Aunt Fanny

“ Then she took little Tot, and polished her face, and brushed her hair as hard as she could, and Tot never cried the least bit, when Loulou accidentally turned the brush round and gave her a thump with the back of it; but just sat down by Pepper when her dressing was over, and kept as still and looked as grave as if she were in church. ”

“ Dear little Charley, I have put the stories told to you, and Minnie, and the rest, into three Nightcap books. They have pleased the children very much. I know [25] this, because I have received a great many letters; such nice letters! telling me how the children laughed and cried, and not one single word in any of them to say that anybody put his mouth out of joint, yawning over the stories. Instead of that, they all want more; and this very day a sweet little girl came to see me to ask for more. ”

“ Give my best love to papa and sister; and kiss yourself on your dear little cheek if you can, for your loving
"Mother."
Here is Bella's answer: [103]
"Darling Mamma,
"I was so glad to get your letter! What a naughty little girl that was in the church! She behaved twice as bad as me. I speak out loud sometimes, not very often; only sometimes. I had a party yesterday—Minnie, and Lilly, and Jeannie; and we had tea out of my cups and saucers that Cousin Caroline gave me—real tea—and one orange that papa [104] brought home—it was all pulled to pieces, and we eat it all up. ”

“ When she [52] heard of it, she began to cry, and climbed up into her mother's lap, and kissing her cheek said: "Stay with Bella, mamma, do please; Bella will take care of you, and make you well."
"But the doctor says I must go, my darling," answered her mother. "If you cry, it will make me worse, because I shall feel so miserable to see you crying; but you mean to be good, don't you? and when I [53] get to Charleston, I will write you ever so many little letters one after the other, and you must tell papa what to say, and he will write the answers. ”

“ How Bella laughed at the love-names, and how happy they made her, is more than I can describe; but she cuddled up to Edith, and whispered: [149]
"Dear little mamma," and that was all she said.
The next day was Sunday. Bella was old enough to go to church, and she behaved very well.
Just before they went in, her father said: "Bella, there will be a collection taken up to-day, and here is a nice new penny for you to put in the plate."
"What plate, papa?"
"Why, the plate for the [150] money that is given to the poor. You will see six of them on the table just under the pulpit." ”

“ Don't you think it was a very good reason?" [109]
"Yes, papa," said Bella; and she squeezed her soft cheek lovingly against him, and he gave her a little hug; and then they went on again quite comfortable with the story.
"Well, one day her papa said to her mamma, 'My dear, I shall not be home to-day to dinner; but what shall I order for yours?'
"'Well, dear,' she answered, 'I think one beef-steak, and [110] some green peas, and potatoes, will do for Edith and me; and the cook shall make a poor man's pudding, with raisins in it ”

“ Kitty slapped her first. Then sister Edith told dolly and Kitty about 'dogs delight to bark and bite,' and dolly was so sorry, and Kitty too; and they never mean to do so any more—never—sister Edith mended the cap, and she is good now—next time papa brings me candy, I [106] will give her a big piece—only pretend, you know—for her mouth can't open like mine, it is all shut up tight—what a pity! Oh mamma! I want to see you so much, I don't know what to do. Why can't the postman bring you home? Oh mamma, I can't wait any longer."
Here poor little Bella began to cry ”

“ First the ark came on alone—then a plank seemed to be put down—then came the great elephants, lions, tigers, and bears, marching up the plank two and two into the ark—and after [40] them all the rest of the animals in the world, getting smaller and smaller, until little wee monkeys, and kittens, and mice, and robins, and grasshoppers, and blind beetles, and big spiders, and tumble-bugs, ran and hopped, and skipped, and crawled up the plank in such quantities, that it was quite a wonder they were not all suffocated in such a crowd. ”

“ The next day Bella told her papa what to say, and he wrote her mother this letter:
"Dear, Darling Mamma:
"Yesterday I gave the poor peoples a penny in church. So did Eddie. We went together and put it in the plate. Aren't you glad, the poor peoples have so much money? I am.
"Sister Edith showed me such a 'lightful play. She did [155] put me on the end of the sofa, and I go backward and forward, backward and forward, and she sings:
'Grandmamma's sick,
And is going to die,
And nothing will cure her
But a turn-over pie;'
and then I go tumbledy over backward on the sofa so nice! ”

“ FIRST LETTER.
"Dear Darling Bella:
"Here is a present for you of this little bedstead, and the pretty doll baby; who will go to sleep the moment you put her in bed. Don't cry any more, my little kitten, and rosebud, and pearl, and dove. I [65] will pray to our Heavenly Father to take care of us both, and before long you will be clasped tight in the arms of your loving mother."
The little girl's lip trembled, as Edith finished the letter ”

“ She is a funny girl. I wish she would come and play with me.
"O dear, darling mamma! when will you come? I want you so bad. I hope you are most well this day. Can you bring me a kitten? Please do; and put it in a piece of paper, and tie it up tight, so it won't [157] get out. Miss Hattie's head is most torn off; but I don't care, 'cause she's only made of paper, and she is so ugly. I have painted her all over with red spots—and now she looks just like a leopard—I call her a pig-leopard—don't tell anybody.
"How funny for Hannah to tickle your toes! ”

