Amanda M. Douglas

“ I wanted you to see the girls and their father who is the loveliest, no not quite the loveliest,” and her eyes shone with a tender radiance, the flush made her beautiful. “For, fairy godmother, I have a father now who will love me and care for me, and I am filled to the brim with happiness—it is better than the fortune. ”

“ No one could guess the strain of talking so incessantly to amuse the babies, of reading to Jack, of having eyes all over to see that he did not torment the little ones, push their playthings out of the way, give them sly pinches or tweak their hair. She did hate to tell tales on him. And when he coaxed to go out with her he was a constant care. School had been closed for a fortnight. Oh, how tired she was every night!
“You don’t eat more than a bird,” Bridget would complain. ”

“ I have taken out 296 papers of adoption, she is my child, my little little daughter and she has a new, legal, lawful name—Marilla Cinderella Richards.”
“Oh, oh!” The pathetic cry unnerved him.
“Dear fairy godmother it can’t make any difference in my love for you. I loved you first, you know. I shall always love you, but I want us to live together and be as happy as they are at the Warrens, and I love him, my new father, so much. When you have something of your very own it fills you everywhere like beautiful music. ”

“ Aunt Florence entered the room and snatched the bell from Violet. “You must not make such a noise,” she declared. “Oh Miss Armitage, you are always shocked by a death, 229 aren’t you? And poor Aunt Hetty has been dying the last week, though the doctor said she did not really suffer. But she’s past eighty and that’s a good long life. I do wonder if she really knew she was calling for Marilla, and the poor child has had a bad time. How good of you to offer to take her for awhile. Funerals are so dismal to a child.” ”

“ In the desert of Bethany Home all these emotions had been rigorously repressed. It was best for girls not to expect too much in the homes of other people, the little Cinderella whose place was in the chimney corner.
“Marilla,” called the voice of Mrs. Warren, in a sort of joyous tone, “Dr. Richards has come.”
She almost flew down stairs and he clasped her in his arms.
“I am so happy,” she cried in a voice tremulous with emotion. “It seems such a long, long while since morning so much has happened, and Mrs. Warren is to be my Aunt Grace, she said so, and I have three cousins!” ”

“ It was a comfort to get rid of Jack. They began to settle into quite regular living.
“I’ve just had a fright,” said Mrs. Borden, coming up to her sister’s room. “A man has been here inquiring about school children and I did stretch the truth a little. You see, now children have to go to school until they are fourteen. I simply can’t let Marilla go. I didn’t adopt her nor consider her in any sense my own. A child like that isn’t worth more than her board and clothes. What good would she be to us if we had to get her off at nine in the morning, and then have only an hour in the afternoon. ”

“ Take good care of our little girl—but I needn’t charge you. I’ll be in again tomorrow.”
Miss Armitage went slowly upstairs, paused a few moments at her desk to jot down some items. When she went through to the next room, Marilla was asleep. The little face was framed in with rings of shining hair, the lips were palely pink and parted with a half smile, the skin still showed blue veins. With a little care, such as rich people gave their children, she might grow up pretty, she would always be sweet. And the pudgy babies with their wondering eyes loved her! ”

“ You must let it grow long. And such lovely eyes; but she’s thin.”
“Yes, rather,” said godmother, “But she has dancing feet. She’s a real Cinderella.”
“There’s so many of them and only one Prince. What a pity!”
“But each has her turn, and they are very happy.”
Then Marilla glanced around the gallery. That was well lighted and had a cushioned 10 seat against the wall. Groups were sitting together or rambling about. And a great circular room, down stairs lighted by a magnificent chandelier whose prisms seemed in constant motion and rayed off every imaginable color with a faint musical sound. ”

“ Sunday afternoon he and Mr. Lorimer came in. The girls had gone to Sunday School. He laid his plan before the Warrens who were a good deal surprised.
“As a man grows older he begins to think of a home and the joys nothing else offers, and a doctor really needs the comfort, the satisfaction nothing else can give. I’ve never had a home though I’ve dreamed of one, but there must be another person in it. I’m not of the hermit sort. I want some one to be merry with me and to comfort me when the skies are dark and lowering.” ”

