Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
[Illustration: THE DOCTOR'S NEW BUGGY.]
[Illustration: THE HAPPY HOME STORIES.]
THE NEW BUGGY
BY AUNT HATTIE.
[MADELINE LESLIE]
"Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one
another."—Paul.
BOSTON:
PUBLISHED BY HENRY A. YOUNG & CO.,
24 CORNHILL.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by
HENRY A. YOUNG & CO.,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
LIST
OF VOLUMES IN
THE HAPPY HOME STORIES.
FOR GIRLS.
VOL. I. LITTLE FLYAWAY.
VOL. II. THE SPOILED PICTURE.
VOL. III. FLEDA'S CHILDHOOD.
VOL. IV. THE SINGING GIRL.
VOL. V. MOLLY AND THE WINE GLASS.
VOL. VI. THE TWINS.
LIST
OF VOLUMES IN
THE HAPPY HOME STORIES.
FOR BOYS.
VOL. I. DILIGENT DICK.
VOL. II. COUSIN WILLIE.
VOL. III. LAZY ROBERT.
VOL. IV. LITTLE FRITZ.
VOL. V. THE NEW BUGGY.
VOL. VI. BERTIE AND HIS SISTERS.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. THE TRUANT BOYS
CHAPTER II. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
CHAPTER III. DANIEL AND HIS FATHER—A TROUBLED CONSCIENCE
CHAPTER IV. ANOTHER LIE
CHAPTER V. THE DISTRACTED MOTHER
CHAPTER VI. THE SENSELESS BOY
CHAPTER VII. FORGIVENESS
CHAPTER VIII. THE DOCTOR'S BILL
CHAPTER IX. THE BLUE FISH
CHAPTER X. JIMMY'S PLAN
THE NEW BUGGY.
CHAPTER I.
THE TRUANT BOYS.
"YOU'LL catch it now!" shouted Ralph Lane, as he saw his schoolmate
stealing through the garden to the back door of his father's barn.
"You'll catch it when your father finds you out! I wouldn't be you,
Jimmy Dodge, for the best kite I ever saw."
Poor Jimmy looked very much as though he would like not to be himself,
just at that moment. He had been doing wrong, and he knew it.
He had started for school, and had gone more than half way when he met
Daniel Crawson, a merry boy, who invited, him to take a sail on the
pond.
Daniel's father was a fisherman, and owned a small dory. Occasionally
he gave his son liberty to go out in the boat when it was not in use;
but this afternoon he had not done so, and supposed that Dan, as he
called him, was safe in school.
Little Jimmy thought there was no fun quite equal to sailing on the
water, to be sure he did not know much about it never having been
in a boat but once, and that was in company with the Sabbath school
children, when they went on a picnic to Deer Island. When Daniel in
glowing terms described the pleasure they would have, he said in a
hesitating tone.
"I'm afraid father wouldn't like it; and mother thinks it's awful
dangerous."
"There isn't a bit of danger," urged Daniel. "Father goes out almost
every day in the year, and comes home all safe. We will be back before
school is done; and they needn't know anything about it."
Jimmy knew he ought not to go. His conscience told him that he ought
at that very moment to be walking into the school yard; but he had
listened to the voice of the tempter, and now he could not resist.
It was a lovely day in June. The water had never looked more calm and
peaceful. On the banks of the pond grew large willow trees, throwing
their reflection far over the water.
"We shall have a splendid time," said Daniel, untying the rope which
secured the boat to a post driven firmly into the ground near the shore.
Jimmy stood watching Daniel's skilful movements, for the boy had often
accompanied his father, and knew well how to manage an oar.
"Yes," he repeated, "we shall have a splendid time;" but there was
another voice inside his breast which whispered, "You are a truant boy,
and you know your parents will be displeased."
There was not a breath of wind; and they rowed round and round the pond
sometimes close to the banks, and then steering out into the middle
of the pond. Jimmy grew so excited when Daniel allowed him for a few
minutes to handle the oars that he forgot all about home, and mother,
and school. He stood up, and waved his straw hat to another company of
boaters off at a distance. He sang and shouted with delight.
At last the distant whistle of a steam engine reminded Daniel that it
was time for them to draw up to the shore, fasten the boat, and return
home.
"Haven't we had a good time, though?" questioned the boy, carefully
securing the knot exactly as he found it. "You see there's not a bit
of danger; and you'll get home just in time, nobody will know but what
you have been at school. If father isn't using the boat we'll go again
to-morrow. You'll soon be able to manage an oar as well as I do."
"I like it first rate," answered Jimmy; but his voice did not sound
hearty as it did when he was in the middle of the pond. He did not
think he would like to go quite so soon as to-morrow; but he kept this
thought to himself. Dan was marching up from the pond to the main road
with his hand in his pocket whistling Shoo fly. He wished he felt like
whistling; but he didn't.
"Now," said Dan in a gay tone, "I'll go across lots. We'd better not be
seen together, somebody might guess where we'd been," and off he ran,
springing over a stone wall at one bound, and was soon out of sight.
Jimmy did not feel like running. There was a heavy load at his heart
which grew heavier every minute. Nothing could be lovelier than the
scene around him. The trees were laden with blossoms which filled the
air with their fragrance; the birds were twittering in the branches,
the long shadows fell, over the smooth green grass, the little ants by
the wayside were hurrying with another load to their houses of sand;
but Jimmy noticed nothing of all these beauties. Indeed he could not
see very well, for his eyes had tears in them, which he tried to wipe
away.
A little dog ran out from a house and barked joyfully when he saw who
it was; but though Jimmy often had a game with him, now he only said:
"Go away, Gip," and Gip, gazing wonderingly in his face, saw that
something was the matter and followed him meekly, with his tail between
his legs.
"I wish I dared tell mother," Jimmy said softly.
At this, Gip gave a joyful bark, "Bow-wow-bow!"
Jimmy though he felt so sorrowful, could not help smiling. It sounded
so much like saying, "I would, I would."
"No, old fellow, it wouldn't do. I must manage somehow without telling
her."
At this Gip did not answer at all; but when the boy, after a timid
glance around, crept carefully over the wall at the bottom of the
garden, he flew after him, and seizing his coat tried to make him go
back, barking as loud as he could.
"Go home!" said Jimmy, in a subdued tone which he tried to make stern.
"Go home, sir," pointing over the wall.
Poor Gip obeyed after one reproachful glance in the boy's face. Was
there to be no frolic after all?
Then the boy, keeping close to the wall, made his way quickly toward
the barn, intending to pass through it on his way, to the house. He was
glad that no one was in sight, and was just darting into the door when
Ralph saw him.