_THE NEW GLOVES._
"Maggie and Bessie," said mamma one morning, "I want to see your
gloves. It is a month to-day since you began to save money for your
library."
The gloves were soon brought, and mamma examined them.
"Maggie, your second-best are too shabby to be worn any more," said her
mother, "you must take the better ones for every day, and I shall buy
you a new pair."
"Oh, mamma, I would rather keep the old pair, and save the money," said
Maggie.
"No, dear; you know I told you I must keep you as neat and well dressed
as usual. You must have what is necessary, and then what is left of
the dollar goes in your box."
"And how much will it take for new gloves, mamma?"
"About seventy-five cents. Then you have had two boot-laces; they are
ten cents; that leaves fifteen cents out of the dollar. Bessie's gloves
will do, I think, and she has had one boot-lace; that leaves the whole
of her dollar except five cents. Maggie, you must have taken great
pains to use fewer laces. This is a great improvement on last month."
But in spite of her mother's praise, Maggie's face looked very long.
Bessie had almost the whole of her dollar, and but a few cents were
left of her own.
"Mamma," said Bessie, "I think Maggie could not help it, if her second
gloves are pretty mussed. The other day Flossy yan away with them, and
before we could get them he had chewed one all up. And it was not
Maggie's carelessness, 'cause Jane put them on the bed, and Flossy
jumped up and pulled them off. Couldn't you take a little of my dollar
to help to buy the new gloves, and let Maggie keep some more of hers?"
"That will not do," said mamma, smiling at the generous little girl;
"but since it was Flossy's fault that the gloves were spoiled, and
Maggie has taken so much pains, I will only take out fifty cents for
the new pair. And I will tell you, Bessie, it is much harder for Maggie
to keep her things neat than it is for you, and then she generally puts
on her own shoes, while nurse or Jane puts on yours. Suppose next month
I add another twenty-five cents to her dollar; are you willing?"
"Course I am, mamma. I am just as glad as anything. Isn't that nice,
Maggie?"
Maggie's face brightened. "And how much have we now, mamma?" she asked.
"Forty cents out of Maggie's dollar, and ninety-five from Bessie's just
make one dollar, thirty-five cents. You have one dollar and twelve
cents in your box, which make in all two dollars, forty-seven cents."
Maggie was quite happy when she found they had such a sum, which mamma
told them was nearly half of what they wanted for the library.
Grandmamma's carriage now drove to the door, and she came in and asked
Mrs. Bradford to go out with her and take the children. Mamma said she
could not go herself, for baby was not well, and she did not care to
leave her, but the children might go if grandmamma wished. Away they
ran to be dressed, full of glee, for shopping with grandmamma was a
great pleasure, and they were almost sure to come home richer than
they went. They drove to several places, and when the children thought
there was anything interesting to be seen, they went into the store
with their grandmother. If not, they remained in the carriage, and
chatted with the coachman, or watched the people passing in the street.
At last they went to a large store, where Mrs. Stanton and Mrs.
Bradford were in the habit of going, and where Maggie and Bessie felt
quite at home. There was a good-natured clerk, who was nurse's nephew,
and whenever he saw them, he was sure to have an empty box with a
picture cover, or a bright-colored piece of paper or ribbon to give
them. Here grandmamma bought several things which did not much interest
the little girls; but at last she took them to another counter, where
she said something to the clerk about gloves.
"Why, grandmamma," said Maggie, "are you going to buy gloves? Do you
know you have a whole box full at home? I saw them the other day when
you let me put your drawer in order."
But Mrs. Stanton only smiled, and pinched Maggie's round cheek, and
just then the gloves were put before them. Oh! such gloves as those
were never meant for grandmamma's hand. Kid gloves they were too, and
who had ever seen any so small before? In her surprise and pleasure,
Maggie had almost forgotten that she had been forbidden to handle
anything when she went shopping; but just as her hand touched the
gloves, she remembered, and drew it back. But the good-natured clerk
gave them to her, telling her to look at them if she pleased.
"Just like ladies' gloves," said Bessie, who, stretching up on tiptoe,
could just see above the counter. Grandmamma lifted her and seated her
upon it.
"Do you call that a hand?" said she, playfully, taking Bessie's little
fingers in her own. "Mr. Jones, have you a pair small enough for that?"
How Bessie wished her hand was larger as the clerk shook his head!
