Sophie May

“ Grandpa searched the barn, Abner the fields, Ruth the cellar; aunt Louise and Horace ran down to the river. In half an hour several of the neighbors had joined in the search.
"I always thought there would be a last time," said poor Mrs. Dr. Gray, putting on her black bonnet, and joining Grace and Susy. "That child seems to me like a little spirit, or a fairy, and I never thought she would live long. She and Charlie were too lovely for this world."
"O, don't, Mrs. Gray," said Grace. "If you knew how often she'd been lost, you would not say so! We always find her, after a while, somewhere." ”

“ Flyaway looked out. There stood the two trees, and between them hung the old swing; but the charm was forgotten. In the field beyond, her eye fell on an object more interesting to her.
"O, O," said she, "I don't see how God could make a man so homebly as that!" [75]
"So homely as what?"
"Why," laughed Dotty, "she means that scarecrow."
The corn was up long ago, but one direful image had still been left to flaunt in the sunlight and soak in the rain.
"That isn't a man," said Prudy; "it's only a great monstrous rag baby, with a coat on."
"Put there to frighten away the crows," added Miss Polly. ”

“ It was odd for Flyaway to take a nap in the daytime, and such a long one as this!
"It must be a very warm day," said Mrs. Parlin, "for Prudy and Dotty have been asleep too."
"Where did they go after they sold the rags?" asked Mrs. Clifford; "they all look pale."
"To a photograph saloon. Here are the tin-types they brought home to me," replied grandma, producing them from her pocket, with a gratified smile.
"Very good, mother—don't you think so? I would be glad to have as truthful a likeness of our little Katie; but she must be taken asleep. ”

“ He meant that Flyaway was of no use, but rather in the way.
"No, she needn't do any such thing," returned Dotty. "Jump in, Fly, and sit on the bag." And off moved the gay little party, "the middle-aged sister" laughing so she could hardly push, Flyaway dancing up and down on the rag-bag, like a humming-bird balancing itself on a twig; Grace and Susy looking down from the "green chamber" window, and saying to each [131] other, with wounded family pride, "Should you think grandma would allow it?" Out in the street the young rag-merchants were greeted by a cow lowing dismally. ”

“ I knew it all the time."
"I dare say some one has driven off your carriage in sport," said the kind-hearted photographer; "never fear."
"O, no, sir; it was new and red. Folks wanted it to haul stones in, and that was why they took it," said Dotty, wrathfully.
The children looked up street and down street. No wheelbarrow in sight. "We must go to aunt Martha's, and then come back and hunt for it, if we have to go without our dinners," they said. They took Flyaway between them, and marched her off. She was almost as passive as a rag baby, ready to drop down anywhere, and fall asleep. ”

“ Ah, grandma Parlin, you little knew what you were undertaking when you called Dotty Dimple into the back parlor [165] next morning, and began to talk about that money! Children's minds are strange things. They are like bottles with very small necks; and when you pour in an idea, you must pour very slowly, a drop at a time, or it all runs over. Dotty did not know much more about money than Flyaway.
"My child," said her grandmother, "it seems you have lost something which belonged to Prudy." ”

“ I shall not allow Jennie to go to your house very often. You do not like to wound my feelings, but I am sure you cannot wish to have your little granddaughter very intimate with a child who is sly and untruthful."
"My dear lady," said grandma Parlin, taking Mrs. Vance's hand, and pressing it warmly; "since we are talking so freely together, and I know you are too generous to be offended, I will confess to you that if Jennie persists in concealing this money, I would prefer not to have Dotty play with her very much; at least while her mother [111] is not here to have the care of her." ”

“ There the little creatures lay in silence, each on an edge of the bedstead, and a whole mattress between. Sleep did not come at once.
"She's left that money on the floor," thought Dotty; "what if a mouse should creep down the chimney, and gnaw it all up? But she must take care of it herself. I shan't!"
And Jennie thought, wrathfully, "Dotty says such long prayers she can't stop to pick up that scrip! If she expects me to get out of bed, she's made a mistake; I won't touch her old money."
About nine o'clock grandma Parlin came quietly into the room with a lamp. ”

“ Flyaway caught her shaker off the "short nail," and stole out without being seen. Sitting in the sun on the piazza was the "blue" kittie. "Finkin' 'bout a mouse, I spect," said little Flyaway, seizing her and blowing open her eyes like a couple of rosebuds.
"Does you know where I's a-goin'? Up to heaven. We don't let tinty folks, like cats, go to heaven."
Pussy winked sorrowfully at this, and baby's tender heart was touched.
"Yes, we does," said she; "but you musn't scwatch the Charlie boy;" and she tucked the "tinty folks" under her left arm. ”

