the old well, which supplied them with fresh, cool water. There was
a high stone curb around it through which ran a wooden spout, which
carried off any waste water which might be poured from the bucket.
This spout was partly outside, partly inside the well, and sloped
towards the ground. The children, who wanted a drink, had run around
to the well, and were waiting for some one to come and draw water for
them, when Frankie climbed upon the spout, and before his sisters
could stop him, perched himself astride the well curb. Mrs. Bradford
turned her head at the sound of her little daughter's voice, and
saw them both holding Frankie, the one by his skirts, the other by
his leg, while the child was struggling in a frantic manner to free
himself from their hold. Had he done so, he must surely have fallen
into the well. Before any of the startled group upon the piazza could
reach him, Bob Porter darted from the kitchen door, and snatching
the child from the well curb, carried him, still struggling, to his
mother. Mrs. Bradford thought it best to punish Frankie, and tying the
mischievous little feet together with papa's pocket-handkerchief, she
made him sit quiet upon the piazza steps for half an hour. When she
let him go, he promised to do so no more but he was not reasonable;
and instead of being sorry for his own naughtiness, was angry with
Bob, who had carried him to his mother, and who, he thought, had
caused him to be punished; and now he would not come near him or speak
to him, which amused Bob very much.
When the children had all taken their places, and had done expressing
their delight at the pleasant place in which they found themselves,
Mrs. Rush opened the school; while the Colonel with his book stretched
himself upon the rocks above, until he should be called upon for his
accustomed story.
Every child then repeated a hymn, except Hafed, who could not yet
master enough English for this, after which Mrs. Rush asked each one
for a Bible verse.
"Can you say a pretty verse for me, Frankie?" she asked of the little
boy who had just seen a fish throw himself out of the lake, and was
eagerly watching for a second glimpse of him.
"Yes'm. Dat's a pollywod, I dess," said Frankie, with his eyes on the
water.
"That's a great Bible verse," said Fred, beginning a giggle, in which
the other boys could not help joining.
"Hush, Fred," said Mrs. Rush. "What was that nice verse I heard mamma
teaching you this morning, Frankie?"
"Suffer 'ittle chillens--dat _is_ a pollywod, Fred--suffer 'ittle
chillers to tome unto me;" said Frankie.
"And who said that, Frankie?"
"Jesus," answered Frankie, bringing his eyes back from the lake to the
face of his teacher, and becoming interested. "Jesus said it, and it
means me."
"Yes, it means you, Frankie."
"And Maddie and Bessie," said Frankie.
"And all other little children," said Mrs. Rush.
"Not Bob," said Frankie, with a defiant shake of his head at the big
boy, who had to put his hand over his face to hide the smile which
would have way.
"Yes, and Bob, too. Jesus meant all children whoever they may be, or
wherever they are."
"But Bob is naughty," said Frankie. "He telled mamma to tie my foots."
"Bob is very good, and Frankie must not be angry with him," said Mrs.
Rush. "Frankie was naughty himself, and so mamma had to tie his
little feet so that he might remember he was not to run into mischief."
"Jesus don't love naughty boys," said Frankie, with another reproving
look at Bob.
"Jesus loves all children, the good ones and the naughty ones," said
Mrs. Rush. "It makes him sorry when they are naughty and forget what
he tells them, but he still loves them, and wants them to come to him
and learn to love him, and be sorry for their sins."
"Did Jesus say I was naughty when I wode on the well?" asked Frankie.
"Did you not know mamma did not want you to climb on the well?" said
Mrs. Rush.
"Yes'm; mamma said 'don't do by de well,' and I did do dere."
"And Jesus says little boys must mind their mothers; so he was sorry
when he saw Frankie disobey his kind mamma."
"Is he sorry wis me now? I not do so any more," said Frankie.
"He is sorry if you are cross, and do not feel pleasant to Bob,"
answered Mrs. Rush.
Frankie jumped down from his seat, and running over to Bob, put up his
rosy lips for a kiss, which the other was quite ready to give.
"Aunt May," said Maggie, "do you think Jesus _could_ love children
like Lem and Dolly?"
"He loved them so much that he came to die for them, Maggie. If he did
not love them, he would not grieve to see them going so far from him;
and to them, too, he says, 'Come unto me,' and stands ready to forgive
them, and make them his own little lambs."
"Perhaps they never heard about Jesus, and do not know that he loves
them," said Bessie. "I don't believe they have any one to teach them."
