"It is scarcely a 'story,'" said their mother, "it was only about a
tremendous quarrel there once was in ancient times between some people
as to what colour a certain shield was. One party declared it was black;
the other maintained it was white. Both were ready to swear to the fact,
and I don't know what terrible consequences might not have followed, had
it not suddenly been discovered that--what do you think? Can you guess?"
Max and Dolly knitted their brows and pondered. But no, they could not
guess.
"What was it, mamma?" they asked.
"One side of the shield was black and the other white," said she, with a
quiet little smile, "so both were right and both were wrong."
The children considered. It was very interesting.
"But," said Max, "it _couldn't_ be like that with Dolly and me--there
couldn't be thirteen and _not_ be thirteen."
"No, it is difficult, I own, to see how that could be," said mamma. "But
queer things do happen--there are queer answers to puzzles
now-and-then."
"I wish it was settled about ours," said Dolly, with a sigh. "I--I don't
like quarrelling with dear Maxie," and she suddenly buried her face in
her mother's lap and began to cry--not loudly, but you could see she was
crying by the way her fat little shoulders quivered and shook.
This was too much for Max.
"Dolly," he said, tugging at her till she was obliged to look up,
"_don't_--I can't bear you to be unhappy because of--because of me--do
kiss me, Dolly, and don't let us ever think any more about those stupid
little black pigs."
So they kissed each other, and it was "all right."
"But," said Dolly, "I'm so afraid it'll begin again when we see them.
Could papa ask Farmer Wilder to put them somewhere else, mamma? We can't
leave off looking out of our windows, _can_ we?"
"I think it would be rather a babyish way of keeping from quarrelling,
to ask to have the temptation to quarrel put away," said mamma.
"Besides--it would _have_ to be settled, you see."
[Illustration: So they kissed each other]
"Yes, but," said Dolly, "then one of us would have to be wrong, and I'd
rather go on fancying that _somehow_ neither of us was wrong."
"That's rubbish," said Max, "it _couldn't_ be."
"Listen," said mamma; "promise me that neither of you will look out of
the window to-morrow morning before you see me. Then if it is really a
fine mild day, the doctor says you may both go a little walk."
"_Oh_, how nice!" interrupted the little prisoners. "And I will take you
myself," their mother went on. "Immediately after your dinner--about two
o'clock will be the best time. And we will see if we can't settle the
question of the thir--no, I had better not say how many--of the little
black pigs, in a satisfactory way."
Mamma smiled at the children--her smile was very nice, but there was a
little sparkle of mischief in her eyes too. And _I_ may tell _you_, in
confidence, though she had not said so to Max and Dolly, that that
afternoon she had passed Farmer Wilder's when she was out walking with
their father, and had stood at the gate of the very field which the
children saw from the nursery window, where the little black pigs were
gambolling about. And Farmer Wilder had happened to come by himself, and
he and his landlord--the children's father, you understand--had had a
little talk about pigs in general, and these piglings in particular. And
so mamma knew more about them than Max and Dolly had any idea of.
_How_ pleased they were when they woke the next morning to think that
they were really going out for a little walk--out into the sweet fresh
air again, after all these weary dreary weeks in the house. And it was
really a very nice day; there was more sunshine than had been seen for
some time, so that at two o'clock the children were all ready--wrapped
up and eager to start when their mother peeped into the nursery to call
them.
[Illustration]
At first the feeling of being out again was so delicious it almost
seemed to take away their breath, and they could not think of anything
else. But after a few minutes they quieted down a little, and walked on
with their mother, one at each side.
"We kept our promise, mamma," said Dolly, "we didn't look out of our
windows at all this morning. Nurse let us look out of the night nursery
one for a little--it's turned the other way, so we couldn't see the
pigs."
"But we'll _have_ to see them in a minute," said Max, "when we come out
of this path we're close to the gate of the big field, you know, mamma."
"I know," said mamma, "but I want to turn the other way--down the little
lane, for before we go to the field to look at the pigs, I want to speak
to Farmer Wilder a moment."
A few minutes brought them to the farm, and just as they came in sight
of it, Mr. Wilder himself appeared, coming towards them. Max and Dolly
started a little when they first saw him; something small and black was
trotting behind him--could it be one of the piglings? Their heads were
full of little black pigs, you see. No, as he came nearer, they found it
was a small black dog--a new one, which they had never seen before.
"Good morning, Mr. Wilder," said their mother, "that's your new dog--Max
and Dolly have not made acquaintance with him yet. 'Nigger,' you call
him? He's a clever fellow, isn't he?"
"A bit too clever," replied the farmer. "He's rather too fond of
meddling. Yesterday afternoon he got into the big field where we'd just
turned out all the little black pigs, and he was chasing and hunting
them all the time."
"They'll not get fat at that rate," said the children's mother, smiling.
"What a lot of them there are--twelve, didn't you say, yesterday?"
"Yes--a dozen--nice pigs they are too," said the farmer, "perhaps it
would amuse the children to see them--black pigs are rare in these
parts."
He turned towards the field, Max, Dolly and their mother following.
"Mamma," said Max, eagerly, "did you hear? There's only twelve."
"But I saw _thirteen_," said Dolly.
"Yes," said mamma. "You were right as to the number of pigs, Max, but
Dolly was right as to the number of black creatures she counted, for
Nigger was there. So you were wrong in your _counting_, Max, and Dolly
was wrong in the number of pigs, and so--"
"Both were right and both were wrong," cried the children together,
"like the people who quarrelled about the shield!"
"Just fancy!" said Dolly.
"It _is_ queer!" said Max.
And when they got to the gate and stood looking at the pigs--I think
Dolly preferred keeping the gate between her and them--they counted
again, and this time there were only twelve! For Nigger was standing
meekly at his master's heels, having been whipped for his misdemeanours
of the day before.
"Any way, mamma," said Dolly, as they made their way home again after a
pleasant little walk, "it shows how silly it is ever to _quarrel_,
doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does," Max agreed.
And you may be sure mamma was _quite_ of the same opinion!
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Right Hand And Left
An old friend had come to see the children's mother. They had not met
for several years, and the visitor was of course interested in seeing
all the little people.
So mamma rang the bell for all five to come down from the nursery. Lily
and Belle, being the two eldest, came first. Lily was eleven, Belle's
ninth birthday was just passed. They were followed by their two
brothers, Basil and George, who were only seven and five, and Baby
Barbara, a young lady of two. They were a pleasant-looking little
party, and their kind-faced new friend asked many questions about them,
as each was introduced to her by name.
The children did not care very much for her remarks as to whom each of
them was like, for she spoke of relations most of them were too young to
remember, or had scarcely ever heard of, as she was an elderly lady.
But the two older girls at least, listened with all their ears to one or
two little things their own dear mother herself said about them.
"Lily," she said, as she drew forward the fair-haired little girl, "is
already quite my right hand."
Lily's eyes sparkled with pleasure, but Belle grew rather red, and
turned away. She was not the least like Lily, her hair was dark and cut
short round her head, for she had had a bad illness not long ago.
The stranger lady had quick eyes.
"And Belle?" she said, kindly. "You can't have two right hands of
course. But I've no doubt she is a helpful little woman too, in her
way."
"Oh, yes!" said her mother, "she is. And she is getting on well with her
lessons again, in spite of having been so put back last year."
"And," said the old lady--who had noticed the rather sullen look on
Belle's little brown face--"I hope the two sisters love each other
dearly, besides being a pair of extra hands to their mother."