But after looking through the whole bundle, a pair was found which
grandmamma thought would do, and then a pair for Maggie was picked
out with less trouble. They were wrapped in separate parcels, and
each child took her own, feeling quite as if she must have grown
taller since she came to that counter. Then the clerk gave them each a
piece of fancy paper,--Maggie's, gilt, with flowers stamped upon it,
Bessie's, blue, with silver stars.
As soon as they reached home, they ran to show mamma their treasures,
but Mrs. Bradford noticed that Maggie did not seem half so eager as
usual, when she had received any new pleasure. While Bessie was talking
as fast as her little tongue could go, she stood almost silent at her
mother's knee, drawing her fingers slowly back and forth over her gilt
paper.
"What makes our Maggie so quiet?" Mrs. Bradford asked. "Are you not
pleased with your grandmother's pretty present, dear?"
"Oh, yes, mamma! but I was just considering about it a little."
"What were you considering?"
"If it was quite fair for me to wear the gloves, mamma. Do you think it
is?"
"Why should it not be fair, Maggie? Grandmamma gave you the gloves for
your own; did she not?"
"Oh, yes, ma'am; but then she did not know you gave me glove allowance;
and maybe she would not have bought them for me if she had known. And
now you wont have to get me another pair this month. So maybe you wont
think I ought to have the gloves and the money too. I want to be quite
very fair, indeed, I do, mamma, and I didn't know how to think it was
quite right. Besides, those gloves are nicer than the kind you buy for
us, and perhaps you would think you ought to take a little more of my
dollar for them. If you would, I would rather have a pair of the other
kind, and put these away, and let the money go in the library-box."
"You may wear the gloves and welcome, my dear, honest little girl,"
said Mrs. Bradford, drawing Maggie to her, and kissing her. "It is
quite fair for you to do so. Grandmamma knew that I gave you a certain
sum for your gloves and so forth, and I think she meant to help you a
little by buying these for you. I am glad my darling child wishes to
be honest and upright in all she does. But I must be quite fair too. I
told you I should give you so much a month, and take from it what you
needed for gloves and shoe-laces, and whatever was left you might keep
for another purpose. Now since grandmamma has given you these, there is
no need for me to buy you another pair; but it would not be just for
me to take from you any part of the money they would have cost. It is
_your_ gain, not _mine_. When a bargain has been made, we must hold to
it, even though things turn out differently from what was expected."
"But you need not hold to this bargain, if you do not wish to, mamma."
"Indeed, I do wish to, Maggie, and you need not feel in the least
troubled about it. I am not only satisfied, but very glad that you have
received this little help."
After this, Maggie's mind was at rest, and she wore her new gloves with
great pleasure.
"Hallo!" said Fred, as he and Harry came into the library that
afternoon, and found their little sisters quietly playing in one
corner. "What scrumptious paper! Where did you get that, Midget?"
"Mr. Jones, nurse's nephew, gave it to us," said Maggie. "He gave me
the gold piece, and Bessie the silver piece, but we cut them in two and
each took half."
"I wish I could get hold of such friends as you do," said Fred.
"Somebody is always giving you something. How do you manage it?"
"We don't manage it," said Bessie, who thought that Fred meant to say
that she and Maggie liked their friends for what they gave them. "We
don't manage it, and we don't get hold of them, Fred. Our friends give
us things because they like to do it, and we never ask for anything;
do we, Maggie?"
"No," said Maggie, "and you ought not to talk so, Fred."
"I didn't mean to say anything," said he, "but it is true; is it not?
Are not people always making you presents, and taking you to places,
and doing other things to give you pleasure?"
"Yes," said Maggie, "but they do it because they like us. If anybody
loves anybody, it is a pleasure to do a favor to them. We think it is;
don't we, Bessie?"
"Oh, that is it; is it?" said Fred. "Well then, you love me; don't you?"
"Course we do, because you're our brother; and we'd love you a great
deal more if you didn't tease us, Fred."
"Well, if you love me, and it is such a pleasure to do things for
people you love, you can please yourselves very much by giving me some
of this paper."
"Oh, we can't; we want it ourselves," said Maggie, while Bessie took up
both pieces of paper, and put her hands behind her, as if she feared
that Fred would run off with them.
"Ho, ho," said he, "then you love yourselves better than you do me?"
"Fred," said Mr. Bradford, who was sitting on the other side of the
room, "do not tease your sisters."
"I did not mean to tease them, sir; but as Maggie thinks it so
delightful to please people whom one loves, I was only giving her a
chance to do it, and she don't seem to care to take it. I say, Hal,
wouldn't this paper be jolly to make stars and things for our new
kites?"