"I am afraid not," said Mrs. Rush. "Perhaps some time one of us may
find a way to tell them."
"They would not let us speak to them," said Maggie.
"If we could persuade them that we felt kindly to them, they might
listen to us," said Mrs. Rush; "at least, we could try."
"But I don't think I do feel kindly to them," said Maggie, "and even
if I did, I do not see how we could find the chance to show it."
"I do not say that you will, only that you _may_ find it," said Mrs.
Rush; "but if you have a chance and do not take it, it will be a jewel
by the way which you will not stoop to pick up that you may carry it
to your Father in Heaven."
"And Benito would not have passed it by," said Maggie softly. "We will
try to be like him, will we not, Bessie?"
When the proper time came, the Colonel was called upon and came down
among the children. His story proved even more interesting than usual;
and all, from Mrs. Rush down to Bessie, were so taken up with it, that
they were not thinking of Frankie, who for some time sat quiet between
his little sisters, busy with the Colonel's pencil-case and a piece
of paper, on which he was making scrawls which he called "pollywods."
He had seen some pollywogs, or young frogs, in the brook the day
before, and his mind had been quite full of them ever since; and he
was very anxious to catch one, and have it for his own.
Suddenly all were astonished by a loud sob and a half angry, half
frightened "stop dat" from the little boy; and looking at him, they
saw him with flushed cheeks, quivering lips, and eyes swimming in
tears, gazing up at the bushes which overhung the rocks.
"What is it, dear?" asked Mrs. Rush; and as she spoke Maggie and
Bessie both caught sight of a hideous face which thrust itself with a
threatening look from among the leaves.
"Somebody bad and ugly, he mates faces at me," said Frankie, with
another sob.
"It's Lem; I know it is," said Maggie; "and he is making such horrid
faces."
All looked up. No face was to be seen, for it had been drawn back;
but at that instant down came a shower of sticks, stones and dried
leaves, and the loud, taunting laugh they had heard before, rang out
from above.
This was too much for the patience of the boys; even cool-headed,
steady-going Harry started to his feet in a rage; and he, Bob and
Hafed rushed out of the cleft, while Fred, who still had to move
slowly, was only kept from following by the Colonel's express commands.
Colonel Rush was out of patience himself, but he knew it would only
make bad worse for the boys to get into a fight; and he would not
suffer Fred to go, and called loudly on the others to return.
In the heat of the chase they did not hear him, but he need not have
feared. Lem and Dolly had no mind to be caught, and were off before
the boys reached the top of the steps. Lem ran like a hare, and was
out of sight among the trees in an instant; while Dolly, finding the
boys were gaining upon her, threw herself upon the ground when she
came to the brow of a steep hill, and rolled over and over until she
reached the foot, not heeding the stones which must have hurt and
bruised her as she went. This had its droll side, and the three boys
stood above and laughed as they watched her, though Harry almost
feared she would break her neck. But she reached the bottom in safety,
and jumping to her feet with a loud whoop of defiance, darted away
among the thick woods of the ravine, and was gone.
When the boys came back, the Colonel and Mrs. Rush tried to have the
children all settle down quietly again; but the little ones were
uneasy and disturbed, starting at every sound,--the twitter of a bird,
the splash of a fish, or the dropping of a leaf,--and the Colonel,
seeing this, hastened to bring his story to a close, and take them
back to the house.
When Mr. Porter heard of the new trouble at the hands of Lem and
Dolly, he said they had no right to be there, for it was his ground,
and he should see it did not happen again, for he would not have his
boarders disturbed. He told Colonel Rush they had better take the
house-dog, old Buffer, with them the next Sunday, and let him watch
on the rocks above, so that no one could come near. Buffer was a wise
dog, and if put on guard, he would not leave his post till he was told
he might; so now the children felt they would be safe in their "Sunday
bower," as they called the cleft in the rock.
When Mrs. Bradford went up stairs with her children at their bed time,
she always read a chapter from the Bible to Maggie and Bessie, and
this night she chose the fifth chapter of Matthew. She had no especial
thought of Lem and Dolly Owen when she did so; but as she finished,
Maggie said,--
"Mamma, don't you think Lem and Dolly 'despitefully use us, and
persecute us?'"
"Yes, dear, I think they do," answered mamma, taking pains not to
smile.
"I am sure they do," said Maggie. "I do not know if any one could do
it worse; for we never did a thing to them."