Lily smiled back in reply.
"Yes," she said, "I am sure we do."
[Illustration: They were a pleasant-looking little party]
Soon after, their mother sent them all upstairs again. Nurse had come
down to fetch Baby, and the two boys trotted off together. Lily took
Belle's hand as they got to the foot of the stairs.
"Isn't she a nice lady?" she said, for Lily was feeling very pleased
just then with herself and everybody else--I must say she was very
seldom a cross little girl, but she was perhaps rather too inclined to
be pleased with herself--"and didn't you like," she went on, "what mamma
said of us two, to her?"
"No," said Belle, roughly, pulling herself away from her sister. "I
don't want to be counted a clumsy, stupid, left hand. I don't wonder
you're pleased, you always get praised."
"Oh, Belle!" said Lily. "I really don't think you need be so cross about
it. You know you're younger than I."
But Belle would not answer, and all the rest of the afternoon she
remained very silent and gloomy, looking, to tell the truth, as if that
strange invisible little "black dog," that we have all heard of, I
think, had seated himself comfortably upon her shoulders, with no
intention of getting off again in a hurry.
It was a fine summer's day, almost too hot indeed, so the children had
tea early and went out a walk afterwards, returning in time to spend
half-an-hour with their mother, before she went to dress for dinner.
This half-hour was generally a very happy time for all the children. But
to-day one little face was less bright than usual, and mamma's eyes were
not slow to notice it, though she said nothing.
When the three little ones had gone off to bed, their mother glanced at
the two elder girls.
"You are quite ready, I see, for coming into the drawing-room before
dinner," she said.
[Illustration: "No", said Belle, roughly"----]
"Yes, mamma," Lily replied, "all except washing our hands. They do get
so quickly dirty in this hot weather, if we romp about at all."
"Then I think you might practise a little, papa likes to see one of you
in the drawing-room when he comes in, and to-night Belle shall be with
me while I'm dressing."
"Very well, mamma dear," said Lily, running off as cheerfully as usual.
Being with their mother when she was dressing was a great treat, it
didn't happen every night, and the little girls took it in turns. This
evening I don't think Lily was at all sorry to be without her sister's
company, for the little black dog, or at least his shadow, was still on
Belle's shoulders.
Belle sat quietly in a corner of the room, her mother said very little
to her, not even when Collins, the maid, had gone.
"You must wash your hands, I think, before coming down to the
drawing-room," she said at last, as she poured some nice warm water into
a pretty little basin with rose-buds round the edge, which the children
admired very much.
"Thank you, mamma," said Belle, brightening up a little, "and may I use
your beautiful pink scented soap, please?"
"Certainly dear," said her mother, and Belle set to work to wash her
little brown hands, which, it must be confessed, were decidedly in need
of it.
Rather to her surprise, her mother stood beside her looking on.
"Are you watching to see if I wash them quite clean, mamma?" asked the
little girl.
[Illustration: "Are you watching to see if I wash them quite clean,
mamma?"]
"No, dear, I'm sure you will do that. I was wondering if it has ever
struck you how prettily and kindly your little hands behave to each
other. Right hand is the cleverest and quickest, of course, but left
hand is always willing and ready too. They take care not to hurt or
scratch each other, and if by chance one is ever hurt, the other is as
tender as possible not to rub or touch the sore place."
Belle went on washing her hands, or rather bathing them in the water,
for by this time they were quite clean. She looked at them as she did
so, but she did not speak.
"And another thing," said her mother, "take one out of the water, and
see how helpless the other is, even clever right hand can do very little
without her sister, and it is the same in all the work you do, one hand
would be very little use without the other."
Belle's face grew rosy.
"Mamma dear," she said, as her hands wiped each other dry on the nice
soft towel, "I know what you mean. You're like a fairy, mamma, you can
see into my heart. I didn't like that lady thinking Lily was your right
hand, and me no good to you. It made me feel as if I didn't love Lily."
"But nobody said you were no good, Belle dear. You made that up in your
own silly little head. For you know even though Lily is older, you can
still help me a great deal, and even help her to help me," said her
mother.
"Like as if you were the head, and we your two hands," answered Belle.
"Well, mamma, I won't mind now even if you count me only your left hand,
and I'll always remember what you've said."
She kissed her mother, quite happy now, and when they were going to bed
that night she told Lily all about it.
"I am afraid," said Lily, looking sorry, "that I was too proud of what
mamma said of me. But if each of us is always as kind to the other as
right hand is to left hand, and left hand to right hand, it will be all
right, won't it dear?"
[Illustration]
A.SHILLING OF HALFPENCE
She was a lonely little old lady. She was one of those who had "seen
better days," as it is called. I am afraid there are a great many people
in the world of whom this can be said, and the saddest part of it is
that they are very, very often, _old_ people.
It is sad to see anyone in want even of comforts, and still more of
really needful things, but I think it is worst of all to see very old or
very young folk deprived of what they should have. Middle-aged men and
women seem more fit for the battle of life than those who are already
tired by what they have come through, or those who have not yet got to
their full strength and courage.
My little old lady was not what is commonly counted _very_ poor. She had
enough to eat--certainly her appetite was small--and enough to pay the
rent of the two neat little rooms, furnished with what she had been able
to keep of her own old furniture, which had once stood in a very
different kind of house; and enough, with _great_ care, to dress herself
nicely; and, what she considered quite as important as any of these
things, she managed to have enough to give her mite of help to those
still poorer and more closely pressed than herself.
[Illustration: Billy]
How I got to know her I am not at liberty to say. But I will tell you
about the first time I ever saw her and _him_, the other person of this
little story.
It was a cold, but for a wonder in London in the winter, a bright and
dry morning. All the better, you will say--of course everybody must like
nice clean streets and pavements much more than sloppy rain and mud. But
no; not quite _everybody_. Think of the crossing-sweepers! Dirty, muddy
days are their harvest-time, especially Sundays, when in the better
parts of the town there are so many more rich and well-to-do foot
passengers than on other days. It was a real disappointment, and worse
than a disappointment--a real serious trouble to little Billy Harding,
when, after the best breakfast his poor mother could give him--and that
isn't saying very much--he hurried downstairs from the attic which was
his home, brush in hand, to find the pavements dry as a bone, and the
roads almost _clean_!
"I made sure it were going to rain beautiful," he said to himself,
dolefully, "it looked so uncommon like it, last night."
But the wind had veered round to the east while Billy was fast asleep,
and as everybody knows, the east wind, which "is neither good for man
nor beast," hasn't _even_ the good quality of bringing profitably dirty
streets for the poor crossing-sweepers.
There was nothing for it but to go to his post, however, and there it
was I saw him that same cold, dry, clean Sunday morning, when I myself
was on my way to church. Very likely I should never have noticed _him_,
nor _her_ either, if I had met them separately, but it was the seeing
them standing together, talking earnestly, that caught my attention, and
the anxious, rather troubled expression on the little old lady's face,
and the bright eager look on the boy's, made me wonder what it was all
about. A dreadful idea crossed my mind for an instant--could he be a
naughty boy? had he possibly been trying to pick the old lady's pocket,
and was she talking to him in hopes of making him repentant, as is
sometimes the way with tender-hearted old ladies, instead of giving him
in charge to a policeman? (Not that there was any policeman in view!)
But another instant made me feel ashamed of the thought--a second
glance at the boy's honest face was enough.
