Prudy

“ Surprised at the sharp sound of her own voice, dismayed at sight of the wet sugar, and completely discouraged by the aspect of things in general, Prudy burst out into a sort of frenzy. She was ashamed of herself, but she couldn't stop.
"You think I can bear everything—you and Dotty both! People are careful what they say to Dotty, for her temper's just like live coals; but they talk to me, and say anything; anything they've a mind to."
"Why, Prue," exclaimed Horace, as astonished as if Mother Hubbard's dog had spoken; "why, Prue!" ”

“ When Prudy first began to lie upon the sofa, everybody pitied her, and tried to say and do funny things, in order to take up her attention. It was not possible to keep on giving so much time to her; but Prudy expected it. She would lie very pleasant and happy for hours at a time, counting the things in the room, talking to herself, or humming little tunes; and then, again, everything would go wrong. Her playthings would keep falling to the floor, and, as she could not stoop at all, some one must come and pick them up that very minute, or they "didn't pity her a bit." ”

“ Prudy was not always patient. Some sweet little children become almost like the angels when sickness is laid upon them; but Prudy had been such a healthy, active child, that the change to perfect quiet was exceedingly tiresome. She was young, too,—too young to reason about the uses of suffering. She only knew she was dreadfully afflicted, and thought everybody ought to amuse her.
"O, dear me!" said Susy, sometimes, "I just believe the more anybody does for Prudy, the more she expects." ”

“ How do you do, little sister?"
The baby made no reply.
"Why! don't you love me? This is me: my name's Prudy. I've got a red pocket dress;—Santa Claw bringed it."
Still the little stranger paid no heed,—only winked her small, bright eyes, and at last closed them entirely.
"O, my stars! she don't hear the leastest thing," sobbed Prudy, glad of an excuse to cry again. "She can't hear the leastest mite of a thing! Where's the holes in her ears gone to? O, dear, dear!"
It seemed to Susy that this was the happiest day of her life. She stole up to her mother and kissed her. ”

“ Do you think such children ought to go to a party?"
"O, grandma," cried Prudy, "you know we had a ticket come a-purpose!"
"I'm ashamed," said Grace, promptly. "Susy, you and I are too big to act so. [135] Let's go and do up our work right nice, and then see if we can't help grandma."
And off went the two little girls, with beaming faces, trying to make themselves useful.
"What shall I do?" thought Prudy, for every body was at work,—even Horace, who was turning the grindstone for the men.
"I'll dust the parlors, that's what I'll do. It does take aunt Madge so long." ”

“ He loves her as much as he loves me."
"Now just listen to me," returned Susy, pacing the floor of the green chamber, in her night-dress, while Prudy sat on the edge of the bed. "God loves us all; but that's no sign we can't die! Little children, no older than Dotty, have their breath snatched right away, and are covered up in the ground, with gravestones at their heads and feet. O, you haven't the least idea, Prudy. You never think anything can happen!"
"Well, things don't happen very often, you know, Susy."
"There, Prudy Parlin, don't talk so! ”

“ Little Miss Somebody thinks she must follow, of course."
"Yes, that's the way it is," said Susy. "Some folks are always round, you know."
"Now, Susy," said Prudy, forcing back her tears as well as she could, "I guess you don't love your little sister, or you wouldn't talk that way to me."
They gathered strawberries for a while in silence, Prudy picking more leaves than berries, and sometimes, in her haste to keep up with the others, pulling up grass by the roots. ”

“ She can tuck her candy in, and her pyunes and pfigs, and teenty apples. Oho!"
"'Twill be as mother says about giving her your dress, Prudy; but we shall be glad to see you kind to the new sister," said Susy, who was fond of giving small lectures to Prudy. "We ought to be kind to her, for God sent her down on purpose. Of course it will be me that will take the most care of her; but maybe they'll let you watch her sometimes when she's asleep. Don't blow open her eyes any more, Prudy; that's very naughty. If we do just as we ought to, and are kind to her, she'll be a comfort, and grow up a lady!" ”

