Lucy Ellen Guernsey

“ It was now Emma's turn to blush. "I know I did; and it was a great shame," said she; "but didn't I tell you not to say anything about it?"
"As if that would do any good," remarked Emily. "If you don't want secrets told, you shouldn't tell them yourself."
"And while you were about it, why didn't you tell the rest,—how sorry Florry was, and how she gave mother her beautiful fuchsia to make amends?" cried Emma.
"Hush!" said Jenny Fleming. "Here comes Florry. She has been up to your house, Tilly." ”

“ The watch was not to blame," replied Florry; "and after all, girls, what Emma said was true."
"Yes; but then you tried to make amends," said Priscilla. "Tilly never told us that! If she had—"
"Oh, yes, throw it all on Tilly!" interrupted Jenny Fleming.
"No, I don't mean to throw it all on Tilly! I think we were all to blame," replied Priscilla; "but still, I do think it would have made a difference if she had told the whole story just as she heard it. She said Florry stole ever so many plants!"
"That is the worst of repeating stories; nobody ever gets them just right," observed Emily. ”

“ Why, thee wouldn't let this matter hinder thee from helping Emma or even Tilly, would thee—especially if they said they were sorry, and asked thy forgiveness?"
"I wouldn't, anyway," answered Florry. "But, Aunt Eunice, suppose Mr. Mansfield should send me to the State Prison for stealing the watch?"
Aunt Eunice smiled. "Never fear, child. He can't send thee to prison; even if he should wish to; which he won't. There is no proof against thee. Put that thought out of thy mind for good. Very likely the watch will be found after all, and if it is not, nobody will think that thee took it. ”

“ Hausen's to borrow a pattern, and Florry knew that she was in a hurry for it, yet she stood looking at the flowers for full five minutes. Then she seemed to recollect herself, sighed deeply, and walked on towards the house with a very sad, not to say discontented, face.
"I don't see any sense in it," she was saying to herself. "My father and mother are just as good people as Mr. and Mrs. Hausen; and I am sure I am quite as good a girl as Emma Hausen is: I am better than she is, because I always learn my lessons, and never whisper in church or in school; and Emma does both. ”

“ Lester's, and Florry, like almost all the young people in Round Springs, called her "Aunt Eunice."
Florry found her old friend knitting, with her large Bible open on the table before her, though she did not seem to be reading. And Aunt Eunice gave the little girl her usual hearty welcome.
"But thee seems to be in trouble, dear," said Aunt Eunice, who was a "Friend," and always spoke after their manner. "What can I do for thee? I don't like to see thy little face so overcast." ”

“ At another time, Florry would have talked to her mother for an hour, about all the wonders she had seen; but she did not feel at all like doing so now. She would have liked to forget all about the matter, if that had been possible. She answered, rather carelessly:
"Oh, yes, very pretty indeed. Every thing is just as neat as wax. I should think the leaves did not fall off their trees, as they do off ours; for nobody ever sees one lying on the ground."
"Mr. Crampton is an excellent gardener," said Mrs. Lester; "and he has nothing else to do but to attend to the grounds, and keep things in order. ”

“ She was wearing it to school; and I told her the girls would laugh at her, and advised her to carry the watch home; but she wouldn't, and she put it in that hole. I was wondering, yesterday, whether she remembered to take care of it. But to go and say that Florry Lester took it! Tilly Mansfield, you deserve to be whipped! And what were the rest of you about, I should like to know?" said Emma, with increasing anger. "What were you all thinking about, to treat Florry so? The best girl that ever lived in the world, I do believe!" ”

“ Are they not fine ones?"
"The Hausens are just the kind of folks who ought to be rich," remarked Mary. "They seem to think their nice things are only given them to share with other people. The old lady, Mr. Hausen's mother, is just so. Does Emma take after the rest of them?"
"Oh, yes: she would give away her head, if it were loose," answered Florry, rather slightingly. "She is always in trouble with Miss Van Ness for lending her pencils and pens in school, and for telling in class. Miss Van Ness scolded her for giving away her paper to Lavinia Stephens, only yesterday." ”

“ She said that Florry carried off some beautiful plants that her mother had just got from the city."
"Well, I would not have believed that about Florry Lester, of all the girls in the world. And she talks so good, too!"
"That don't always make people any better," said Tilly. "My father says he always expects to be cheated when he is dealing with people who only pretend to be good."
"But, Tilly, your own sister Emmeline is very religious, I am sure. She goes to all the meetings, and has a class in Sunday-school, and all." ”

“ Florry "made up friends" with Emma, as she had done a hundred times before; but never had any one of Emma's hasty speeches wounded her like this. It is comparatively easy to bear unjust faultfinding. It is the true reproach which stings.
Florry was very grave and silent all day; and in the afternoon she looked so pale, that Miss Van Ness asked her if she was not well.
"My head aches, Miss Van Ness; and last night I hurt my shoulder and side with the windlass of the well, and it pains me very much," answered Florry. "Please excuse me from writing. My arm is so lame." ”