Now I will tell you what had happened; how I came to know it does not
matter.
[Illustration: "Thank you, ma'am,"]
I told you my little old lady always managed to give away something to
others. One of her habits was to put one shilling into the box in the
church porch "for the poor of the parish," the first Sunday of every
month, and if you knew how _very_ little she had to live on, you would
agree with me that this shilling, which was not her only charity, was a
_good deal_. The morning I am writing of was the first Sunday of the
month, and as she set off for church she held in her thin old fingers
inside her well-worn muff two coins--a shilling and a halfpenny, the
halfpenny being intended for the first crossing-sweeper she met on her
way. This was another of her little customs. She had some way to go to
church, and she did not always choose the same streets, so she had no
special pet crossing-sweeper, and this morning it was Billy into whose
hand she dropped the coin she was holding in her tremulous fingers.
"Thank you, ma'am," said Billy, tugging at his ragged cap with the same
hand in which he had received the money, for he had his brush in the
other, and he was anxious to show his gratitude. It was his first
receipt that morning!
"Poor boy," thought the old lady, "he does look cold. I wish I could
have made it a penny."
But the kind wish had scarcely crossed her mind before she heard a voice
beside her.
"Please ma'am," it said, "do you know what you give me just now?"
And Billy, red with running, held out a very unmistakeable _shilling_!
The old lady gasped, and drew out the coin she was firmly clasping in
her muff. It was a rather extra worn halfpenny!
[Illustration: "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU GIVE ME JUST NOW?"]
"Oh, my good boy!" she began, but Billy interrupted her. He saw at once
how it was. And if he gave a little sigh, can you wonder? It _would_
have been "jolly," if she had replied, "All right, my boy. I meant it
for you," and as he had run after her he had thought it _might_ be so.
For Billy was wise in some things, as the poor learn to be. He knew that
it is not by any means those who have most to give who give most.
But a glance at the troubled old face told him the truth.
"All right, ma'am," he said again. "'Twas a mistake. Mistakes will
happen," and he dropped the silver piece back into her hand.
"Take the halfpenny at least, my boy," said she. "It was very good, very
good indeed of you to tell me of my mistake. If it was money I could
spare on myself--but--it is my rule to give this once a month at church,
and--I could not make it up again."
"All right, ma'am," Billy repeated for the third time, anxious to be off
before the old lady could hear the choke of disappointment in his voice.
(It was just then I passed them.)
"But I'll tell you what I'll do," she went on, brightening up. "I'll pay
you the shilling in halfpence, every week. I'm sure I can manage that.
So you look out for me each Sunday morning, and I'll have it ready," and
off she trotted, quite happy at having thus settled the difficulty. "I
shouldn't feel _honest_" she said to herself, "if I didn't make it up to
him after really _giving_ it to him. And a halfpenny a week even I can
manage extra."
For of course Billy's halfpenny was not to interfere with her regular
Sunday morning's dole to the first crossing-sweeper she met.
I think she was right. I am sure that the halfpennies he received so
regularly till what she thought her debt to him was paid, helped to make
and keep Billy Harding as honest as a man as he had been as a child.
The next winter saw no little old lady trotting along to church in the
cold. She went away for her treat of the year--a fortnight in the
country; but she fell ill the very day she came back, and never was able
to go out again. It fell to my share--she asked me to do it--to tell the
little crossing-sweeper when she died, and to give him a small present
she had left him. He rubbed his sleeve across his eyes--he didn't want
me to see he was crying.
"'Twill seem quite strange-like never to see her no more," he said. "I
were just beginning to wonder when she'd be back. Twenty-four Sundays
and she never missed, wet or dry! I'd have liked her to know I goes too,
reg'lar, to church in the afternoons as she wanted me to."
And for his own sake, as well as for the dear old lady's, I never lost
sight of poor Billy from that time.
[Illustration]
A
FRIEND IN NEED
Laurence was a little English boy, though he lived in Paris. He had
several older brothers and sisters, but none near him in age. So he was
often rather lonely, for he was only six years old, and too young to do
many lessons. Half-an-hour in the morning and half-an-hour in the
afternoon made up his school time, though of course his next brother and
sister, who were twelve and thirteen years old, had to do a great deal
more than that.
I daresay they would not have minded doing a little _less_. I know they
were always very pleased to have a holiday, or even a half-holiday, and
in the evenings when their lessons were done they were very kind and
ready to play with their little brother.
Laurence had a German nursery-maid. She was a good girl, but not very
lively or quick, and she could not speak either French or English. When
she first came to take care of Laurence he only knew a very few words of
German, so you can imagine that his walks with Emma, as she was called,
were not very amusing. But after a while Laurence got on with his
German, much faster than Emma did with either French or English, which
of course was as it should be, seeing that she had come on purpose to
teach him her language. And then he and his nurse became very good
friends in a quiet way. For he was rather an unusually quiet little boy,
and he thought a great deal more than he spoke.
Still he _did_ sometimes wish he had a brother or sister near his own
age. It did not seem quite fair that he should be so alone in the
family. Hugh and Isabel were such nice friends for each other, and so
were the two still older sisters and the big brother of all, who was
called Robert. Now and then when little Laurence was trotting along the
street by Emma's side he would look with envy at other children, two and
three together, and wish that one of them "belonged" to him.
But there were others alone, even more alone than he was. This he found
out before long. At the corner of the "Avenue" where he lived, there
was a large house opening into a court-yard, like all large houses in
Paris, and just inside this court-yard Laurence often saw a little girl
not much bigger than he was, always playing about by herself. She was
the daughter of the "_concierge_," or porter, who took care of the big
house, and though she was neat and tidy she was not at all a rich little
girl. For though the house was a big one, it was not lived in by rich
people, and the _concierge_ and his wife and little girl had only two
small rooms for their home.
Laurence did not know the little girl's name, but in his own fancy he
called her "Gay." She always looked so bright and happy. And after a
while the two children began to smile at each other as if they were
friends, and sometimes Gay would call out, "Good morning, Sir. What a
nice day!" or some little speech like that, to which Laurence would
reply, "Good morning, Miss," like a little gentleman, lifting his cap as
he spoke. Of course these remarks were made in French. In English they
do sound rather odd, I must allow.
One day Laurence and Emma set off for rather a long walk. It was the day
before Isabel's birthday, and he wanted to buy a present for her at one
of the very large shops. He was not sure what the present was to be, but
he _thought_ that he would choose a pincushion, as he had seen some very
pretty little fancy chairs and sofas not long ago at this same big shop,
which Emma told him were pincushions. He knew exactly what part of the
shop to go to, and he had his money--a whole franc--that is about
tenpence of English money, in his little purse safe in his pocket.
They reached the shop without any adventure or misadventure, and soon
Laurence, holding the maid's hand, was walking slowly past the counters
or tables where lots of tempting pretty things were displayed. It was
some time before they found the particular table where the fairy-like
furniture was laid out. But at last Laurence gave a little cry of joy.
[Illustration]
"There they are, Emma," he said in German, "the dear little armchairs
and sofas and ottomans--blue and rose and white, and all with gold backs
and legs. Now which would Isabel like?"
It was a great question, but at last they decided on a rose-coloured
arm-chair. The price he was sure was all right, as Emma had seen that
the things were all marked one franc. But alas, when the shopman gave
Laurence the little paper bill, and the boy as proud as possible went to
the desk where it was to be paid, the clerk held out his hand,--
[Illustration]
"Five centimes more, if you please--one sou."
