Sidney Lee

“ King cheerfully, coming in and sitting down in his favorite chair. "I'm sure it speaks well for the young man's powers of self-defense, if he gives Jasper a good tweak."
"Father!" cried Jasper in pretended astonishment. "Well, King-Fisher, as popular opinion is against me, I'll set you down again, and nurse my poor scalp," and down went the white bundle again to the floor, Phronsie going back to her post as nurse.
"There's been a terrible scheme worked up since you were out, sir," announced Joel to the old gentleman.
"Hey—what's that?" demanded Mr. King, staring at Polly. ”

“ Then, with a very proud air, he said in a grand way, “At any rate, we aren't going to be, long, for something's coming!”
“What do you mean, Joey?” asked Ben, while the rest looked equally amazed.
“Our ships,” said Joel confidently, as if they were right before their eyes; at which they all screamed!
“See Polly's stove!” cried Phronsie, wishing to entertain in her turn. “Here 'tis,” running up to it, and pointing with her fat little finger.
“Yes, I see,” cried Jasper, pretending to be greatly surprised; “it's new, isn't it?”
“Yes,” said the child; “it's very all new; four yesterdays ago!” ”

“ King turned away with a mild snort, and then not finding any words to say, picked up the newspaper, and Phronsie, full of her new happiness, looked out the window as the cars sped along.
"There's Thomas!" cried Jasper, at sight of that functionary waiting on his carriage-box as he had waited so many other times for them; now for the jolliest of all home-comings.
"And the girls," finished Polly, craning her neck to look out the car window at a knot of them restlessly curbing their impatience on the platform as the train moved into the station and—"why, Mamsie. Oh, Jasper! how slow we are!" ”

“ I was much comforted when he looked up from the letter and grinned.
“Ben Sidney’s boy! Well, your father was the only critter on two legs in Levant, in the old days, who could stand in a barrel, like I could, and jump out without touching the sides. You look as if you have some of his spryness and grit!”
“I hope so, sir. I have always worked at what has come to my hands to do.”
“Dod says business is a mite slow in Levant and that you want a job.” ”

“ So it was all settled—“really and truly settled,” as Phronsie said. To-morrow Polly and Ben should take her to the town to be fitted, if Mr. Brown would let them have his wagon.
“Oh, mayn’t we go, too?” cried Joel; “we can sit in behind. Say, now, Mammy, mayn’t we?”
“Do, Mammy!” said David.
“Well, I don’t see why not, I’m sure,” said Mrs. Pepper; “’Twon’t cost anything; the wagon’s going anyway, and the horse is strong—if you’ll be good, Joey.”
“Oh, won’t I, though!” said Joel, giving his mother a hearty kiss, while little David beamed his satisfaction. ”

“ And so they all flew around till they looked like five statues set up to grace the sidewalk.
“Suppose a big dog should come,” suggested Van, pleasantly, “and snap at our backs!”
At this little Dick gave a small howl, and turned around in a fright.
“There isn't any dog coming,” said Polly. “What does make you say such awful things, Van?”
“I hear a noise,” said Phronsie; and so they all whirled around in expectation. But it proved to be only a market wagon coming at a furious pace down the road, with somebody's belated dinner. So they all had to whirl back again as before. ”

“ King said, "And you mean to say, Mrs.
Selwyn, that you really must move on to-morrow?"
"Yes; we really must," she said decidedly. "But oh," and her plain, quiet face changed swiftly, "you cannot know how sorry we shall be to leave your party."
"In that case, Mrs. Fisher,"—old Mr. King looked down the table-length to Mamsie,—"we must go too; for I don't intend to lose sight of these nice travelling companions until I am obliged to." Tom's face was one big smile. "Oh, goody!" exclaimed Polly, as if she were no older than Phronsie.
Jasper clapped Tom's back, instead of wasting words. ”

“ Higby will. I’ll go and ask her.”
“No, I’m going to; Mrs. Higby will let me have the aprons,” shouted Barby, turning her back on her father, in whose lap she had thrown herself, and rushing after him.
“We’re all in for it, I see,” said Pickering. “Well, King, you’re my boy, seeing the others have got champions. What do you want? I’ll see you through this candy scrape.”
“I’d rather have my brother Jasper,” said King, not over politely, “but I’ll take you.”
“O King!” remonstrated Phronsie gently.
“Let him alone, Phronsie,” said Pickering. “King is delicious when unadulterated. ”