"Then you know what you are to do for them," said mamma. "It was
our Saviour himself who said these words, 'pray for them which
despitefully use you and persecute you.' If we could do nothing else,
there is still this left to us."
"And could that be a jewel by the way which we might carry to our
Father in heaven, mamma?" asked Maggie.
"Yes, love, indeed it would be," said her mother, thinking as she
spoke of Bessie's heartfelt prayer for the miserable children a few
nights since, and sure that it would indeed prove a jewel bright and
lovely in the eyes of Him to whom it was offered.
Maggie's face looked as if her little head was full of grave thoughts,
and she went to bed more soberly than usual, whispering to Bessie as
she lay down,--
"We'll take up the jewel of prayer, any way, won't we Bessie?"
Dear little pilgrims! there were jewels in their way such as they did
not dream of; but it was only earnest seeking such as theirs which
could find them; for they lay hidden beneath many a thorn and bramble
and unsightly weed; and they were to be found only by the help of this
very jewel of prayer which shone so brightly that its light guided the
little feet to the dark places where the hidden gems lay.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
VII.
_THE SILVER CUP._
DAY after day passed by at Chalecoo and each one seemed to bring some
new happiness. A book could be filled in telling all the children
did in this charming place, of the drives they took in the great
rockaway, of their rows upon the lake, of their walks in the lovely
woods and glens, and even of one or two wild clambers over the higher
rocks where the little girls had to be helped up and down, and Bessie
often to be carried in the arms of papa or Uncle Ruthven. Sometimes,
however, the grown people and boys went on expeditions which Mrs.
Bradford thought too fatiguing, or hard, for her little girls, and
they staid at home with grandmamma and Colonel and Mrs. Rush; for the
Colonel having, as he said, only one leg he could fairly call his own,
did not choose to risk that or his neck, by climbing up and down steep
places on the make believe one.
But there were always pleasures enough to be found around the Lake
House, and Maggie and Bessie were never at a loss what to do with
themselves when they were left behind, and could see these parties go
off without a word of murmuring.
Then there were visits now and then to the homestead and Aunt Patty,
and on the way there they would stop and ask after Willie Richards and
his mother. It was quite surprising to see how both Mrs. Richards and
her boy improved in this bracing mountain air. The poor little baby,
too, began to grow well and fat, and to look like other babies of its
age. It was a great pleasure to Maggie and Bessie to think they had
done so much towards bringing all this about.
Now and then Lem and Dolly gave them some trouble, though they were
never annoyed by them again in the "Sunday Bower." Mr. Porter and
Buffer took good care of _that_. But the boys had built for their
sisters what they called a "Fairy Bower," made by drawing together the
top branches of some young alder trees to form a roof, and weaving in
branches at the back. This pretty, leafy house was furnished with a
table formed of an old mossy stump, and with a couple of small logs
for seats, and here the children used to play, as Bessie said with
"the greatest cunningness." Here they kept house with their dollies,
having acorns for cups and saucers, and bits of flat stone for dishes
and plates; and here one afternoon, Miss Margaret Colonel Horace Rush
Bradford behaved very badly because her young mamma would not leave
her there to spend the night. It would be quite impossible to tell all
the trouble the mamma and aunt had in carrying this very naughty child
to the house, where she was immediately undressed and put to bed as
a punishment for her naughtiness. But she only remained there about
ten minutes, for the doctor said she was not very well and prescribed
a ride with the rest of the family. Perhaps this same doctor, Uncle
Ruthven, knew that her mamma felt lonely without her and wished an
excuse for taking her up.
But Margaret Colonel Horace and her mamma both had reason to be glad
that she was not left to her own will; for the next morning the "Fairy
Bower" was found destroyed, the cups and dishes scattered, the table
and seats rolled over the rocks, and the arbor itself rudely pulled to
pieces. It was easy to guess who had done this; and if the doll had
been left she would have shared the same fate or been carried away.
Another time the boys left quite a fleet of little boats moored near
the lower end of the lake, and the next day they also were destroyed.
But these, after all, were not very great troubles, and were soon
remedied; for another bower was built beneath two tall althea bushes
near the house, where no evil disposed person would dare to come;
and the boys took care not to leave their boats where they could be
meddled with again.
And when the first anger and disappointment had passed over, Maggie
and Bessie were more sorry than ever for the poor unhappy children who
could take delight in such wanton mischief.