“ Dotty's head drooped a little. "I know [194] it, auntie; I do sew the nicest; but I was afraid it wouldn't be polite if I told it just as it was, and Prudy so good to me, too."
"If she is good, is that any reason why you should tell her a wrong story?" remarked the plain-spoken Susy, giving a twitch to her tatting-thread.
"Children," said Mrs. Clifford, laughing, "do you remember those hideous green goggles I wore a year ago?"
"O, yes 'm," replied Grace; "they made your eyes stick out so! Why, you looked like a frog, ma', more than anything else." ”

“ Jennie frowned and bit her thumb. Prudy smiled "behind her mouth," but Dotty was serenely unconscious that she had given offence. By this time the artist was ready, and thought it best to try Flyaway first; for he had had enough experience with children to see at a glance that this one would be as difficult to "take" as a bird on the wing. Prudy made sure the wheelbarrow was safe, and then turned to arrange her little cousin. ”

“ She isn't any better than Jennie Vance, after all. Why did she pray that naughty prayer, just to make Jennie feel bad? God must have thought it was very strange!"
Grandma saw that Dotty's "blues" were dissolving like a morning mist; still she knew the child was in need of patchwork, and told her so. [191]
"Let us all take our work," said she, "and sit together in the nursery, so we may forget the dull weather."
Grace brought her piqué apron down stairs to make, Susy her tatting, Prudy a handkerchief, Dotty a square of patchwork, while Flyaway danced about for a needle and thread. ”

“ Well, Miss Dotty, there is some truth in the picture. Jennie is not a good child; but neither are you an angel. There is more wickedness in your proud little heart than you will ever begin to find out. And wait a minute. Who teaches you all you know of right and wrong? Is it your mother? Suppose she had died, as did Jennie's mamma, when you were a toddling baby?
There, that's all; you do not hear a word [105] I say; and if you did, you would not heed, O, self-righteous Dotty Dimple!
Dotty ran up stairs to find her grandmother.
"Grandma," whispered she, though there was no one else in the room ”

“ That ended the sport.
"What shall I do to make myself happy?" said Dotty, musingly; for she wished to put off all thought of Prudy's money. "I should like to roll out some thimble-cookies, but Ruthie hasn't much patience this morning. I never dare do things when her lips are squeezed together so."
But Flyaway dared do things. She took up the kitty, and played to her on the "music," till Ruth's ears were "on edge." After this the harmonica fell into a dish of soft soap, and in cleaning it with ashes and a sponge, the holes became stopped. ”

“ Don't you want to go to heaven, Diny, and sit in God's lap? What a great big lap he must have!"
A gust of wind lifted the frizzles on Dinah's forehead, but that was all.
"O dee, dee, dee! you don't hear nuffin 't all, Diny," said Flyaway—the only sensible remark she had made that day. It was of no use talking to Dinah; so she began to talk to herself.
"What you matter, Flywer Clifford?" [56] said she, scowling to keep her courage up. "What you matter?" ”

“ Dotty Dimple and Jennie were talking very earnestly. [38]
"I do wish I did know where Charlie Gray is!" said Dotty, looking through the open window at a bird flying far aloft into the blue sky.
"You do know," answered Jennie, quickly; "he's in heaven."
"Yes, of course; but so high up—O, so high up," sighed Dotty, "it makes you dizzy to think."
"Can um see we?" struck in little Flyaway, holding to Dinah's flat nose a bottle of reviving soap suds.
"Prudy says it's beautiful to be dead," added Dotty, without heeding the question; "beautiful to be dead."
"Shtop!" cried Flyaway; "I's a-talkin'. ”

“ I appreciated her kind wish to please me, but I could not think her sincere." [195]
"O, Susy," said Grace, "if you could have seen those goggles! A little basket for each eye, made of green wire, like a fly cover! Ma, did you ever believe a word that lady said afterwards?"
"Flatterers are not generally to be trusted," replied Mrs. Clifford. "Flyaway, that is the fourth needle you have lost."
Here was another lesson for Dotty's memory-shelf. "I must not say things that are not true, just to be polite. It is flattering and wicked; and besides that, people always know better." ”

“ Grandmother pleaded for the youngest, too. "Let me give her some just this once, Maria."
"Well, white tea, then," returned Mrs. Clifford, smiling; "and will Flyaway remember not to ask for it again? Mamma thinks little girls should drink milk."
"Yes'm, I won't never. She gives it to me this night, 'cause I's her little grand-girl. Mayn't Hollis have it too, 'cause he's her little grand-boy?"
"Cunning as ever, you see," whispered the admiring Horace to cousin Susy, who replied, rather indifferently, [81] —
"No cunninger than our Prudy used to be." ”

