Miss Rubie was very good and patient with us, but we began to dread to go to school. I overheard Tempy Ann say to Polly Whiting,--
"The story is, that Mrs. Adams (aunt Persis) steamed her own mother out of the world."
"You don"t say so!" said Polly. "How long since?"
"About two years ago. The poor old lady sailed off very easy, with a jug of hot water close to her nose."
That frightened us dreadfully. We knew aunt Persis steamed Zed, for he said so; and what if she should steam us all out of the world with jugs of hot water close to our noses? And she was always trying to make Fel swallow something bad, and always talking about her white face. "Tell your mother to let me have you for a month," said she, "and I"ll put roses into your cheeks, my dear."
Fel was so afraid that she trembled when we went into the house, expecting auntie would spring out upon her, and set her over the fire to steam. But she was such a patient, still little thing that she never complained, even to her own mother, and I was too rattle-brained to think much about it, though if I myself had expected to be cooked, the whole town would have heard of it.
Zed grew paler and paler. I asked Miss Rubie, privately, "what made his mother boil him?" And she smiled, though not as if she was happy, and said,--
"She doesn"t boil him when I can help it, dear."
About this time I heard my mother say to my father she wished uncle John was at home, for auntie acted so odd, and her eyes looked so strange.
"Yes, mamma," cried I, rushing in from the nursery, "she boils her little boy, and she wants to boil Fel. I should think you"d tell Fel"s mother, for Fel da.s.sent tell, she"s so scared."
I think mother went right to Madam Allen with what I said, for the next night, when I was at Squire Allen"s, and Fel was sitting in her mamma"s lap, Madam Allen said,--
"Why didn"t my little girl let me know she was afraid of Mrs. Adams?
When darling feels unhappy about anything she must always tell mamma."
Fel was so glad somebody was going to protect her, that she threw her arms about her mother"s neck, and sobbed for joy. "Don"t let her hurt Zed either," said she. She was such a dear little soul, always thinking about others.
"Now tell me if that boy has got a name?" spoke up grandpa Harrington.
That was what he always asked when any one spoke of Zed.
"Yes, sir; his name is Rosalvin Colvazart," said Madam Allen. "Zed is for short."
"I know, I know, Rose Albert Coffeepot," laughed grandpa. He had said that fifty times, but he always thought it a new joke.
That night, while we were all soundly asleep, we were suddenly roused by the sharp ringing of the door-bell. Squire Allen went to the door, and there, on the steps, stood our dear teacher, Martha Rubie, in her night dress, with a shawl over her shoulders.
"O, Mr. Allen! O, madam! come quick! My sister is worse. She has steamed Zed, and she was trying him with a fork; but I locked him into the closet. Do come and take care of her. She is putting lobelia down the cow"s throat."
Fel and I screamed, and Tempy Ann had to come in and soothe us. Fel wasn"t willing her father and mother should go; but I said, "Don"t you be afraid; aunt Persis won"t boil "em; they"re too big to get into the kettle."
Tempy Ann laughed in her shaky way--which always made me provoked.
"Tempy Ann," cried I, jumping over the foot-board, "I guess _you_ wouldn"t laugh if _you_ should be doubled up, and put over the stove!
You needn"t think Fel and I are babies, and don" know what you said about her boiling her mother up the chimney, with a jug on her nose; but we do know, and it"s so, and sober true, for we"ve seen the kettle."
But it wasn"t of the least use to reason with Tempy Ann when she had one of those shaky spells. So silly as she was at such times, I almost wished she could be boiled half a minute, to see if it wouldn"t sober her down.
It seems aunt Persis had really become very crazy indeed; and that dear, sweet, patient, good Martha had been trying to keep it a secret; but it couldn"t be done any longer. She acted so badly that Martha couldn"t manage her. When Squire Allen went into the house, she was stirring "Number Six" into some corn-meal for the hens, and was very angry with him because he made her leave off and go to bed.
Father and mother had to take care of her till uncle John came; but she was as sick as she was crazy, and did not live till October.
I remember looking at her beautiful, white face, the first I ever saw in death, and thinking,--
"How glad auntie is to be so still."
No one told me she was tired, but somehow I knew it, for she was always flying about in such a hurry, and I was sure it must rest her very much to go to sleep. I received then a pleasant, peaceful impression of death, which I never forgot.
Miss Rubie staid at Squire Allen"s for some time, and taught Fel. Now she is a person whom you all know very well; but I shall not tell who she is till by and by.
CHAPTER VII.
THE LITTLE LIE-GIRL.
And now I will skip along to the next summer, and come to the dreadful lie I told about the hatchet. You remember it, Horace and Prudy, how I saw your uncle Ned"s hatchet on the meat block, and heedlessly took it up to break open some clams, and then was so frightened that I dared not tell how I cut my foot. "O, mamma," said I, "my foot slipped, and I fell and hit me on something; I don"t know whether "twas a hatchet or a stick of wood; but I never touched the hatchet."
It was very absurd. I think I did not know clearly what I was saying; but after I had once said it, I supposed it would not do to take it back, but kept repeating it, "No, mamma, I never touched the hatchet."
Mother was grieved to hear me tell such a wrong story, but it was no time to reason with me then, for before my boot could be drawn off I had fainted away. When I came to myself, and saw Dr. Foster was there, it was as much as they could do to keep me on the bed. I was dreadfully afraid of that man. I thought I had deceived mother, but I knew I couldn"t deceive him.
"So, so, little girl, you thought you"d make me a good job while you were about it. There"s no half-way work about you," said he. And then he laughed in a way that rasped across my feelings like the noise of sharpening a slate pencil, and said I mustn"t be allowed to move my foot for days and days.
Every morning when he came, he asked, with that dreadful smile,--
"Let us see: how is it we cut our foot?"
And I answered, blushing with all my might, "Just the same as I did in the first place, you know, sir."
Upon which he would show all his white teeth, and say,--
"Well, stick to it, my dear; you remember the old saying, "A lie well stuck to is better than the truth wavering.""
I did not understand that, but I knew he was making fun of me. I understood what Ned meant; for he said flatly, "You"ve told a bouncer, miss."
I was so glad Gust Allen wasn"t in town; he was a worse tease than Ned. When Abner came in to bring me apples or cherries, he always asked,--
"Any news from the hatchet, Maggie?" And then chucked me under the chin, adding, "You"re a steam-tug for telling wrong stories. Didn"t know how smart you were before."
Miss Rubie said nothing; she came in with Fel every day; but I presumed she was thinking over that solemn text, "Thou, G.o.d, seest me."
"Ria did not say anything either; but I always felt as if she was just going to say something, and dreaded to have her bring in my dinner.
I knew that father "looked straight through my face down to the lie;" but I still thought that mother believed in me. One day I found out my mistake. Ned had been saying some pretty cutting things, and I appealed to her, as she came into the room:--
"Mayn"t Ned stop plaguing me, mamma?"
"No more of that, Edward," said mother, looking displeased. "It is too serious a subject for jokes. If Margaret has told us a wrong story, she is, of course, very unhappy. Do not add to her distress, my son.