Ethel Blue

“ One tablespoonful in two gallons of water!"
"Grandfather says he wouldn't ask for plants to blossom better than ours are doing." Ethel Brown repeated the compliment with just pride.
"It's partly because we've loved to work with them and loved them," insisted Ethel Blue. "Everything you love answers back. If you hate your work it's just like hating people; if you don't like a girl she doesn't like you and you feel uncomfortable outside and inside; if you don't like your work it doesn't go well."
"What do you know about hating?" demanded Dorothy, giving Ethel Blue a hug. ”

“ For instance, after you have cleaned out of your mind the idea that you are very superior to Ethel Blue you ought to fill your mind with thoughts of helpfulness for her. You must think of all the good points she has; think how gentle she is and truthful and how brave she is about taking blame when she deserves it. You never find Ethel Blue failing to admit her responsibility for accidents or [201] mistakes even when it takes a good deal of moral courage to do it. ”

“ A mother feels that she can do as her judgment dictates with her own children, but with her stepchildren she weighs everything with even greater care, because she feels an added responsibility toward them.”
“But she can’t love them as she does her own children,” said Ethel Blue.
“I think there is very little difference,” said her Aunt Marion. “I am not your stepmother but at the same time I am not your own mother, and I am not conscious of loving you any less than I love Ethel Brown. You are both my dear girls.” ”

“ They were in a gay mood as they gathered up their baskets and trowels and gently laid pieces of newspaper over the uprooted plants.
"It isn't hot to-day but we won't run any risk of their getting a headache from the sun," declared Dorothy.
"These woodsy ones that aren't accustomed to bright sunshine may be sensitive to it," assented Ethel Blue. "We must remember to tell Helen in just what sort of spot we found each one so she can make its corner in the garden bed as nearly like it as possible."
"I'm going to march in and quote Shakespeare to her," laughed Ethel Brown. ”

“ Ethel Blue gave Gertrude Merriam's message to Edward Watkins who was as much puzzled by it as she had been.
"What does she mean?" he asked. "Does she care for me or doesn't she?"
"She doesn't know herself. I asked her."
Edward whistled a long, soft whistle.
"Aren't girls the queerest things ever made!" ”

“ What's the matter with Ethel Brown?"
"I know," answered Ethel Brown before her mother had time to reply; "Mother's going to tell you that I like to do things for people not to give them pleasure, but because it gives me pleasure and so I don't do things the way they like them but the [125] way I like them. And that's really selfish and not unselfish."
"Upon my word," exclaimed Grandfather Emerson, "these children seem to be able to analyze themselves mighty closely! They agree on one thing, though—this club of Ethel Blue's is the cure that they all need for their different ailments." ”

“ WHEN Jo Sampson came running with a glass of hot milk and her Aunt Marion's instructions that Ethel Blue was to drink it at once, he said that he was preparing the launch for an immediate return across the lake. It was after they were packed into the boat and Ethel Brown had squeezed the water out of Ethel Blue's bloomers, that she shrugged herself comfortably into her father's coat and propped herself against his shoulder and asked if anybody knew how it happened. ”

“ The novices always wore a nervously doubtful smile as they left the familiar ties of earth and water behind them and a laugh of delight as they came back unafraid and joyous.
"It looks as if it must be the most perfect feeling that you could have," sighed Ethel Blue as they watched a beaming woman approach over the water and then come down from her seat beside the air chauffeur. "I'm like Roger—I could almost die happy if I could have just one fly."
"The airman has offered a prize for the best name for his machine," Ethel Brown read from the Daily at breakfast one morning. ”

“ Ethel Blue had a real glow when she recalled that although she had been badly scared she had pulled herself together and really driven the cow away, and Dorothy felt that since her nightmare had once had so laughable an ending perhaps it would not come again.
Because of their early rising all the girls took a nap in the afternoon.
"You want to put spirit into your folk dances to-night," Mrs. Morton replied to the Ethels' remonstrances against this hardship. "I want my girls to move with life and not as if they were half asleep." ”

