Mrs. George Cupples

“ Martha looked a little distressed at the idea of her kind father being considered cruel by the young lady, but she didn't know very well how to answer her. "Father doesn't mean to be cruel, miss," said Martha; "but he likes all the pigeons to be white; and if a blue one comes he shoots it. I will ask father not to shoot them, and perhaps he won't."
"Oh yes, please do ask him," replied Caroline; "and tell him if he only could catch them, and send them down to me, I would give him my new shilling papa gave me on my birth-day. Tell him to be sure and not to shoot them." ”

“ The poor dog often looked up in her face as if to say, Are you being punished too? and then, while still looking at her, made little springs and barked, as if to encourage her to rise in rebellion and escape from her persecutors. He was really so droll that Caroline could not help laughing very heartily at him, and Herbert and her cousins were so glad when they heard it, [Pg 68] that they left off their game at once, and came over beside her.
"I say, Carry, do come and play," said Charlie; "we can't feel happy without you."
"It is very sad about the bird," said Harry. ”

“ He is a kind brother really, and always seems to be able to do and say the right thing at the proper time; and as for being cross with Lizzie, he would sooner think of flying." [Pg 54]
"Well, we shall say nothing more about it, dear," said Caroline kindly. "All I have to say is, I'd rather have you for my brother, though Charlie is as good a boy as ever lived, I do think. Let us forget everything disagreeable to-day, as I am to leave home so soon. Oh dear! I was forgetting; I promised Daisy, my lamb, I would have a romp with her before dinner, and the bell will ring very soon!" ”

“ To Herbert's great surprise, Caroline returned with a bright smiling face, and said nothing about the state she had found her garden in.
The next morning Caroline got up much earlier than her usual time for rising, but not so early as she intended, for there was a good deal [Pg 46] of hard work before her garden could be made neat again. Dressing herself quickly, she ran out, not even taking time to put on her bonnet, so eager was she to begin; when to her surprise, there was Herbert busy at work with a trowel smoothing the ground and propping up the earth round the crushed flowers. ”

“ Ashcroft kindly, "we will give you one more trial, and I hope you will not only try very hard, but ask God to help you to be a good boy."
Herbert, before he went to his own room, opened his sister's door very carefully to see if she were in bed. Carry did not hear him, she was so intent looking out of the window at the rain. "I like to see the rain," she was saying to herself; "but I do hope it will pour itself out during the night, for Herbert's sake; it is very hard for him, poor fellow." ”

“ Lizzie was the first to notice it, and going closer, exclaimed, "I am afraid the poor beast must be ill."
"Tuts, what nonsense!" said Herbert; "donkeys are never ill. Don't you know they live for ever, Cousin Lizzie?"
"Well, I don't know about that," said Charles, going close up to the donkey and looking into its face; "all I can say is, if this poor beast isn't ill it looks very like it."
"It's nothing but a stubborn fit," said Herbert; [Pg 34] and before any one could stop him he gave the donkey a lash with a switch he held in his hand, calling out at the same time, "Gee up, Teddy! ”

“ Caroline thought that he was only doing this to frighten her, and expecting he would return in a short time, she sat down by the brink of the river, wondering how boys could be so cruel to God's creatures. Boys were taught by their parents to be kind to animals, just as their sisters were; yet, as they grew up, they forgot all about it,—at least, very many of them did; and they [Pg 22] seemed to try who would do the most cruel thing. She sat trying to think of a plan to make her brother Herbert kind and gentle ”

“ Mrs. Ashcroft having given her consent, Harry and Caroline set out the next morning, followed [Pg 70] by Neptune, who insisted upon accompanying them. "You had better take my arm, Caroline," said Harry; "and let me carry your basket, too. We have rather a long walk."
At the town, Harry went straight to a shop where they sold all sorts of animals both alive and stuffed, and when they had gone inside, Harry pointed to a beautiful stuffed squirrel, and said, "That's the thing that will please Herbert." ”

