Of course I did not gnaw the cheese, but I did want to have it cut open, to see if it tasted like any other I ever ate. But cousin Lydia covered it with tissue paper, and oiled it, and set it in a safe, and every day she oiled it again, and turned it. I would have spent half my time looking at it, only she said I must not open the dairy-room door to let the flies in.
CHAPTER IX.
"WAXERATION."
Still, in spite of cheeses, beehives, bossies, and kittens, I had many lonesome hours, and sometimes cried after I went to bed. Samantha must have known it, for I slept with her; I was afraid to sleep alone.
There were times when I thought I would start off secretly, and go home on foot. I asked the hired man how long he supposed it would take a little girl to walk to Willowbrook, and what were the chances of her getting lost if she should try it? I thought I spoke in such a guarded way that Seth would not have the least idea what I meant; but he must have been very quick-witted, for he understood in a minute. He did not let me know it, though, and only answered coolly,--
"Wal, I should think now it would take her about a week"s steady travel, and no knowing but she"d starve to death on the road. Why, _you_ hain"t heerd of a little gal that thinks of such a thing, I hope?"
"No; I don"t see many little girls," said I, with a dismal sigh; "they don"t have anything here but bossies and horses."
I did not know, till Seth nipped it in the bud, what a sweet hope I had been cherishing. Should I truly starve to death if I took my little cheese in a basket on my arm, and some doughnuts and turn-overs? But no, it would be stealing to take things out of cousin Lydia"s cupboard, and run off with them. I would rather stay at Bloomingdale and suffer, than be a thief.
I know now that Seth told cousin Lydia what I said to him, and her kind heart was touched. I am sure she must have had a hard time with me, for she knew nothing about children, and was as busy as she could be with her dairy and her "fall work." I ought not to have been so unhappy. Some children at that age, with so much done for their amus.e.m.e.nt, would have felt perfectly contented; but I had naturally a restless disposition, and wanted, as Ned said, "sumpin diffunt."
Ah, Horace! very gallant in you to say I have "got bravely over it."
Thank you, dear; I hope I have, to some degree; still I might have got over it much younger if I had only tried a little harder. A child of seven is old enough to be grateful to its friends, when they do all they can for its comfort and pleasure.
Cousin Lydia wrote mother about my state of mind; and it troubled her.
She talked with Madam Allen, who was always full of plans. Madam thought a minute, and then said,--
"Poor Marjie, we can"t have her homesick. Do you suppose she would like to have Ruph.e.l.le go there and stay with her?"
Of course mother knew I would be happy with Ruph.e.l.le.
Then Madam Allen wished mother would please write cousin Lydia, and ask if Fel might go to Bloomingdale a few weeks. She hoped the mountain air would be strengthening to the dear little girl, who seemed rather drooping.
Cousin Lydia was willing; and Madam Allen sent Ruph.e.l.le by cars, with a gentleman and lady who were going to Boston. Not a word was said to me; and when Seth harnessed the horse and went to the station to meet her, I supposed he was only "going to see his mother;" for that was what he always said when I asked any questions. It was about three miles to the flag station, and I believe his mother lived somewhere on the way.
I was not watching for him to come back, or thinking anything about him, when I happened to look out of the window and see him helping a little girl out of the wagon. The red and white plaid looked exactly like Fel"s dress; and as the little girl turned around, there were the soft, brown eyes, and the dark, wavy hair, and the lovely pale face of Fel Allen herself!
I never expect to be much happier till I get to heaven than I was for the next hour or two. I danced and screamed, and laughed and cried, and wondered how Fel could keep so calm, when we hadn"t seen each other for as much as three weeks.
"I don"t see what"s the matter with me," sobbed I; "I never was so glad in my life; but I can"t help a-crying!"
Fel was not one of the kind to go wild. She usually knew what she was about. Supper was ready, and she sat at the table, and ate honey on her bread and b.u.t.ter, as if she really enjoyed it; also answered every one of cousin Lydia"s many questions like a little lady.
I had no appet.i.te, and could hardly have told what my name was if any one had asked me.
But from that time my homesickness was gone. I took my little friend all about the farm, which was a very nice place, only I had never thought of it before, and showed her the speckled bossy, which seemed to have grown handsomer all in one night.
"Here are some black currants, Fel; do you like "em?"
"O, yes."
"Why, I don"t; I just despise "em."
"Well, I don"t like "em _very_ well," said Fel; for after our long separation she could not bear to disagree with me in anything.
"Cousin Lydia," said I, very soon after Fel came, "may we tell scare stories after we go to bed? She wants us to."
Cousin Lydia did not know what I meant by "scare stories."
"It"s all the awful things we can think of," said I, eagerly. "And we like to, for we want to see "f our hair "ll stand out straight."
Cousin Lydia laughed, and said "children were perfect curiosities."
"It makes us shiver all over. It"s splendid," said I.
"Well, you may try it this once," said cousin Lydia, "if you"ll stop talking the moment I tap on the wall."
So, as soon as we got into bed we began. "You tell first," said Ruph.e.l.le; "you can tell the orfulest, and then I"ll tell."
"Mine"ll be about the Big Giant," said I, clearing my throat.
_The Big Giant._
"Once upon a time he had three heads, and he roared so you could hear him a mile."
"That isn"t anything," said Fel; "my hair don"t stand out a bit."
"Why, I hadn"t but just begun. You wait and see what comes next. Did I say the Big Giant had three heads? He had sixteen. And every one of "em had three mouths, and some had ten; and they made a noise when he chewed gra.s.s like----like thunder."
"It don"t scare me a bit," said Fel, stoutly.
"Did I say the Big Giant ate gra.s.s? He ate _fire_; he ate live coals, the _liver_ the better."
"I should have thought "twould have burnt him all up," said Fel.
"There, miss, you needn"t pretend not to be scared! I"m so scared myself I can"t but just tell!--No, it didn"t burn him up; it came out at his great big nose. And when the Big Giant walked along the streets folks ran away, for he blazed so. And there wasn"t enough water in Willowbrook to put him out!"
"He didn"t live at Willowbrook?"
"O, yes, right between your house and my house; _and lives there now_!"
By that time Fel began to tremble and creep closer to me.
"Tell some more," said she, laughing. "It don"t scare me a bit."
And I told, and I told. There was no end to the horrible things that Big Giant had done, was doing, or was going to do.
"Does your hair stand up, Fel?"