“ Ethel Blue clasped her hands nervously; but Mr. Emerson was [166] speaking calmly to her, and Mr. Graham was taking a last look over the machine so that she felt sure that everything would be secure, and Aunt Marion and the children were smiling just the other side of the ropes, and Ethel Brown was waiting for her to come back so that she could have her turn, and above all, the words of the good Bishop rang through her mind. "Don't let your imagination run away with you." ”

“ We aren't doing that; we've got our gate tickets."
Somehow that made the matter seem better, though in their inmost hearts the girls knew that they were not doing what was right. Yet with a look around and a gasp of excitement they pushed their flowers through ahead of them and then struggled through themselves.
"There isn't anybody in sight," exclaimed Ethel Brown in the low voice of guilt, scanning the grounds as she helped Ethel Blue get on her feet. ”

“ Ethel Brown reminded them and they all laughed, remembering James and his Gallic salute.
"Don't take her tonight, Aunt Louise," begged Ethel Blue. "Let us have her just one night. We can put Dicky's crib into our room between Ethel Brown's bed and mine."35
It was finally decided that Elisabeth should not be taken to Dorothy's until the next day, but Mrs. Morton insisted on keeping her in her own room for the night.
"She has such a slight hold on life that she ought to have an experienced eye watching her for some time to come," she said. ”

“ Ethel Blue threw her arm around her and gave her a hug. At [250] that minute Captain Morton's voice was heard calling Dorothy from the house. She jumped up and ran in. When she came back a few minutes later she was radiant.
"It's all arranged," she cried excitedly. "Some money has turned up from somewhere—a lot of it—that belongs to Mother, so we can live wherever we want to, and of course we'd rather live near you people than anywhere else in the world."
"All I've got to say," said Ethel Brown, "is that this is the finest sort of ending to the finest sort of summer. ”

“ Slowly she pushed back her blanket and looked down whence the clamor had come. The roar was followed by a tearing sound and a noise of struggle.
"Oh, girls," cried Ethel Blue, "it's a cow! It's nothing but a cow! Poor old thing, she's caught her horns under the edge of the tent and she can't get loose."
Dorothy's head came out from its covering.
"A cow!" she breathed with relief and sank back, weak but thankful. [221]
"She's going to pull the tent down!" screamed Della.
"Can't you shoo her out, Ethel Blue?" asked Ethel Brown. "You're nearest." ”

“ Pick out the thing you think is going to interest you most and put your whole strength on it."
"Stenciling for me," whispered Dorothy, "and invalids' cooking." [55]
"Me, too," said Ethel Brown, who admired her new friend so much that she wanted to have the pleasure of being in the same class with her. Ethel Blue looked disturbed when she heard what the others were saying, for she had made up her mind to learn basketry, but it seemed rather forlorn to be in a class with girls she did not know at all. She thought she would ask Miss Roberts what she thought about it. ”

“ Helen said to Roger. "Ask them quietly to come here. Don't frighten the women."
Roger dashed away, his swift feet slowing to a walk as he neared the bit of woods where he delivered his message in an undertone. Ethel Blue meanwhile, had rushed into the house to tell Moya to heat plenty of water and to crack some ice, and Margaret had opened Mrs. Schuler's closet of simple remedies and found the bottle of aromatic spirits of ammonia. Ethel Brown and James ran to meet Mrs. Tsanoff, Ethel taking the baby from her and James steadying her shaking steps by a stout arm under her elbow. ”

“ Elisabeth sat up, still sleepy-eyed and rosy46 from her nap, and gazed about her seriously at the road that was already becoming familiar.
"Oh, dear," sighed Ethel Blue under her breath, "there are the Misses Clark coming out of their house."
"I hope they aren't going to complain of Roger," Ethel Brown said, for Roger acted as furnace man for these elderly ladies who had gained for themselves a reputation of being ill-natured.
"It's too late to cross the street. They look as if they were coming expressly to speak to us. See, they haven't got their hats on." ”