A sou is about the same as an English halfpenny, and it is often called
a "five centime piece"--for there are ten centimes in each _two_-sous
piece, just as there are four farthings in one English penny.
[Illustration]
"Another sou?" said Laurence. "But I have not got one. Emma, have you
got one?"
Emma had nothing at all in her pocket. It was stupid of her, but she had
not thought of bringing her purse. However it was so little, and she
began asking the clerk in her very bad French, mixed with German words,
to let the little gentleman have the pincushion for a franc.
The clerk shook his head.
"At least," said poor Laurence, "let me have it now and I will bring the
sou to-morrow, or my mamma will send it."
Again the man shook his head. Perhaps he was in a bad temper, perhaps he
did not feel the more good-natured because he may have thought the boy
and his nurse were German. For at that time the French nation did not
love Germans. Let us hope they have learnt better since.
"Pass on, sir," he said sharply, "you are blocking the way," and the
people standing round began to laugh. The tears rose to the little boy's
eyes.
"Oh! what shall I do?" he cried, "and to-morrow is Isabel's birthday."
Then came a little voice beside him.
"Sir--may I offer it? Will you accept this sou from me?" and a small
hand held out the coin. It was little Gay.
"Oh thank you, thank you," exclaimed Laurence joyfully, and the grim
clerk received the sou and the parcel was handed to him.
How he thanked the kind little girl! She was there with her mother, and
while the good woman was choosing an umbrella at a stand close by, Gay,
as I must still call her, had noticed her little friend and wondered
what he was in difficulty about. And of all the people near him in the
shop, she alone had the kind thought of offering him the sou.
I need not tell you that after this the good little girl was looked upon
by Laurence as quite a friend. He went with Emma the next morning to pay
back the five centime piece, and when New Year's Day came, a pretty
present for Gabrielle, which was her real name, was one of the gifts
which Laurence and his mother had the greatest pleasure in choosing.
Was it not nice that the little girl was called "Gabrielle," for
Laurence was able to go on calling her "Gay," as it made such a good
short name for the real one.
[Illustration]
PANSY'S PANSY.
THE FLOWER MARKET
PART I.
There was a flower-market once a week in the town of Northclough.
It was every Thursday, the regular market-day, when the country people
came in to sell and to buy. But Northclough was not a pretty,
old-fashioned country town, such as you would very likely fancy from the
mention of markets and country folk. Once, long ago, it had been a
village, a rather lonely and out-of-the-way village, though never a
pretty one. For it was up in the north, as its name tells, in a bare and
cold part of the world, where the grass is never very brightly green,
and the skies much more often grey than blue.
[Illustration: "The Nurse"]
And now, as far as looks go, any way, it had changed from bad to worse.
The village had grown into a smoky town, where there were lots of high
chimneys, and constant sounds of machinery booming away, and railway
trains shrieking and whistling in and out of the stations. There was no
longer any ivy on the old church, which the oldest people could remember
almost buried in it. And the new churches which had been built since,
already looked old themselves--no stones could keep clean or fresh in
such smoky grimy air.
But some of the old customs still lingered on, and one was the weekly
market, which was held just outside the old church walls--the walls of
the church-yard, I should say--every Thursday, just as it had been since
the village first grew into a small market town, more than a hundred
years ago. And what some people would have done without the pleasure and
amusement of this market, I should be afraid to say. I mean some
_little_ people, the children of the vicar, who lived with their parents
in a grey old house, as grey and old as the church itself, which stood
at one side of the market place.
It was grey and grim outside, but inside the father and mother made it
as bright and cheery as they could. In winter I think they managed this
better than in summer, for good blazing fires do a great deal,
especially of an evening when the curtains are drawn and the cold north
wind, howling and blustering outside as if in a rage at not being able
to get in, only makes the house seem still cosier. And one of the good
things about the north is that coals are cheap and plentiful, so that
though the vicar was not rich, there was no need to go without
comfortable fires.
[Illustration: "There were four of them."]
But in summer it was sometimes _not_ easy to make the old house look
cheerful. Very little sunshine could get in, for on two sides the
neighbouring houses almost shut out the light. And the sun had hard
work, persevering though he is, to get through the murky air--murky even
in summer--that hangs like a curtain over what is called a
"manufacturing town." Then there was no garden of any kind, as the new
schools had been built on what was once the vicarage lawn, though after
all I hardly think a garden would have been much good, and perhaps the
children's nurse was right when she said:
"Better without it, 'twould only have been a trap for more soots and
smuts, and it's hard enough to keep the pinafores clean for half-an-hour
together as it is."
Nurse had come with their mother from the south, and she didn't take
kindly to the greyness, and the smokiness, and the grimness at all. But
she took very kindly to the babies, which was after all of more
consequence.
There were four of them--they were "leaving off being babies" now, as
little Ruth, the youngest but one, said indignantly, when some one spoke
of her and Charlie in that disrespectful way. "Charlie's three and I'm
four, and Pansy's nearly six, and Bob's seven past."
That was Ruth's description of the family, and I think it will do very
well, though some people might say it began at the wrong end.
And these were the little people who would have been badly off without
the weekly market, which they looked forward to as the "next best" treat
to having tea in the dining-room on Saturday evenings with mamma.
Their nursery windows overlooked the market place. The nurseries were
the brightest rooms in the house, and as it was a large house, whatever
its faults in other ways, there were three of them. The day nursery in
the middle and a large bedroom on one side, and on the other a small one
which was beginning to be called "Miss Pansy's room." And on Thursdays
Pansy's room was in great request, as from _its_ window one had the
best view of all of the market, especially of the corner where the
flowers were.
[Illustration: PANSY'S WINDOW WAS IN GREAT REQUEST]
There was always _something_ to be seen on the flower-stalls, even in
winter, when there was nothing else there were evergreens, holly and
mistletoe of course, in plenty, as Christmas came on. And though some
other parts of the market might be more amusing and exciting, where the
cocks and hens, and geese and ducks, were all to be heard gabbling, and
quacking and clucking and crowing, for instance; or the railed-in place
where there were generally a few calves or poor little frightened sheep
bleating and baa-ing, yet the little girl's first thought was always
the flower corner. First thing on Thursday morning, sometimes before it
was light, she would lie wondering what sort of dear little plants there
would be _this_ week, and hoping it would be a fine day, so that nurse
would let her poke her head out through the bars a tiny bit, so as to
see better, without calling to her that she would catch cold.
Pansy's birthday was in May--she was going to be six. She liked having a
birthday because mamma always invited herself to tea in the nursery, and
if it happened to be one of papa's not very busiest days, he would
sometimes join them too. That _was_ delightful.
Generally she got two or three simple presents, and always one very good
and valuable one from her godmother. But strange to say this handsome
present never pleased her half so much as the little trifling ones. Her
godmother was kind, but she was old and unused to children, and she had
not seen Pansy since she was very tiny, so her thought was more perhaps
about helping Pansy's mother than pleasing Pansy herself. And so the
present was sure to be a new frock--or stuff to make one with, or a nice
jacket, or even once--that was _rather_ a funny present for a little
girl, I think--a new set of china tea-cups and saucers and plates and
milk jugs and everything complete for a nursery tea-service.
But "to make up" for godmother's presents being so very "useful,"
Pansy's mother always gave her something pretty and pleasant, a doll, or
some doll's furniture, or picture books or some nice ornament for her
room. Any little girl of six or seven can easily fancy the kind of
presents I mean.
