Aunt Madge

“ Aunt Persis, a very proper woman, with glittering black eyes, was more shocked by me than words can tell. She said your grandma "spoiled me by baby-talk; it was very wrong to let little ones hear baby-talk. If she had had the care of me she would have taught me grammar from the cradle." No doubt of it; but unfortunately I had to grow up with my own father and mother, and ever so many other folks, who were not half as wise as Aunt Persis.
They called me Marg'et, Maggie, Marjie, Madge; and your grandpa's pet name was Totty-wax ”

“ I'm all the time making some kind of trouble. Sometimes I wish there wasn't any such girl as me!"
Tears came into aunt Madge's kind gray eyes, and she made up her mind that the [127] poor child should be comforted. So she quietly put away the silk dress she was so anxious to finish, and after dinner took the fresh, tidy, happy little Susy across the fields to aunt Martha's again, where the unlucky day was finished very happily after all.
"The truth is, Louise," said aunt Madge that night, after their return, "Lonnie spilled that ink, and Susy was not at all to blame. ”

“ Fifth Ave. and —— Street."
"It is no matter about advertising Prudy's purse, it was so shabby," said Aunt Madge; and on their way back to the ferry-house she bought her another.
"O, thank you, auntie, darling," said Prudy; "and thank you, too, Horace, for losing my old one; it wasn't fit to be seen. And here is a whole dollar inside! O, Aunt Madge, are you an angel?"
"Prue, you deserve your good luck; you don't come down on a fellow, hammer and tongs, because he happens to meet with an accident."
"Horace," said Dotty, meekly, "are you willing to carry my gloves?" ”

“ Will you run away from brother Hollis again?"
"Not if you don't take my skipt," replied Fly, looking as innocent as a spring violet.
"And look up in my eyes, Horace Clifford. Will you run away from Cousin Dotty, again?" said Miss Dimple, in a hurry to speak before Aunt Madge came up to them, and before Horace had time for a joke.
"I didn't run away from you, young lady, but I ran after you, if I remember," said Horace, dryly. "I don't mean to pursue you with my attentions to-day. You seem to be able to take care of yourself."
"Look," cried Aunt Madge, coming up to them with Prudy ”

“ One day I was going to see her, with some jelly in my little basket, when "the Polly woman" walked mournfully into the yard.
"I've just come from Squire Allen's," said she, unfastening her shawl, and sighing three times,—once for every pin.
"And how is Fel?" asked mother.
Polly slowly shook her head,—
"Very low; I—"
Mother looked at her, and then at me; and I looked at her, and then at Polly.
"Dr. Foster says her brain has always been too active, and—"
"Madge, you'd better run along," said mother. "The baby's asleep now; but she'll wake up and want you." ”

“ Nature rose when I was born."
"Has this child had any supper?" asked mother, in a faint voice from the bed.
"No, she can't eat," laughed I; "her face looks like a roast apple."
"Your mother means you, Maggie. You are tired and excited," said cousin Lydia. "Ruth made cream-cakes to-night."
"But I shan't go, 'thout I can carry the baby. Ned's holding her. She isn't his brother. I haven't had her in my arms once. How good God was! O, dear, what teenty hands! She can't swallow 'em, on 'count of her arms. ”

“ She's got sumpin on her face."
"Hush," whispered Aunt Madge, pinching the child's hand.
"But there is," spoke up Flyaway, very loud in her earnestness; "O, there is sumpin on her face—sumpin red."
There was "sumpin" now on all the other faces in the omnibus, and it was a smile. The lady must have blushed away down under the paint. She looked at her jewelled fingers, tossed her head proudly, and very soon left the stage.
"Topknot, how could you be so rude?" said Horace, severely; "little girls should be seen, and not heard." ”

“ Madge protested quickly. “I’m sure Anne would have mixed more with folks if her father hadn’t kept her so close at home. Now that he is dead she needs friends more than ever.”
“Why not go over there this afternoon and find out how matters stand?” Mrs. Brady suggested quietly. “The least we can do is to invite her to stay here at the lodge until she has had time to plan her future.”
Madge’s face brightened and she gave her aunt an affectionate squeeze. ”