“ So Ben got out of the drag, and ran up just in time to save the [238] bay from getting a smart thwack from the whip that Johnny Fargo had captured.
“The next boy that gets hold of that whip will tumble out of this cart,” said Ben decidedly.
Polly sat by the side of the bed in the old bedroom that opened out of the kitchen, Phronsie stood by the foot, as Abiel Babbidge said to Mr. King, “There’s my wife, sir,” and pointed to the bed. Under the old patched bedquilt she lay, propped up by pillows; everything marvellously neat, but oh, so coarse and poor! She had a smile on her thin face ”

“ And now, daughter, go to sleep, like Phronsie." She glanced over at the other little bed, where Phronsie's yellow head was lost in dreams.
"You know we are going to Marken tomorrow."
"I know," said Polly, with a happy little wriggle under the bedclothes.
"And it never would do for you to be all tired out in the morning. That would be very unkind to dear Mr. King, who is trying so hard to make us all happy," continued Mrs. Fisher.
"I know," said Polly, again. "Well, good night, Mamsie." She set three or four kisses on Mother Fisher's cheek, then turned over, with her face to the wall. ”

“ Then she whirled around and stared with all her might, "If there isn't Mamsie coming!"
"As true as you live it is!" cried Jasper, with a good look, and springing down the rocks to help her up. Tom Selwyn plunged after him, getting there first. So in the bustle, nobody answered Mr. King. And he, supposing from the merry chatter that Phronsie was in the midst of it, concluded it best not to interrupt their fun, even if he could make them hear.
"Your father made me come, Polly," said Mrs. Fisher, coming up between the two boys. ”

“ Mr. Ferguson looked into his hat, and then gasped out, “N—no; but perhaps it isn’t true, Mrs. King. It said that the Rev. Joel Pepper was among the lost. That’s all.”
Polly ran through the hall, and out the side door. “Jasper, Jasper!” she was saying over and over in her heart, though her white lips did not move. Would she never reach the little brown house! At last she was speeding up the narrow path and over the well-worn flat stone, and through the old doorway and on into the bedroom, where she threw herself on her knees by Mamsie’s big four-poster, just as she had thrown herself years ago. ”

“ Whitney, "she's always so pleased with them, father."
Mr. King pushed away his coffee-cup, and pulled out his note-book.
"'Punch and Judy,' down that goes," he said, noting it after "phonograph doll." "What else?"
"Can't we have some of those boys up from the Orphan Asylum?" asked Polly, after a minute in which everybody had done a bit of hard thinking. "Phronsie loves to hear them sing when she goes there. Oh! they are so cunning."
"She'll want to give them her best toys and load them down with all her possessions. You see if she doesn't," warned Jasper. ”

“ CHAPTER VIII. POLLY LOOKS OUT FOR CHARLOTTE. "Second floor—Room No. 3," said Buttons, then stood like an automaton to watch the tall young man scale the stair.
"He did 'em beautifully," he confided afterward to another bell-boy.
"Mr. King himself can't get over them stairs better."
"Come in!" cried Jasper, in response to the rap.
"Halloo, old fellow!" cried Pickering Dodge, rushing in tumultuously. "Well, well, so this is your den," looking around the small room in surprise.
"Yes. Now this is good to see you!" exclaimed Jasper, joyfully leaping from his chair to seize Pickering's hand. ”

“ And Phronsie had the big cutting-out shears, and little Dick the smaller, little snipping-thread scissors.
"Hullo!" Mr. King called out, as the butler ushered into the hall two gentlemen, in dripping mackintoshes. "Now that's fine, Cabot and Alstyne, to drop in of this dismal evening."
"We've called to condole with you all," said both gentlemen, as they were divested of their wet garments, "but it doesn't seem as if our services were needed"—with a glance at Grandpapa and his group.
"Oh, my family gets over any little disappointment such as bad weather," observed the old gentleman, with pride. ”

“ Jasper gave a halloo, and waved his hand, and Polly danced up and down and called, and waved her hands too. And Phronsie gave a little crow of delight. "See, Grandpapa, there they are; I want Polly—and Jasper, too." And old Mr. King whirled around. "O dear me! Come down, both of you," which command it did not take them long to obey.
"Well, I never did in all my life," ejaculated Mrs. Griswold, "see anything like that. Now if some people"—she didn't say "we"—"should do anything like that, 'twould be dreadfully erratic and queer. But those Kings can do anything," she added, with venom. ”