This sixth birthday, however, was going to be rather different. For on
this day the godmother thought it was time to give Pansy a present of
another kind. What that was, I will tell you in the next part.
[Illustration]
PANSY'S PRESENTS.
PART II.
The birthday was on a Wednesday. And though it was only May the weather
for a wonder was mild and sunny. Northclough for once was looking almost
bright.
"It _is_ nice for you to have such a fine day to be six years old on,
Miss Pansy dear," said nurse, when she came in to wake up the two little
sisters and to give her own birthday present of a neat little pincushion
for Pansy's toilet table. And the boys had something for her too, at
least it was called "the boys'," to please Charley, though in reality it
was Bob who had bought it, or the things to make "it" with. For the "it"
was a little blotting-book covered outside with thick cardboard on
which pretty pictures were pasted. It was very cleverly made, for Bob
was wonderfully neat-handed for such a little boy, and it had taken
quite a lot of contrivance to get it done without his sister's finding
out about it. And Ruth's present was a pen-wiper.
Pansy _was_ pleased.
"I can write to godmother now without having to ask mamma to lend me her
writing-case," she said. "I suppose," she went on, "I shall have to
write to her to-day; there's sure to be a useful present come from her,"
and Pansy sighed a little, for the writing to godmother was the one part
of her birthday she did _not_ enjoy.
Nurse could not help smiling at what she would have called Miss Pansy's
"old-fashioned" way of speaking. She always talked of godmother's
"useful presents," because she had so often been told that frocks and
jackets and so on were such nice, useful gifts. And perhaps I should
have mentioned before, that godmother did not forget the little people
at Northclough Vicarage at Christmas, something useful was sure to come
then, for she was great aunt to them all as well as godmother to one.
But before nurse had time to speak, the door opened and the children's
mother came in. They were at breakfast in the day nursery by this time.
She had a bright smile on her face and a small parcel in her hand.
"Good morning, darlings, to you all," she said, "and many, many happy
returns to my Pansy. Papa told me to kiss you for him too, he won't be
in till dinner-time I'm afraid. There now, a kiss for him and one for
myself," Pansy was in her mother's arms long before this, "_and_ a
present from godmother."
Mamma sat down on the nursery rocking-chair as she spoke, and laid the
parcel on her knee, and Pansy, stooping down beside her, began to undo
the string which fastened it.
"Is it not a useful present this time, mamma?" she asked, for certainly
it did not look like a hat or a frock, or a hamper of china.
"I hope you will think it so," said her mother smiling, "and pretty
too."
"A _book_," exclaimed the little girl, "and oh, yes, it _is_ a very
pretty one. And oh, mamma, it's _two_ books, in a 'loverly'"--Pansy
still said some words rather funnily--"case, all red leather, and, oh!
my own name, 'Pansy,' _how_ nice! What can they be? A prayer-book and a
hymn-book, with such beautiful big letters, and 'reds' in the
prayer-book. How I wish it was Sunday, for me to take them to church."
She was truly delighted--her little face all rosy with pleasure. Mamma
could not resist giving her another kiss.
"You will take the greatest care of them, I know, dear," she said. "And
now I have only a very tiny present from papa and me," and she held out
a bright new shilling. "You may buy _anything_ you like with it, dear."
This was delightful news. What between her pride in her beautiful
"church books," as she called them, and thinking over what her shilling
would buy, the little girl had hard work to eat her breakfast that
morning, even though, in honour of the birthday, it was an extra nice
one.
[Illustration]
You will think I am a very long time getting to _the_ "pansy," which
gives its name to this little story, but we are coming to it now.
There was a great consultation held in Pansy's room, and this was what
the children decided; sixpence should be spent on a pair of ducks to
float in a basin of water attracted by a magnet, a toy which they had
seen in a shop window with the price marked in plain figures. And
sixpence should be spent, for Pansy's own special pleasure, in a flower
growing in a pot, such as they had often seen on the flower-stall below
their windows. The ducks could be bought that very morning, which Pansy
was glad of, as she knew that Bob and Ruth were even more anxious to
have them than she was herself. But for the flower she would have to
wait till the next day.
[Illustration: "The birthday passed very happily,"]
However, the birthday passed very happily, and it was very nice to wake
in the morning with the feeling that part of its pleasures were still
to come, and mamma promised to go with her herself to the stall to
choose the flower.
It was to be a pansy. Not a _quite_ fully blown one, her mother advised
her, for then it would be the sooner over, but one nearly so. There had
been quite a good choice of them for the last week or two; the only
difficulty would be what colour to have.
"Yellow ones are very pretty," said the little girl as she skipped along
by her mother's side that Thursday morning on their way to the market,
for though it was just below the vicarage windows, you had to make quite
a round to get to it from the front door, "yellow ones, and those browny
ones too are very nice, but I _think_ I like the purple ones best--I
mean the violet-coloured ones--don't you mamma?"
"I think I do," her mother agreed. "They remind one of the dear little
wild pansies, or dog violets, too."
And by good luck, the old woman who kept the flower-stall, had some
beautiful purple pansies, none of the paler ones were half so pretty
that day, so the choice was not so difficult after all. Mamma picked out
a beauty, with two flowers on it, one almost full blown, and the other
not far behind, and a proud little girl was Pansy, as, after having paid
her sixpence she trotted home again, her precious namesake tightly
clasped in her arms.
"I don't think I've ever had such nice birthday presents, have I,
mamma?" she said, as she lifted up her own soft little face, as sweet
and as soft as the flower, for a kiss, before hurrying upstairs to the
nursery to show her treasure.
[Illustration]
And it made her mother very happy to see that her little daughter had
that best of all fairy gifts, a grateful and contented heart.
But Pansy had her troubles like other people, as you will hear.
[Illustration]
PANSY'S PANSY . PART . III--
The pansy was installed in state on its little owner's window-sill. For
there were deep old-fashioned window-sills in the vicarage that served
in turn both as tables and seats for the children. So Pansy warned her
brother and sister that they must be very careful now not to climb up on
to _her_ window-sill without asking her first, so that she could move
the flower-pot out of the way.
Bob and Ruth both promised. And indeed they were very nearly quite as
much taken up with the pretty flower as Pansy herself. If she _could_
have forgotten to water it, she would have been well reminded to do so.
I don't think there was ever a plant more watched, and cared for. It was
Pansy's first thought in the morning and last at night. Every little
speck of dust was tenderly wiped off its leaves, it was moved from one
part of the room to another to get the sunshine, of which, as I have
told you, there was seldom more than a scanty amount at Northclough, and
the window-sill, its own particular home, was kept as clean as if the
pansy was a fairy princess who got out of her flower-pot at night to
take a little exercise on her terrace.
[Illustration: Bob had an inspiration]
And very soon the two flowers were at their perfection; they were very
fine ones really, and I think Pansy knew every mark on their faces as
well as a mother knows the dimples in her darling's cheeks, even the
freckles on her darling's forehead. Truly the little girl had got a good
sixpenceworth of pleasure out of her purchase.
The weather grew warmer, early in June it was really sultry for a few
days. Pansy began to be careful in a new way for her pet. It must not be
allowed to get _too_ hot, or to be broiled up by the sun, so a shady
corner was chosen for the flower-pot during the middle of the day. And
it really seemed grateful for the care bestowed upon it. Never did a
pansy prosper better, or lift itself up in fresher beauty to greet its
little gardeners.