“ Caroline now came up, and hearing that the donkey was ill beyond a doubt, she proposed they should go home and ask their mamma to send the stable lad with a hot drink to the poor animal. "I know when our pony was ill one day he got a hot drink and some medicine, and he very soon was all right again."
"I'm not going back, for one," said Herbert; "the idea of making such a fuss about a donkey; it's quite ridiculous!"
"Nobody is forcing you, my dear cousin," replied Charles cheerily; "you may go on to the river by yourself ”

“ It was late in the afternoon when Herbert returned, so that bed-time arrived long before the stories were exhausted; and the brother and sister parted for the night with the understanding that they should set out early after breakfast for a long walk, and to pay some visits to old friends and neighbours. The next morning, when Caroline awoke, the first thing she did was to jump out of bed and run to the window to see what sort of a day it was; when, much to her [Pg 9] vexation, she found the rain was descending in torrents. She was far more sorry for Herbert's disappointment than for her own ”

“ I like horses and dogs, but who cares for a hen and chicks?" [Pg 28]
"Well, now," said Charles, "can there be a prettier sight than a hen with her chickens peeping out under her wings?"
Herbert made no reply, and the boys now set about having a game at cricket, the girls good-naturedly agreeing to join in it, though they ran some risk of being hurt; for Herbert often tried to strike the ball in their direction, that he might enjoy the fun of seeing them run out of its way lest it should hurt them. ”

“ Caroline was fortunate in finding Stephens the gardener, who was considered very skilful in doctoring sick animals; at anyrate, he had set the leg of one of her chickens when it was broken, and managed to bring Neptune through a severe illness, therefore it was to be supposed he could cure the donkey also. ”

“ It is quite true what mamma says, you are nothing but a coward, to hunt a dumb creature, a poor blind animal, so."
A MISCHIEVOUS PAIR.
At these words Herbert flew into a passion, and told Caroline she might find her way home the best way she could, for that he would not walk any more with her; and away he ran, with Neptune at his heels. When he was a few yards off, he turned and cried out, "I hope you won't meet with Farmer Brown's bull, that's all; and that you won't find the stepping-stones difficult, now that your coward isn't there to help you." ”

“ Ashcroft gave permission that all attention should be paid to the sick animal; and while Charles and the herd-boy went over to the gipsy encampment to tell where their donkey had disappeared to, Caroline and Lizzie helped Stephens to make the donkey comfortable. Even in the short time they were beside him the poor animal seemed to be much relieved ”

“ But I'll tell you what we shall do: Herbert and Charlie and I will catch another starling, and then you can tame him, and keep him out of Tom's reach for the future. Mrs. Trigg says there are lots to be had in the steeple of the old church."
It was not till next morning that Harry discovered why Caroline wanted to have the starling ”

“ Caroline gladly promised to ask her mamma's consent, but when she inquired what this wonderful thing was, Harry only laughed and said, "No; I'll keep it secret till to-morrow. It is [Pg 69] enough to ask a girl to keep one thing secret at a time. ”

“ Yet he had not given up his bad habits altogether; for he still went on with his teasing ways to his sister Caroline, both before his cousins' face and behind their back, till she began to think that, after all, as nurse had said, she would be glad when his holidays came to an end.
A few mornings after this, the children set out to fish in the river, and while walking round [Pg 33] by the common they came upon a donkey standing all alone, without a bridle or even a rope on it. ”

“ When the cups had been washed and put away, and the tray admired once more before it was placed up against the wall, there was still time to hear a good many of Mary's best stories before the hour fixed for their return home. ”

“ They toss up a ball on their feet so," and Herbert flung the doll up in the air and caught it upon his feet, then sent it spinning to the roof again, while he laughed at Caroline's look of distress. [Pg 13]
HERBERT TEASING HIS SISTER.
Their mamma now interposed, and bade Herbert give the doll back at once, telling him at the same time that he ought to be ashamed of himself for tormenting his sister in such a way, and warned him that though it was his holidays she would punish him most severely if he annoyed her again. ”