4. The rose, so ruddy in the light, Bends on its stem all rayless now; And by its side a lily white, A sister shadow, seems to bow: Good night--good night.
5. The bat may wheel on silent wing, The fox his guilty vigils keep, The boding owl his dirges sing; But love and innocence will sleep: Good night--good night.
x.x.xI. AN OLD-FASHIONED GIRL.
Louisa May Alcott (b. 1833, d. 1888) was born at Germantown, Pa., of New England parentage. Her parents afterwards returned to New England, and most of her life was spent in Concord, Ma.s.s. During the Civil War she went to Washington and nursed the wounded and sick until her own health gave way. As a child she used to write stories for the amus.e.m.e.nt of her playmates, and in 1857 published her first book, "Flower Fables." Her first novel, "Moods," appeared in 1865. "Little Women," published in 1868, is a picture of her own home life. "An Old Fashioned Girl," from which this extract is adapted, was published in 1870, and is one of her most popular books.
1. Polly hoped the "dreadful boy" (Tom) would not be present; but he was, and stared at her all dinner time in a most trying manner.
2. Mr. Shaw, a busy-looking gentleman, said, "How do you do, my dear? Hope you"ll enjoy yourself;" and then appeared to forget her entirely. Mrs.
Shaw, a pale, nervous woman, greeted her little guest kindly, and took care that she wanted for nothing.
3. Madam Shaw, a quiet old lady, with an imposing cap, exclaimed, on seeing Polly, "Bless my heart! the image of her mother--a sweet woman--how is she, dear?" and kept peering at the newcomer over her gla.s.ses till, between Madam and Tom, poor Polly lost her appet.i.te.
4. Her cousin f.a.n.n.y chatted like a magpie, and little Maud fidgeted, till Tom proposed to put her under the big dish cover, which produced such an explosion that the young lady was borne screaming away by the much-enduring nurse.
5. It was, altogether, an uncomfortable dinner, and Polly was very glad when it was over. They all went about their own affairs; and, after doing the honors of the house, Fan was called to the dressmaker, leaving Polly to amuse herself in the great drawing-room.
6. Polly was glad to be alone for a few minutes; and, having examined all the pretty things about her, began to walk up and down over the soft, flowery carpet, humming to herself, as the daylight faded, and only the ruddy glow of the fire filled the room.
7. Presently Madam came slowly in, and sat down in her armchair, saying, "That"s a fine old tune; sing it to me, my dear. I have n"t heard it this many a day."
8. Polly did n"t like to sing before strangers, for she had no teaching but such as her busy mother could give her; but she had been taught the utmost respect for old people, and, having no reason for refusing, she directly went to the piano and did as she was bid.
9. "That"s the sort of music it"s a pleasure to hear. Sing some more, dear," said Madam, in her gentle way, when she had done.
10. Pleased with this praise, Polly sang away in a fresh little voice that went straight to the listener"s heart and nestled there. The sweet old tunes that one is never tired of were all Polly"s store. The more she sung, the better she did it; and when she wound up with "A Health to King Charlie," the room quite rung with the stirring music made by the big piano and the little maid.
11. "That"s a jolly tune! Sing it again, please," cried Tom"s voice; and there was Tom"s red head bobbing up over the high back of the chair where he had hidden himself.
12. It gave Polly quite a turn, for she thought no one was hearing her but the old lady dozing by the fire. "I can"t sing any more; I"m tired," she said, and walked away to Madam in the other room. The red head vanished like a meteor, for Polly"s tone had been decidedly cool.
13. The old lady put out her hand, and, drawing Polly to her knee, looked into her face with such kind eyes that Polly forgot the impressive cap, and smiled at her confidently; for she saw that her simple music had pleased her listener, and she felt glad to know it.
14. "You mus"n"t mind my staring, dear," said Madam, softly pinching her rosy cheek, "I haven"t seen a little girl for so long, it does my old eyes good to look at you." Polly thought that a very odd speech, and could n"t help saying, "Are n"t Fan and Maud little girls, too?"
15. "Oh, dear, no! not what I call little girls. Fan has been a young lady this two years, and Maud is a spoiled baby. Your mother"s a very sensible woman, my child."
16. "What a queer old lady!" thought Polly; but she said "Yes"m,"
respectfully, and looked at the fire. "You don"t understand what I mean, do you?" asked Madam, still holding her by the chin. "No"m; not quite."
17. "Well, dear, I"ll tell you. In my day, children of fourteen and fifteen did n"t dress in the height of the fashion; go to parties as nearly like those of grown people as it"s possible to make them; lead idle, giddy, unhealthy lives, and get blase" at twenty. We were little folks till eighteen or so; worked and studied, dressed and played, like children; honored our parents; and our days were much longer in the land than now, it seems to me."
