Juliana Horatia Ewing

“ I said, "Are you a sea-captain?" and he said, "Yes." And I said, "How funny it is about land things and sea things!
There are captains and sea-captains, and weeds and sea-weeds, and serpents and sea-serpents. Did you ever meet one, and is it really like the dragons on our very old best blue tea-things?"
But he never did. So I asked him, "Have you got convalescence? Does your doctor say it is fairly established? Do your eyes ache if you try to read, and your neck if you draw, and your back if you sit up, and your head if you talk? ”

“ And the Smiths won't be back for a fortnight, so I can't even have Matilda to tea.
I don't care much for my new doll—I think I'm too old for dolls now; I like books better, though I didn't like the last,
And I've read all I have: I always skip the dull parts, and when you skip a good deal you get through them so fast.
I like toys if they're the best kind, with works; though when I've had one good game with them, I don't much care to play with them again.
I feel as if I wanted something new to amuse me, and Mamma says it's because I've got such an active brain. ”

“ The Frog-bit spreads me its blossoms of snow,
And in masses
The Willow-herb, the flags, and the grasses,
Reeds, rushes, and sedges,
Flower and fringe and feather my edges.
To be beautiful is not amiss,
But to be loved is more than this;
And who more sought than I,
By all that run or swim or crawl or fly? ”

“ The "Demoiselle" Dragon-fly, a well-known slender variety (Libellula) , with body of brilliant blue.
Then Mother Nature, who is wondrous wise,
Did that deluded little Brook advise
To be contented with its own fair face,
And with a good and cheerful grace,
Run, as of yore, on its appointed race,
Safe both from giving and receiving harms;
Outliving human lives, outlasting human charms.
But good advice, however kind,
Is thrown away upon a made-up mind,
And this was all that babbling Brook would say—
"Give me a human face and form, if only for a day!" ”

“ Some human beings might not understand the life we lead;
If we asked Dr. Birch to play, no doubt he'd rather read;
[82] He hates all scrambling restlessness, and chattering, scuffling noise;
If he could catch us we should fare no better than you boys.
Fine ladies, too, whose flounces catch and tear on every stump,
What joy have they in jagged pines, who neither skip nor jump?
Miss Mittens never saw my tree-top home—so unlike hers;
What wonder if her only thought of squirrels is of furs? ”

“ Your baby, Mamma,
No one but pussy may go where you are;
Soft-footed pussy alone may pass by,
For, if he wakens, your baby will cry.
Hush-a-by, Dolly! My baby are you,
Yellow-haired Dolly, with eyes of bright blue;
Though I say "Hush!" because Mother does so,
You wouldn't cry like her baby, I know!
Hush-a-by, Baby! Mamma walks about,
Sings to you softly, or rocks you without ”

“ And if the sun is too hot Mother lends us one big kerchief to put over both our heads.
Sometimes she gives us tea under the myrtle tree in the big pot that stands in the gutter.
(One slice each, and I always give Fritz the one that has the most butter.)
In winter we sit on the little stool by the stove at number four;
For when it's cold Fritz doesn't like to go out to come in next door.
It was one day in spring that he said, "I should like to have a house to myself with you Grethel, and Nickel." And I said, "Thank you, Fritz." ”

“ My horse's coat is only paint, but his is soft grey hair;
His face is big and kind, like yours, his forelock white as snow—
Shan't you be sorry when you've done his shoes and he must go?
[72] I do so wish, Big Smith, that I might come and live with you;
To rake the fire, to heat the rods, to hammer two and two.
To be so black, and not to have to wash unless I choose;
To pat the dear old horses, and to mend their poor old shoes.
When all the world is dark at night, you work among the stars,
A shining shower of fireworks beat out of red-hot bars. ”

“ And all the games and all the sport and fun a wood affords.
It cannot be that you would make a prisoner of me,
Who hate yourself to be cooped up, who love so to be free;
[83] An extra hour indoors, I know, is punishment to you;
You make me twirl a tiny cage? It never can be true!
Yet I've a wary grandfather, whose tail is white as snow.
He thinks he knows a lot of things we young ones do not know;
He says we're safe with Doctor Birch, because he is so blind,
And that Miss Mittens would not hurt a fly, for she is kind. ”

