Aunt Friendly

“ Her eyes would wander to Aunt Barbara, sitting up straight and still, and looking out of the window at the sky. At length Hatty said, “Do lie down, Aunt Barbara; I am sure you would be more comfortable. Let me fix your pillows nicely for you.”
“I never go to bed when I can sit up. I was not brought up to loll about and make myself sick by being lazy,” said Aunt Barbara.
Hatty tried to read for a few moments more; then Aunt Barbara moved, and she looked at her again.
The old lady evidently wanted something she could not find in her pocket, and yet did not feel like getting up. ”

“ The few bees who had escaped from the shawl settled upon Farmer Sparrow, but he minded them no more than if they were so many flies, for the sagacious insects knew him too well to sting him.
“Stand quite still, child!” said Farmer Sparrow to Hatty, in a tone of command. It would have been hard for Hatty to obey, covered as she was with the tormenting bees, but for the belief that the prayer for help that she had sent up to God in her distress [88] was about to be answered. One by one Farmer Sparrow picked off the bees with his hands, and slipped them into the shawl, which he held like a bag. ”

“ That is too bad! I have always kept them so nicely in those drawers!” said Hatty, hastily.
Mrs. Lee did not speak for a moment; she opened a door leading into a large lighted closet, and then said, “Here, my darling, you will have a place for all you want to keep particularly nice; see, I have put your presents in this drawer, and your books are there above, on the shelf. I have put a little table here for your Bible, and you must not forget to ‘enter into your closet,’ to pray to Him who seeth in secret.” ”

“ Hatty laid the great Bible on Aunt Barbara’s lap, and for a few moments the old lady seemed nodding; but she soon began to rub her spectacles as if they were not clean, and then she put her hand to her head, and said, “old folks can’t sit and read all day like young ones.” ”

“ I am sorry!”
“I and Marcus and Meg and all of us are sorry we were so naughty. It was our fault, Aunt Barbara,—and we mean to be better,” said Hatty, eagerly.
“Poor old Aunt Barbara did wrong, too, child. God has laid her on her bed of sickness to think, and he has raised her up again for some good purpose. Perhaps he wanted to give her an opportunity to be more like [74] what a person ought to be, who has had more than seventy years of blessings, and who has the promise of a home in Heaven. ”

“ Hatty put on her sun-bonnet, and they both were soon very busy in the yard, planning for the chicken coop with as much interest as if they were going to build some wonderful specimen of architecture which all the world would admire.
Marcus found in the wood-house a large packing box, and after much hammering he succeeded in knocking out one side, so the chickens could have their feet on the ground in their new home.
“Chickens are like the Irishman who liked a mud floor that would never wear out, and never need washing,” said Marcus, with the air of one who was instructing some ignorant person. ”

“ From a closet under the stairs Meg soon dragged out a box in which were Harry’s stores of blocks,—playthings of which he never tired, and which never wore out.
The little fellow set to work very patiently; and then Mrs. Lee said, “Come, Meg, I will take you with me.” Meg gave her hand to her mother, and skipped up the stairs, ready to take in good part anything that should happen.
Mrs. Lee led her to a small room at the end of the hall, and said, “Now listen to me, my little darling. You are to sleep in here with Hatty, and she is to help you dress, and to be very kind to you. ”

“ God has so arranged it, that those who are watched over and taken care of when they are helpless babes, should in their turn nurse and comfort the feeble old age of their parents. Remember, my children, old age makes people in one way like infants; that is, it leads them to be irritable and troublesome, and often helpless, and these defects should be borne with tenderly, as your father or I would soothe that dear baby on Hatty’s lap. God has taught in his holy book the greatest respect to the aged, and his eye sees with displeasure even [35] a rude look cast towards one who is grey-haired. ”

“ Sparrow, and watching her while she filled the large basket that had been placed in the carriage, in front of Mr. Lee, for the purpose. Hatty could not help thinking, as she looked at the trees loaded with the beautiful fruit, how kind it was in our Heavenly Father to make so much that is “pleasant to the eye and good for food,” that we may take without breaking any of his commandments. She pitied poor Eve, if the forbidden fruit looked anything like those tempting peaches, and was glad that there was no “serpent” at farmer Sparrow’s that pleasant day. ”

“ Briggs went out I looked at my name, and there was a cross after it for punctual; so you see it is all right, and my chance for the prize is as good as ever.”
“I would rather have a brother who told [60] the truth, than one who got the prize,” said Hatty, earnestly. “Dear Marcus, won’t you tell Mr. Briggs about it?”
“I shall do no such thing. Girls are so silly! You never can make them understand anything,” said Marcus, hastily.
But Hatty did understand. She felt that Marcus had acted a lie for the sake of winning the prize he so greatly desired. ”

“ Then, with one hand, Hatty held her white sun-bonnet close together in front, while she extended the other, to lead Meg.
Over Hatty’s bare neck and arms the bees now settled, and began to vent their anger in sharp stings that made her scream with pain. ”

“ After a moment, in which she asked God to help her to keep down her own quick temper if Marcus should make a harsh reply, Hatty said:
“Marcus, you know what mother tells us about the book where what we call secret things are written down, to be read on the great day when all things will be known. Something will stand against your name, there, worse than a mark for being unpunctual. Dear Marcus, do tell the truth, and not mind the prize. You will not care about the prize when you are happy with the beautiful angels in Heaven ”

“ Meg was full of eager questions about her hymns and her verses, and Hatty had an opportunity of giving the little one some sweet lessons about the loving Saviour and what He wishes in His lambs, that she would have lost if she had given way to her selfish wish for a longer nap.
We do not know, when we give way to our own whims, instead of being unselfish, what opportunities of usefulness we may be losing. If we do one duty well, some higher and more important duty generally follows close upon it. ”