“ Ethel Blue asked Helen as they went up the steps of their own house. [53]
"Even Roger doesn't do that. I remember Father's telling me once that he used to growl about going to bed early when he was a boy and that when the time finally came when he could go to bed as late as he liked he didn't care anything about it and used to go early half the time."
"I don't believe I shall be that way," sighed Ethel. "How queer grown people are!" ”

“ Are you infants ready?" and Roger swung the parcels on to his back and opened the door for the girls.
"We're going to stop at Dorothy's, aren't we?" asked Ethel Blue.
"Certainly we are. We want to see her presents and to give Elisabeth hers and to say 'Merry Christmas' to Aunt Louise and Miss Merriam."
"You seem very fond of Miss Merriam," said Katharine to Ethel Brown as they turned the corner into Church Street.
"We are. She's splendid. She knows just what to do for Elisabeth and she's lovely any way."70
"You act as if she belonged to the family."
"Why shouldn't we?" ”

“ I do; and it ought not to be hard to find rugs with dull reds and greens that will draw all those earthy, autumnal shades together.”
“You might have one of those swinging settees hanging by chains from the ceiling.”
“Dorothy would enjoy that.”
“So would we,” interposed Ethel Brown. “I seem to see myself perching on it, waving my lemonade cup.”
“Don’t illustrate all over me,” remonstrated Ethel Blue, dodging the flowing bowl.
“I like very much the seclusion you’ve gained by building up the wall at the end of the terrace on the side toward the road,” said Miss Graham. ”

“ The wear of constant anxiety about bread and butter and shelter is something beyond the understanding of those who have not experienced it. It had made Dorothy older than her years and had turned her mother's hair snow-white at forty-two.
"If only you live in Rosemont," said Ethel Brown, "we can go to school together. Ethel Blue and I have been almost like twins. If you are with us all the time we'll be triplets." ”

“ She had been glad that it happened that no one was at home, but she was equally glad when she saw Mary running from the direction of the Pier. Margaret Hancock called to her that Dicky was safe. Ethel waved her understanding, and seizing the hand of Ethel Blue who appeared from somewhere and clung timidly to her skirt she ran back into the house to get the silver from the dining-room. ”

“ Ethel Blue in the back of the group gave a sob.
"She'll pick up soon when she has good food every day," the nurse reassured them, and then she told them of her own experiences.
She had been, it seemed, in the same hospital with Mademoiselle in Belgium. Out on the field one day a bit of shrapnel had wounded her foot so that she was forced to come home. Mademoiselle had asked her to bring over this mite "to the kindest young people in the world," and here she was.
The baby's father and mother were both dead, she went on. That she knew.
"Are you sure her name is Elisabeth?" asked Dorothy. ”

“ Miss Graham did not seem to single out Ethel Blue for particular attention. They naturally drifted together when there was a large party, because their tastes were similar.
“I think your aunt Daisy is nicer than any aunt in the world except my aunt Marion,” Ethel Blue confided to Margaret one day.
“That’s just about what James and I think,” said Margaret.
“Has she finished her Englewood house?” inquired Ethel.
“Yes, that was done some time ago. That’s why she has been able to go to see Mrs. Smith so many times recently. She has spent several afternoons at Sweetbrier Lodge, you know.” ”

“ Move him once in every four slow counts. Every time he goes on to his face give him a vigorous rub between the shoulder blades."
"Ow, ow," ejaculated Ethel Blue ungratefully.
"It must take a lot of people to do all these things," commented Ethel Brown.
"Three if you can get them; one to turn him and rub his back, one to keep his head off the ground as he is rolled over, and the third to dry his feet and try to warm them."
"The one who does the rolling is the most important if there don't happen to be many around." ”

“ The Ethels, walking at the end of the procession, held each other's hands tightly so that they might look about without straying off the sidewalk.
"It's queer for a country place, isn't it?" commented Ethel Brown. "I haven't seen a cow or a chicken since we came in the gate."
"The houses are so close together there isn't any room for them," suggested Ethel Blue. "I haven't seen a cat either."
"I know why. Mother told me she read in a booklet they sent her that there was a Bird Club and you know bird people are always down on cats. ”