“ Lavender, rosemary, and we should like a lemon-scented verbena, and a big myrtle tree!
And then if we could get an old "preserved-ginger" pot, and some bay-salt, we could make pot-pourri.
Jack and I have a garden, though it's not so large as the big one, you know;
But whatever can be got to grow in a garden we mean to grow.
We've got Bachelor's Buttons, and London Pride, and Old Man, and everything that's nice:
And last year Jack sowed green peas for our dolls' dinners, but they were eaten up by the mice. ”

“ And Midsummer's coming, and big brother Tom will sit under the tree
With his book, and Mary will beg sweet nosegays of Jack and me.
The worst is, we often start for the seaside about Midsummer Day,
And no one takes care of our gardens whilst we are away. ”

“ Nurse says we oughtn't to have battles, now Father's gone to battle, but that's just the reason why!
And I don't believe one bit what she said about its making Mother cry.
Only she does like us to put away our toys on Sunday, so we can't have the soldiers or the gun;
But yesterday Dick said, "I was thinking in church, and I've thought of a game about soldiers, and it's a perfectly Sunday one;
It's a Church Parade: you'll have to be a lot of officers and men, Mary'll do for a few wives and families, and I'll be Chaplain to the Forces and pray for everyone at the war." ”

“ It's nonsense Dick's saying he'd like to be a Chaplain, for that's not being a soldier at all.
Besides, he always wants to be Drum-Major when we've funerals, to stamp the stick and sing RUM—TUM—TUM—
To the Dead March in Saul (that's the name of the tune, and you play it on a drum) .
Mary is so good, she might easily be a Chaplain, but of course she can't be anything that wants man;
[123] She likes nursing her doll, but when we have battles she moves the lead soldiers about, and does what she can. ”

“ Susan's squeaking doll;
But squeaking dolls will lie on the shelves
For years and never squeak of themselves:
The reason we like little birds so much better than toys
Is because they are really alive, and know how to make a noise. ”

“ But I don't think he really and truly knows how much Towser and I love each other.
I didn't like his saying, "Well, there's one thing about your lot,—you can always have your own way."
And then he says, "You can't possibly have fun with four people when you have to pretend what they say."
But, whatever he says, I don't believe I shall ever enjoy a tea-party more than the one that we had on that day.
[60]
PAPA POODLE.
Can any one look so wise, and have so little in his head? ”

“ Soldiers of Jesus! Blest who endure;
Stand in the battle; the victory is sure.
Hark! hark! the Saviour's voice to each is calling—
"I bore the Cross of Death in pain for thee;
On thee the Cross of daily life is falling:
Children! take up the Cross and follow Me."
Soldiers of Jesus! &c.
Strive as God's saints have striven in all ages ”

“ Which is why we play at soldiers and fighting battles more than ever we did before.
And I try to keep things together: every morning I have a parade of myself and Dick,
To see that we are clean, and to drill him and do sword-exercise with poor Grandpapa's stick.
Grandpapa's dead, so he doesn't want it now, and Dick's too young for a real tin sword like mine:
He's so young he won't make up his mind whether he'll go into the Artillery or the Line.
I want him to be a gunner, for his frock's dark blue, and Captain Powder gave us a wooden gun with an elastic that shoots quite a big ball. ”

“ I've spent a summer on the Heath, and next winter near Covent Garden, and moved the following year to the foot of a mountain, to take people up to the top to show them the view.
But how little we know what's before us! And how little I guessed I should ever be chief charger at a Queen's Birthday Review! ”

“ I knew mine was going to the wash, but I'm sorry I used it as a duster before it went;
We think dirty clothes perhaps shouldn't be too dirty before they are sent.
We had sad work in trying to make the starch—I wonder what the Queen does with hers?
I stirred mine up with a candle, like Sally, but it only made it worse;
So we had to ask Mamma's leave to have ours made by Nurse.
Nurse makes beautiful starch—like water-arrowroot when you're ill—in a minute or two.
It's a very odd thing that what looks so easy should be so difficult to do! ”

“ So I've made up my mind to choose the one Brother Bill had for his charger at Mother's Birthday Review;
And Maggie is so glad, she says her life is quite miserable with thinking how miserable other lives are, if only we knew.
Maggie loves every creature that lives; she won't confess to black beetles, but she can't stamp on them (I've stamped out lots in my winter boots) , and she doesn't even think a donkey ugly when he brays ”

