard in the cottage of Mrs. Wingfield, -but now the place was so still that the -breeze bore it distinctly to her listening ear. -Weary, she lay on her bed, unwilling to -sleep till her children should return. The -rain was beginning to fall without; the -heavy clouds bending towards earth, made -the night much darker than is usual in summer. -Presently a sound was heard at the -door.</p> - -<p>“Minnie, is that you?” cried the mother.</p> - -<p>“It is Polly,” answered a mournful voice, -as the little girl entered the cottage.</p> - -<p>“Is the baby worse?” asked Mrs. Wingfield.</p> - -<p>“I hope not; but mother is in such a state -about Johnny. If it were not for baby, she -would be wandering all night in the rain. -I come to ask if you could kindly give her -a little hartshorn—I know that that is what -you take when you are poorly.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>“You are heartily welcome to what I -have,” replied the cottager; “I daresay -that you can find it yourself—I need not -rise. Snuff the long wick of the candle, and -there—don’t put it in the draught—mind -you don’t snuff it out—why, how your poor -fingers tremble!”</p> - -<p>How changed was Polly since the morning’s -sun had risen! Her cheeks pale and -haggard, her eyes swollen with weeping, her -dress hanging damp around her chill form; -who would have guessed that she ever could -have been the gayest girl in the village.</p> - -<p>“You will find the bottle on the shelf; -you can reach it with a chair,” continued -Mrs. Wingfield, raising herself on one arm -to watch the proceedings of the girl. -“There, do you not see, just behind that -mug! Why, what have you done?” she -cried in a tone of impatience, as something -came crashing upon the floor.</p> - -<p>What had she done indeed. She had -thrown down Tom’s mug, and set two little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> -prisoners free. Yes, they were free, free as -the air which they now joyously beat with -their little wings! Uttering a loud hum of -delight, they flew round the cottage, darted -to the door, then drew back, afraid of the -damp, and at last both settled sociably -under the table, to enjoy together a nice -crumb of sugar that Tom had dropped on -the floor.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_138.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">AT LIBERTY.</p> - -<p>Oh, if liberty be so sweet, so precious to -all, who would deprive even an insect of its -birthright! Let them spread the free wing, -unconfined and happy, and let us find our<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> -pleasure rather in seeing them in the position -for which Providence formed and designed -them, than in keeping them as captives, -the slaves to our will, deprived of their life’s -dearest blessing!</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_139.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> - - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_140.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XII.<br /> - -<small>AN UNPLEASANT JOURNEY.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_140a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">MINNIE and her brother stood at the -brink of the well, and gazed with -straining eyes into its depths.</p> - -<p>“Which of us should go down?” -said Minnie.</p> - -<p>“You need not have asked such a question; -you know that you are not strong -enough to draw me up; and I doubt,” added -Tom, passing his hand along the rope—“I -doubt if this is strong enough to bear me.”</p> - -<p>Minnie drew one step backwards. “If it -should break with me!” she murmured.</p> - -<p>“You should have thought of that before,” -was Tom’s only reply.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span>“Tom, at all risks I must go—I could -not sleep to-night with this horrible doubt -on my mind, and you will not let me call -others to help. I trust that the Almighty -will take care of me, for my only hope is in -Him. Help me to get into the bucket; -and, oh! be very careful, dear Tom—you -do not know how much frightened I am.”</p> - -<p>“Hold the rope firmly,” said her brother; -“and here, take this long stick to feel about -in the water when you are down.” Tom -was extremely anxious to have his own -mind relieved, or, heartless as he was, he -could hardly have consented to let his -young sister run this risk. But there was -nothing that the selfish boy dreaded so -much as that his share in Johnny’s wanderings -should be known, if his fearful suspicion -were true, and the poor child had indeed -perished through his folly.</p> - -<p>Minnie shook with terror as the bucket -began to descend; every moment she fancied -the rope giving way, and that she should be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> -plunged into the water below. The strange -damp smell, the dim light, the peculiar -sound of her own voice in that hollow confined -place, all added to her feeling of fear.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_142.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">DOWN THE WELL.</p> - -<p>“Stop, Tom,” she cried, as the bucket -touched the water. Tom looked down, and -could perceive some one below; but, all indistinct -and dim, he could not have recognized -that it was his sister.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span>“Can you find anything?” he whispered, -kneeling down, after fixing the wheel, and -leaning over with his hands resting on the -brink. He heard a little splashing in the -water, and waited for the answer of Minnie -with great anxiety. “Can you find anything -there?” he repeated.</p> - -<p>“No.” Oh, the relief brought by that -one little word!</p> - -<p>“Have you searched well?” said Tom; -“have you searched to the bottom?”</p> - -<p>“Quite to the bottom; there is nothing -but water—Heaven be praised,” said the -hollow voice from below. “Now draw me -up again; but softly, very softly. Oh, how -thankful I shall be if I ever reach the top!”</p> - -<p>There was not another word spoken by -either brother or sister, while Tom, with -painful exertion, turned the handle of the -wheel, and first Minnie’s clinging hands, and -then her frightened face, appeared above the -level of the well.</p> - -<p>Tom helped her to the side, which she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> -could not have reached by herself, and then -falling on her knees, the poor little girl returned -her fervent thanks to Heaven, at -once for Johnny’s deliverance from the well -and her own.</p> - -<p>“Now let us return,” said Tom; “there is -no use in remaining here. It is growing -quite dark, and beginning to rain. We can -continue our search in the morning.”</p> - -<p>“But if poor little Johnny should be -somewhere in this wood, only think what he -would suffer left out all night. It would kill -him with fright, if not with the weather. -Remember, Tom, that no one else is likely -to have looked for him <i>here</i>; a place which -he could never have reached by himself.”</p> - -<p>Tom muttered something between his -teeth, which, perhaps, it was as well that -Minnie did not hear; but he certainly looked -around him more carefully.