“ Aunt Barbara was placed on a comfortable chair by the window; Mrs. Lee took the baby,—and then Jane and the children went out into the peach orchard, with Mrs. Sparrow.
The farmer’s wife knew exactly to what trees to take them; and she reached up and picked two of the largest peaches Hatty had ever seen, and placed one in the little girls’ hands. Away went Hatty back to the house with her treasures, and when she had given them to Aunt Barbara and her mother, she was ready for her own pleasure.
Hatty was learning to think of others first, even in trifles. ”

“ Farmer Sparrow excused himself from any further attendance upon the party, as he must secure his beloved bees ere they were lost to him.
The sun was now sinking in the west, and Marcus, laden with the results of his successful trouting, came whistling up to the farmhouse. He heard, in silence, the story of Hatty’s misfortune; but when his mother came quite to the end, Marcus walked up [89] to his sister, and kissing her fondly, said: “You are a splendid girl, Hatty. You ought to have been a boy!” ”

“ All Marcus’ mannish ways went off, suddenly, when the carriage drew up at Mr. Sparrow’s door. He leaped from his seat, and without waiting to hand out the ladies and children, he gave a merry shout, and started off for the brook at a pace that most men find neither easy nor comfortable.
Good farmer Sparrow was away in the orchard; but stout Mrs. Sparrow helped Aunt Barbara out as well as if she had been [83] a man; and by that time Mr. Lee had tied the horses, and was ready to lift down the children; Meg came out with a flying skip, and Hatty bounded down cheerfully ”

“ Meg and Harry seemed to think it was a very attractive sight to see Hatty with the baby on her lap, and they left their soap-bubbles and came to stand about her.
At this moment Aunt Barbara came in. She did not seem to notice Hatty and the baby. Her eyes at once fell upon the bowl full of soap-suds Meg had placed on a chair.
“Dear! dear!” exclaimed Aunt Barbara, “what are the children coming to? Why, [29] they waste soap as if it grew, instead of cost money! Here, Meg, pour this away directly, and don’t do such a thing again!” ”

“ Hatty could not reprove the children, for she herself had set the example of speaking angry words.
Heartily ashamed of herself, she said: “I [66] am very sorry I spoke so to you, Marcus; it was not right. I ought not to mind being put with Meg, for she is a dear little girl, and I love her very much.”
“And I love Hatty, and you shan’t be cross to her,” said Meg, putting her arms round Hatty.
“It was Hatty who was cross,” said the little girl, sadly. “Poor Hatty is only trying to be good. She does wrong very, very often.”
“Hatty dood! Hatty dood!” said Harry, nestling at her side. ”

“ Lee’s reply.
The many impertinent, hasty, impatient words that she had spoken to her old aunt, returned to Hatty’s mind, and she resolved to ask God to give her strength to make amends for the past.
“It is a sad truth,” said Mrs. Lee, “that old people have much less patience shown towards them than little children have, yet they need it quite as much. ”

“ She did not say that she saw sister Hatty was weary, and wished to relieve her. Little Meg was learning something of Christian kindness; so true is it that where one child in a family is really trying to do right, all the others soon catch something of her spirit.
It was a real treat to the children to be fairly outside the town, among green fields and pleasant woods. Mrs. Lee had to keep her head bobbing this way and that way, to [82] see a flock of turkeys that made Meg laugh; or a wild flower that pleased Hatty; or a “pretty moo cow” that Harry thought quite extraordinary. ”

“ Lee said she would take care of the children in the nursery, as Jane must be busy, and leave Hatty with Aunt Barbara. Hatty was glad to be trusted, and she brought her sewing, and took a low seat near the old lady.
Aunt Barbara did not seem inclined to talk at first, and Hatty kept very quiet, though every now and then she opened her mouth as if she were going to speak, and then shut it again quickly.
[72] Hatty had learned that there are often times when older people do not care to hear even pleasant young voices. ”

“ Hatty had not forgotten that Marcus had acted a lie, and she remembered that our Heavenly Father is “a God who hateth a lie.”
[70]
VIII.
Monday morning rose bright and clear. For many days Aunt Barbara had been steadily gaining, and now she was coming down stairs, for the first time. Hatty felt it a pleasure to wait upon her mother, while she assisted the old lady to dress, and even Marcus seemed pleased to be useful. ”

“ She did not know that her aunt had to practice so much care and economy, to give her a home. By and by, when she grew older, she understood all this, and tried to be like a daughter to the friend who had been so kind to her. ”

“ Though this is quite true, there are many who are ashamed of Jesus—many children, I fear!”
“O Mother! what do you mean?” said Hatty, earnestly.
“I mean,” said Mrs. Lee, “there are many who are ashamed to have it known that they wish to serve him. They would rather their best actions should be attributed to any cause, than a desire to do His will. ”

“ Her aunt’s queer little ways only made her feel, then, that it was for her she had learned to save even the shreds she cut off when she was sewing. After the orphan girl was grown, she was married to a very kind gentleman. This gentleman was so grateful to the aunt for her care of the orphan, that he wanted her to come and live with them in her comfortable home; but Aunt Barbara said—”
“There, there, Mother! you have let it out,” exclaimed the children in a breath.
“Don’t, don’t,” said Hatty; “what did Aunt Barbara say, Mother?” ”

“ Meggy, a mischievous little girl of six, joined her shouts with those of Marcus, while Harry, her next brother, was busy collecting all his new playthings in the hall, that he might show them to “sister Hatty” as soon as she arrived. ”

“ Why, this was the way. When Mr. Briggs called over the names for punctuality, some how or other his attention wandered just before he got to my name, and he skipped it, so I did not have to answer at all. After Mr. ”