Ethel Brown

“ Ethel Brown was quite breathless. She could not entirely understand Katharine's point of view, but she seemed to be hinting that Miss Merriam was serving in a menial capacity. The idea made loyal Ethel Brown, who had not a snobbish bone in her body, extremely angry. Service she understood—her father and her uncle and Katharine's father, too, for that matter, were serving their country and were under orders. One kind of service might be less responsible than another kind, but that any service that was honest and useful could be unworthy was not in her creed. ”

“ 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.” ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ As they stood silent and perplexed the honk of a motor roused the almost unconscious woman.
"Is the baby in the street?" she inquired frantically.
Ethel Brown crushed her way through the hedge, and found that the children were still on the sidewalk, but were so near its edge that the driver of the car had tooted to warn them back. To her delight she saw that the driver was Grandfather Emerson. She waved her hand to stop him.
"You're a great caretaker!" he cried. "Why do you leave Elisabeth to look after herself in this fashion? And who's her friend?" ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 Blue defended her idea. "But I dare say we'll want to do your thing, too."
"Grandfather's recommendation doesn't seem to count with you young know-it-alls."
"Grandfather's recommendation is the only reason why our remarks weren't more severe," retorted Ethel Brown.
"Each of us must bring in a list next Saturday," said Helen, as they all walked to the corner to see that the Hancocks took the car safely.
"And I believe that every one will be a perfectly good plan," said Roger magnanimously.
"There won't be one that will require a house to hold it anyway," retorted Margaret. ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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." ”

“ When the earth is hoed up to my stem.”
“Oo-hoo!” came a voice from the Lodge. “Come in and help.”
“There’s Dorothy calling,” cried Ethel Brown, and they all moved toward the house where they found their cousin on the back porch with an array of plates, bowls, stones, small plants, tiny trees and small china figures before her.
“May I inquire, madam, what on earth—” began Roger, but Ethel Brown’s exclamation enlightened him.
“You’re making Japanese gardens!”
“I’m going to try to. I think they’re awfully pretty and cunning. Let’s each make one.” ”

“ 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?" ”

“ The sun had sunk far enough for its rays not to be disturbing unless the aviator flew much [165] higher than he was in the habit of doing. The crowd on the shore was the only upsetting feature to rather timid girls.
"We mustn't mind them," whispered Ethel Blue.
"There's always something disagreeable about everything nice; this time it's the people," agreed Ethel Brown.
"They're kind and interested. Forget all about them," advised Mrs. Morton.
Mr. Emerson escorted the two girls to the hangar. ”

“ I didn’t know you had an aunt,” replied Dorothy.
“She seems like a new aunt to us; James and I haven’t seen her since we were little bits of things.”
“Where does she live?” asked Ethel Blue.
“In Washington. She’s an interior decorator and she’s awfully busy, so when she has had to come on to New York to buy materials or to see people she has never had a chance to stay with us.”
[35]
“Is she going to make a visit this time?” inquired Ethel Brown.
“She has come for a long visit now. She has a commission to decorate a house in Englewood. ”

“ 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." ”

“ A lot of girls from the Vacation Club are to be squaws. It will be awfully good fun except the browning up. They say that if you put vaseline on your face first the stuff comes off without any trouble."
"I hope it does," Ethel Brown wished. "I'm to be an Indian girl."
"I especially hope it does," continued Helen, "because I have to be a lady of the French Court later on and I'd hate to have my Indian color stay with me!"
"Everybody is accounted for except Ethel Blue. What are you going to do?" asked Mrs. Morton, smiling at her niece.
"I'm a Flower Sprite and so is Dorothy." ”

“ Again shyness seized Ethel and made her speechless. She looked desperately after Ethel Brown, unconscious that the others were not following. Ethel Blue turned cold at her own audacity; but she had delayed the Bishop in his afternoon walk and she must tell him what was on her mind.
"Do you think," she stammered, "do you think that a coward can ever become brave?"
"I do," answered the Bishop promptly and simply. "A coward is afraid for two reasons ”

“ Jackson will meet you at the station at Buffalo."
"All we'll have to do will be to sit still?"
"Between the parting with Roger and the meeting with Mrs. Jackson. Exactly," returned Mrs. Morton, smiling.
"Are we equal to it?" Ethel Brown demanded of Ethel Blue in the quizzical way that made her so much like Roger.
"We are," returned Ethel Blue promptly, and the two girls marched about the room, their arms over each other's shoulders, with the back-step that they delighted in—one, two, three steps forward, and the fourth step back.
"One, two, three, back; one, two, three, back," they chanted. ”

“ 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. ”