</p> - -<p>Minnie had wandered a few steps from -her brother, and was slowly walking round -the greensward surrounding the well—a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> -clear space which was almost inclosed by -the wood, only open on the side by which -they had approached it, and from which two -dark narrow paths, scarce wide enough to -permit two persons to pass each other, led -into the depths of the forest. On a sudden -she stopped, stooped down, then eagerly -cried out, “Oh, look what I have here!—he -must be near!—he must be near!” Tom -hastened to the spot, and beheld in Minnie’s -hand a little dusty shoe, with its strap and -round black button, which both felt certain -had belonged to the lost child.</p> - -<p>“Well, he could not walk far without his -shoe,” observed Tom. “I daresay that he -is near enough to hear me. Halloo, -Johnny!” he shouted, “halloo!” There -was no reply but the echo.</p> - -<p>“He must have gone down one of those -little paths,” said Minnie; “we had better -search one of them at once.”</p> - -<p>“Better search both of them, as there are -two of us,” said Tom; “if we took but one,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> -we should be sure to choose the wrong -one.”</p> - -<p>Poor Minnie gave a woful look at the -dark walks; however tempting they might, -have looked when nuts were on the boughs, -and the sunbeams struggled through their -green shade, to the eye of the little girl they -looked anything but tempting now, when -approaching night was wrapping them in -deepest gloom.</p> - -<p>“Why, you are not afraid!” cried Tom, -with his rude coarse laugh; for now that he -was relieved from his fear that the child was -actually dead, the thought of what he might -be suffering weighed little upon his mind.</p> - -<p>“If it be right for me to go alone, I will -go,” faltered Minnie, “whether I am afraid -or not.”</p> - -<p>Tom laughed again, but he had little -cause to laugh at words that expressed more -true courage than all the idle vaunts that -he had ever uttered. He might have remembered -that his sister had just ventured<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> -upon what an older and wiser companion -than himself would never have suffered her -to have attempted. But having no fear of -a night walk in a lonely wood himself, he -now, as was ever the case with him, had no -consideration for the feelings of another.</p> - -<p>The brother and sister parted in the darkness -and rain; Minnie, trembling half with -fear and half with cold, went cautiously -along the gloomy way. Every few steps -she paused, and softly called, “Johnny!” -but her listening ear caught no sound but -the pattering of the rain. Many, many -times she stopped, and almost resolved to go -back, when the thought of her little rosy-cheeked -friend, out in the darkness and -rain, frightened, cold, and wet, encouraged -her to pursue her journey. For more than -an hour the young girl wandered on, when -at last the wood came to an end, and she -found herself alone on a dark wide heath, -dotted over here and there by furze-bushes.</p> - -<p>“Johnny!” once more she cried, almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> -in despair, a sickening feeling of disappointment -coming over her heart. Weary and -sad, she could have sat down and cried. -She saw, a little on her left hand, one lonely -light, which appeared to proceed from some -cottage. Here at least she might beg -for shelter, and towards it she slowly -walked. The light shone steady and bright -from a little window; and before she ventured -to knock at the door, Minnie Wingfield -cautiously peeped in.</p> - -<p>An aged man sat with his back to the -window, and a large book open on the table -before him, the very sight of which gave -hope and confidence to Minnie. His wife, -in her arm-chair, was listening opposite—a -mild, calm expression in her venerable face; -and in the corner crouched poor silly Sally, -her brow no longer bound with her chaplet -of wild flowers; she had wreathed it round -the lost Johnny, whom, with a delight which -repaid all her fears, Minnie beheld slumbering -in the arms of the idiot!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_149.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">FOUND.</p> - -<p>It was this poor helpless creature who -had found the little boy clinging in terror to -the bough! There was still a woman’s instinct -left in her breast, an instinct of tenderness -towards a child. Terrified at first -to behold the dreaded Sally, it was only the -necessity of his case that made poor Johnny -suffer her to touch him; but kindness soon -finds its way to the heart—she fondled him, -stroked his curly locks, decked him out with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> -her favourite flowers, and then carried him -away, through the still greenwood, to her -own little home on the common, pleased as -a child that has found a new toy. Strange -that the life which had been endangered by -the thoughtlessness of a companion, should -be guarded by the tenderness of one bereft -of reason.</p> - -<p>Minnie Wingfield soon entered the cottage, -and was received with Christian hospitality. -She was placed by the fire, her -dress dried, and food placed before her; and -her mind was relieved by hearing that a -messenger had been sent to her village to -bear tidings to Mrs. Bright that her Johnny -was safe and under shelter. What a joyful -end to all Minnie’s anxieties; how sweet the -reward of all the painful efforts that she had -made!</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_150.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> - - - - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_151.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER XIII.<br /> - -<small>WINGS AND STINGS.</small></h2></div> - -<div> - <img class="drop-cap" src="images/i_151a.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<p class="drop-cap">IT is now time that I should draw my -tale to a close; but as my reader -may like to know what became of -the little people, with wings and -without wings, that we have followed -through this story, I shall give a few more -pages to an account of their fate.</p> - -<p>The first sunbeam which shone the next -morning upon the hive, glittered on Silverwing, -as with joyous speed she hastened -back to her home. She continued there her -busy and her happy life, finding sweetness -everywhere, honey in each flower, and cheering -the less joyous existence of Sipsyrup,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> -whose wing never quite recovered its power. -As the injured bee was unable to fly out -with the next swarm, her friend remained -behind to bear her company: they passed -the summer days in active employ and the -winter in plenty and repose.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_152.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">SILVERWING AND SIPSYRUP.</p> - -<p>I have a less pleasing account to give of -Waxywill, who was certainly a most wayward -bee. She chose to go out honey-seeking -one day, when required for work in the -hive; she resolved, contrary to orders, to -visit the dwelling of a humble-bee, and because -she knew that her cousins of that race -live underground, against the warnings of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> -her companions she entered a little hole in a -bank, and found herself in the midst of a -nest of wasps! Her melancholy fate may -easily be imagined; she died beneath the -stings of her enemies.