Aunt Penelope was one of those dear, good souls, who, single
themselves, have, as real or adopted relatives, the interests of a
dozen families, instead of one, at heart. There are few people whose
youth has not owned the influence of at least one such friend. It may
be a good habit, the first interest in some life-loved pursuit or
favorite author, some pretty feminine art, or delicate womanly counsel
enforced by those narratives of real life that are more interesting
than any fiction: it may be only the periodical return of gifts and
kindness, and the store of family histories that no one else can tell;
but we all owe something to such an aunt or uncle--the fairy
godmothers of real life.
The benefits which Sam and Dot reaped from Aunt Penelope's visits, may
be summed up under the heads of presents and stories, with a general
leaning to indulgence in the matters of punishment, lessons, and going
to bed, which perhaps is natural to aunts and uncles who have no
positive responsibilities in the young people's education, and are not
the daily sufferers by the lack of due discipline.
Aunt Penelope's presents were lovely. Aunt Penelope's stories were
charming. There was generally a moral wrapped up in them, like the
motto in a cracker-bonbon; but it was quite in the inside, so to
speak, and there was abundance of smart paper and sugar-plums.
All things considered, it was certainly most proper that the
much-injured Dot should be dressed out in her best, and have access to
dessert, the dining-room, and Aunt Penelope, whilst Sam was kept
upstairs. And yet it was Dot who (her first burst of grief being
over), fought stoutly for his pardon all the time she was being
dressed, and was afterwards detected in the act of endeavoring to push
fragments of raspberry tart through the nursery key-hole.
"You GOOD thing!" Sam emphatically exclaimed, as he heard her in
fierce conflict on the other side of the door with the nurse who
found her--"You GOOD thing! leave me alone, for I deserve it."
He really was very penitent. He was too fond of Dot not to regret the
unexpected degree of distress he had caused her; and Dot made much of
his penitence in her intercessions in the drawing-room.
"Sam is so very sorry," she said, "he says he knows he deserves it. I
think he ought to come down. He is so _very_ sorry!"
Aunt Penelope, as usual, took the lenient side, joining her entreaties
to Dot's, and it ended in Master Sam's being hurriedly scrubbed and
brushed, and shoved into his black velvet suit, and sent down-stairs,
rather red about the eyelids, and looking very sheepish.
"Oh, Dot!" he exclaimed, as soon as he could get her into a corner, "I
am so very, very sorry! particularly about the tea-things."
"Never mind," said Dot, "I don't care; and I've asked for a story, and
we're going into the library." As Dot said this, she jerked her head
expressively in the direction of the sofa, where Aunt Penelope was
just casting on stitches preparatory to beginning a pair of her famous
ribbed socks for Papa, whilst she gave to Mamma's conversation that
sympathy, which (like her knitting-needles) was always at the service
of her large circle of friends. Dot anxiously watched the bow on the
top of her cap as it danced and nodded with the force of Mamma's
observations. At last it gave a little chorus of jerks, as one should
say, "Certainly, undoubtedly." And then the story came to an end, and
Dot, who had been slowly creeping nearer, fairly took Aunt Penelope by
the hand, and carried her off, knitting and all, to the library.
"Now, please," said Dot, when she had struggled into a chair that was
too tall for her.
"Stop a minute!" cried Sam, who was perched in the opposite one, "the
horsehair tickles my legs."
"Put your pocket-handkerchief under them, as I do," said Dot. "_Now_,
Aunt Penelope."
"No, wait," groaned Sam; "it isn't big enough; it only covers one
leg."
Dot slid down again, and ran to Sam.
"Take my handkerchief for the other."
"But what will you do?" said Sam.
"Oh, I don't care," said Dot, scrambling back into her place. "Now,
Aunty, please."
And Aunt Penelope began.