Lolly was awakened in the morning by the fretful voice of her mother, as
she went scolding about the house, trying to pick up something for
breakfast; and she heard her father answering her in no pleasant mood,
and kicking about the floor whatever came in his way.
It was a sad awakening for poor Lolly, and, for the minute, it put wholly
out of her mind the pleasure of the previous day, and the lesson learned
in the green and sunny place by the brook-side; and she was sorely
tempted to cover her head with the bed-clothes, and sleep again, until
her parents were off to their work, and then give herself up to idleness
and play, as she had always done. But the bright happy face of Alice
came before her to help her, and she was out of bed in a minute.
"Maddie, Maddie!" said she, leaning over her sister and giving her the
least bit of a shake in order to arouse her; "come, get up. The sun is
shining on the wall, and it is a beautiful day. I want you to go with me
for Alice."
"Get away!" returned Maddie in a huff. "I haven't slept half enough!"
And, settling herself again, she dropped off into a heavier slumber;
while Lolly, seeing that it would do no good to disturb her, dressed
herself and went into the other room.
Her mother was baking a cake, and her father sat near, idle. Both looked
surprised to see Lolly up so early.
There was a woollen-factory in the village, perhaps half a mile away, and
they were off generally long before the children were up; and Maddie and
Lolly usually ate such pickings as they left upon the table, and spent
their days as they pleased, with little thought or care from their
parents.
Lolly could not wait to get her breakfast. She cared for nothing to eat,
now that her mind was intent upon some great thing, and she sped away
over the dewy grass to find her new friend. She had never been in
Alice's house, for they had only lived a little while in the place where
they now were, and Maddie alone had found out their neighbour. Her
sister would not always let her play with her, and it was only a mere
chance that led her to follow Maddie the day before and get acquainted
with Alice.
I did not mean to say _chance_. I would rather say a kind watchful
_Providence_--which is the true and right word for a Christian to use;
because everything that happens in this world is governed by God's over-
ruling power for some good purpose; and Lolly was led to the spot where
her sister and Alice were at play, expressly that she might learn
something of her bright, eternal home.
Now that she had seen the sunny-hearted little girl once, it took her but
very few minutes to find her again.
The distance seemed nothing at all; and, from the time she left her own
door, she could see the cheerful face all along her way, making her walk
very pleasant and not in the least lonely.
The cottage door was wide open, and the sunlight lay in golden streaks on
the floor at the entrance, where Tabby had stretched herself comfortably.
Lolly could see into the little square room at the right.
The table was spread with a neat, white cloth, and Alice and her mother
were eating their breakfast together. There were two white plates on the
table, and white cups and saucers, and a smoking dish of porridge. All
this Lolly could see as she stood hesitating near the door; but, in a
minute, Alice caught a glimpse of her little, shy face, and ran to lead
her in.
"You must have some of this nice breakfast," said she, giving Lolly a
plateful of the porridge, and pouring some milk on it from a small white
pitcher.
Lolly looked timidly at Alice's mother, to see if she might eat it; and
the kind pleasant smile she received made her feel quite at home, so that
she needed no further urging.
Soon after the mother went away, and left Alice to put the room in order;
and, when all things were right, Alice said "she could go with Lolly as
well as not that day, and they would make a pretty place of the shabby
cottage; for it was just in the best spot--so wild and shady and green."
It was rather a sorrowful task at the beginning, and almost any other
little girl than Alice would have been quite discouraged.
There was a great deal of rubbish in the sitting-room, and the floor and
windows looked as if they had never known anything of soap and water.
Maddie sat upon the top of a half-barrel, swinging her brown, soiled
feet, and playing with a black puppy, that was snapping at her toes;
while the table was strewn with crumbs and dirty dishes from the
morning's meal, and chips and sticks and bits of rags were upon the
floor.
She looked as if she had just got out of bed. Her face was dull, and her
hair showed no touch of brush or comb, and her nails were long and dirty;
but she jumped from her perch with some signs of shame as she saw Alice,
so neat and tidy, at the door; and she began to scramble about as if she
wished to make things a little better.
"May I help you to-day, Maddie?" asked Alice. "I haven't any work at
home, and I like to get things tidy. We'll make such a room of this
before night!" And, without another word, she began in earnest to bring
order out of strange confusion.
Lolly was a capital helper, because her heart was in the matter, and she
really wanted a pleasant, cheerful home; but Maddie was content to look
on, and scarcely moved a finger to help.
They packed away the wood and chips in the closet under the lowest shelf,
and washed the dishes and set them up edgewise in their proper places;
and they mopped the floor, and scrubbed the windows and table, and
brought boughs of evergreen to hang upon the nails around the walls and
make it cheerful and pretty.
Alice thought of this. She said, "Rich folks hang paintings on their
walls--and these are God's pictures, the work of his almighty fingers,
and so beautiful! Why not put them where we can always look at them, and
in them see his love and kindness?"
Lolly thought her the most wonderful little girl in all the world, and
clapped her hands for joy as she looked upon the altered room.
Then they went outside, and swept the sticks and chips from the lawn; and
Maddie managed to hunt up a hammer and some old rusty nails, and to help
Alice to fasten the loose boards upon the door, which improved it more
than anything else could do.
It was so low from the roof to the ground that by stepping on a chair
they could easily reach; and they trained a running rose-bush, that had
been long neglected, and hung, trailing, over the grass, so that it
nearly covered the whole side of the cottage, and would soon be like a
bright green mantle over the dark walls.