Eglanton Thorne

“ She pinched Winnie and made her cry the last time she was there."
"And then told a story, and said she had not done it," chimed in Gertie.
"Hush, hush, it grieves me to hear you talk so," said Miss Jameson; "for however naughty Edith may have been, you should not speak of it. You should try to hide her faults, and love her in spite of them."
"I can't love people who are so disagreeable," said Florrie, perversely.
"There, say no more about her," said Miss Jameson. "I wish you would not speak of people at all unless you can speak well of them." ”

“ It is getting almost too cold to spend many hours in the Park; but perhaps we could take some luncheon with us, and get home to a late dinner."
"Oh, how lovely!" cried the two girls; and as Gertie came running into the breakfast-room they cried to her, "Gertie, Miss Jameson says that we may go to the Park on your birthday."
"Oh, how splendid!" shouted Gertie, "how delightful! The nuts are just getting ripe. I heard the gardener say so yesterday."
"So that is all you think about," said her governess, laughing, "Shall we ask if your cousin Edith may go with us?" ”

“ Are we all so disagreeable to each other that it will be impossible to find any pleasant way of passing the time together?"
"Oh no; oh no!" cried little Gertie, as she took her usual place at the table beside her governess, and contrived in so doing to get possession of Miss Jameson's hand and give it a kiss. "You will be with us, and you are always so kind. You will tell us stories sometimes of an evening, and let us hear your musical box, won't you?"
"We'll see, if you're good children," said the governess. "Now, Katie and Florrie, take your places." ”

“ What do they want with dolls in hospitals?"
"Oh, Aunt Sophie! the poor little children want them," exclaimed Kate. "How would you like to think of Edith lying all by herself in a little bed with nothing to play with?"
"I think it is a kind thought," said old Mrs. Bartlett, gently; "and the undertaking has this advantage, that it will teach the children to sew."
"That is desirable, certainly," said Mrs. Hobson. "I remember seeing some needlework of Florrie's that astonished me very much. I should have been ashamed if Edith had done no better, although she is eighteen months younger." ”

“ Miss Jameson walked with them to Mrs. Bartlett's gate; but there she wished them good-bye, and went back alone, not displeased perhaps at the prospect of a quiet afternoon.
"There is Edith," said Kate, as they walked up the path, and caught sight of a fair-haired child standing at one of the windows of the house; "what has she got that white thing round her neck for?"
"Oh, she has got a cold, I suppose," said Florrie, impatiently; "she is always having colds."
"Then we shall have to stay indoors. How horrid!" exclaimed Gertie. ”

“ They meant to behave well; but still they felt it hard that they obliged to spend the day at grand-mamma's, when they would so much rather have been at home dressing their dolls.
As soon as their lessons were finished, the little girls began to prepare for their visit. Some sighs were heaved as they peeped into the drawer where the dolls lay side by side. "It is always the way," sighed Kate, glancing at her work, "something always happens to prevent my getting on. I could have finished that frock to-day if Grandmamma had not sent for us."
But Miss Jameson would allow no grumbling or dawdling. ”

“ Bartlett's eyes as she said good-bye to her little girls. She was leaving home reluctantly in deference to her husband's wish. She could not believe that the change would effect much improvement in her health. She lingered on the doorstep to whisper to Miss Jameson, as she pressed some money into her hand: "It does seem hard that they cannot go with us, poor dears; but I know you won't let them be dull. Take this and spend it for them on new dolls or books—on anything you think they will most enjoy."
"You need not fear that the 'poor dears' will fret long," said the governess, brightly. ”

“ I am sure he would be glad to help, if he knew what you were going to do."
"Oh, I daresay he would," said Florrie; "he gave me a lovely piece of pink satin one day, and I made it into a hood for Belinda."
"The things will have to be made very neatly," said the governess; "you will need to take pains, Florrie. The dolls must be well turned out, or I shall be ashamed to send them as your gift to the children's hospital."
"And we must make all the clothes to unfasten, mustn't we?" said Gertie; "it is no fun to play with a doll unless you can dress and undress it." ”

“ Oh, that will be nice; that will be far nicer than dressing them for ourselves."
"I am very glad you think so," said Miss Jameson; "what do you say to it, Florrie?"
"Oh, it will be splendid!" she exclaimed. "I only wish we could begin to-night."
"It will be 'more blessed' than keeping the dolls ourselves," said Gertie, who had repeated for her text that morning the words: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
"You might make some scrap-books too if you like," said Miss Jameson; "there are plenty of pictures and Christmas cards that you could use. Harry could help with that perhaps." ”

“ Miss Lily's blue frock was almost finished, and promised to suit her charmingly, though Florrie had been rather careless in gathering the skirt, and had been made to do the work a second time. Kate's baby doll's clothes, which required to be made so very neatly, were nearly completed. The scrap books too were progressing. But the children's pleasure in their work was clouded by the thought of their cousin's peril. On Florrie's heart it weighed most heavily. She felt that if cousin Edith died, nothing could ever make her happy again. She had fancied that she did not love Edith ”

