"How comes there to be a stone in your shoe?"
"Because of this great hole, mamma--it comes in there: my shoes are quite worn out; I wish you"d be so very good as to give me another pair."
"Nay, Rosamond, but I have not money enough to buy shoes, and flower-pots, and boxes, and everything."
Rosamond thought that was a great pity. But now her foot, which had been hurt by the stone, began to give her so much pain that she was obliged to hop every other step, and she could think of nothing else. They came to a shoemaker"s shop soon afterwards.
"There! there! mamma, there are shoes--there are little shoes that would just fit me; and you know shoes would be really of use to me."
"Yes, so they would, Rosamond. Come in."
She followed her mother into the shop.
Mr. Sole, the shoemaker, had a great many customers, and his shop was full, so they were obliged to wait.
"Well, Rosamond," said her mother, "you don"t think this shop so pretty as the rest?"
"No, not nearly; it"s black and dark, and there are nothing but shoes all round; and besides, there"s a very disagreeable smell."
"That smell is the smell of new leather."
"Is it? Oh!" said Rosamond, looking round, "there is a pair of little shoes; they"ll just fit me, I"m sure."
"Perhaps they might, but you cannot be sure till you have tried them on, any more than you can be quite sure that you should like the purple vase _exceedingly_, till you have examined it more attentively."
"Why, I don"t know about the shoes, certainly, till I"ve tried; but, mamma, I"m quite sure I should like the flower-pot."
"Well, which would you rather have, that jar, or a pair of shoes?
I will buy either for you."
"Dear mamma, thank you--but if you could buy both?"
"No, not both."
"Then the jar, if you please."
"But I should tell you that I shall not give you another pair of shoes this month."
"This month! that"s a very long time indeed. You can"t think how these hurt me. I believe I"d better have the new shoes--but yet, that purple flower-pot--Oh, indeed, mamma, these shoes are not so very, very bad; I think I might wear them a little longer; and the month will soon be over: I can make them last to the end of the month, can"t I? Don"t you think so, mamma?"
"Nay, my dear, I want you to think for yourself: you will have time enough to consider about it whilst I speak to Mr. Sole about my boots."
Mr. Sole was by this time at leisure; and whilst her mother was speaking to him, Rosamond stood in profound meditation, with one shoe on, and the other in her hand.
"Well, my dear, have you decided?"
"Mamma!--yes--I believe. If you please--I should like the flower-pot; that is, if you won"t think me very silly, mamma."
"Why, as to that, I can"t promise you, Rosamond; but when you are to judge for yourself, you should choose what will make you the happiest; and then it would not signify who thought you silly."
"Then, mamma, if that"s all, I"m sure the flower-pot would make me the happiest," said she, putting on her old shoe again; "so I choose the flower-pot."
"Very well, you shall have it: clasp your shoe and come home."
Rosamond clasped her shoe, and ran after her mother: it was not long before the shoe came down at the heel, and many times was she obliged to stop, to take the stones out of her shoe, and often was she obliged to hop with pain; but still the thoughts of the purple flower-pot prevailed, and she persisted in her choice.
When they came to the shop with the large window, Rosamond felt her joy redouble, upon hearing her mother desire the servant, who was with them, to buy the purple jar, and bring it home. He had other commissions, so he did not return with them. Rosamond, as soon as she got in, ran to gather all her own flowers, which she had in a corner of her mother"s garden.
"I"m afraid they"ll be dead before the flower-pot comes, Rosamond,"
said her mother to her, when she was coming in with the flowers in her lap.
"No, indeed, mamma, it will come home very soon, I dare say; and shan"t I be very happy putting them into the purple flower-pot?"
"I hope so, my dear."
The servant was much longer returning home than Rosamond had expected; but at length he came, and brought with him the long-wished-for jar.
The moment it was set down upon the table, Rosamond ran up with an exclamation of joy.
"I may have it now, mamma?"
"Yes, my dear, it is yours."
Rosamond poured the flowers from her lap upon the carpet, and seized the purple flower-pot. "Oh, dear mother!" cried she, as soon as she had taken off the top, "but there"s something dark in it --it smells very disagreeable: what is in it? I didn"t want this black stuff."
"Nor I neither, my dear."
"But what shall I do with it, mamma?"
"That I cannot tell."
"But it will be of no use to me, mamma."
"That I can"t help."
"But I must pour it out, and fill the flower-pot with water."
"That"s as you please, my dear."
"Will you lend me a bowl to pour it into, mamma?"
"That was more than I promised you, my dear; but I will lend you a bowl."
The bowl was produced, and Rosamond proceeded to empty the purple vase. But what was her surprise and disappointment, when it was entirely empty, to find that it was no longer a _purple_ vase!
It was a plain white gla.s.s jar, which had appeared to have that beautiful color merely from the liquor with which it had been filled.
Little Rosamond burst into tears.
"Why should you cry, my dear?" said her mother; "it will be of as much use to you now as ever for a flower-vase."