But one day, unfortunately, Bob had an inspiration, if you know what
that is.
[Illustration: no Pansy, no flower-pot, nothing to be seen!]
"Pansy," he said to his sister, "I've been thinking if you want the
flowers to last as long as they possibly can, you must really give them
a little more fresh air. It's all very well in the daytime when your
window's open, but at night I'm sure the pansy feels choky and stuffy.
You see flowers aren't like us, except hot-house ones of course, they're
used to live out-of-doors."
Pansy looked very anxious.
"I wonder if it's that," she said. "I noticed, though I tried to think
it was fancy, that one of the biggest flower-leaves," (she meant
"petals," but she was too little to know the right word), "not the
_leaf_-leaves you know, was a tiny atom of a bit crushed up, almost
like," and here Pansy dropped her voice, as if what she was going to say
was almost _too_ dreadful to put in words, "almost like as if it was
beginning to--to wither a little."
Bob nodded his head.
"That's it," he said, "I bet you anything that's it. It's want of fresh
air. Well, Pansy, I've measured the ledge outside, it's quite wide
enough to hold the flower-pot and the saucer, and though it slopes
downwards a very little, it's nothing to make it stand unsteady. Now
suppose, last thing at night, we put it outside, I'm sure it would
freshen it up, and flowers are just as used to night air as to day air."
Pansy agreed; she examined the outer sill with Bob, it seemed all right.
So that evening when the children's bedtime came, pansy flower was told
by Pansy little girl what her kind mamma and uncle had planned for her
benefit, and with what Pansy called a kiss, a very butterfly kiss it
was, for the little girl was as afraid of hurting the pansy as if it had
been a sensitive plant, the flower-pot was placed on the ledge outside.
First thing next morning Pansy flew to look at the flower.
"Have you had a good night, my darling? oh, yes, I think so. You look
very fresh and well, though a _little_ wet." For a gentle shower had
fallen in the night. "Perhaps the rain will have done you good."
Bob was quite sure it had, certainly the crumply look on the purple
petal was no _worse_, so the plan was kept to, and every night the pot
was carefully settled on the ledge.
I think it was on the third morning that the dreadful thing happened
which I must now tell you of.
When Pansy opened the window to draw in her dear flower and bid it good
morning, there was no pansy, no flower-pot, _nothing_ to be seen!
With a sort of shriek Pansy flew across the day nursery to the bedroom
where nurse was dressing baby Charley, while Bob, all ready, was giving
the last touch up to his curly hair.
[Illustration]
"Nurse, Bob," she cried, "have you _possibly_ brought the pansy in while
I was asleep?"
But nurse and Bob shook their heads. Then they all hurried back to
Pansy's room, and nurse, bidding the children stand back, peered out of
the window. There was a tiny strip of ground railed in between the house
and the street. Nurse drew her head in again.
"Master Bob," she said, "run down and ask cook to let you out by the
back-door. I think I see the poor flower down there. It must have fallen
over."
Yes, _knocked_ over by a stray cat, most likely. The children had never
thought of cats. There it lay! Bob and the cook did their best, but
there was little to do. It was a poor little clump of green
"leaf-leaves" only that remained, when the sad procession from the
nursery tapped at their mother's door, Pansy's face so disfigured by
crying that you would _scarcely_ have known her.
Mamma was very sorry for her, very, _very_ sorry. She knew that to Pansy
it was a real big sorrow, trifling as some people might think it. But,
still, as she told the little girl, sorrows and troubles _have_ to come,
and till we learn to bear them and find the sweet in the bitter we are
not good for much. So she encouraged Pansy to be brave and unselfish and
not to make the nursery life sad and miserable on account of this
misfortune. And Pansy did her best. Only she begged her mother to take
the flower-pot away.
"I think I would like it to be buried," she said with a sob. "It's like
when Bob's canary died."
But two or three days after that, it may have been a week even, one
morning mamma came into the nursery looking very happy and carrying
something in her hand over which she had thrown a handkerchief.
"Pansy dear," she said, "I waited to tell you till I was quite sure. I
did not 'bury' your pansy root, and I have been watching it. And do you
know there is another bud just about to burst, and a still tinier one,
all green as yet, but which will come on in time. In a week or two you
will have two new flowers quite as pretty, I hope, as the other ones."
"Oh mamma," said Pansy, clasping her hands together. Her heart was too
full to say more.
And the buds did blossom into lovely flowers, even lovelier, the
children thought, than the first ones. For there was the intense delight
of watching them growing day by day, the gardener's delight which no one
can really understand who has not felt it.
No accident happened this time, and when the season was over, the pansy
root was planted in a corner of the little strip of flower border at the
side of the house, where it managed to get on very well, and perhaps
will have more buds and flowers for several springs to come.
There is one thing more to tell. Pansy's godmother was so touched by the
story of the pansy, that she sent an "extra" present to the vicarage
children that summer, though it wasn't any "birthday" at all. The
present was a beautiful case of ferns, with a glass cover, so that it
could stand in the house all the year round. It was placed in the window
of the landing on to which the nursery opened, and there, I hope, it
stands still. For it would be impossible to tell the delight this
indoors forest gives to the children, who have grown so clever at
managing it, that Bob really thinks they should try for a prize at the
next "window gardening" exhibition.
For there _are_ such cheerful things as that, one is glad to know, even
at smoky Northclough!
[Illustration]
PET'S HALF-CROWN
Mammas have troubles sometimes, though you mightn't think it. They have
indeed. I remember when I was a little girl that it seemed to me big
people _couldn't_ have real troubles; that only children had them. Big
people could do as they liked, get up when they liked, not go to bed
_till_ they liked; eat what they chose, dress as they pleased, do no
lessons, and were never scolded. Things do not look quite like that to
me now, when for many many more years than I was a child I have been a
big person. However, as each of you will find out for himself or herself
all about big people in good time, I won't try to explain it to you.
Only, I do think the world might get on better if little people
believed that big ones _have_ their troubles, and--if big people
believed and remembered the same thing about little ones.
Some children seem wise before their time. They early learn what
"sympathy" means--they begin almost before they can talk to try to bear
some part of other people's burdens.
A little girl I once knew, who was called "Pet," (though of course she
had a proper name as well,) was one of these. She was a gentle little
thing, with large soft rather anxious-looking blue eyes; eyes that
filled with tears rather _too_ easily, perhaps, both for her own
troubles and other people's.
But she got more sensible as she grew older, and by the time she was ten
or so she had found out that there are often much better ways of showing
you are sorry for others than by crying about them, and that as for
crying about _ourselves_, it is always a bad plan, though I know it
can't quite be helped now and then.
Pet was the eldest, and a very useful "understanding" little eldest she
was. _She_ knew that her mother had troubles sometimes, and she did her
best to smooth them away whenever she possibly could.
One of the things she was often able to do to help her mother was by
keeping her little brothers and sisters happy and amused when they came
down to the drawing-room in the evening, and now and then, if it were a
rainy day, earlier. For mamma felt sorry for the children if they were
shut up in the nursery for long, and as all little people know, a
change to the drawing-room is very pleasant for them, though sometimes
rather tiring for mammas.
