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MRS. LESLIE'S BOOKS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN.
THE LITTLE FRANKIE SERIES.
BOOKS WRITTEN OR EDITED
By A. R. BAKER,
AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.
* * * * *
QUESTION BOOKS on the Topics of Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
VOL. I. FOR CHILDREN. VOL. II. FOR YOUTH.
VOL. III. FOR ADULTS.
LECTURES ON THESE TOPICS, _in press_.
MRS. LESLIE'S SABBATH SCHOOL BOOKS.
TIM, THE SCISSORS GRINDER.
SEQUEL TO "TIM, THE SCISSORS GRINDER."
PRAIRIE FLOWER.
THE BOUND BOY.
THE BOUND GIRL.
VIRGINIA.
THE TWO HOMES; OR, EARNING AND SPENDING.
THE ORGAN-GRINDER, _in press_.
QUESTION BOOKS. The Catechism tested by the Bible.
VOL. I. FOR CHILDREN. VOL. II. FOR ADULTS.
THE DERMOTT FAMILY; or, Stories Illustrating the Catechism.
VOL. I. DOCTRINES RESPECTING GOD AND MANKIND.
" II. DOCTRINES OF GRACE.
" III. COMMANDMENTS OF THE FIRST TABLE.
" IV. COMMANDMENTS OF THE SECOND TABLE.
" V. CONDITIONS OF ETERNAL LIFE.
MRS. LESLIE'S HOME LIFE.
VOL. I. CORA AND THE DOCTOR.
" II. COURTESIES OF WEDDED LIFE.
" III. THE HOUSEHOLD ANGEL.
MRS. LESLIE'S JUVENILE SERIES.
VOL. I. THE MOTHERLESS CHILDREN.
" II. PLAY AND STUDY.
" III. HOWARD AND HIS TEACHER.
" IV. TRYING TO BE USEFUL.
" V. JACK, THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER.
" VI. THE YOUNG HOUSEKEEPER.
" VII. LITTLE AGNES.
THE ROBIN REDBREAST SERIES.
THE ROBINS' NEST.
LITTLE ROBINS IN THE NEST.
LITTLE ROBINS LEARNING TO FLY.
LITTLE ROBINS IN TROUBLE.
LITTLE ROBINS' FRIENDS.
LITTLE ROBINS' LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.
* * * * *
THE LITTLE FRANKIE SERIES.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS MOTHER.
LITTLE FRANKIE AT HIS PLAYS.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS COUSIN.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS FATHER.
LITTLE FRANKIE ON A JOURNEY.
LITTLE FRANKIE AT SCHOOL.
[Illustration: UNPACKING NELLY'S TRUNKS.]
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS COUSIN.
BY
MRS. MADELINE LESLIE,
AUTHOR OF "THE HOME LIFE SERIES;" "MRS. LESLIE'S
JUVENILE SERIES," ETC.
[Illustration]
BOSTON:
CROSBY AND NICHOLS.
117 WASHINGTON STREET.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by
A. R. BAKER,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
ELECTROTYPED AT THE
BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.
LITTLE FRANKIE AND HIS COUSIN.
CHAPTER I.
FRANKIE'S COUSIN NELLY.
IN another little book I have given you an account of Frankie when he
was a baby, and have spoken of some things which he said and did when he
began to talk and to walk.
In this book I shall tell you more about him, and also about his cousin
Nelly, who came to pass some months in his father's house, while her
parents visited Europe.
Nelly was six years old, while Frankie was but just past his fourth
birthday. Nelly was a pale, delicate child, with light flaxen hair,
which curled in ringlets about her face. Her features were very small;
but her eyes were bright and sparkling, and her motions quick and
graceful.
Sally, the nurse, used often to say that Nelly looked like the great wax
dolls which were put up in the shop windows; but her cousin Willie
laughed, and said, "Nelly flies about so, I can't tell what she does
look like."
When Nelly was a baby, she had learned to suck her finger; and since
that time she had never been taught to give up the habit. Before her
mother went to Europe, Mrs. Gray showed her that the poor little finger
was wasting away, and would never grow like the others, unless Nelly
would stop sucking it. But the lady only laughed, and said, "I have not
the heart to forbid her, she takes such a world of comfort with it."
Mrs. Gray said no more, but she determined to break up the habit before
Nelly left her.