</p> - -<p>But, perhaps, you are more desirous to -hear what befell our heroes and heroines of -the human race.</p> - -<p>Let my reader then fancy himself again -beneath the little porch which adorns the -front of Mrs. Wingfield’s cottage. It is now -later in the year, the finest flowers in the -garden have faded, one or two sunflowers -and a few dahlias look gay still; but the -fresh feel of the morning air, the white tinge -on the grass, and the heavy dew which has -strung Spinaway’s web with numberless tiny -beads, show that the autumn is now advanced. -Beneath the porch sits Minnie, -busy as usual with her work, before the -hour for going to school. Tom is near her, -engaged in stringing together little egg-shells, -collected in the spring; pretty enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> -in themselves, but won at the expense of -much misery to the poor birds whose nests -he had robbed.</p> - -<p>Who approaches from the opposite side of -the lane, bearing a baby carefully wrapped -up in her arms? You will scarcely recognize -poor Polly, once so fond of finery and -folly. How much nicer she looks in her -present quiet dress, with her gentle subdued -look and kindly air.</p> - -<p>Then the baby did live? Yes, he did live; -a poor sickly delicate child. But oh, the -tenderness with which he has been watched -by Polly, who now seems to think that she -can never do enough for her brothers! She -appears to have thrown away her vanity -with her diamond-brooch; or rather, she has -thoroughly learned the painful lesson taught -through that terrible evening and night. -The resolutions that she then made she has -not forgotten, the prayers which she then -uttered were from the heart,—and there is -not in the whole village to be found a more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> -sober, modest, quietly-dressed girl, always -placing her duties before her pleasures, than -the once vain, selfish Polly Bright.</p> - -<p>She now drew near, carrying the baby, with -little Johnny trotting after her, his cheeks -just as rosy, and his figure as round, as before -his adventure in the woods. It had left on -his mind a great affection for Minnie, who had -always been a favourite with the child; and -he now ran up to his friend with an apple in -his hand, as round and as rosy as himself.</p> - -<p>“Minnie Wings,” said the little boy, holding -it up to her lips, “Minnie Wings, you -take bite.”</p> - -<p>Minnie smilingly accepted the proffered -kindness of the child, after stooping down -to kiss his rosy face.</p> - -<p>“Come here, you little rogue,” said Tom, -in a tone half surly and half good-humoured; -“tell me why you call her Minnie Wings -instead of Wingfield?”</p> - -<p>“’Cause,” said Johnny, with dimpling -cheeks, “she fly to help me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span>“So did I,” observed Tom; “so I suppose -that I am ‘Wings’ too.”</p> - -<p>Johnny fixed his round eyes full upon his -neighbour, and slowly retreating backwards, -as if rather afraid, replied, “No; you Tommy -Stings.”</p> - -<p>Tommy would have been angry at the -speech, if he could have helped laughing at -it; but the manner and look of the child, -half resolute, half frightened, were so irresistibly -comic, that Tommy Stings put the -best face upon the matter, and appeared -good-humoured for once in his life. He -was certainly in a mood more amiable than -usual, having that morning been engaged to -go as an errand-boy in a neighbouring town, -where, under the eye of a strict master, we -may hope that his conduct may improve, -and that he may cease to deserve the title -bestowed upon him by little Johnny.</p> - -<p>“I have come to give you good news, -dear Minnie,” said Polly, after joining in -the laugh which her little brother had occasioned;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> -“we have had a letter from the -Crimea, and my dear father is well.”</p> - -<p>“I am so glad of that!” cried Minnie, -who was ever ready to rejoice with the -rejoicing.</p> - -<p>“And you looked so bright when I first -saw you,” said Polly, “that I suspect that -you have some good news of your own to -give me in return.”</p> - -<p>“You are quite right; I have famous -news, dear Polly. The squire’s lady was -here late last evening; you know how kind -she is. She wants to place her baby’s -foster-brother in some cottage near her, and, -to my joy, has fixed upon ours!”</p> - -<p>“And will she pay well?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, more than we could have ventured -to hope. We really shall now be quite -comfortable. My mother is so much -pleased; I do not think that I have seen -her so well or so cheerful ever since our -great troubles last year. How good God -has been to us!” added the little girl, her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> -eyes glistening with bright tears of gratitude -and pleasure; “He has always raised -up friends for us in our need.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Minnie, and you, who are a friend -to all who require one, are never likely to -be in want of a friend.”</p> - -<p>“I shall so enjoy having a dear little -child to look after; I am sure that it will -be a pleasure rather than a trouble.”</p> - -<p>“It is easy to guess,” said Polly, with a -good-natured smile, “why the lady chose -your cottage for the home of the baby.”</p> - -<p>Johnny, after two or three vain attempts, -had succeeded in clambering up the bench -on which Minnie was seated. She now felt -his little arms pressed round her neck, as he -drew her down towards him to whisper close -in her ear, “Everybody happy with my -Minnie Wings.”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And now, nothing remains but that -A. L. O. E. should bid her young readers -farewell. If they have liked her little book,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> -let them remember that her story is but as -the comb, which may be pleasant to the eye, -but that its moral is the honey which is -treasured within. However young, however -weak, dear children, you may be, know -that the youngest, the weakest, have some -power here to give either pleasure or pain. -A generous spirit shrinks from inflicting -suffering on the smallest insect or the -feeblest worm; and I trust that no reader -of my little tale will hesitate which part to -take for his own, or leave it doubtful whether -he ought to be classed under the title of -<span class="smcap">Wings or Stings</span>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_159.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption">FINIS</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="ph2">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a> Naturalists doubt whether the violet-bee is a native of Britain. -It is known that one species of carpenter-bee is to be found in -England, but the one described above probably belongs to foreign -lands.</p></div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="transnote"> - -<p class="ph3">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:</p> - - - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.