"First-rate," said Harry. "I'll tell you what, Midget and Bess, will
you sell it?"
"No," said Bessie, rather crossly, "we want it for dresses for our
paper dolls. You do tease us, and we want you to go away, even if you
say you don't mean to, and you sha'n't--" Bessie stopped, and then went
on again in a pleasanter voice. "Please to 'scuse me, Fred. I didn't
mean to be so cross, but we are so busy, and we'd yather you wouldn't
interyupt us."
These last words were said in a very polite little manner, which rather
amused the boys. Fred had been ready with a sharp answer, when Bessie
began so angrily; but now, when he saw her check her quick temper, he
was ashamed to provoke her.
"Just as you choose," he said, "but you are in such a way in these days
to lay up money for your mission-books that I thought you would be
willing enough to sell it."
"Children," said Mr. Bradford, again looking up from his writing, "if
you cannot play without disputing, I shall separate you. Fred, your
little sisters were quiet and happy before you came in. Do not let me
have to speak to you again, my boy."
Now here was the consequence of having a bad character. Fred had not
intended to vex the children, but he was so in the habit of teasing
them that they were afraid of him, and thought he meant it when he did
not; while his father, who had not heard much of what was passing, but
who had been disturbed by the fretful tone of Bessie's voice, took it
for granted that Fred was annoying her. But Bessie was too honest to
let him be blamed when he had not deserved it.
"Fred was not naughty, papa," she said. "I'm 'fraid it was me. I was
cross."
"Very well," said her father, who thought it best to let them settle
the difficulty themselves, if they could do it peaceably; "only let
there be no more quarrelling."
"Suppose we go and finish our kites," said Harry. Fred agreed, and the
two boys went away.
"Bessie," said Maggie, presently, "I'm just of a good mind to give
Harry a piece of my paper."
"For some pennies?" asked Bessie.
"No; mamma said it was not nice for brothers and sisters to sell things
to one another; and she don't want us to be too anxious to get money,
even for our library. I'm just going to give it to him, 'cause that day
when he asked me for the shell, I said I would sell it to him; and then
he'll see I am not a miser."
"Well," said Bessie, "then I'll give Fred a piece of mine, 'cause I was
cross to him just now."
"Harry shall have my gold piece," said Maggie, "and then we'll divide
these two 'tween ourselves."
"So we will," said Bessie, "then we will all have some. Maggie, you do
fix everything so nice."
Away they ran to their brothers' playroom.
"Holloa!" said Fred, when he saw them; "we are not such plagues but
that you had to run after us, eh?"
"We came to bring you some of our paper," said Maggie. "This piece is
for you, Harry, and Bessie's is for Fred."
"Well, you are first-rate little chaps," said Fred; "and Hal and I will
make each of you a nice little kite; see if we don't."
"Oh, Fred!" said Bessie.
"What's the matter now? Sha'n't you like that?"
"Ladies are not chaps," said Bessie, gravely, "and they don't play with
kites."
"Oh, you're a big lady, aren't you?" said he, laughing.
"I can be a lady if I'm not so very big. Mamma says anybody can be a
lady or a gemperlum, if they are kind and polite, even if they are very
little, or even if they are poor."
"All right," said Fred. "Then I suppose that lady wont accept a kite
from this gemperlum."
"Don't say it that way; you must say gem-per-lum."
"Well, don't I say gem-per-lum?"
"That's not the way," said Bessie, her color rising, for she knew that
Fred was laughing at her, and she thought it was hard.
"Fred," said Harry, "you are breaking your resolution already."
[Illustration: Bessie in City. p. 184.]
"That is so. What a fellow I am!"
"Fred," said Bessie, "gemperlums don't tease. Papa is a gemperlum, and
he never teases."
"And mamma said Tom Norris was a perfect little gentleman, and he does
not tease. I guess gentlemen always 'do to others as they would,'" said
Maggie, who was very fond of this line.
"They ought to if they do not," said Harry, "and no one can say that
you don't keep that rule, Maggie."
"When people have angry passions, it's very hard not to get in one when
they're teased," said Bessie. "Fred, I do have to try so very, very
hard."
Fred threw down his kite, and caught his little sister in his arms.
"See if I plague you any more then," he said. "I was just telling Harry
I did not mean to do it, and the first thing, I am at it again; but I
will try to remember, Bess. Harry, if I forget again, I give you leave
to bring me up short the best way you can."
Fred kept his word, and after this, took much pains to break himself of
his provoking habit.
[Illustration: decorative]
[Illustration: decorative]