“ To think such a glorious thing as this could happen to Dotty! and she not the best girl in the world either! A visit from her bosom friend! "Aunt 'Ria, do you understand? Aunt Louise? Gracie? This is Tate Penny!"
"Who asked her to come? How did she happen to be with mamma, the same day, in the same cars?"
Well, grandma Parlin invited her to come. "When one lives in an India-rubber house," she said, "a few people more or less make no difference at all. She wished Dotty's 'nipperkin' of happiness to be full for once." ”

“ Grandma'll never allow such a thing."
"Indeed I will," said grandma, tying on her checked apron. "Dog-carts or wheel-barrows, so they only take care not to be rude. In a city it is different."
"Yes, grandma," said Dotty, twisting her front hair joyfully; "but here in the country they want little girls to have good times—don't they? Why don't everybody move into the country, do you s'pose? Lots of bare spots round here,—nothing on 'em but cows." [87]
"Yes, nuffin' but gampa's cows," chimed in Flyaway, twisting her front hair. ”

“ CHAPTER XI. AUNT POLLY'S STORY.
Flyaway sat on the kitchen floor, feeding Dinah with a roasted apple. As often as Dinah refused a teaspoonful, she put it into her own mouth, saying, with a wise nod, "My child, she's sick; hasn't any appletite."
Out of doors it was raining heartily. It seemed as if the "upper deep" was tipping over, and pouring itself into the lap of the earth.
"O, Ruthie," sighed Dotty Dimple, "my mother won't come while it's such weather. Do you s'pose 'twill ever clear off?" [Blank Page]
Flyaway and Dinah. ”

“ Abner and Daniel both watched the tiny figure across the fields till Ruth came out to meet it, and it fluttered into the east door of the house.
"There, she's safe," said Abner; "she [126] needs as much looking after as a young turkey."
"She runs like a little sperrit, bliss her swate eyes," said Daniel. "I had one as pooty as her, but she's at Mary's fate, Hivven rist her sowl!"
The moment Flyaway reached the house, she rushed into the parlor to tell her mother the news.
"The man you readed about in the book, mamma, he's out there! ”

“ Clifford, looking up from her sewing. She had forgotten Polly Whiting, who was mournfully toeing off a sock for Horace, while he sat on the floor, at her feet, mending her double-covered basket.
"Why, Katie, darling," said Grace, "what are you doing with that beautiful ribbon?"
"Aunt Louise said I might make a bag, Gracie—"
"Seems to me aunt Louise lets you do everything; I shouldn't want you to spoil that ribbon." [192]
"They shan't bother my little Topknot," said Horace, with a sweep of his thumb. "She is going to have all my clothes to make bags of, when she grows up." ”

“ Let's watch and see where it stops."
"O, dear me," said Dotty; "I shouldn't want to live in a house that couldn't stand [133] still! Stove tipping over, and the gingerbread falling out of the oven! There, I declare!"
The look of wonder on Dotty's face was so amusing that Prudy was obliged to hold on to her sides.
"There, look!" said she; "it has stopped down by the corner. Now the man can bake his gingerbread if he wants to, and the stove won't tip over. Jump in, Flyaway, and finish your ride." ”

“ She's got the most. Prudy's older 'n I am—"
"Honesty is honesty," said Miss Polly, firmly, "in young or old. If you've lost your sister's money, you must make it up to her."
"O, must I, Miss Polly? Such a tinty-tonty mite of money as I've got,—only sixty-five cents."
"Honesty is honesty," repeated Miss Polly, "in rich or poor."
"Dear me! will my mother say so, too?"
"Your mother is on the right side, Dotty. The Bible tells us to 'deal justly.' [188] There's nothing said there about excusing poor folks." ”

“ The children laughed at this, but none [193] of them so loud as Flyaway, who thought her brother the wisest, wittiest, and noblest specimen of boyhood that ever lived.
"How our needles do fly!" said Dotty, merrily.
She was a neat and swift little seamstress, even superior to Prudy.
"See," said Flyaway to Horace; "I work faster 'n my mamma, 'cause she's got a big dress to work on: of course she can't sew so quick as I can on a little bag."
"Prudy can sew better and faster than I can," said Dotty, with a sudden gush of humility. ”

“ I can't find it, certainly."
"No; but you have money of your own. You can give some of that to Prudy."
"Why-ee!" moaned Dotty. "Prudy's got ever so much. O, grandma, she has; and my box is so empty it can't but just jingle."
"But, my dear, that has nothing to do with the case. If Prudy has a great deal [167] of money, you have no right to lose any of it. Don't you think you ought to give it back?"
"O, no, grandma—I don't; because she doesn't need it! I wish she'd give me ten cents, for I do need it; I haven't but a tinty, tonty mite." ”