A BAD BEGINNING.
The next morning was just as bright and pleasant a one as its
predecessor had been, and the boys, forgetful of last night's row,
got up in very good humour both with themselves and everybody else.
They chatted, and planned, and whistled, and threw bolsters at each
other, and played off several innocent tricks on Kathleen, until it
was nearly time for breakfast, when Fred, seeing a squirrel dart up a
tree just beside the house, declared he would "go out and nabble the
crittur" as sure as his name was Frederick; and as his toilet was
just completed, he bolted out of the room in hot chase, forgetting to
read his morning verses or to say his prayers, and leaving Harry to
follow or not as he chose.
What Harry would have done--whether he would have followed his
brother as soon as his boots were drawn on and his collar and tie
neatly fastened in front, who can say; but, opening the door of
Kathleen's room with exceeding gentleness and care, so as to be able
to send a large hassock at her head, he saw her kneeling reverently
beside her bed, her hands clasped and her head bent forward on the
counterpane. Harry did not shy the hassock as he had intended, but
instead, when he had closed the door softly, he knelt down and said
his morning prayers; and when Kathleen entered the room all ready for
breakfast, he asked her to read him out a chapter while he was
finishing his dressing.
Just as the gong for breakfast was sounding, Fred burst into the
bedroom, his coat all covered with the green powder off the bark of
the trees, and a large rent across the knee of his trousers.
"I say," he cried breathlessly, "the little brute was nimbler than I
thought, and gave me such a chivy as I haven't had this year--up one
tree and down another, skipping and jumping like a good un. One time
I crept up so dogeously, I had my hand almost on his bushy tail
before he caught sight of me. I was certain of nabbing him, for the
tree was broken off at the top, and there were no branches long
enough for him to get beyond my reach, when all at once the little
beggar saw me, and, instead of rushing out on the branch, as I
thought he would, he made one bound on my shoulder, rushed down my
back, and away out of sight before I could say Jack Robinson. But I
say, Kathleen, out with your needle and thread, and sew up this tear
I have got right across my knee. It's such a straight one, it won't
be seen if you do it properly."
"But the gong has rung, Fred, and I shall be quite late for
breakfast."
"Never mind; I shall be late too. You would not have one go
downstairs like this, would you?"
"No; but could you not put on another pair?"
"Fiddlesticks! that would be too much bother. If I change one thing,
I must change all, for they would not match; so be quick, and you'll
set it right in no time."
Kathleen got out her needle and thread, and made the best speed she
could; but before the rent was drawn together many minutes had
elapsed, and when Kathleen, all covered with blushes, followed her
brother into the large dining-hall, morning prayers were over, and
all the guests were assembled around the breakfast-table, and Aunt
Marian, though she said nothing, looked somewhat grave and put out.
Aunt Marian was a very punctual person herself, and she wished others
to be the same, and above all she disliked people being late for
prayers; besides which, she thought young persons ought from the very
first to learn habits of order and regularity, and her own children
were brought up in strict accordance with these ideas. But,
nevertheless, she was exceedingly kind-hearted, and had a large
measure of human pity; and as she noticed the distress only too
visible on Kathleen's face when she entered the room--a distress
which seemed to increase when she took her place at the table in the
only vacant space immediately opposite the large bay-window--Aunt
Marian called out to her in a very pleasant voice,--
"Kathleen, my dear, you will get sick if you sit with your back so
close to that fire. Bring up your chair beside mine, and I will make
room for you at the head of the table."
Oh, how Kathleen thanked her aunt in her heart; for now, in the
process of changing her place at the table, the cruel blushes (which,
in the full light of the large window, and in view of her friends
opposite, were fast bringing hot tears into her eyes) would have time
to go down, or, at least, to begin to go down; and now that her aunt
had spoken kindly to her, the sense of disgrace was dispelled, and
she could look her companions in the face.
When she took her place beside her aunt, she found already a nice hot
cake and a roll of fresh butter deposited upon her plate added; to
which, her aunt kissed her very affectionately as she said "Good
morning," and bade her eat a good breakfast, as they had a busy day
before them; but Kathleen, full of gratitude, did not know until long
afterwards that Harry had been her champion on this trying occasion,
and had taken the opportunity of the changing of places to come to
her rescue and whisper across his next neighbour to his aunt,--"It is
not Kathleen's fault that she is late. She was quite ready when the
gong sounded, but she waited to mend Fred's clothes." And now that
all the company were present, and every one seemed thoroughly happy
and enjoying themselves, Aunt Marian only waited for the first pause
in the clatter of plates and tongues to make a proposal as to how she
thought the day might be spent so as to combine a great amount of
amusement with a certain amount of usefulness.
"I am going to make a proposal to the company at large," she said
pleasantly; "and let those who approve of my plan hold up their right
hand."
"Hear, hear," cried several voices amongst the party, headed by Aunt
Marian's own sons.
"I am going to have a grand brewing of jam this week, and I shall
want strawberries and raspberries, and currants, black, white, and
red, and gooseberries and cherries, gathered in large quantities for
this purpose; and so I propose to make you all useful as well as
ornamental, and ask you to work in my service, the payment to be
deducted on the spot in the form of the fruit most liked, to be eaten
on the premises--that is to say, during the process of gathering; but
I also propose to give the one who shall have gathered the largest
measure of fruit in proportion to the time a prize, which prize shall
not be declared until the time of presentation, and that the winner
of the said prize shall for the rest of the day be looked on as the
head of the company, and select the games or pleasures on which the
remainder of the day is to be spent. Now let all who approve of this
plan hold up their right hands."
It is scarcely necessary to say that every right hand in the room was
extended to its full length, and that cheers and hurrahs loud and
long greeted this suggestion of Aunt Marian's; and after this, until
the end of breakfast, the hilarity seemed involuntarily on the
increase, until at length Aunt Marian deemed it wise to give the
signal for rising, and all the company, starting to their feet, made
a rush towards the nearest door like a flock of thirsty sheep
thronging through a gate to the water.
In about half an hour from this time the whole party were standing
ready dressed and watching in front of the house for Aunt Marian, who
had promised to meet them at that place and furnish them each with
the necessary receptacles for holding the gathered fruit; nor did she
keep them long waiting, as she appeared a moment or two later
followed by the housekeeper and a couple of footmen, all laden with
tin cans of a uniform size and shape, and lined with fresh green
cabbage leaves. These she proceeded to dispose of, giving one to
each member of the picking force, and which measure was to be filled
by them with the fruits named on a label attached to the handle of
the can; only those to whom gooseberries were apportioned, and
cherries, received cans of a larger size, as they would of course
take far less time to pick; and so the whole matter was arranged with
a strict view to justice and equity. Nor were those who gathered the
fruit named on their labels bound to eat only of that kind. Both
gardens, with all their contents, were free to their ingress and
egress, and no one was bound to continue his or her labour longer
than they liked: but then, whoever was the most steady and
industrious was to reap a reward, the nature of which was not yet
declared; but Aunt Marian was very generous, and her presents and
prizes were always worth having, so the whole party started for the
gardens in tip-top spirits, their tin cans glittering in the
brilliant sunshine, and the ring of their joyous voices resounding
through the morning air.