</p></div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wings and Stings, by A. L. O. E. - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINGS AND STINGS *** - -***** This file should be named 60065-h.htm or 60065-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/0/6/60065/ - -Produced by Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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 in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. 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 unprotected by copyright law 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 in the United States and - most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (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 The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, 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 -works not protected by U.S. copyright law 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 in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, 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 not protected by copyright 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. - - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 7ed8ac7..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_007.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_007.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 7e50fb6..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_007.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_009.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_009.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 7ab8b1a..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_009.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_009a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_009a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cc73ba0..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_009a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_011.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_011.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4e0a21f..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_011.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_025.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_025.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 233ee55..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_025.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_026.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_026.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1785f9f..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_026.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_026a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_026a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index db30398..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_026a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_027.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_027.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ce1c136..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_027.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_033.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_033.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 449f6b0..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_033.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_035.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_035.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4696f64..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_035.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_036.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_036.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 70a4398..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_036.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_036a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_036a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ec60143..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_036a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_045.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_045.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0e93cfb..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_045.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_046.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_046.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 05b1716..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_046.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_046a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_046a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 11bbfee..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_046a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_047.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_047.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 70dbb80..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_047.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_049.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_049.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cbf7559..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_049.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_059.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_059.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1da218f..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_059.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_059a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_059a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 34f6e98..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_059a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_061.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_061.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 84d4f5d..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_061.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_069.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_069.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ba439ff..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_069.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_069a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_069a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f4a045c..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_069a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_076.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_076.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1137e5b..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_076.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_077.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_077.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index bba0068..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_077.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_079.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_079.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8ae5c63..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_079.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_080.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_080.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 631cd73..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_080.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_080a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_080a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 76bac3e..