harder than ever, to see him holding up his hands, and pretending to be
afraid of a little woman about half his size, and they were just going
to shake him again, when he ran for his life, and, getting out on the
front stoop, declared he would not come into the house again.
So they had to let Aunt Fanny go to him, after she had promised not to be
long before she fired off another pop-gun at them.
And they promised her to be always kind and good to their little
companions, and make the very best use of their time—as Philip Wiseman
did at last—and to “practise true politeness” everywhere, and towards
everybody, like Beppo and his friends.
* * * * *
After Aunt Fanny went away, the children were so anxious to impress upon
her mind the serious importance of having the first volume of Pop-guns
printed immediately, that they called a mass meeting in the corner,
before they bid their parents good-night.
“I say,” said Fred, “let’s write one of those things papa reads out of
the paper, when any great man dies, beginning with, ‘Whereas,’ and going
on with a whole lot of ‘resolves’ full of compliments.”
“But I don’t want Aunt Fanny to die,” cried little Bob, beginning to rub
his eyes.
“Oh no! She isn’t going to die. But we don’t want her to burn up our
Pop-guns,” explained Lou, kindly.
“Oh!” said Bob, and looked quite comforted.
So Fred got a sheet of paper, and filling a pen very full of ink, for
fear it might dry up before he got it to the paper, he began to write;
and by dint of breathing very hard, and bouncing up and down in his chair
after finishing every sentence, he soon completed this elegant set of
resolutions:—
“_Whereas_, As we are afraid Aunt Fanny may burn up Pop-guns,
which, would be awful; and
“_Whereas_, Ever so many children would be so sorry, they would
not know what to do; therefore,
“_Resolved_, That the stories are perfectly delightful, and
would do the children more good than forty whippings, or a
hundred doses of medicine; and
“_Resolved_, That after being told in the famous story of the
“Dinner Party,” that the
Dogs and cats were so polite,
They quite forgot to bark and bite,
it would never do to let all the rest of the children in
the world lose a chance of growing as polite, as we mean to
be after this, or as amiable and unselfish as Philip Badboy
became; and so, dear Aunt Fanny, you will please to send your
stories to Mr. Sheldon immediately, and ask him to get them
printed in the very greatest hurry—real head-over-heels hurry,
too.”
“There!” cried Fred, reading the manifesto over with admiration, but with
a vague idea that they did not sound quite right, particularly the last
one. “There! Now we must sign our names—ladies first.”
So Sophie and the rest signed; and Aunt Fanny got the resolutions before
breakfast the next morning, and had a good laugh over them.
But she sent the stories to Mr. Sheldon, and here they are for her
darlings out in the world.
The children to whom they were read have promised to make her happy by
trying to profit by the good examples given, and avoid what is unlovely
and sinful. Will _you_ try too? Ah! tell Aunt Fanny that you will,—and
that our Father in Heaven may help you, shall be her daily prayer.