“ Emma's grandfather had founded the school, and her uncle was its president; and some of the girls said Miss Van Ness favoured Emma on that account; but Florry insisted that this was not the case.
"Miss Van Ness is too impartial," she said, one day. "She stands up so straight that she leans over. She notices things in Emma that she would not see at all in anybody else; and that is one reason why Emma gets so many more marks than I do." ”

“ She must stay behind—in the baby-room, as she disdainfully called the Kindergarten, while two such little things as Eva Church and Anna Talbot mounted over her head. They would learn their lessons in the great class-room, and go out sailing and riding with the young ladies, while she would remain, the only large girl in the room, except Tilly Mansfield.
"It is too bad! It isn't half fair!" Thus, in the short recess given to the younger girls, Emma loudly complained of the injustice done her. ”

“ The fire would not burn, the handle came off the coffee-mill; and, at last, as she was drawing some water for the tea-table, the windlass of the well slipped from her hand, flew round and, hitting her in the breast, almost knocked her down, and hurt her so that she burst out crying. At that moment, her mother came in at the back door, and seeing the accident ran to Florry's relief.
"My poor little girl! I am afraid you have hurt yourself very badly. There, don't cry, but tell mother where it hit you. You should not have tried to draw up the bucket full of water. ”

“ I buy some every time I go to the city. Pa says it is all nonsense spending so much money for books, because they don't make any show, and you never can sell them for half what they cost; but he lets me spend my money as I like. Don't you want to borrow some of them, Florry? Take any you please. There is father calling me. Just look over the shelves, while I see what he wants; will you?"
Florry selected a couple of volumes, and by the time she had done so, Tilly came back.
"Papa would like to have your father come up and see Emmeline," said she. ”

“ Behind the house were large grounds, at present somewhat rough and neglected, but none the worse for that in the eyes of the little girls, who found beautiful places for play-houses among the rocks, and nice seats on the roots of the old trees. The health of the young ladies was carefully looked after, and their comfort promoted in every possible way.
But we have nothing to do at present with any part of the school except the primary department, or Kindergarten, presided over by Miss Van Ness and Miss Garland. In this department, Florry Lester and Emma Hausen were the oldest girls ”

“ Most of our sudden surprises of temptation, when we come to examine them, will be found not half so much surprises as we suppose. But we will not talk any more to-night. Does your shoulder pain you?"
"No, mother, not much. Mamma, I think I know what I shall do, if you will let me. I think I shall carry my fuchsia to Mrs. Hausen. She has none like it, I know; and she said it was a very uncommon one. Don't you think it is worth as much as the red plant?"
"Quite as much, if not more. I think you have come to the right conclusion, Florry ”

“ It was too heavy for you."
"Florry is so ambitious, she is always going beyond her strength," remarked Mary, who had also just come in. "If she had only as much strength as spunk, there isn't nothing she wouldn't do. I was telling Ciss this afternoon, 'If you would only take pattern by our Florry,' says I, 'you wouldn't leave ma to do everything.'"
"Mary wouldn't say that, if she knew," thought Florry. She stopped crying as soon as she could, and told her mother she was not much hurt. ”

“ Parents, teachers, and playmates all believed Florry when she said anything; and if Miss Van Ness wanted a true and impartial account of any trouble in playground or school-room, Florry was always called upon; and the other girls were quite satisfied in general that she should be their spokesman. The idea of telling a deliberate lie to hide her fault sent a cold pain through the little girl's heart; and now, for the first time, she realized what she had done.
"I am a thief," she said to herself. "Yes, I am a thief. I have stolen other people's goods. The plant belonged to Mrs. ”

“ So I asked for help, and I had it," said Flora, reverently. "Somehow He seemed to take all the trouble and anger out of my heart, and I felt as quiet as could be. Aunt Eunice told me to commit my way to Him, and so I did; and He has brought it to pass."
Mr. Mansfield came back that morning, and Tilly met him at the door as she went home.
"Well, Tilly, what about your watch?" said he. "Have you found it?" ”

“ Yes, I know it; and if it was any one else, father wouldn't leave them any peace; but he lets Emmy have her own way in everything, because he thinks she is consumptive, like mother, and won't live long. ”

“ She just lives on the other girls; and now, Miss Van Ness has forbidden the girls to lend her anything at all. But please, Mary, do take up the coffee; I am sure it is boiled enough."
The coffee was very nice, and so was everything else; and her father had a very interesting story to tell her about Mr. Nye's Burmese cats, which had been brought home by his sailor son; but Florry could think of nothing, and care for nothing, but that unlucky red plant down behind the bushes in the front yard. Mr. ”

“ THE RED PLANT.
CHAPTER I. THE RED PLANT.
"OH, what lovely flowers!" exclaimed Florry, stopping to look at a group of house plants which were standing on the lawn. There were camellias, geraniums, heaths, and various plants noted for beautiful blossoms or ornamental foliage. They were all in the best order, for Mrs. Hausen kept an excellent gardener; and little Flora, who loved flowers as well as the heathen goddess for whom she was named, could hardly tear herself away from them. Her mother had sent her to Mrs. ”