“ My arm smarted, and I felt cross. As Miss Julia went out of the room she patted Fel's head, but took no notice of me, and cousin Lydia did the very same thing two minutes afterwards. It was more than I could bear.
"Ho, little borrow-girl," said I to Fel, "got a gold watch, too! 'Fore I'd wear other folks's things! I don't wear a single one thing on me but b'longs to me; you may count 'em and see!"
It seemed as if I could not let her alone; but such was the sweetness of nature in that dear little girl that she loved me through everything. ”

“ I thought I had deceived mother, but I knew I couldn't deceive him.
"So, so, little girl, you thought you'd make me a good job while you were about it. There's no half-way work about you," said he. And then he laughed in a way that rasped across my feelings like the noise of sharpening a slate pencil, and said I mustn't be allowed to move my foot for days and days. ”

“ I grieved for a long while, and wanted to go too; but Madam Allen said,—
"You are all the little girl I have now to take in my arms. Don't you want to stay in this world to make Fel's mother happy?"
"Yes," said I; "I do."
And my own mamma said,—
"The baby needs you, too. See, she has learned to hold her hands to you!"
They all tried to comfort me, and by and by I felt happy again. I am told that the loss of my dear little friend made me a different child. I grew more kind and gentle in my ways, more thoughtful of other people. Not very good, by any means, but trying harder to be good. ”

“ I was so glad Gust Allen wasn't in town; he was a worse tease than Ned. When Abner came in to bring me apples or cherries, he always asked,—
"Any news from the hatchet, Maggie?" And then chucked me under the chin, adding, "You're a steam-tug for telling wrong stories. Didn't know how smart you were before."
Miss Rubie said nothing; she came in with Fel every day; but I presumed she was thinking over that solemn text, "Thou, God, seest me." ”

“ I think mother went right to Madam Allen with what I said, for the next night, when I was at Squire Allen's, and Fel was sitting in her mamma's lap, Madam Allen said,—
"Why didn't my little girl let me know she was afraid of Mrs. Adams? When darling feels unhappy about anything she must always tell mamma."
Fel was so glad somebody was going to protect her, that she threw her arms about her mother's neck, and sobbed for joy. "Don't let her hurt Zed either," said she. She was such a dear little soul, always thinking about others. ”

“ Gust came in, and she took his hand and patted it.
"Yes," said she; "I love you and Gust, and it is nice; but we'll have nicer times when we get to heaven, you know."
Gust gave her one little hug, and rushed out of the room. Then I remember throwing myself on the rug and crying; for there was an ache at my heart, though I could not tell why.
Grandpa Harrington came in, and began to poke the fire.
"Well, well," said he; "its hard for one to be taken and the other left, so it is. But Jesus blessed little children; and I wouldn't cry, my dear."
That was the last time I ever played with Fel. ”

“ It was in her Uncle William that Madge met her match.
"Nellie!" called Madge when her aunt had finished speaking, "please come in here. I want to persuade Auntie to do something that I am going to ask of her, and I wish you to help me."
Nellie appeared at the dining room door, her fingers stained with grape-juice. She was determined to help her mother with the jelly before she and her cousin left for their second houseboat holiday.
"You don't need any one's help when it comes to having your own way," retorted Mrs. Butler. "What do you wish this time?" ”

“ Squire Allen went to the door, and there, on the steps, stood our dear teacher, Martha Rubie, in her night dress, with a shawl over her shoulders.
"O, Mr. Allen! O, madam! come quick! My sister is worse. She has steamed Zed, and she was trying him with a fork; but I locked him into the closet. Do come and take care of her. She is putting lobelia down the cow's throat."
Fel and I screamed, and Tempy Ann had to come in and soothe us. Fel wasn't willing her father and mother should go; but I said, "Don't you be afraid; aunt Persis won't boil 'em; they're too big to get into the kettle." ”

“ I walked on thrones, I assure you; for there was Fel crying, and begging to wait till after dinner. Why, she hadn't any more courage than a chicken. I was ashamed of her. The doctor said he would wait till after dinner if she would surely have it done then.
"O, you little scare-girl!" said I, as he walked out to talk with cousin Joseph, and we two children were left alone in the room.
The doctor had laid his lancet and the little quill of vaccine matter on the table, having no thought, I suppose, that such small children as we would dare touch them. ”