“ I would so much rather do wool-work."
"That's just like Florrie," exclaimed Kate, "she always gets tired of her work, and wants to do something different; but she must finish it, mustn't she, Miss Jameson?"
"She can finish it this evening if she is industrious," said the governess; "and then I can find her some pleasanter work to-morrow."
"I am going to make a new apron for my doll," said Gertie, with an air of importance; "mamma gave me a piece of muslin yesterday."
"How would you all like to have some new dolls to dress?" asked Miss Jameson. ”

“ One day a lady visitor gave one of the children a doll, and that doll was the delight of the whole ward. It was handed about from bed to bed, and they all wanted to have it at once."
"Oh, I know, I know!" cried the little girls simultaneously; "I know your grand idea, Miss Jameson."
"You mean us to get some dolls and dress them," said Kate, "and then give them to the poor little children in the hospital. ”

“ There were dark dolls and fair dolls, boy dolls and girl dolls, baby dolls and dolls that were quite grown up, judging by the style in which they wore their hair; dolls that could shut their eyes, and dolls that could stand alone! Amid such a variety Miss Jameson found it no easy matter to direct the choice of her pupils. ”

“ Kate took it upon herself to remark; "papa says that it is a mistake to coddle children."
"My dear Kate, you should not be so ready to give your opinion," Mrs. Hobson said, reprovingly. "There is no coddling in this case. A delicate little creature like my Edith requires to be more carefully cherished than strong robust girls like you."
"We are not so very strong," said Florrie. "Gertie often catches cold, and she had to take cod liver oil in the spring. ”

“ CHAPTER I. Left Behind.
"WHAT do you think?" exclaimed Katie Bartlett, as she came slowly into the schoolroom, where her two younger sisters were engaged in preparing the tables for school; "what do you think is going to happen?"
"Is it something nice?" asked Gertie, bright-looking child of eight. She spoke in a doubtful tone, for Kate did not look like the bearer of cheering news.
"Nice! I should think not, indeed," returned Katie, dolefully; "papa and mamma have made up their minds to go away; they are going to the seaside." ”

“ I fancied the days would seem so long and dreary whilst papa and mamma were away; but now I know that we shall be as happy as possible until they come back."
"Do you think that we shall be able to get all the dolls dressed before mamma comes home?" asked Florrie, addressing her governess.
"I don't know," said Miss Jameson; "there is a good deal of work even in such tiny garments, and you are not very expert with your needles. And I must insist upon everything being done neatly." For she hoped that this doll dressing would effect an improvement in the little girls' sewing. ”

“ It was a touching sight to see the happy, healthy, well-cared-for children passing up and down amongst the little beds, and speaking kind words to the stunted sickly little sufferers who lay on them. It was pleasant to watch the pale sad faces light up with joy as the children distributed their gifts. ”

“ She wishes to do it because she is so thankful to God for sparing Edith's life."
"I could never have believed it of Aunt Sophie," said Florrie, solemnly; "never—after the way she spoke of the hospital that day."
"Then you see, Florrie," said her governess, "that it is not well to judge anyone hastily. Many persons are kinder and better than their words seem to show."
"Oh, Miss Jameson," cried little Harry, "mamma has bought a new text to hang up in our room. ”

“ All the joy of Gertie's birthday was over for her.
CHAPTER VI. Lessons not Learned from Books.
THE children had expected to spend a happy evening in dressing their dolls; but now it was with grave, sad faces that they set about their work. It was dreadful to know that Cousin Edith was so ill, and then to remember how vexed they had been with her on Friday, and what unkind things they had said.
"Of course she was cross because she felt so ill," said Kate, sagely. "I expect we should have been as bad. I am always like a bear when I feel sick." ”

“ Bartlett has sent to know if the young ladies and Master Harry can go there to-morrow after school to spend the rest of the day."
The Mrs. Bartlett, from whom this invitation came, was the children's grandmother, an elderly lady who resided at Twickenham. They were generally very pleased to spend a day at her house; but now there was a general clouding of faces at Sarah's words, and Kate exclaimed at once:—"Oh, Miss Jameson, must we go? I would so much rather stay at home and work at our dolls' clothes." ”

“ Bartlett left home for Bournemouth, where they proposed staying for a fortnight or three weeks. Their departure caused no small stir in the household. Miss Jameson's help was needed in various directions that morning; and her pupils, freed from her control, rushed hither and thither watching all that went on, and distracting their elders by the innumerable questions they put. Little Winnie was in a high state of delight at the thought of going away with papa and mamma ”

“ Oh, may we have a picnic in the park some day when the nuts are ripe? We must have a whole holiday on Gertie's birthday; we always do on birthdays."
But Miss Jameson only laughed and shook her head as she listened to these exclamations. She was not going to promise anything, she said. All would depend on how they behaved themselves.
CHAPTER II. Miss Jameson's Grand Idea.
IT was Mrs. Bartlett's habit, when well enough, to go to the schoolroom at five o'clock, and have a cup of tea with the children. The schoolroom tea was emphatically a "hungry" meal, to borrow a Scotch term. ”

“ Fortunately Mr. Carter was in the shop, and, being taken into the children's confidence, readily promised that the piece drawer should be ransacked for the benefit of the dolls. The result was a supply of most suitable pieces. Amongst the number was a piece of pale blue cashmere, which would make a most becoming gown for Miss Lily, and some yellow satin in which it was generally agreed that black Topsy would look grand. ”