[Illustration]
It happened one afternoon, a very wet and cold afternoon in January,
when there was no possibility of going out, that _all_ the children were
downstairs together. There were four of them besides Pet, and it was not
very easy to amuse them all. But Pet was determined to do her very
best--for she knew that mamma was _particularly_ busy that day, as she
had all her accounts to do. And indeed poor mamma would have been very
glad to have a quiet afternoon, but nurse had a headache, and baby, who
had had a bad night, was sleeping peacefully for the first time, and
must not be disturbed. There was nothing for it but to bring the little
troop downstairs.
"We will be very good and quiet, mamma dear," said Pet. "You can go on
doing your accounts, for I know you can't do them this evening, as aunty
is coming. Charley and I,"--Charley was the next in age to Pet--"will
show all our best picture-books to the little ones."
Charley was very proud to hear himself counted a big one with Pet, and
he did all he could to help her. They really managed to keep the others
quiet, and Pet was hoping that mamma was getting on nicely with her long
rows of figures, and that soon she would be calling out gladly, "All
right. I can come and play with you now," when to her distress she heard
her mother give a deep sigh.
"Oh, dear mamma, what's the matter?" she said, "are we disturbing you?"
"No, darling, you are as quiet as mice," her mother replied. "But I
don't know how it is--I have counted it all up again and again, and I am
_sure_ I have put down everything I have spent, but I am half-a-crown
wrong. Dear, dear--what a pity it is! Just as I thought I had finished."
And again mamma sighed. She did not like to think she had perhaps lost
half-a-crown, for she and Pet's father had not any half-crowns to spare.
"I will just go and see if possibly it is in my little leather bag that
I always take out with me," she said. And she rose as she spoke and left
the room.
Pet felt sure it was not in the little bag, for she had been standing by
when her mother emptied it.
"Poor mamma," she said softly. "I can't bear her to be troubled."
Then the colour rose into her face and her eyes sparkled.
"Charley," she whispered, "keep the little ones quiet for one minute,"
and off she flew.
She was back in _less_ than a minute, though she had found time to run
up to her room and take something out of a drawer where she kept her
treasures. Then she ran across to her mother's writing-table and slipped
this something under the account-books, lying open upon it.
And almost immediately mamma came back.
"No," she said sadly, "it was not in my bag. I fear I have lost it
somehow, for I am sure my accounts are right. I must just put it down as
lost."
But in another moment came a joyful cry.
"Pet," she exclaimed, "_would_ you believe I could be so stupid? Here it
is--the missing half-crown--slipped under my account book! I _am_ so
pleased to have found it. Now, children dear, mammy can come and play
with you with a light heart."
"I am so glad you are happy again, mamma darling," said Pet; and if her
mother noticed that her little girl's cheeks were rosier than usual, and
her eyes brighter, no doubt she only thought it was with the pleasure
of all playing together. For I don't think they had ever had a merrier
visit to the drawing-room.
[Illustration]
You have guessed the secret before this, I am sure? That little Pet had
fetched her own half-crown to play a loving trick with it. It was her
only half-crown, her only money, except one sixpenny-bit and two
pennies! But she gave it gladly, just saying to herself that it was a
very good thing Christmas-time was over and no birthdays very near at
hand.
And she kept her secret well. So well, that though a great many years
have passed since then, it was only a _very little while ago_ that her
mother heard, for the first time, the story of her child's loving
self-denial. The smile on mamma's face, and the knowledge that she had
brought it there were Pet's only reward.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
A CATAPULT STORY.
"Oh, well, you can have a catapult if you like," said Hector, with
lordly disdain. "It doesn't matter to _me_, and it certainly won't
matter to any one or anything else. You'll never hit anything--girls
never do. They can't throw a stone properly."
"You're very unkind, and--and--very horrid," said Dolly, nearly crying.
"It's very mean and un--it's not at all like knights long ago, always to
be saying mocking things of girls."
"Rubbish," said Hector. "Besides, if you come to that, girls or ladies
long ago didn't want to do things like--like men," the last word with a
little hesitation, for he knew Dolly was sharp enough to be down on him
if he talked big. "They stayed at home and did sensible things, for
women; cooking and tapestrying, and nursing wounded soldiers."
[Illustration]
"They had to go out to the battle-fields sometimes to get the wounded
soldiers--_there_!" said Dolly triumphantly. "And what's more, some of
them _did_ know how to fight, and did fight. Think of Jeanne d'Arc,
and--and--somebody, I forget her name, who defended her husband's
castle."
[Illustration]
"All right," said Hector. "I'm not quarrelling with your having a
catapult, and you can defend your husband's castle with it if you
like--that's to say if you ever get a husband. _I_ should think a girl
who knew how to sew nicely, and to keep her house very neat and
comfortable, a much nicer wife than one who went about catapulting and
trying to be like a man. And you know you're not really so grand and
brave as you try to make out, Dolly. You screamed like anything the
other day when I threw a piece of wood that looked like a snake at you."
"It was very mean and cowardly of you to try to frighten me," said
Dolly. "And I know somebody that needn't boast either. Who was it that
ran away the other day when Farmer Bright's cow got into our field?
Somebody thought it was a bull, and was over the hedge in no time,
leaving his sister to be gored or tossed by the terrible bull."
Hector grew red. He was not fond of this story, which had a good deal of
truth in it. It seemed as if a quarrel was not very far off, but Hector
thought better of it.
"I was very sorry afterwards that I ran away," he said. "You know I told
you so, Dolly, and I really thought you were close beside me till I
heard you call out. I don't think you need cast up about it any more, I
really don't."
Dolly felt penitent at once, for she was a kind little girl, and
Hector's gentleness touched her.
"Well, I won't, then," she answered, "if you'll teach me how to
catapult."
Hector did his best, both that day and several others. But I must say I
have my doubts as to whether catapults are meant for little girls. Dolly
tried over and over and over again, but she never could manage to hit
anything she aimed at. And at last her patience seemed exhausted.
"I'm tired of it," she said. "I'll give it to Bobby. I shan't try to
catapult any more."
And it would have been rather a good thing if she had kept to this
resolution.
[Illustration]
But the next day when she was out in the garden with her brothers,
admiring Hector's good aim and the wonderful way in which he hit a
little bell which he had hung high up on the branch of a tree as a sort
of target, it came over her that she would try once again.
"Look at that bird, up on the top of the kitchen-garden wall," she said.
"I'll have a go at it."
Hector laughed.
"I think the bird's quite safe," he said.
Dolly thought so too. She did not want to hurt the bird, she was really
speaking in fun. But all the same she aimed at it, and--oh, sad and
strange to say--_she hit it_! a quiver of the little wings, and the
tiny head dropped, and then--in a moment it had fallen to the foot of
the high wall on which it had perched so happily a moment before!
The children rushed forward breathlessly. Dolly could not believe that
she had hurt it, scarcely that she had hit it.
But alas! yes. It was quite dead.
Hector held it in his hand. The bright eyes were already glazed--the
feathers limp and dull.
And oh, worse and worse, it was a wren. A little innocent, harmless
wren.
Dolly's sobs were bitter.
"I'll never touch a catapult again," she said. "A nasty horrid cruel
thing it is. And I didn't really mean to hit the poor wren."
"It was only a fluke, then," said Hector, who, in spite of his sorrow
for the wren, had felt some admiration for his sister's skill.
"N--no, not that," she said. "I _did_ aim, but I never thought I'd hit
it. Still, Hector, it shows you I _can_ hit, you see;" and the thought
made her leave off crying for a moment or two. But the sight of the poor
little wren changed her triumph into sorrow again.
"I've done with shooting," she said, as she threw the unlucky catapult
away.