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_080a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_087.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_087.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 45145a0..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_087.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_088.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_088.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ea517f6..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_088.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_088a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_088a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0a98846..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_088a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_091.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_091.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 35672f9..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_091.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_095.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_095.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index fd02bb8..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_095.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_101.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_101.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 55cfa35..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_101.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_109.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_109.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9d1c436..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_109.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_109a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_109a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9dafcfd..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_109a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_116.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_116.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 6d7bfbd..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_116.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_117.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_117.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 710b439..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_117.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_117a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_117a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4085f1d..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_117a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_122.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_122.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 63b3027..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_122.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_123.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_123.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d122e10..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_123.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_130.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_130.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f0562d4..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_130.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_131.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_131.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f88c8f7..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_131.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_131a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_131a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index a8f08c9..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_131a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_138.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_138.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 518675d..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_138.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_139.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_139.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dcd2794..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_139.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_140.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_140.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 290bf25..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_140.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_140a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_140a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2e61665..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_140a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_142.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_142.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dde330d..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_142.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_149.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_149.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b15cc2a..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_149.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_150.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_150.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index a1aa47a..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_150.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_151.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_151.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 5282eb4..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_151.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_151a.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_151a.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index db7dee2..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_151a.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_152.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_152.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0174bd7..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_152.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_159.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_159.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 621a666..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_159.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_frontispiece.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_frontispiece.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1b21969..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_frontispiece.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_title.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_title.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cf7ee5f..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_title.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_v.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_v.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ce0b9b4..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_v.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/60065-h/images/i_vi.jpg b/old/60065-h/images/i_vi.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 3394fac..0000000 --- a/old/60065-h/images/i_vi.jpg +++ /dev/null |