“ I had a tea-party on my birthday, but Joe Smith says it can't have been a regular one,
Because as to a tea-party with only one teacup and no teapot, sugar-basin, cream-jug, or slop-basin, he never heard of such a thing under the sun.
But it was a very big teacup, and quite full of milk and water, and, you see,
There wasn't anybody there who could really drink milk and water except Towser and me.
The dolls can only pretend, and then it washes the paint off their lips,
And what Charles the canary drinks isn't worth speaking of, for he takes such very small sips. ”

“ That even a little kitten can show.
[75] I wish I knew what to do but pout,
And spit at the dogs and refuse my tea;
My fur's feeling rough, and I rather doubt
Whether stolen sausage agrees with me.
On the drawing-room sofa they've closed the door,
They've turned me out of the easy-chairs;
I wonder it never struck me before
That they make their beds for themselves up-stairs.
I've found a crib where they won't find me,
Though they're crying "Kitty!" all over the house.
Hunt for the Slipper! and riddle-my-ree!
A cat can keep as still as a mouse. ”

“ And (because they're the only things we can think of for birthday presents for her) she shams wearing out a needle-book and a pin-cushion every year.
The only things we can think of for Father are paper-cutters; but there's no sham about his wearing them out;
He would always lose them, long before his next birthday, if Mother did not keep finding them lying about.
Last year's paper-cutter was as big as a sword (not as big as Father's sword, but as big as a wooden one, like ours) ,
And he left it behind in a railway-carriage, when he'd had it just thirty-six hours ”

“ He sat down on his stumpy tail and howled,
Then he laid his jaws on his paws and growled.
Dandelion.
With laughter the Dandelion shook—
"It passes a printed book;
It's as good as a play, I declare,
But it's cost me half my back hair!"
[132] The Dog he made another essay,
It really and truly was very plucky—
But "third times," you know, are not always lucky—
And this time he ran away!
Hedge-Plants.
Then the Hedge-plants every one
Rustled together, "What fun! what fun!
The battle is done,
The victory won. ”

“ And horses (not live ones with tails, but clothes-horses) and the same starch that is used by the Queen.
Sally wears pattens in the wash-house, and turns up her sleeves, and splashes, and rubs,
[42] And makes beautiful white lather which foams over the tops of the tubs,
Like waves at the seaside dashing against the rocks, only not so strong.
If I were Sally I should sit and blow soap-bubbles all the day long.
Sally is angry sometimes because of the way we dirty our frocks,
Making mud pies, and rolling down the lawn, and climbing trees, and scrambling over the rocks. ”

“ I was hopping round the room, but I stopped and said, "My kitten's not weak, and I don't believe anybody could see with only half an eye. Could they, Mamma?"
And Nurse said, "Go and play, my dear, and let your Mamma rest;" but Mamma said, "No, my love, stay where you are.
Dear Nurse, lift me up, and put a pillow to my back, I know you mean to be kind;
But she does ask such remarkable questions, and while I've strength to speak, don't let me check the inquiring mind.
If I should fail to be all a mother ought—oh, how my head throbs when the dear child jumps!" and then Nurse said, "Ugh! ”

“ I'd much rather not have her in my house—there, don't cry! if you will have her, I suppose it must be;
[20] Though I can't think what you want with Katerina when you've got Nickel and me."
So I said, "Thank you, dear Fritz, for letting me bring her, for I've had her so long I shouldn't like to part with her now;
And I'll try and do everything you want as well as I can, now you've told me how."
But next morning I heard Fritz's garret-window open, and he put out his head,
And shouted, "Grethel! Grethel! I want you. Be quick! Haven't you got out of bed?" ”

“ But Nurse is a nasty cross old thing—I hate her; and I hate the doctor, for he wanted me to be left behind
When Mamma went to the sea for her health; but I begged and begged till she promised I should go, for Mamma is always kind.
And she bought me a new wooden spade and a basket, and a red and green ship with three masts, and a one-and-sixpenny telescope to look at the sea;
[89] But when I got on to the sands, I thought I'd rather be on the esplanade, for there was a little girl there who was looking at me,
Dressed in a navy-blue suit and a sailor hat, with fair hair tied with ribbons ”