And then she covered up the dead wren in her handkerchief and went in to
tell her troubles to "mamma."
Her mother was very sorry too.
"You must think of it as a sort of accident," she said. "But let it be
a lesson to you, dear Dolly, never to do anything half in joke, or for
fun as it were, which could cause trouble to any one if it turned into
earnest."
There was some comfort in the thought that it was late autumn, and not
spring-time, so there was no fear of poor little Jenny Wren's death
leaving a nestful of tiny orphan fledglings. And Hector helped Dolly to
bury the bird in a quiet corner of the garden.
But all the same, Dolly has never liked catapults since that unlucky
day!
[Illustration]
A VERY LONG LANE OR LOST IN THE MIST
Have you ever been lost? Really lost. I mean to say have you ever had
the _feeling_ of being lost? It is rather a dreadful feeling. I had it
once and I have never forgotten it. I will tell you about it.
I was about fifteen at the time. We were living for some months in a
large country house belonging to relations of ours, in the west of
England. In that part of the world many of the roads are really only
narrow lanes, where two carriages cannot pass--it is very awkward indeed
sometimes, if you meet a cart or any vehicle at a narrow part. One or
other has to back ever so far, till you come to a gateway or to a little
outjut in the lane making it wider just there. And these lanes are sunk
down below the level of the fields at their sides, and there are high
hedges too, so that really you may drive for miles and miles and
scarcely know where you are. It is difficult to know your way even in
broad daylight--even the people who live there always, have often to
consult the finger-posts, of which, I must allow, there are plenty! And
for strangers or new-comers it is _very_ puzzling.
We got on pretty well however. My elder sisters drove about a great deal
in a jolly little two-wheeled pony cart, and as I was small and light, I
was often favoured with an invitation to accompany them, sitting in the
back seat, which was _not_ luxurious.
"It does very well for Thecla," my sisters used to say, "she is so thin.
And she's as handy as a boy about jumping out to open the gates."
I didn't mind--I was only too pleased to go, in any way, and rather
proud to be called handy.
So I got to know the country pretty well, and I would not have been
afraid, by daylight at least, to go a good distance alone.
One day some friends who lived about three miles off, came to luncheon
with us. There were two or three grown-up ladies, and a girl just about
my age, named Molly. She was my principal friend while we were living
there, as she was very nice and we suited each other very well. The
older people, both of her family and of mine, drove away in the
afternoon to a large garden party some way off, to which we were
thought too young to go, or very likely there was not room for us in the
carriages. But we were very happy to stay behind. We were to have tea
together, and then it was arranged that I was to take Molly half-way
home.
[Illustration: Off we set, in very good spirits,]
"Be sure you are not later in starting than half-past five," said my
mother, "so that you can be back before it begins to get dark," for it
was already September.
And Molly's mother repeated the warning, only adding, "I am not the
least anxious about Molly--she knows the way so well. But it might be
puzzling for Thecla, as our lanes are really a labyrinth after dark."
"Oh I am _sure_ I couldn't get lost between here and Three Corners," I
said, laughing. "Three Corner Court" was the quaint name of Molly's
home.
Well--we found the afternoon only too short--we enjoyed our nice tea
very much, and felt rather reluctant to set off as soon as it was over.
"It is barely half-past five," I said. But Molly was very determined.
"We must start," she said. "I feel responsible for you, Thecla, for you
will have to come back alone."
"As if I _could_ lose my way, when I have only to come straight back the
way you take me," I said, "and I have been a bit of that way before."
We were not going by the road but by a short cut, part of which was a
foot-path through the fields, and _generally_, I had driven to Three
Corners, so that there was some reason for Molly's carefulness.
"Don't be too sure," she said, "you don't know how like some of the
fields are to each other, as well as the lanes. We have regular
landmarks we depend upon."
Off we set, in very good spirits, laughing and talking. We laughed and
talked a little too much perhaps, for though the very first part of the
way was through our own grounds, where I could not of course have gone
astray, we soon came to a succession of fields--several of them ploughed
land--which certainly were very like each other. We crossed two or three
lanes, going a few steps in one direction or the other to get to the
gates, and keeping always in the same line ourselves. Suddenly Molly
stopped in the middle of a very interesting discussion of a book we had
been reading.
"Thecla," she said, "you've come more than half way--you must turn back
now, for it will be getting dusk. And oh dear, I didn't point out the
old hawthorn at the gate of the great Millside field--and it _is_ so
easy to mistake it for Southdown field, and then you'd get all wrong."
[Illustration: It was a ploughed field, and it really was "up"]
"I'm sure I remember it," I said, "and I don't see how I _could_ go
wrong if I keep in the same direction."
"Ah, but it's so easy to get out of the same direction without knowing
it," she said, "once the sun's gone. Now _do_ be careful," and she
repeated a few more warnings.
I kissed her and ran off gaily. For a while all went well. I had crossed
two lanes and three grass fields when I found myself for the first time
at a loss. Was I to go straight through the gate facing the one I had
come out by, or go a little way down the lane? Was this the place to
look out for the hawthorn bush? If so, there was no hawthorn bush here,
so I decided to go down the lane a little. It seemed a good way before I
came to a gate, and when I did, there was no bush or tree of any kind.
But I felt sure that up this field was in the right line, so on I went.
It was a ploughed field and it really was "up," for it sloped rather
steeply. Oh how tired I was when I got to the top! But now I thought all
my troubles were over--I had only to go a quarter of a mile along the
lane, to reach our own back entrance to the stables.
[Illustration: I was not half-a-mile from the Hall!]
"What a good thing I am so near home," I thought, as I became aware that
almost in a moment a thick grey mist had risen--all around was bathed in
it, and I ran on as fast as I could.
The mist now and then cleared a little, but the night was falling fast
and I saw no sign of the white gates I was looking for. I ran the
faster--but the hedges remained unbroken, and after a while I was forced
to own to myself that somehow or other I had _got into the wrong lane_!
Oh dear! I dared not turn back--I just ran on, and the mist grew thicker
again. I soon got so tired, that the temptation was strong to sit down
at all costs. And if I had done so I might have fainted or fallen
asleep, and not perhaps been found till too late!
It was a dreadful feeling--after a while I think I began to get rather
dazed and stupefied, from fatigue and anxiety. I had only just a sort of
instinct that at all costs I _must_ keep going.
"The lane must lead to somewhere," I said to myself, though really it
seemed as if it was endless. I must have been running, or half running
and sometimes walking for nearly an hour when at last--the mist having
cleared a little--I saw a light in front, a little to one side. It
seemed to bob up and down as I ran--the lane was uneven just here, and
once or twice I was afraid it had gone. But no--there it was again, and
to my joy I found it came from a cottage window across a field to the
right.
"I shall find I am miles and miles from home," I thought, and just fancy
my surprise when I knocked at the door and asked my way, to be told that
I was not half-a-mile from the hall."
I had gone thoroughly wrong almost from the first, and the long lane
skirted the fields away up on higher ground behind our house as it were,
where I had had no business to be at all.
They were just sallying out with lanterns to look for me, but they never
would have thought of that lane, and there I might easily have been left
all night if my strength had really failed.
Oh how glad I was to change my damp clothes and to have a nice hot cup
of tea in my mother's room beside the fire!
Since then I have never boasted about being sure to find my way.
EDMUND EVANS, ENGRAVER AND PRINTER, RACQUET COURT, FLEET STREET,
LONDON, E.C.