“ What did auntie mean? She meant me. Everybody means me. I wouldn't have thought that of auntie."
Dotty turned away; but the words followed her across the room like the eyes of a portrait.
"'God resisteth the proud.' Well, who said I was proud? People are so queer! Always think it's me wants the best things. 'Giveth grace to the humble.' There, I s'pose that means Prudy. She's just as humble! Never wants to take the best parts when we play. O, no; Prudy's humble? Prudy's a hero-ess!'"
But scold as she might, those burning red words were looking right down into Dotty's soul. ”

“ Prudy loved Mahla Linck at once. She said she had had just such a lameness her own self, and knew how it felt. "Ah, little dear," said Mahla, laying her wasted cheek close to Prudy's, "but you can walk now without a crutch, and I never can."
"O, Mahla, yes, you can never; you can when you grow an angel."
The Princesses liked to escort Prudy through the streets, and hear her exclamations of surprise. She told them the "Yankees wouldn't 'buze their horses so;" for it seemed to her rather unkind to braid their tails like heads of hair, and tie them up in knots ”

“ Prudy's fresh delight and surprise were so pleasant to witness that her mother allowed her to linger for a while, mincing berries for the nestlings supper.
When, at last, they reached Mrs. Eastman's, Prudy eagerly described the young wonders she had found.
"It was like a story," said she, "of little widow-children,—how the mother was dead, and the children had to stay alone."
"Children are never widows," said Susy, laughing; "it isn't possible! But if their parents die, they are orphans sometimes." ”

“ Why, lawful sakes, your face is as white as a pond-lily!"
"It's my heart," whispered Prudy, faintly; "it whisks just like the eggs Norah beats in a bowl. But it's no matter, sir; I don't think I'm afraid,—or only a little speck," added she, in a lower whisper; for, though anxious to be polite, she did not mean to tell anything but the "white truth."
The little girl's gentle ways won the soap-boiler's heart at once. "What's your fathers name, little dear?" inquired he, as they went clattering through the streets.
"His name is Mr. Edward Parlin.—But O, I don't see a single thing of Dotty!" ”

“ Just then her father came into the house. "Prudy's in the hogshead," said Mrs. Parlin. [11] "Won't you please lift her out, father? I've got baby in my arms."
Mr. Parlin peeped into the hogshead. "How in this world did you ever get in here, child?" said he. "I think I'll have to take you out with a pair of tongs."
Prudy laughed.
"Give me your hands," said papa. "Up she comes! Now, come sit on my knee," added he, when they had gone into the parlor, "and tell me how you climbed into that hogshead." ”

“ You are a darling little girl not to tease for things you ought not to have."
"I believe," she went on, looking at patient little Prudy, as she drained the bowl, "I should like to give such a good child a pretty present."
"O, dear me suz!" screamed Prudy, [70] "I'm glad I didn't go to heaven yet.—Will it be a little wee doll that can live in a thimble?—made out of sugar?"
"Well," said grandma, "I don't know, You may be thinking all day what you would like best. Not to eat, dear, but to keep, remember. Now I must go down stairs—but here come Grace and Susy, so you won't be lonesome." ”

“ You may not have heard of me, but I know all about Prudy and little Thistledown Flyaway."
"Nicely, thank you, m'm," responded Miss Fly, in a voice as faint as the peep of a chicken; at the same time darting forward and tearing a piece out of her slip. "If she runned away I'd be 'shamed to tell of it."
"How awful for her to come here!" thought Mother Hubbard, stealing a timid glance at the lady's ermine muff. "She looks nice, but I don't want anything to do with such people."
"Don't be afraid of me, dears," said the lady, laughing; "I call myself a runaway just in sport. ”

“ After they had finished their supper, aunt Madge said, "You may all follow me into the nursery; I have something to tell [162] you.—Our dear little pale baby, who has been sick day and night all this long summer, will never feel sick or cry any more. God has taken him to heaven to be a little angel."
All but Prudy knew that she spoke of death. Grace flung herself on the floor and wept aloud. Horace rushed up stairs into the back chamber, without saying a word to any body; and Susy buried her face in the sofa-pillows, whispering, "O God, don't let it be so; it isn't true, is it?" ”

