Mamie. "Let's make up for all our lives."
And offering her lips to Mabel, a kiss of peace was exchanged between
these two little girls, who had never been very good friends, but who
had always taken a naughty pleasure in aggravating one another, and in
each one making the most of the other's faults.
"Here comes papa. He's been down to the post-office, and brought the
mail," said Lily. "Papa, is there a letter for me? Maggie promised to
write to me; but perhaps she has not done it yet."
"Well, I rather think she has favored Mamie this time," said Mr.
Norris, dropping into Mamie's lap a letter addressed in Maggie
Bradford's large, round handwriting.
Brightening instantly at this unexpected consolation, Mamie caught up
the letter, and eagerly opened it.
"Maggie never wrote to me before," she said; "and her letters are so
nice."
"Yes," said Belle; "but I wonder if there is none for me. Maggie writes
to me once a week, and Bessie writes once a week, and this is the day
for Maggie's letter. Mr. Norris, didn't any letter come for me?"
Mr. Norris answered in the most satisfactory manner by rapidly turning
over the letters in his hand, and selecting one which he teasingly
held a moment above her reach; then dropped it into the little eager,
outstretched hands.
"I'll read mine aloud," said Mamie, "'cause Maggie's letters are so
very interesting.
"MY DEAR MAMIE,--It is the turn for me to write to Belle
to-day, but I thought she would not mind if I wrote to you
instead, for we heard this afternoon of your going off in
the boat, and nearly being lost, and saved by a fisherman,
which was the greatest of mercies, and of your mamma being
so ill. And so because we should comfort the afflicted,
I thought you might like a letter, and Bessie will write
to Belle. We are very sorry for you, dear; specially for
your feeling so badly about your mamma, which was only to
be expected if you had the feelings of human nature; and
remorse is hard for mankind to bear, indeed, not to be
endured. But I never heard of such a dreadful adventure as
you had and dear little Lulu, too, except once when the
railroad ran off with Bessie and Belle and me, and no one to
take care of us, but a gentleman we did not know, who was
very kind, and I believe sent to us by the hand of the Lord,
and restored us to the bosom of our family.
"But we are very glad you were saved and not taken away by
drowning from your orphaned parents, or made a melancholy
accident in the newspapers of, which would try the souls of
your friends to read. Bessie and I cried a good deal when we
heard about you, and I thought you would like to know about
it, because it's always pleasant to know that your friends
feel badly about you. We hope that your mamma will soon
recover, and I am your
very respected and attached
friend
MAGGIE STANTON BRADFORD.
"P.S. I would not wish to say any thing unkind about a
present my friends gave me, but a cruel young gentleman of
my acquaintance presented me a dead bird he shot, and I
would not have it, but cried. But I hope my conduct made a
sensible impression upon him, for the next time some one
asked him to go shooting he said no, which makes me think he
may in time come to have a feeling heart which cannot bear
to take life.
"Give my love to Lily and tell her I will write to her
to-morrow if unexpected circumstances do not prevent.
"M. S. B."
This fine letter met with all the approval which Maggie's compositions
generally called forth; and then Bessie's to Belle was read aloud for
the benefit of all who might choose to hear.
"MY DEAR BELLE,--Maggie writes to Mamie so I write this
leter to you but it is not my day but Maggie's. I wish you
would come to our hose and see us cors we miss you. i can
play 2 tunes Captain Jinks and Lord in the morning thou
shalt hear on the piano and i like to play on the piano but
Maggie does it better, our new old cook has a gra kitty and
it goes to sleep in her pokit and the cook is black and Fred
has a white rabit and it stiks up its nose at us and we have
2 new horses and mamma a pony for her faton so we are quite
a menagery and we want you and Lily to see them all. So ask
your papa to bring you to spend that day with us and give my
dear love to Lily and Lulu, and a little skrap of love to
Mabel and Mamie but I am sorry for Mamie and Maggie and I
cried about her. No I think you may give a good deal of my
love to Mamie, but not too much.
from affekshin
BESSIE RUSH BRADFORD."
Happily Belle had spelled over this letter to herself before reading
it aloud, which Bessie had probably not intended; and the wise little
woman had the good sense and good feeling to omit such parts of it as
might seem at all slighting to Mabel and Mamie, of whom Bessie, as you
will have perceived, was not over fond.
It was many days before Mamie recovered her usual spirits and
liveliness, not indeed until her mother was well again; and it was
almost touching to see how tenderly she hung about her when she was
once more permitted to go to her; watching for the least opportunity
to wait on her, or do her some small service; sitting for hours beside
her bed, content only to hold her hand or kiss her pale cheek; so
subdued, so gentle, so submissive and good, that it was hard to believe
she was the Mamie of old.
Nor did the good impression her severe lesson made upon her wear off
when mamma had recovered; and Mrs. Stone felt that all she had suffered
was well repaid by the new docility and obedience shown by her little
daughter.
She was less selfish and wilful with her playmates too, more gentle and
amiable than they had ever known her. The memory of that lonely night
upon the dark sea,--for it was impossible to persuade Mamie that she
did not pass the greater part of the night upon the water,--and the
thought of the care which had watched over her there, were not easily
shaken off; and perhaps it was as well that for many succeeding weeks
she was within sight and sound of the objects which kept it constantly
before her mind.
Certain it is that the change in her was very great and plainly to be
seen, and, as Belle said to the astonished Maggie and Bessie when they
remarked upon it, "more as if she tried to _live_ her watchword than to
_talk so much_ about it."
[Illustration]
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Obvious punctuation errors were corrected.
Page 10, word "a" added to text (that seldom has a)
Page 35, "eat" changed to "ate" (she ate her cake)
Page 156, word "on" added to the text (you on a nice)