THE BUTTERFLY AND THE BEE.
In a fortnight Mary and Ellen had taken possession of their neat plain
room at Mrs. Maclean's, and Mr. Villars had set out on his journey to
some place in Carolina. It was autumn, but the weather had not yet
become at all cold. Mrs. Maclean was a lover of flowers, and the little
court-yard before her house was really gay with its golden marigolds,
its pink and white artemisias, and its purple dahlias. We have said that
Mrs. Maclean was a widow. She had no children of her own, and it was
with real pleasure that she prepared for the reception of these young
girls. Mr. Villars had sent over the furniture for their room, and she
had begged that they would come over themselves and direct its
arrangement. And how patiently did she obey their directions! Now the
bedstead was put behind the door, because Mary thought that the right
place for it; and now wheeled into the corner near the fireplace,
because Ellen thought it would look best there. The looking-glass was
hung first in one pier and then in the other, and then moved back again
to the first. In short, every piece of furniture made a journey around
the room before it found an abiding place, and yet Mrs. Maclean showed
no weariness or impatience,--a fact on which Ellen dilated with great
emphasis to her uncle in Mrs. Merrill's presence--declaring that "Mrs.
Maclean was so good-natured, she was sure she should love her dearly."
When Mr. Villars took the sisters to their home on the evening before he
left H., Ellen carried him up to their room--explained to him all the
advantages of its present arrangement--and especially challenged his
admiration for the mantelpiece, on which Mrs. Maclean had placed two
china mugs filled with her brightest flowers. More pleasant than all to
Mr. Villars, was her satisfaction. While his children smiled so
cheerfully and appeared so animated, he felt that there was little to
regret in their change of circumstances. It was noon the next day before
Mr. Villars was at leisure to make his farewell visit at Mrs. Maclean's.
As soon as he came within view of the parlor windows, he saw Ellen
standing at one of them, looking out. She saw him too, and running out
opened the little gate for him.
"Oh, Uncle Villars, I thought you were never coming, I have been looking
for you so long."
"That was very unprofitable labor, Ellen, for it could not bring me here
any sooner. Where is Mary?"
"Up stairs in our room--come softly, Uncle Villars," here Ellen lowered
her voice to a whisper, "come softly, and I do believe you may get close
up to her without her knowing it--she is so busy sewing."
Ellen tripped lightly on herself, and Mr. Villars with a smile followed
with as quiet a step as possible. They ascended the staircase, the door
was opened without the least noise, and Ellen, motioning to her uncle to
stand still, stole on towards her sister. Mary sat near the window, but
though her face was towards it, she was not looking out. Her head was
bent down over a piece of embroidery, and her fingers were moving
quickly while she sang in a low suppressed voice to a cheerful tune an
old song, the words of which ran thus--
1.
I will not be a butterfly,
To sport beneath the summer sky,
Idly o'er ev'ry flower to roam,
And droop when winter storms have come.
2.
I will not be an ant, to soil
Myself with low, debasing toil,
To crawl on earth--to yon bright heaven
No wing upraised, no effort given.
3.
But I will be a bee, to sup
Pure honey from each flow'ry cup;
Busy and pleased around I'll fly,
And treasure win from earth and sky
As she finished her song, Ellen, who now stood close beside her, though
unperceived, took up the strain and warbled,
Busy and pleased around I'll fly,
And treasure win from earth and sky.
"Ah truant!" said Mary, with a smile, "you will not win much treasure, I
am afraid. See how much I have done while you have been looking out for
Uncle Villars, and all your looking has not brought him."
"No--but if I could only persuade you to take your eyes from your work
and just give one glance over your shoulder, he would be here I know;
try it, Mary."
"No, butterfly, I mean to be a bee, and you shall not tempt me to lose
time."
"There, Miss Bee, is that losing time?" asked Ellen, as, putting a hand
on each side of Mary's head, she turned it suddenly round to where Mr.
Villars stood, amused by the scene.
"Why, Uncle Villars!" exclaimed Mary, dropping her work in her surprise
and pleasure, and hastening to meet him, "how long have you been there?"
"Long enough to hear most of your song, Mary. But what pretty work is
this?" asked Mr. Villars, as he picked it up and handed it to her.
"A cape which Mrs. Melville sent me this morning to embroider for her;
and see, she has sent Ellen some cambric handkerchiefs to hem."
"And how much have you done to them, Ellen?"
"I have done half a side to one of them."
Mr. Villars shook his head, and Ellen coloring, said, "Well, Uncle
Villars, I do hate so to hem handkerchiefs; it is all the same thing
over and over again. Now there is some pleasure in embroidering."
"But my little girl must learn to take pleasure in winning treasure,"
said Mr. Villars, pleasantly.
"I should like very well to have the treasure, Uncle Villars, if you
mean money, but I do not see much pleasure in winning it."
"But I do not mean money only, Ellen, that is the treasure of earth; but
you remember the bee won that of the sky too, and I would have you, my
dear child, win the best of all treasures, a disciplined, well-regulated
mind and heart; and the surest way to do this, is by steady
perseverance in what you know to be right, however disagreeable it may
be to you; and to encourage you, let me tell you that the things you
like least will become pleasant to you as soon as you have made up your
mind to do them, because they are right."
This was Mr. Villars' parting lesson to Ellen, for it was soon time for
him to be on board the steamboat which was to take him to New York, on
his way south. He left them, with many charges that they should write to
him at least once a fortnight; and that they should apply, if any
difficulty occurred, to Colonel and Mrs. Melville for advice, and, if
necessary, for assistance.