Prissy

“ Mrs. Neff was there, and she liked Charity. She puffed contempt and cigarette-smoke at Atterbury, and murmured, sweetly, “Prissy, you're a dirty little liar, and your long tongue ought to be cut out and nailed up on a wall.”
Prissy nearly wept at the injustice of such skepticism. It was Pet Bettany, of all people, who came to his rescue with credulity. She was sincerely convinced. A voluptuary and intrigante herself, she believed that her own ideas of happiness and her own impulses were shared by everybody, and that people who frowned on vice were either hypocrites or cowards. ”

“ She will be that contrite for showing the sharp edge of her tongue that there will be nothing she will not do to make amends. It will be, "Father, what will you have?" and, "Father, do you think you could enjoy that?" from morning to night, as though I were a new-born babe to be tended. No, no, you are not up to Prissy. She has not got her mother's sweet, charitable nature—my Susan, bless her dear heart! always thought the best of everybody—but Prissy is a good girl, for all that.'
Audrey smiled as she drew down a tendril of jasmine to inhale its honeyed fragrance. ”

“ At such remarks, Miss Prissy always laughed loudly, and declared that she had always had such a string of engagements with the women that she never found half an hour to listen to what any man living would say to her, supposing she could stop to hear him. "Besides, if I were to get married, nobody else could," she would say. "What would become of all the wedding-clothes for everybody else?" ”

“ Prissy always say, 'Go 'way, I'se busy.'"
Poor Priscilla! For one moment she caught her father's eye fixed on her, now not so much in anger as in disappointment and grief. And without saying a word, she went to her own room and threw herself on her bed in an agony of tears. But they were more tears of shame than of anything else; and her cry was:
"Mother! mother! I've gone all wrong since you left me, and poor Claude's accident is my fault—mine only."
I think when the angels heard that cry they were glad. The first step to betterness is, they know, when a soul acknowledges it has sinned. ”

“ At these words Prissy broke through all constraint. "Names of the stars, father?" she said. "Why, I have studied astronomy for long. I can answer you any question in that book you like to ask me—indeed I can. Father, I am not a fool; try me and see."
Dr. Warner looked at his daughter in amazement. "You have studied astronomy, Priscilla! No wonder, then, that your home duties were left unfulfilled. You know I strongly object to women bungling over subjects they can make nothing of. You had better give up playing at that sort of thing and attend to your proper lessons and duties." ”

“ The boys were already in bed; Mr. Scott was attending to the evening chores, and Aunt Prissy was alone in the sitting-room when Faith appeared in the doorway.
“Aunt Prissy, look! I tore my dress coming home to-day, and I was afraid to tell you! Oh, Aunt Prissy!” for her aunt had taken Faith and the blue dress into her arms, and held the little girl closely as she said:
“Why, dear child! How could you ever be afraid of me? About a dress, indeed! A torn dress is nothing. Nothing at all.” ”

“ As happy in a cottage as in a palace, she proved herself to be a true philosopher, accepting fortune's rubs with equanimity, and making the best of them with a cheerful willingness it were well for loftier folk to emulate. Bird never trilled more happily than Prissy as she moved hither and thither, upstairs and down, setting things to rights, shifting the furniture and studying each new arrangement with a critical eye, interrupting herself every minute by running to the window to see if her master and mistress were coming. ”

“ Ought you not to consult an oculist about it? Perhaps you should rest your eyes a while. Father, can I not help you? Surely, at least, I can assist Archie. Say I may; do say so. Let me at least read to you."
Her father patted the girl kindly, saying. "Nay, nay, Priscilla; I did not mean to alarm you. I daresay my eyes are just wearied; and I am getting old, you know. And, my daughter, as to your reading to me, I fear treatises on mathematics and astronomy would soon weary you. They are rather uninteresting subjects to those who comprehend them not."
Prissy bit her lips. ”