“ Would you like me to ask poor [14] lame Charley's mother for more?"
With a joyful little scream, she hugged me again, and kissed my cheek—very softly this time, for fear of hurting me, and said: "Oh! Aunt Fanny! if you only will, I will give you a whole paper full of perlasses candy, and one of my new handkerchickers; and when you are old and blind, I will take you in my arms, and carry you up stairs, [15] and put you in my lap and teach you your letters, and ask mamma to read the Bible to you—all about Joseph, you know, and his wicked bredders; it will make you ki." ”

“ Only cook [114] the beef-steak and vegetables; and make a poor man's pudding, with raisins, for dessert; that will do nicely.' So the fat cook put the fat goose carefully away in the refrigerator; then she shelled enough peas for a small dish, and peeled about a dozen potatoes, and prepared the raisins for the pudding, and had them all nicely done in time.
"When five o'clock came, the bell rang for dinner, and Edith's [115] mother went down, and took her seat at the table. ”

“ Then I kissed Sallie, the twin-girl, and she said so sweetly: 'Aunt Fanny, can you remember where Bella lives? If you can find her house, go and tell her I am coming to see her—next day before to-morrow.'
"Wasn't it funny that she should think I had been so [164] long away from you, my little darling, that I had forgotten where you lived?
"Do you remember a story I once read to you, about 'Good Little Henry,' in a book called 'Nightcaps'? Well, strange to say, I know this Henry, and love him very much. He is now almost a young man, and just as good as ever; yes! ”

“ I was glad "twenty-ten" times. It was sweeter to me, [11] than a whole basket full of sugar candies would be to you—and I kissed her on both her round dimpled cheeks, and sat down, and took her on my lap, and hugged her to my heart, and said—"what a darling! what a dear little thing!"
Then I looked at the lady. She was laughing and blushing, and I was laughing and blushing, and the little girl was laughing and blushing. Don't [12] you think we three were having a very funny kind of time? I did.
At last the lady said: "I hope you will excuse me for bringing Kitty to see you ”

“ The postman will bring you your letters, and then you must pay him two cents apiece for every one of them, think of that! Dear me! how much money it will take! do you think you will have money enough?" [54]
"My pasense," exclaimed Bella; "what a heap of letters! Oh, how glad I am! I'll buy every one, mamma! ”

“ A gentleman got out—Bella's face looked as if somebody had thrown a pail of cold water in it—but, the next moment, the gentleman handed out her mamma, her very own mamma! and then in an ecstasy of delight, the little girl rushed to the door, and then it was worth [177] more than all Barnum's Museum to see the meeting. I believe I can't tell it—I cannot write it well enough; but all you dear little children know how glad you are to see your kind mothers after they have been away from you; and you can feel this, much better than I can write it.
And so ended the Little Nightcap Letters ”

“ Bella did not like to have her baby treated in this manner—and it was very fortunate that their grandmamma came in the room just then, with two large slices of bread, with the [90] most delightful currant jelly spread all over them, and gave one to each of the children, or perhaps Bella might have turned into a cry-baby—and that would have made you and me very sorry.
Pretty soon a lady came in—whom the children called Cousin Caroline, and said: "Oh! here is Stanny; why, where did you come from, little boy?"
"I come from Brooklyn. [91] What you got your hat on for, Cousin Caroline? Say." ”

“ You can't expect children to be as grave and solemn as judges—of course not. I, for one, would not give a pin for a child that did not make [20] a noise—that is—a pleasant noise.
So they were jumping and tumbling down, when I entered, and in a moment they were all about me crying. "How-de-do, Aunt Fanny? Come in, come in, mamma is in the parlor, and Charley is sitting in her lap—and the tremendous DOG is asleep on the rug—and we are not to have a Nightcap story to-night—but [21] something grand! splendid!"
THE TREMENDOUS DOG!
"Somesing 'tonishing," chimed in little Minnie—"tome! ”

“ And now the paper was eagerly taken off, and lo! and behold! there was a most beautiful pair of little brown gaiter boots.
"With heels!" screamed Bella. "How grandy! like a big lady! look, Edith—heels!"
"Did I ever!" said Edith, lifting up her hands, "you will tumble down stairs the very first time you wear them."
"Boots with heels!" and [68] Bella began to try them on. Something stiff rattled inside—and she put in her hand and pulled out—another letter! It was almost too good to be true. ”

“ The next minute he trots back with the stick in his mouth, and hands it with his mouth, you know, very politely to the children, while they [78] jump up and down, and squeal, because they are so pleased.
"Now they have all scrambled heels over head into the yard, and shut the dog's tail in the gate; but he pulled it through, and so I can't see them any more.
"I hope the doll baby has been good, and the little heels on the boots have behaved themselves. ”