“ Madge lowered her red-brown head. “I don’t know, dear,” she faltered. “You know I have 55 said all along to Uncle and Aunt that, just as soon as I was grown up, I was going to start out to find my father. I shall be nineteen next winter. It surely is time for me to begin.”
“But, Madge, dear, you can’t find your father unless you know where to look for him. The world is a very large place! I am sorry”—Mrs. Curtis smoothed Madge’s soft hair tenderly—“but I agree with your uncle and aunt; your father must be dead. ”

“ O, what if God should want her up in heaven? I had thought of this before; but if I had really believed it, I should all along have treated her very differently. We should none of us speak unkindly if we believed our friends were soon going away from us, out of this world. What would I give now if I had never called the tears into that child's gentle eyes!
My arm got well, and the next thing that happened was a letter from home—to us two little chickens, Fel and me both. Seth brought it from the "post-ovviz," directed to Miss Ruphelle Allen and Miss Margaret Parlin, care of Joseph Tenney, Esq. ”

“ We looked, and found it was uncle John! Another surprise. It was a new idea to both of us, that a man who had had one wife should ever have another. We remembered aunt Persis, who wanted to steam Fel.
"And she died years, and years, and years ago."
"About eleven months," said cousin Lydia. Your uncle John is obliged to go to England this fall, and wants to take Zed; and I am very glad Miss Rubie is willing to be Zed's mother, and will go with them."
"How can she be his mother?" said I. "She's his auntie." ”

“ Eleanor was to be sent to visit a family of cousins near Charlottesville, Virginia, and Madge was to stay with a rich old maiden cousin of her father. Cousin Louisa did not like Madge. She felt a sense of duty toward her, and a sense of duty seldom inspires any real affection in return. So Madge looked back on the visits she had made to this cousin with a feeling of horror. Inspired by her Aunt Sue, Madge had always tried to be on her best behavior while she was the guest of Cousin Louisa. ”

“ Cousin Lydia laughed, and said "children were perfect curiosities."
"It makes us shiver all over. It's splendid," said I.
"Well, you may try it this once," said cousin Lydia, "if you'll stop talking the moment I tap on the wall."
So, as soon as we got into bed we began. "You tell first," said Ruphelle; "you can tell the orfulest, and then I'll tell."
"Mine'll be about the Big Giant," said I, clearing my throat.
"The Big Giant.
"Once upon a time he had three heads, and he roared so you could hear him a mile."
"That isn't anything," said Fel; "my hair don't stand out a bit." ”

“ Why must I go to the town school if it wasn't good enough for her?
"Mamma, I wish I was del'cate," whined I. "Ned snipped off my finger in the corn-sheller,—don't that make me del'cate?"
"Delicate!" said Ned. "You're as tough as a pine knot."
I thought this was a cruel speech. He ought to be ashamed to snip off my finger, and then call me tough.
In looking about for a governess, Madam Allen thought at once of dear Martha Rubie, who lived just across the garden from their house. Uncle John's wife was her sister, the aunt Persis I told you about, who thought I ought not to hear baby-talk. ”

“ She wanted Gust to go too, and he wasn't willing. But if Fel set her heart on anything it generally came about.
"Augustus," said Madam Allen, smiling with her pleasant black eyes, which had a firm look in them, "you will recite to Miss Rubie if I wish it."
"Well, then, I want some of the other fellows to 'cite too," sniffed little Gust; "'tisn't fair for one boy to go to a patchwork school, long o' girls." ”

“ AUNT MADGE'S STORY. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Totty-Wax. 9 CHAPTER II. The Lady Child. 20 CHAPTER III. The Blue Parasol. 38 CHAPTER IV. Lize Jane. 55 CHAPTER V. The Party. 69 CHAPTER VI. The Patchwork School. 87 CHAPTER VII. The Little Lie-Girl. 108 CHAPTER VIII. The Tansy Cheese. 122 CHAPTER IX. "Waxeration." 140 CHAPTER X. "The Child's Alive." 159 CHAPTER XI. The First Car Ride 174 CHAPTER XII. Better Than Kittens. 188 CHAPTER XIII. Good By. 199 AUNT MADGE'S STORY. CHAPTER I. TOTTY-WAX.
Here you sit, Horace, Prudy, Dotty, and Flyaway, all waiting for a story. How shall I begin? ”