The gardens were coming on finely, and though they were planted so
late, by the first of August they looked very green and pretty. The
slips of geranium, heliotrope, and verbena had taken root, and were
growing nicely, while lady-slippers, petunias, mignonette, and other
seed plants had sprung up, and began to spread as if they meant to
make up for lost time. Two of the former were the especial pride and
delight of the little girls; the one a rose geranium belonging to
Maggie. This, though a mere slip when it was set out, had shot up
and spread itself around, and thrust out new leaves and buds in such
a profuse, hearty, make-the-most-of-it manner, that it was quite a
wonder to all who saw it. The other was a heliotrope which had been
given to Bessie by her papa, and which also had been little more than
a sprig when she first had it; but it was now a flourishing little
plant, not running riotous in the way Maggie's geranium did, but fresh
and fair, with a cluster or two of delicate, perfumed blossoms, and
the promise of more. Upon these two the children bestowed particular
care, hoping, and not without reason, that Cousin Alexander would
think them each worthy of a prize.
That gentleman used to come up quite often to look at the gardens,
for he gave prizes, not only for the fine plants and vegetables, but
also for the neatness and order in which the gardens were kept; and he
always gave great praise to all five.
Perhaps Maggie and Fred might not have kept their plots in such good
order, or worked so perseveringly at weeding, raking, and watering,
had it not been for Harry and Bessie, who never forgot to go each day
and look at their plants, and never suffered a weed to do more than
show the tip of its head above the soil. When anything needed to be
done which was too hard for Maggie and Bessie, the boys would help
them with it, especially Hafed, who seemed to take more interest in
their gardens than in his own, and who would have done all the work
for them if they had allowed it.
Frankie had at last gratified his desire of catching a pollywog, and
this he did in a manner not quite so pleasant to some of his friends
as to himself.
[Illustration: Bessie among the Mountains. p. 134]
There was a little brook which ran by the side of the house, and
joined that which came from the glen, after which they went on
together until they emptied into the lake. In this the children were
sometimes allowed to play, since it was shallow, and they had great
fun there, building little dams, sailing the tiny boats which the boys
made for them, or dipping the water out in some small pails mamma had
bought for them, and carrying it from place to place. Any little
child who has played in such a stream, knows in how many ways it can
amuse itself with the bright running water. But the greatest delight
of all was a paddle in this same brook; and when mamma thought it best
they should not go on some wished-for excursion, this was sometimes
granted in its place, and was considered a great treat. It was at one
of these times, when Maggie, Bessie, and Frankie were all enjoying
themselves as much as three happy children could do; with shoes and
stockings off, pattering about with bare feet in the cool, sparkling
water, while mamma, grandmamma and Aunt Patty sat with their work upon
the piazza, that the little fellow secured his prize. He was stooping
to pick up a smooth, round pebble from the bottom of the stream, when
he saw a pollywog making its way from beneath a stone which lay half
in, half out of the water. In an instant he had pounced upon it, and
firmly grasping the wriggling creature, he rushed out of the brook,
and running over the grass as fast as his little wet, bare feet could
carry him, went up to Aunt Patty, and laying the slimy, muddy reptile
on her lap, exclaimed, with an air of great triumph and generosity,--
"Dere, Patty! dere's a pollywod, and I will dive him to oo. Oo may
have him for oo own."
To have the pollywog for her own, or to have him any where near her,
was the last thing Aunt Patty desired, for she had a great fear of
snakes, toads, frogs and such creatures; and now she started back in
dismay as the sprawling thing was laid upon her handsome black silk
dress.
The poor pollywog was as much frightened as she was, and was,
moreover, considerably hurt by the tight clasp of the fat, little
hand, and lay kicking and sprawling upon Mrs. Lawrence's lap, till
the old lady, rising, threw it upon the ground, where Flossy began to
bark at it, and turn it over and over with his nose. Mrs. Bradford and
Jane were taken up with rubbing the mud and water from Aunt Patty's
dress, and did not notice what he was doing; and the pollywog was in a
bad way, between Frankie who was trying to catch it again, and Flossy,
when the Colonel and Mrs. Rush came in from a walk; and the Colonel,
seeing the poor reptile would never be well again, speedily put him
out of his pain.
Frankie was much disturbed at the fate of his pollywog; but the
children buried it with great ceremony, which consoled him a little.
He wanted to keep it even after it was dead but mamma told him it
would become disagreeable; and for some days after this, the family
were much amused to see him constantly running to the spot where it
was buried, and putting his nose down to the ground to see if his
"pollywod smelt bad yet."