“ She watched the nimble fingers as they passed the worsted thread over the pin-heads, making stitches as fast as Susy could wink.
"It looks like a tiny snake all sticked through the hole in the spool," said Prudy, eager with curiosity. "If you ain't a-goin' to speak, I don't know what I shall do, Susy Parlin!"
When poor Susy could not pretend any longer not to hear, she answered Prudy, half vexed, half laughing, "O, dear, I s'pose you'll tease and tease till you find out. Won't you never say a word to anybody, never?" ”

“ Grace and Susie were glad that Horace liked Prudy so well, for when they were cutting out dolls' dresses, or playing with company, it was pleasant to have him take her out of the way.
Prudy's mouth was not much larger than a button-hole, but she opened it as wide as she could when she saw Horace whittle out such wonderful toys.
He tried to be as much as possible like a man ”

“ I wish we had some," said Susy; "how can we get it?"
"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Grace; "we'll send Prudy down stairs to Bridget, to ask for some milk to drink."
"I like milk and water the best," said Prudy, "with sugar in." [123]
"Well, get that," said Grace, "it's just as good; and come right back with it, and don't tell about the ink."
Aunt Martha and Bridget were taking up the dinner when Prudy went down into the kitchen, calling out,—
"O, Bridget, may I have some white tea?"
"White tay!" said Bridget; "and what may that be now?" ”

“ As Dotty lay tossing on her bed, she heard the laughing, and the lively music of the piano, and began to find she had missed a great deal by not going down stairs.
Horace and Prudy were getting a taste of fashionable society. True, Prudy did tire of the fixed questions, "How do you like New York? Have you been in the Park?" asked by girls in pink, and girls in blue, and boys in wondrous neck-ties, with hair parted very near the middle. She was astonished when Mrs. Pragoff proposed games. How could such exquisite children play without tearing their flounces and deranging their criêped hair? ”

“ I was going to tell a story, a fairy story. It was going to be a real good one, about 'The Bravest of Lion's Castle,' and I couldn't think of a thing to say, and now Prudy has drove it all out of my head."
"Well, children," said aunt Madge, "suppose we give Susy a little more time, and excuse her for to-night? It's time for pleasant dreams now, and kisses all 'round."
[113]
CHAPTER XI PRUDY'S WHITE TEA
"Blessings on the blessed children!" said aunt Madge, one morning soon after this. "So we little folks are going out to spend the day, are we?"
"Yes'm," replied Grace, "all but Horace." ”

“ My house is full of things that make a noise—a canary, a paroquet, a mocking-bird, a harp, a piano, and a guitar. And—"
Mrs. Pragoff did not add that she had invited a little party to meet them. She was afraid of frightening the timid souls.
"Would you like to come, Miss Prudy? Tell me honestly, now."
There was no need to ask Fly. She was dancing for joy—the absurd little image.
"O, yes'm; I'd be delighted," replied Mother Hubbard, a smile lighting up her face even to the floury tip of her nose. "And I think Horace and Dotty would, too. Shall I go and ask?" ”

“ After much soothing, and a good deal of candy, Prudy was comforted, and the supper went off famously. The children were all polite and well-behaved, "even the boys," as Ruth said; and though they all had keen appetites, nobody was greedy. ”

“ But when the squares were basted together, she broke needles, pricked her fingers, and made a great fuss; sometimes crying, and wishing there were no such thing as patchwork.
One morning she sat in her rocking-chair, doing what she thought was a "stint." She kept running to her mother with every stitch, saying, "Will that do?" Her mother was very busy, and said, "My little daughter must not come to me." So Prudy sat down near the door, and began to sew [7] with all her might; but soon her little baby sister came along, looking so cunning, that Prudy dropped her needle, and went to hugging her. ”

“ When she was well again, Prudy said to her mother, in confidence, "It didn't kill her, the croup didn't, but it might have killed her; and I'm going to love her all the time as if she was really dead, and gone to heaven."
CHAPTER XI. BUYING A BROTHER.
"One, two, buckle my slipper! no, my gaiters," repeated Miss Dimple, as Prudy laced her boots. "I wish I was a horse, then my shoes would be nailed on, and be done with it."
"I'm so glad," said Prudy, putting on her hat, "that we can go to housekeeping again."
They had built a shingle palace on the bank of the river. ”