I do not know how many fish the boys caught, but I do know that Flora
almost wished she had staid at home, for when she got to the river she
was so tired she could hardly stand.
Flora could not help feeling that it was not kind of her friend to ask
so much of her. She was not her mistress, and was just as able to wait
upon herself as Flora was to wait upon her.
Yet she was patient and kind, and did not quarrel with her. Josephine
was always polite when she asked these favors, and always thanked her
when she had done them. Perhaps this made the matter a little better,
though I think her politeness was cunning rather than kindness of
heart.
I have another story to tell of Josephine and her friends, which will
still further illustrate her fault, and show how she was cured of it.
A few days after the fishing excursion, Flora’s mother said she might
have a picnic party in the woods on the other side of the river. To
add to the pleasure of the occasion, Mr. Lee had a tent put up in the
woods, and erected a swing for the children.
The boys and girls were delighted with the plan, and Flora and Frank
invited all the children in the neighborhood to join the party.
They were to start at nine o’clock, or as soon as the dew was off the
grass. The distance to the woods was about a mile, and the children
said they would much rather walk, though Mr. Lee offered to carry them
over in a large hay wagon.
There was one little girl who was too lame to walk this distance, and
Frank said he would draw her in his little wagon. To divide the load,
and add to the pleasure of all, he fastened a long rope to the pole of
the wagon, and all the boys, about fifteen in number, were to take
hold of the rope, just as men draw an engine.
At nine o’clock the happy party had collected in front of Mr. Lee’s
house, each one having a little basket of provisions which were to
furnish the noonday feast in the grove.
“Well, Josey, are you all ready?” asked Flora, very pleasantly, as the
clock struck nine.
“Yes, I think I am. Let me see. Dear me, no; I left my gloves up
stairs. Won’t you go up and get them for me, Flora?” replied Josephine.
“Is there any thing else you will want?” asked Flora, for she could not
help thinking that her friend had made her run up and down stairs half
a dozen times on similar occasions.
“No, I guess not, Flora.”
But no sooner had Flora returned with the gloves, than Josephine
thought of something else. After a while, however, she got every thing,
and the party started for the woods.
The boys led the procession, drawing the wagon after them. Frank and
Edward had the pole, and they were very careful lest the little lame
girl should be upset and hurt.
The girls at once followed, and when they had gone a little way, Flora
thought it would be nice to sing one of their school songs. So they
went singing on their way, as happy as the larks in the morning.
“What fine apples!” exclaimed Josephine, as the party were passing Mr.
Lee’s orchard.
“They are very fine looking apples, but they are not ripe,” replied
Katy Green, who was walking near her.
“I think they must be ripe. They look good, at any rate. Won’t you be
so kind as to get me one of them?”
“They will make you sick if you eat them,” said Katy.
“O, no, they won’t. If you will get me one, I will be very much obliged
to you.”
Even Katy Green, who was not very well acquainted with the New York
miss, could not resist this appeal, and she accordingly climbed over
the fence and got two or three of the apples which she found on the
ground.
As Katy had said, the apples were not fit to eat, and they were thrown
away. They had gone but a little farther before Josephine saw some more
apples, which looked very nice.
“I am sure those apples are ripe. See how red they are. I know they are
ripe,” said she.
“Those are Baldwin apples. They are not fit to eat till winter comes,”
replied Katy.
“I am sure they must be ripe. I have eaten just such apples as those
in New York in the summer. Will you be so kind as to get me one?”
“They are not ripe, I tell you,” answered Katy, impatiently. “I have
known the tree for ever so many years, and I know just as well as any
thing can be that they are not ripe.”
“But won’t you be kind enough to get me one of them?” persisted Miss
Josephine.
“If you want one you may get it yourself,” said Katy.
“How very rude you are!” replied Josephine.
“Rude?” sneered Katy. “Do you suppose I want to climb over that fence
for nothing?”
“It isn’t such a very dreadful thing to climb over that fence.”
“Then why don’t you do it yourself?”
“You are used to things of the kind, and I am not.”
“If you want green apples, that are of no use to any one, you had
better get used to climbing fences, for I shall not do it for you any
more.”
Josephine declared that this speech was very rude indeed; and perhaps
it was; but it was plain common sense. The little New York lady was so
angry that she left Katy, and went to walk with Jenny Brown.
After the party had crossed the bridge, the boys took down the bars
by the side of the road, and they entered the woods. There was a fine
smooth road leading for several miles through the forest, and the
children enjoyed the walk very much.
Every few moments Josephine saw something which she wanted, and instead
of trying to get it herself, as she should have done, she asked
somebody to bring it for her.
In one place she saw some checkerberry plants growing; and, at her
request, Jenny picked her a handful of them. Then she wanted a swamp
pink, which Jenny also procured for her.
But Josephine’s wants were so many, that Jenny soon got tired of
supplying them; and she was obliged to ask some one else to wait upon
her.
One after another, her companions got tired of her, and either refused
to wait upon her, or left her. She would have called upon Flora, but
she walked by the side of the lame girl, and was busy talking with her.
Josephine wanted but very few of the things which she asked others to
get for her. She had a habit of _wanting_ all the time, and did not
seem to be easy unless some one was waiting upon her.
At home, her father had plenty of servants, and she did not realize
that her friends and companions had any thing to think of besides
her comfort. But even servants should be treated with kindness, and
children should not call upon them, or others, to do for them what they
can just as well do themselves.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: IN THE WOODS.]