18. The old lady appeared to forget Polly, at the end of her speech; for she sat patting the plump little hand that lay in her own, and looking up at a faded picture of an old gentleman with a ruffled shirt and a queue.
"Was he your father, Madam?"
19. "Yes, my dear; my honored father. I did up his frills to the day of his death; and the first money I ever earned, was five dollars which he offered as a prize to whichever of his six girls would lay the handsomest darn in his silk stockings."
20. "How proud you must have been!" cried Polly, leaning on the old lady"s knee with an interested face.
21. "Yes; and we all learned to make bread, and cook, and wore little chintz gowns, and were as gay and hearty as kittens. All lived to be grandmothers; and I"m the last--seventy next birthday, my dear, and not worn out yet; though daughter Shaw is an invalid at forty."
22. "That"s the way I was brought up, and that"s why Fan calls me old-fashioned, I suppose. Tell more about your papa, please; I like it,"
said Polly.
23. "Say, "father." We never called him papa; and if one of my brothers had addressed him as "governor," as boys now do, I really think he"d have him cut off with a shilling."
DEFINITIONS.--3. Im-pos"ing, having the power of exciting attention and feeling, impressive. 4. Mag"pie, a noisy, mischievous bird, common in Europe and America. 12. Van"ished, disappeared. Me"te-or, a shooting star.
13. Con"fi-dent-ly, with trust. 17. Bla-se" (pro. bla-za"), a French word meaning surfeited, rendered incapable further enjoyment. 21. In"va-lid, a person who is sickly.
x.x.xII. MY MOTHER"S HANDS.
1. Such beautiful, beautiful hands!
They"re neither white nor small; And you, I know, would scarcely think That they are fair at all.
I"ve looked on hands whose form and hue A sculptor"s dream might be; Yet are those aged, wrinkled hands More beautiful to me.
2. Such beautiful, beautiful hands!
Though heart were weary and sad, Those patient hands kept toiling on, That the children might be glad.
I always weep, as, looking back To childhood"s distant day, I think how those hands rested not When mine were at their play.
3. Such beautiful, beautiful hands!
They"re growing feeble now, For time and pain have left their mark On hands and heart and brow.
Alas! alas! the nearing time, And the sad, sad day to me, When "neath the daisies, out of sight, These hands will folded be.
4. But oh! beyond this shadow land, Where all is bright and fair, I know full well these dear old hands Will palms of victory bear; Where crystal streams through endless years Flow over golden sands, And where the old grow young again, I"ll clasp my mother"s hands.
x.x.xIII. THE DISCONTENTED PENDULUM.
Jane Taylor (b. 1783, d. 1824) was born in London. Her mother was a writer of some note. In connection with her sister Ann, Jane Taylor wrote several juvenile works of more than ordinary excellence. Among them were "Hymns for Infant Minds" and "Original Poems." Besides these, she wrote "Display, a Tale," "Essays in Rhyme," and "Contributions of QQ." Her writings are graceful, and often contain a useful moral.
1. An old dock that had stood for fifty years in a farmer"s kitchen, without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer"s morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. Upon this, the dial plate (if we may credit the fable) changed countenance with alarm; the hands made a vain effort to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; the weights hung speechless; and each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. At length the dial inst.i.tuted a formal inquiry as to the cause of the stagnation, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence.
2. But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who spoke thus: "I confess myself to be the sole cause of the present stoppage; and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to a.s.sign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking." Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged that it was upon the very point of striking. "Lazy wire!"
exclaimed the dial plate, holding up its bands.
3. "Very good!" replied the pendulum; "it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as everybody knows, set yourself up above me,--it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness! you who have had nothing to do all your life but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes on in the kitchen. Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this dark closet, and to wag backward and forward year after year, as I do."
4. "As to that," said the dial, "is there not a window in your house on purpose for you to look through?" "For all that," resumed the pendulum, "it is very dark here; and, although there is a window, I dare not stop even for an instant to look out at it. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and, if you wish, I"ll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. I happened, this morning, to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the course of only the next twenty-four hours; perhaps some one of you above there can give me the exact sum."
5. The minute hand, being quick at figures, presently replied, "Eighty-six thousand four hundred times." "Exactly so," replied the pendulum. "Well, I appeal to you all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue anyone; and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day by those of months and years, really it was no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect. So, after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, I"ll stop."
6. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but, resuming its gravity, thus replied: "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself should have been seized by this sudden weariness. It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so have we all, and are likely to do; which, although it may fatigue us to think of, the question is, whether it will fatigue us to do. Would you now do me the favor to give about half a dozen strokes to ill.u.s.trate my argument?"