“ Then the farmer leaned forward and stared ahead down the road.
“Ef you ain’t goin’ to git out an’ pick up that child, I am, John Brown. Sech a mortal slow man I never see,” snorted his wife scornfully.
“An’ sech a flutter-budget as you be, no man ever saw,” Mr. Brown found time to say as he got slowly down over the wheel.
“Somebody’s got to flutter-budget in this world,” said his wife after him, as he walked slowly over to the small pink heap, “or everybody’d go to sleep. Bring her to me, John.— Oh, do hurry! Bring her to me!”
“I want Mamsie,” said Phronsie, as Mr. Brown leaned over her. ”

“ Why, just look at Phronsie! She hasn’t finished hers yet.”
“Phronsie never’ll get hers done,” grumbled Joel. “She turns it over and over all the time.”
“Well, you’ve got to wait,” said Ben, and that ended the matter. And then they all set to work busier than ever, around the table, and the little brown biscuits that were baked, were slipped off from the tin plate, and another batch slipped on it; Jasper’s being given the place of honor in the middle. And Ben brought out a pan that Mamsie and Polly always baked their bread in. “There, Polly, let’s put some in there,” as he set it on the table. ”

“ Yours is dirty from top to bottom.”
“Well, that’s because you rolled me in the dirt,” said Jasper, coolly, and rubbing his face. “Well, I think we’ll need to get into the tub, instead of the clothes,” he added.
“Oh, I’ll get you a towel and the basin,” said Polly; “then you can wash your faces. Misery me! how you both look!” she exclaimed, as she ran out to get it all ready for them.
“Joe,” called Ben, as Joel and David hurried off dragging the big pail, which banged over the rickety steps, “don’t you get that water; Jasper and I are coming out for it.” ”

“ Whenever we seek for an historical illustration of the gentleman, the figure of Sidney rises in company with that of Bayard, and claims distinction. He was born at Pennshurst in Kent, on the 29th of November, 1554. He was the nephew of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the chief favorite of the queen. Precocious in grace, dignity, and learning, Sidney was educated both at Oxford and Cambridge, and in his earliest manhood he was a prud' homme, handsome, elegant, learned, and chivalrous; a statesman, a diplomatist, a soldier, and a poet ”

“ Pepper, who was almost stunned.
“To come here and live!” cried Jasper, unable to keep still any longer—and springing to the children. “Don't you want to, Joe?”
“To live!” screamed Joel. “Oh whickety, yes! Do ma, do come here and live—do!”
“To live?” echoed Phronsie, over in the old gentleman's lap. “In this be-yew-ti-ful place? Oh, oh!”
“Oh, mamsie!” that was all Polly could say.
And even Ben had his arms around his mother's neck, whispering “Do” into her ear, while little Davie got into her lap and teased her with all his might. ”

“ King's writing-room, and that Grandpapa and he were already off down-town to buy a new blank book for the work. And at the end of it—oh, joy!—Joel was to have a crisp ten-dollar bill to replace the one he had lost.
XI RACHEL "Here she comes!" roared Mr. Tisbett. The townspeople, hurrying to
Badgertown depot to see the train bearing the new little girl sent on by
Mrs. Fisher to their parson's care, crowded up, Mr. and Mrs. Henderson
smilingly in the center of the biggest group.
"Oh, husband, I do pity her so!" breathed the parson's wife. "Poor thing, she will be so shy and distressed!" ”

“ Whitney who had seen some of the affair from her window; and finally, when everything was beginning to be calmed down, Battles reached the lawn.
Sinbad was in Phronsie's lap, who sat on the grass, holding him tightly.
“Oh, Phronsie!” gasped Mrs. Whitney at that. “Michael, do take him away,” as she fled by to Dick. One of the stable-boys was brushing off the grime from his sailor suit.
“The dog is all right, ma'am,” said Michael, 'twas only play; I s'pose Master Joel has raced with him.” ”

“ King quite distinctly, and not moving a muscle.
"But, Grandpapa dear, she isn't glad about something."
"No more am I."
"Grandpapa," cried Phronsie, moving off a bit, though not deserting his hand, and standing on her tiptoes, "I want her to stay, to see me. Perhaps she hasn't any little girls."
"To see you?" cried Mr. King irately. "Say no more, child, say no more.
She's been abusing you right and left, like a pick-pocket."
"What is a pick-pocket?" asked Phronsie, getting down from her tiptoes.
"Oh! a scoundrel who puts his hands into pockets; picks out what doesn't belong to him, in fact." ”