“ Their heads must not be filled with dreams of wonderful fortunes. Real work is and must be the lot of those who are homeless and dependent. Now, if you wanted to adopt some child I have two lovely little girls here, one of them born to luxury it would seem, but misfortune and death made a waif of her. I do hope some well-to-do people will take a fancy to her.”
No, she didn’t want any stranger. She would wait and see. Why should she care so much for Marilla? The faint little voice haunted her—“Are you a fairy godmother?” ”

“ Then one night Pansy had the croup and there was a great scare.
“You’ve let her get cold some way, Marilla; you mustn’t let the wagon stand while you keep looking at books and pictures in store windows. You better go straight over to the park, and don’t talk to other girls. You’re old enough now to have a little judgment.”
Marilla made the babies ready. They were very fond of walking up and down stairs. Now she lifted them in the carriage, tucked them in with the pretty robe and they did look picturesque in their fluffy white hoods and fur cloaks. ”

“ Oh, I had never loved any one so dearly. I saw so little of my own mother and she was always tired, fairy godmothers are different.”
The door bell rang. “That must be Lorimer,” 245 said Dr. Richards and he reached the hall just as Jane opened the door. Miss Armitage let him greet his friend before she rose.
“Can’t I bring him in here?” asked the doctor.
“Oh, yes.”
“This room is my ideal, Lorimer. The grate fire and the shelves of books give one an immediate welcome. And allow me to present you to the presiding genius, Miss Armitage.” ”

“ Marilla put out one slim hand.
“It seems too bad the old lady should be taken ill at this juncture,” said Mrs. Seymour. “And Manila’s been such a faithful child. She’s been growing tall this summer and autumn and I suppose has run ahead of her strength. Then with the two children to look after—well a little nurse girl has rather hard lines—they seldom have more than one, or if they do the others are older. My two boys are in boarding school. I’ve wished one was a girl, they are so much more company for the mother. But I’d wanted her to be pretty,” she cast a sidelong glance at the twins. ”

“ There was to be a lawn party next week at the Sheldon’s, just for the girls, and they were going to dance.
“Oh, did you ever go to a ball?” asked Marilla.
“Why, girls don’t go to balls! They are for the big folks. My grown up sister does and they’re just splendid.”
She had half a mind to tell them about the beautiful dream and how she had danced with the Prince. But Pansy was going on at such a rate that she pushed the carriage along and by the time they reached home she had forgotten her trouble. ”

“ There was no end of fancy attire.
“This is to be your knight, Sir Aldred. And this is the new Cinderella. Take good care of her until the Prince comes.”
He bowed with most enchanting grace. 11
“There are so many of them!” he said, as he took her hand, “But she is the prettiest of them all.”
The knight gave her hand a little squeeze and she turned rosy red.
“Come this way,” and he led her along. It was odd to be introduced as Cinderella, but everybody was so sweet and cordial that she kept smiling and bowing. ”

“ It grew dark and he was afraid, for he heard a queer noise that kept saying, “Who—who,” so he ran another way. Then a dog barked, and Marilla made the sound of a dog and both babies laughed delightedly. “So he ran as fast as he could but the dog ran, too, and the squirrel climbed up in a tree,” and Marilla climbed with her hands on the back of the chair in a funny fashion. “‘Come down,’ said the dog. ‘I won’t,’ said the squirrel. ‘Then I’ll climb up and eat you.’ But the squirrel laughed and said: ‘You can’t climb a tree.’”
The babies laughed, too, but Violet wanted to be “wocked” again. ”

“ Marilla drew 168 long breaths and wished she was among them; every pulse in her body kept time. The trees waved and nodded, some birds sang and there were sounds of happy laughter.
“Get away from here with this big caboose of yourn!” said a rough voice, “you take up too much room,” and he wheeled the carriage around so suddenly the babies almost toppled over. “Other people want a chance. Get along, I say!”
She had no choice but to go on.
“I’m glad he sent off that nurse girl,” exclaimed a woman with two children clinging to her skirts. “Those great wagons are such a nuisance!” ”

“ Miss Borden assented. Then she brought a frock for Marilla, and between them they had her dressed. Violet tumbled her box of blocks on the floor and began kicking them around.
“Oh, dear! When you want quiet, children are always the worst! When that new girl comes she shall take them out in their carriage and we will have peace for a little while.” ”