“ Miss Prissy, after a while, commenced in a mysterious tone.
"Miss Scudder, I know folks like me shouldn't have their eyes open too wide, but then I can't help noticing some things. Did you see the Doctor's face when we was talking to him about Mary? Why, he colored all up and the tears came into his eyes. It's my belief that that blessed man worships the ground she treads on. I don't mean worships, either,—'cause that would be wicked, and he's too good a man to make a graven image of anything,—but it's clear to see that there a'n't anybody in the world like Mary to him. ”

“ A chorus of loud acclamations, in which Miss Prissy’s voice took the lead, conveyed to the innocent-minded Doctor the idea that in some mysterious way he had distinguished himself in the eyes of his feminine friends, whereat [310] he retired to his study, slightly marvelling, but on the whole well pleased, as men generally are when they do better than they expect; and Miss Prissy, turning out all profaner persons from the apartment, held a solemn consultation, to which only Mary, Mrs. Scudder, and Madame de Frontignac were admitted ”

“ And yet the germs of rebellion must surely have been in their hearts, or they would hardly have sprung up so quickly.
"We never have any fun at home," said Bertie, in a subdued whisper, when the boys and Milly had had their tea and had taken themselves off to the farthest corner of the orchard; "whenever we think of anything nice to do, Prissy always says we mustn't." ”

“ Miss Prissy, indeed, had had her heart somewhat touched, as good little women's hearts are apt to be by a true love-story, and had hinted something of her feelings to Mrs. Scudder, in a manner which brought such a severe rejoinder as quite humbled and abashed her, so that she coweringly took refuge under her former declaration, that, "to be sure, there couldn't be any man in the world better worthy of Mary than the Doctor," while still at her heart she was possessed with that troublesome preference for unworthy people which stands in the way of so many excellent things. ”

“ The little Pikes had established themselves firmly in the heart of this new friend, and she found herself in an attitude of critical partisanship.
"I reckon Miss Prissy is what you call a kinder crank," answered Mother Mayberry as she paused at the foot of the steps. "A married woman have got to be the hub of a family-wheel, but a old maid can be the outside crank that turns the whole contraption backwards if she has a mind to. I wish Miss Prissy had a little more understanding of the children, 'cause the rub all comes on Mis' Pike, and she's fair wore out with it. ”

“ Baby and nurse had come out also; and for a while even her loved book was put aside whilst Prissy took her little sister in her arms and carried her up and down. Truly baby Ruth might be called her sister's guardian angel; for the love which had sprung up in her heart to the little one, who, like herself, lacked a mother's love and care, was beautiful to see, and that love was, under God, the means of preventing the girl's heart from turning cold and hard. ”

“ Victoria Regina--a little queen!" Prissy gave baby a kiss, with pride and love in her glittering eyes. "What makes your face so black, Prissy?"
"Coals. Aunty deals in 'em--and cabbages and taters and oranges and lemons. And she takes in washing."
So genial was Aaron Cohen's voice that spring was coming in fast. "You look, Prissy, as if you had very little to eat."
"I don't 'ave much," said Prissy, with a longing sigh. "I could eat all day and night if I 'ad the chance."
"My dear," said Aaron to his wife, "there is some coffee left in the pot. Do you like coffee, Prissy?" ”

“ Scudder came to tell him of Mary's consent. He made a gesture backward, without speaking, that she should leave the apartment; and Miss Prissy left, with a guilty kind of feeling, as if she had been striking a knife into her pastor, and, rushing distractedly across the entry into Mary's little bedroom, she bolted the door, threw herself on the bed, and began to cry.
"Well, I've done it!" she said to herself. "He's a very strong, hearty man," she soliloquized, "so I hope it won't put him in a consumption;—men do go into a consumption about such things sometimes. ”

“ They have had a grandmother and a governess as well as their father."
"I think grandmothers often spoil boys," Prissy answered, with her customary air of decision. "Ours does; I don't much like when she comes. She is often quite rude to me, and doesn't listen to what I say; but she pets Bertie, and gives him things, and lets him talk to her as much as he likes. I call that showing favoritism; I don't approve of it at all. In the parish mother never lets that sort of thing be."
"Who was that funny man in spectacles sitting in Mr. Trelawny's pew?" ”

