QUARRELSOME MOTHERS.
"Holloa! here's a doll, I'll have it," said the biggest girl, whose
name was Martha Griggs.
"No you won't, either, so there you told a lie," said Madge Griggs.
"I'm the oldest, and ought to have it," screamed Martha.
"And I'm the youngest, and the oldest ought to give up to the smallest
one," said Madge.
"You shan't, you shan't, you impudent jade, so you may just clear out
of the way," yelled Martha, striking her sister with all her might.
"Oh! oh! oh! how you have hurt me! I shall tell mother of you as soon
as we get home," said Madge.
"I don't care if you do, Miss," said Martha.
Then they went home, Martha with the doll, and Madge following behind
her all the way. I thought that I was very unfortunate in the change
of my mammas, for, thought I, I can't pass a very pleasant time with
these quarrelsome mammas, and I'm afraid that I may have my legs or
arms, or even my head broken in a fray, which I should not like very
much. At last we came to the house where they lived, and then we had
supper, and I was put to bed. I cried very much that night, for I was
sad at leaving my little mother Agnes, and I felt bad at having such
quarrelsome mothers as I now had. I never could get a moment's peace,
for if one of my mothers wanted me put to bed, the other one wanted me
to get up. I can remember one day what a quarrel occurred, and these
were the words, as nearly as I can recollect. "Madge, where's my doll?"
"It's not your doll." "That's a lie." "It aint, I'll have that doll."
"You won't, I found it in the grass." "I'm the youngest and ought to
have it. Father says you ought to give up to the youngest." "Will you
tell me where that doll is, for I want to put its apron on?" "Ah, ha,
you won't get it now, if you want to put its apron on, for I am going
to put its worst dress on, so as to let it slabber in the dirt." "No
you won't, either," and Martha gave Madge slap after slap, and slap
after slap, till I thought that Madge would never see light again. That
night when I went to bed, I thought how much better it would have been
for Martha to have kindly asked Madge for me, and for Madge to have
answered kindly; and I hope that all my readers will never imitate
Madge and Martha.