Jane Eayre Fryer

“ Billy Plans the Garden “MARY FRANCES,” called Billy, as she came into the house, “I say, let’s start work in your garden to-day. The first thing to do is to dig and spade it.”
“Oh, Billy, it looks as though it had been done,” answered Mary Frances. “I guess I can plant it right away.”
“Ha! Ha!” laughed Billy. “Why, it has to be dug deep; the earth has to be turned under, and compost mixed with it and all pulverized before little seeds or plants can take hold with their roots.” ”

“ How do you suppose the groom and the blacksmith felt when they learned the result of the battle?
Do you know any careless people?
What do you think of them?
Can you remember ever doing something carelessly in order to finish more quickly?
Tell about it.
If you’re told to do a thing,
And mean to do it really;
Never let it be by halves;
Do it fully, freely!
—Phœbe Cary.
He liveth long who liveth well;
All else in life is thrown away;
He liveth longest who can tell
Of true things truly done each day.
What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. ”

“ Even the leaves seem to sing on the trees, the earth is so beautiful and gay. But the castle stands encircled by its high walls and deep ditch full of water, proud, haughty and forbidding, untouched by the loveliness round about it.
The drawbridge drops over the water with a surly clang, and through the dark arch across the bridge springs a charger, bearing Sir Launfal, dressed in his gilded armor which gleams brightly in the sun. He is setting forth wherever adventure may lead him in quest of the Holy Grail. ”

“ Fur-lined cape,”
sang Sewing Bird.
“Use
Jubey!”
“Oh, ho! Hee-hee!” laughed Scissors Shears. “I bet we’ll have to use Jubey.”
“What for?” asked Tommy Pin Cushion.
“For the fur,” said Scissors Shears.
“I guess not, I guess not,” said Mary Frances stepping into the room. “Use Jubey! I’d rather Mary Marie would never have a fur-lined cape, Magic and Mystery!”
“Of course,” said Fairy Lady. “Oh, of course! By the way,―where is that cat?”
“She’s down-stairs,” said Mary Frances, “hunting mice in the cellar. Grandma asked me to let her be there.” ”

“ Nolan said, with a sad smile, “Here, you see, I have a country.” Over the foot of the bed was a great map of the United States, drawn from memory. Queer old names were on it, names such as he had learned, like “Indian Territory” and “Louisiana Territory.”
“Danforth,” he said, “I know I am dying. I am sure that you know that there is not in America,—God bless her!—a more loyal man than I. There cannot be a man who loves the old flag as I do, or hopes for it as I do. Tell me something,—tell me everything before I die!” ”

“ To Mary Frances’ amazement, Pen Cil marked off the muslin like this:
“You may retire,” said Fairy Lady, “Thank you,―and Mary Frances, child, you may sew the muslin very much as you did the Canvas Sampler, with that finer red D. M. C. cotton, No. 12.”
“Am I to be forgotten?” came a tinkling sound from Mary Frances’ basket, as she started to sew.
“Who is that?” asked Mary Frances peeping over the edge.
“I’m Thimble!” exclaimed a wee little voice, “and the reason I always wear my helmet, is that I want to wield my sword,” as Mary Frances lifted him out. ”

“ Her mother was very sorry to see that Linda was selfish, and used to talk very seriously to her about it, and to tell her that no one would love her if she did not mend her ways.
But Linda did not care, and she did not believe what her mother said.
“You will always love me, Mother,” said she.
“Perhaps so,” said her mother; “but then you are my own little girl, and it is my duty to take care of you. Besides, I shall be very sorry for you, because you will be very unhappy. But no one else will care for you. Every one will dislike you because you are selfish—every one in the world.” ”

“ There was a time when people imagined that robins stole so many cherries and berries that it was a good deed to kill them. Now they have found that they destroy so many injurious insects that they do not begrudge them a few cherries. Besides, if mulberry trees are planted nearby, they will prefer their fruit to the cherries.”
“Oh, Billy,” cried Mary Frances, “isn’t it wonderful! Not only do birds help us by destroying harmful insects and seeds, but they help us by their beauty. I believe they are the most beautiful of living things! ”