“ Priscilla, not he, was to blame if he went wrong. A fellow must have amusement somewhere."
Thinking on these things, Austin resolved to delay no longer, but speak to his brother, and beg him to begin the session in a new spirit. Rousing himself from his reverie, he ran downstairs to the breakfast-room, where he found Priscilla alone, Lewis not having as yet appeared.
"Good morning, Prissy," Austin said in a cheerful tone. ”

“ Milly remarked sagely once, "and then things would be better. But they always get quarreling, and then it's no good trying to settle anything. Everything goes wrong."
"That's because Prissy is such a cockney," cried Bertie, airing his new word with satisfaction; "Esther would never make half the fuss about every little thing. Pickle and Puck like Esther, though they do laugh at her rather. But they won't have either Esther or Prissy with them when we have our lark on Saturday afternoon. They'll only take you and me." ”

“ Aunt Prissy said when Donald and Faith told their story. “The English become less friendly every day. Well, we will not think of them when there is so much to do as we have before us.”
“I asked Louise to come to the quilting,” said Faith.
“That’s right; and I am going to send Donald to ask a number of your schoolmates to come in the evening. The moon will be full to light them home, and you children can have the kitchen to yourselves after supper, and make molasses candy,” said Aunt Prissy. ”

“ Cohen, Mr. Cohen!" cried Prissy.
"I can't stop now," he replied, passing her quickly.
But Prissy's long legs were as active as his, and though Victoria Regina was a heavy weight to carry, she kept pace with him.
"D'yer know wot some people's saying about yer, Mr. Cohen?"
"Never mind, never mind, my good girl; I have no time to listen."
"They're saying, everybody is," persisted Prissy, "that yer as good as ruined, and that yer 'aven't got a shilling left to pay yer way with."
"What does it matter what some people say, Prissy? There are good and bad, just and unjust. ”

“ You know you do like your own way. But I think we all like that. I suppose that's one of the sins that easily besets us all."
"I don't think it besets you," said Pickle loyally; "you're always doing things you don't like, to spare other people, or because they want you to."
"It besets Prissy!" cried Milly eagerly; "she always wants her own way. She likes to be 'lord high everything' too. She's been as cross as two sticks lately, because Bertie and I have kept secrets from her, and she can't do just as she likes with us." ”

“ I must do something to rescue poor Prissie from a life of drudgery. Fancy Prissie, with her genius, living the life of an ordinary underpaid teacher: it is not to be thought of for a moment! Something must be done to put the whole family on a different footing, but that, of course, is for the future. From Priscilla’s account they want immediate aid. I have two five-pound notes in my purse: Geoffrey shall have them and enclose them to the clergyman who is his relation and who lives near Priscilla’s home.”
Maggie wrote her letter rapidly. ”

“ But why do you speak in that complaining voice, Priscilla?”
Prissies’ eyes were raised to his.
“Because Aunt Raby is ill, and it is wicked of me to forget her. It is mean and cowardly. I hate myself for it.”
Mr. Hayes looked puzzled for a moment. Then his face cleared.
“My dear Prissie,” he said, “I always knew there were depths of morbidness in you, but I did not suppose that you would sound them so quickly. If you are to grow up to be a wise and useful and helpful woman by and by, you must check this intense self-examination. ”

“ I’ll hear your news another time, Priscilla; but don’t you be turned with the vanities of the world, Priscilla. Life’s but a passing day: you mind that when you’re young, and it won’t come on you as a shock when you are old. I’m glad the cashmere has worn well—ay, that I am, Prissie. But don’t put it on in the morning, my love, for it’s a sin to wear through beautiful fine stuff like that. And, even if the colour is gone a bit round the hem, the stuff itself isn’t worn, and looks don’t signify. ”

“ She thought Miss Heath had sent for her, and stared at the excited girl.
“I want to see Miss Heath,” said Priscilla; “please ask her to come to me here; say Miss Peel wants to see her—Priscilla Peel wants to see her, very, very badly, in her own sitting-room at once. Ask her to come to me at once.”
The presence of real tragedy always inspires respect; there was no question with regard to the genuineness of Prissie’s sorrow just then. ”