The little girl was to have a small room, opening out of her aunt's
chamber. There her trunks were carried for Sally to unpack, and put the
clothes into the wardrobe and drawers.
"Come in here!" said Nelly to her little cousin, "and we will take out
the playthings. This trunk is full of them."
Frankie's eyes grew very round and large as Sally selected the right
key, and displayed a great variety of toys packed as closely as
possible into the large trunk.
"Goodness me!" exclaimed nurse, holding up both hands. "Why, you'll be
able to set up a toy shop, miss."
"I have more at home," said Nelly. "Maria couldn't get them all in."
Maria was the name of the colored woman who had taken care of Nelly ever
since she was a tiny baby. She had wished to come with her to Mrs.
Gray's, and cried bitterly when she knew that she could not. But her
aunt was sure that if Maria was there, Nelly would be too much indulged,
that is, she would have her own way, and would be spoiled. She loved her
little niece, and was sorry that her brother's wife did not take more
pains to teach her little girl to be good and kind. She hoped Nelly
would learn, while her mother was away, to wait upon herself, and to be
generous and truthful.
When Sally had unlocked the trunk of playthings for the little miss, she
went on unpacking the other one. She took out the dresses, and laid them
on the bed. There was a pink muslin, and a blue tarleton, and a white
one with the skirt tucked up to the waist. Then there were two silks,
and one or two delaines, and ever so many French calicoes.
Mrs. Gray came in at this moment, and Sally exclaimed, "Where I am to
put all these dresses, ma'am, is more than I can tell. The wardrobe
won't hold half of them."
The lady glanced toward the bed, and said, "You may hang the best ones
in the parlor-chamber closet."
By this time Frankie had helped his cousin to take out the toys; and
they were spread all over the floor, so that neither his mamma nor nurse
could walk at all without stepping on them.
"Why, Nelly," said her aunt, "what a quantity of playthings you have
there!"
"May we play with them here?" asked Frankie.
"I am afraid you will be in Sally's way," replied mamma.
"She can wait, then, till we are done," said Nelly, taking up a large
dolly.
"No," said her aunt; "nurse has a great deal to do; and first of all she
wants to clear up this room. See how untidy it looks, with the clothes
all lying about."
"Can't we go up in Willie's play room, then?" asked the little boy.
"Yes, my dear; there is a large case up there, which will make a nice
play house for Nelly. You can have one shelf for the parlor, and put
these little sofas and chairs in it. Then have another for the closet,
and set out the cups and saucers. You and your cousin may carry them up
stairs; and when Margie comes home, she will love to help you arrange
them."
"O mamma, see this pretty carriage!" cried Frankie.
"That's a pedler's wagon," said Nelly. "There is the front seat for him
to sit on, and the top comes way over to keep off the rain. The horses
can take out too. When I first had it, I used to play 'get to the
tavern, and put them up in the barn.'"
"O Nelly!" exclaimed the little fellow, "let us play that as soon as we
get up stairs."
"I'm tired," said Nelly, sitting down on the floor, and putting her
finger in her mouth.
"I'll carry the things up then," said Frankie, running into the next
room for a basket. "See, I'm real strong."
"If you are tired, you had better go and lie down on the lounge," said
her aunt.
"No," said Nelly; "I want to stay here, and see Sally put away my
clothes."
Nurse did not take a fancy to the little girl; that was very plain. She
kept muttering to herself all the time she was arranging the drawers,
and was quite vexed that her darling, as she called Frankie, should be
doing the work while Nelly sat idly looking on.
At last, when her mistress had left the room, she asked, "Do you never
work any, miss?"
Nelly shook her head.
"Well, I expect your aunt will teach you to wait upon yourself," said
Sally; "you'd be a great deal happier if you had something to do."
"Maria does every thing for me," said Nelly, still holding her finger in
her mouth. "If I don't like to stay without her, I shall send for her to
come. Mamma said I might."
"Indeed!" said nurse, laughing. "We'll see what your aunt says to that.
Here, darling," she called out to Frankie, "let Sally help you carry
that heavy basket. I'm afraid you can't get it through the door alone."
"Yet I can," said Frankie, "cause I belong to the Try Company."
"I guess your cousin had better join it too," said nurse to herself.
[Illustration]