“ He glowered at Mary Frances as though he would like to bite her, but she was not afraid.
“Behave!” said the King. “You cannot frighten a person who has been so brave as to part the iron-chain curtain. If she had been afraid of the old witch, the curtain would not have parted, and all the children in the world would have been still waiting for new stories.”
He turned to the Queen. “Have you a fitting punishment, my dear?” he asked.
“I have,” said the Queen, very solemnly. “It is this: the pirate shall never again hear a story or read a story!” ”

“ I am the nurse; I help the doctor.
Teacher. Do you build houses or furnish fuel?
Doctor. No, we keep people well, or aid them when they are ill; that is our part.
All recite:
One works for all and all for one,
And so the work of the world gets done. ”

“ Then Fairy Lady said:
“Dear little Lady Seamstress, we are all from Thimble Land―we are the Thimble People; there are many more of us, oh, many more. It is our joy to be able to help you learn to sew. Thimble and Scissors Shears and the other Thimble People will come help us when anything becomes very puzzling or difficult; but all through these lessons you may call upon me at any time; and I shall do my best to give you happy sewing lessons.”
“Oh, thank you, dear Fairy Lady,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “I am living in Fairyland, and it is real!” ”

“ Gregor came along the street.
“Toot! toot! toot! tweedle, tweedle, toot!” went the pan-pipes; and away went Mr. Gregor’s legs, cutting such capers as the world never looked upon before. Gaily trudged Bob along the street, and gaily danced Mr. Gregor. The people looked out of their windows, and laughed; and the poor man begged Bob to leave off playing.
“No, no,” answered Bob; “poor little Ralph Ruddy never meant to hit you, and you made him dance with pain. It is your turn now.”
Just then the squire’s butler came down the street. ”

“ He sinks down by the gate and his mind wanders. He sees again the scenes of the desert, the camels as they pass over the hot sands, the vain search of the caravan for water, and then the slender necklace of grass about the little spring as it leaps and laughs in the shade.
Suddenly he hears a voice. “For Christ’s sweet sake I beg an alms.”
Sir Launfal is startled and looks around him. There at his side he sees the leper cowering, more wretched, more miserable, more loathsome than before. But he does not look at him in scorn this time. ”

“ What do you suppose they think of the Red Cross?
Imagine that a great wind storm or cyclone should come very suddenly whirling through your city, tearing down houses, uprooting trees, and leaving thousands of people homeless—who would be the first to help the people who were hurt? ”

“ NO sooner had the Yarn Baby finished speaking than out of the chest there flew a fairy!
She was so dainty and beautiful that Mary Frances felt that she would never dare to touch her.
Her dress was made of some silvery cobwebby stuff and she wore a golden cap.
“My name is Fairly Flew,” she said, flying over on the table near to Mary Frances. “I love to help people who try to learn. I am the teacher of the Crocheting and Knitting People. If I lend you one of my magic needles, your work will go so fast that you will say that the needle fairly flew. That is how I came to be called Fairly Flew.” ”

“ THE RED CROSS FLAG
When we say we love our American flag, we mean that we love what our flag stands for. We mean that we love our people and the land on which we live.
But there is a flag which means that we love all people who need us as good neighbors, no matter where they live, no matter who they are.
May that flag some day fly in every country of the world to show that all boys and girls have learned to be Good Neighbors.
The Red Cross flag is the second flag of American citizens. Do you know how many members the American Red Cross would have, if every American citizen were a member? ”

“ Jack replied.
“I’m afraid my brother and father and mother will come look for us,” said Mary Frances.
“No,” Bet shook her head, “not until five o’clock.”
“I suppose fairies know,” Eleanor whispered.
Jack began to talk rapidly:
Weeds
To the little plant baby which you love and wish to grow, weeds are like terribly hungry beasts who steal their food, and choke them to death, and say:
“Get out of here! I’m a piggy-wig, and I want everything myself!”
So unless you want your favorite plants to die, you will kill the weeds in your garden. ”

“ Then as it grew dark, since it was the solemn rule that Bertha should do no household tasks on the days of the picnics, Dot trimmed the fire, and swept the hearth, and set the tea-tray out, and drew the curtains, and lighted a candle. Then she played an air or two on a rude kind of harp which Caleb had made for Bertha, and played them very well; for Nature had made her delicate little ear as choice a one for music as it would have been for jewels—if she had had them to wear. ”