Fred laughed as if he would never stop when he heard of this, and
humored the joke all he could. He also, for some reason best known to
himself, nicknamed his Aunt Annie, "Pollywog;" and once when he went
to the city with his father for a day or two, the rogue actually
wrote a letter to her and addressed it to
"Miss P. Wog,
Care Thomas Porter,
Chalecoo Lake House."
Mr. Porter, going to the post-office, was given this letter by the
postmaster, and did not wish to take it, as he said no "Miss Wog" was
living in his house; but the direction was so plainly to the Lake
House that he carried it to Mr. Stanton, who was in the carriage,
and asked if he had ever heard of any one of that name. Mr. Stanton
understood the joke at once, and directed Mr. Porter to give it to his
sister, who was highly amused.
Fred was delighted when he heard of the success of his joke, and that
Mr. Porter had been completely puzzled.
There was one place of which Maggie and Bessie never tired, and this
was of the Ice Glen dairy. To go there each day with Fanny, and
see her churn, or skim the rich cream from the milk, or roll the
beautiful yellow butter into dainty little pats for the table; or, to
have the butter spaddles put into their own hands, and help Fanny in
this last piece of work; or sometimes even to pack the butter down
into the great stone pots,--all these were pleasures which never lost
their charm.
Bessie had a very handsome silver cup which had been given to her when
she was a baby by her Aunt Bessie, for whom she was named. Of this
cup she was very fond, and before she could speak plain would take
her drink from nothing else; and she had never lost her fancy for it.
Mrs. Bradford wished Bessie to drink plenty of milk, for she thought
it would make her well and strong, and the little girl herself thought
it a medicine that was not bad to take. So she not only had it every
day for her breakfast and supper, but when she went with Fanny to the
dairy, she used to take her silver cup with her, and Fanny would fill
it with the rich milk which did her so much good.
One morning the little girls had gone as usual to the dairy with
Fanny; and first Maggie and Bessie had taken a drink of milk, after
which Bessie had washed her cup in the stream which ran through the
centre of the little building. There could be no doubt that it was
quite clean, since the water was poured in and out of it about a
hundred times before she was satisfied. When she had washed it to her
mind, she asked Fanny if she and Maggie might make some butter pats.
Fanny consented; and when she had furnished them with a bowl of butter
and a pair of spaddles apiece, Bessie handed her the cup, and Fanny
set it upon the shelf that ran around the room. Now, this shelf was
just on a level with a small window at the back of the dairy. The
window stood open and looked out upon three or four great boulders, or
masses of rock which lay piled one on top of another just behind the
dairy, and were overhung with fir and pine trees.
Flossy had been lying with his nose on his paws, sleepily watching
his little mistresses at their play; but soon he suddenly started up
with an angry bark, and was about to rush out of the dairy as if he
were going to give chase to something, when Maggie caught him up.
"No, no, Flossy," she said, "you are not going after those poor little
rabbits again. No, no, sir; be quiet; I shall not let you go, so you
need not struggle so, or be so angry. There, that's a good Flossy."
But Flossy was not good, or at least, would not be quiet, and for a
moment continued to struggle to free himself from Maggie's hold, and
to give short, sharp barks as if he were displeased.
"It's not the rabbits he's after when he barks that way," said Fannie.
"He thinks he has seen or heard somebody about;" and, going to the
door, she looked around, up the glen and down the path leading to the
house. "There's no one here," she said. "What ails you, little doggie?
Did you think you heard some one who had no right to be here?"
At last Flossy was persuaded to be quiet, with the exception of a low
grumbling "woof" now and then, as if he still thought his wrongs too
great to be borne; and the children returned to their butter.
"Oh, Fannie," said Bessie, "you forgot to give us anything to put our
butter rolls in when they are made."
"So I did," said Fanny; "and here are my hands in this cream cheese,
and I cannot reach a bowl for you. See, take this milk pan that stands
on the floor, Maggie. It is rather large, to be sure, but it will do
for this time; and there is a dipper to pour the water in it."
"Bring the dipper for yourself, and give me my cup for myself," said
Bessie, "and then we can both dip the water."
Maggie brought the pan and the dipper, and then went for the silver
cup, but it was not where she expected to find it.
"Why Fanny," she said, "where's Bessie's cup? I thought you put it
right here."
"So I did," said Fanny. "I stood it just there by the window."
"It's not there now," said Maggie, standing on tip-toe that she might
see over the shelf.