VIOLET'S TROUBLES.
Just then she heard a light, rolling sound, which came nearer and
nearer, till at last she saw a carriage, drawn by two white horses. This
entered the green field, and, to Violet's surprise, stopped before old
Reuben's little hut.
In the carriage were two children not much older than Violet, and their
father, a tall, stately gentleman; besides, there were two footmen and a
driver.
The carriage was painted in gay colors, and gilded so that it fairly
glittered in the sun; and the little girl inside was so gayly dressed,
in silks, and ribbons, and artificial flowers, that Violet thought it
must be one of the dolls she had seen in a milliner's window.
But the doll, if it was one, spoke, tossing back her curls, and
beckoning with her gloved hand to Violet, while the gentleman, placing a
purse in his daughter's outstretched hand, said,--
"Buy as many flowers as you want, Narcissa. Meantime I will climb the
hill yonder, which must overlook a fine prospect, it seems to me. What
do _you_ say, Alfred? Will you accompany me?"
Now, when the carriage stopped, the boy, Narcissa's brother, had taken a
book from his pocket, and was reading it attentively; he appeared so
unwilling to leave it, although he arose to follow his father, that the
indulgent parent said,--
"Well, never mind; you can read on."
"Little girl," exclaimed Narcissa, "run quickly into the house and call
your mother or father, or somebody; I want them."
"We are the only bodies here," said Violet, looking at her pets.
"Well, then, go and pick me all the violets in your garden; I shall pay
for them."
"They were sent to market this morning," said Violet, stroking kitty's
back, and not feeling very sorry at Narcissa's disappointment, for the
little girl in the carriage did not seem to her well bred.
"But you must, you _shall_, find me some, girl," said Narcissa, in a
rage. "Don't you know that I'm going to a fancy ball to-night, and my
maid must have fifteen bunches of violets to dress me with, and we have
only found twelve so far? I know you're not telling the truth, for there
in the grass is a whole bunch of beautiful ones. Bring them to me,"
turning to the footman, "and kill those dirty toads in the path; I hate
the sight of them."
Violet rushed to the rescue of her pets.
"O, no, no! they are mine--my own--my best friends--_my_ toads and
violets!" she screamed.
But in vain. The footman stepped on poor Toady, kicked him across and
across the path, till, all bruised and bleeding, he lay still, and,
Violet thought, dead, while Narcissa clapped her hands and laughed at
Violet's sorrow.
"_Your_ toads and violets!" she said; "I should think you were crazy.
But I don't want to hurt your feelings, girl. Go and bring me two more
large handfuls of violets, and I will forgive all your impudence and
wrong stories. Why don't you go? What are you staring at?"