“ Johnson didn’t think it was right for girls to waste their time on dolls. One Christmas some store sent such a beautiful lot and she returned them all. Some of us cried and we had to learn a lot of bible verses about improving your time. Occasionally a girl would get a clothes pin and tie the middle of her handkerchief around the head, and play it was a baby, and lend it out, then they would all get punished. I used to feel so sorry. Dolls are so sweet if they are only make believe. Where I lived the babies had rubber dolls that they could bang on the floor, but they were ugly. ”

“ You have not had a chance to get strong yet.”
Marilla recalled seeing the nurse brought down stairs on a stretcher, they called it. And the doctor said she could never walk again. Oh, how dreadful that would be. She turned her face over on the pillow and let the tears drop silently, and she could not swallow any supper, something lay so heavy on her breast. Miss Armitage kissed her, and Marilla twined her arms around the soft white neck hardly hidden by the lace. There had never been any one to love during the later years. And her mother had been busy and away in a store. ”

“ Warren kissed all the little girls and they trooped off.
“You may sleep on the lounge in my room, Edith, and give Marilla your bed, I can’t send her up stairs alone, and now you must not say a word after your prayers for I know she is clear tired out.”
They were generally very good children to mind. Their mother left them with a good-night kiss. Mr. Warren had rolled his chair nearer the center table and taken up his paper.
“Mother,” he exclaimed, “that Marilla is an unusual child. How beautifully she describes everything, but the sweetest trait about her is her utter lack of bitterness. ”

“ I heard from Lorimer a few days ago, and he said that everything was right, that he should be at Newton shortly and wanted to see Marilla Bond.”
“And how much may this wonderful fortune be?” The lady’s tone was slightly sarcastic. “They are apt to shrink by payment time.”
“Somewhere about ten thousand, I believe. Not enough to make one a millionaire, but it will educate her and give her some journeys outside of fairy land,” laughing a little. “Perhaps fairy godmother won’t send you adrift for such an accident,” looking down in the wondering eyes.
“The best fortune of all is fairy godmother.” ”

“ Marilla stood wide eyed and speechless.
“Why—you are very beautiful. Oh, I wish you were a fairy godmother! I’d like to go to fairy land. I don’t think any one would mind much, but I do believe the twins would care. Bridget says there isn’t any such thing and then she tells about a little girl who was toted away and had to stay seven years.”
“You couldn’t stay that long, and times 7 have changed, and you have no envious sisters. You’re a rather lonely little body with no father or mother.” ”

“ Borden sat down and drew a long breath. Pansy had fallen asleep at last.
“And we never let her lift the children or carry them up and down. I think babies are sometimes injured for life that way in falling. They used to sit on the rug and she’d tell them stories. I think she must have made them out of her head—funny things and she’d act them off and the babies would laugh and laugh—it was as good as a play. They seemed to understand every word. Marilla was a born nurse girl. But what can we do? We must have someone, and there’s only such a little time.”
Miss Armitage was thinking. ”

“ Half of them were going away on Monday to the Rest House for a week, and they were full of that. Two of them had never been before. Was it like Coney Island?
“It is not far from the shore, the broad Sound that leads out to the ocean. But there are not side shows. Just rowing and bathing, and a ride every day in a big omnibus. And plenty of girls. Oh, you won’t be lonesome;” and Miss Armitage smiled. ”

“ I would rather have you for a friend than any other woman for a wife. I simply will not give you up.”
So the pendulum went on swinging evenly between the two points, when Cinderella entered both lives. 121
And now it was Sunday morning and the chimes were pealing—“Oh, come all ye faithful.” Marilla listened with a throb of joy, though she did not know the words they were saying in sweetest melody. Miss Armitage came and stood by the cot with a cordial good morning.
Marilla stretched out her hand and glanced up with an entreating sort of smile. ”

“ For little Cinderella, we must not be looking for tomorrow’s joy. You cannot find them tonight. There are flowers that fold their leaves but will open again tomorrow. You would be short sighted to sit down and cry tonight about it.”
Marilla was a good deal puzzled.
“You must be a happy little Cinderella when you have been to fairy land. You must 16 not lose faith in fairy godmothers. They come at unexpected times and in different guise. And that is what keeps the world bright and the heart young, and sometime the real Prince comes.” ”