So Katie went up-stairs to make herself tidy.
"It"s mesilf wants to take a "silvernear,"" she said as she scrubbed herself; and then in an evil moment, she beheld a small plate with a bunny on it, which Nora owned and loved.
"It"s just the thing," thought Katie, "and kind of partly mine because it"s in our room."
So she took it with her when she went, and it burned her little hand like fire.
Ethelwyn and Beth were preparing a tea party in the doll house.
"O Katie, how nice!" said Ethelwyn. "We"ll put it in the tea party. We were coming over to get you and Nora to come; there are some beautiful iced cakes coming up in a minute."
"I can"t stay," said Katie feebly, "I feel kind of sick inside."
So saying she rushed home, but it was no use; poor Katie"s conscience grew worse all the time, and presently she came back.
"I--I--know you won"t like me any more," she said, red and miserable, "but it"s Nora"s plate I gave you, and I"m no better than a thafe."
But Ethelwyn and Beth put their arms around her, and comforted her dear little sore heart.
"I know just how you feel," said Ethelwyn. "I took mother"s gold dragon stick-pin for my dolly"s blanket one day, because I was in a hurry, and lost it of course, and felt so mizzable, as if nothing could ever be nice again. Now take the plate and go and get Nora, dear, and we"ll have the best tea party."
And they did, and the guests had each another box of candy for their "silvernears," besides, but Ethelwyn and Beth ate far too much, and that"s the reason their next day good time began by being a bad time too.
_CHAPTER XI_ _The Day After_
In the lovely playtime, life seems always gay.
In the sober worktime, sometimes it grows gray.
Mother was superintending the strawberry jam in the kitchen, giving orders to the grocery boy, and paying Mrs. O"Neal for sewing, all at once.
You can"t do this unless you are a mother, but mothers can do almost everything at once.
"It"s a fortunate thing that the Bible says everybody mustn"t work on Sunday. It says man-servant, maid-servant, cattle, stranger within thy gates, but nothing at all about mothers, though, because they positively have to," said Ethelwyn, after a profound season of thought in the hammock.
"When our mother rests, she darns stockings," said Beth, who was dressing her doll near by.
"Not on Sunday, child!" said Ethelwyn scandalized.
"Well n.o.body said she did, I guess. She tells us Bible stories then. I always think they sound so pretty, against her Sunday clothes," said Beth.
"Pooh!" said Ethelwyn who was cross. She was going down to the grocery presently on her wheel to get some eggs, but she was putting it off as long as she could.
She started after awhile, and unluckily had the groceryman tie the eggs on the wheel. She came along safely, until within view of Beth lying comfortably in the hammock; then with a desire to show off, she spurted, or tried to, and her wheel ran off the walk, and tipped her off upon the gra.s.s on top of two dozen eggs!
Her mother picked her up, and after stilling Beth"s laughter, and her crying, washed her, and put her in the hammock, all in so short a time that only a yellow stain on the gra.s.s showed that a tragedy had happened.
Then mother went back to her jam.
Beth snickered at intervals, however, though Ethelwyn sternly bade her be quiet.
"You were so yellow and funny, sister," said Beth, giggling.
Ethelwyn opened her mouth for a reply that would do justice to the subject, when Bobby, their next door neighbor came along. "Hullo, Bobby," they cried.
"Hullo," said Bobby at once.
"Come in and see our birthday presents," said Ethelwyn, and Bobby at once trotted up the walk.
He was a round-faced little chap, with small freckles on his b.u.t.ton of a nose.
His family had just moved into town from a farm.
"Where have you been, Bobby?" asked Ethelwyn as they went towards the house.
"I went down to the grocery for mother; I thought I knew the way but I got mixed up, and stopped under a lamp-post, to think. Pretty soon a woman came along and put a white letter in a box; so I thought I"d save trouble if I put mother"s grocery list in, and I did. A man in gray clothes came along, and unlocked it, and took the letters all out. I told him "bout my list, and he laughed, and gave it to me, and asked me if I didn"t know "bout letter boxes? I didn"t, so he told me, and took me along with him down town."
"Sister--" began Beth, giggling, "went to the grocery--"
"Let"s play in the house," said Ethelwyn frowning at Beth. "You can stay awhile, can"t you, Bobby?"
"I guess I"d better ask, first," said Bobby. He trotted home and soon came back with his face shining from soap and water, and his hair brushed straight up so that it looked like a halo around the full moon.
Then Nan, the minister"s daughter, came in. She had also come to live in their town and was the same funny, outspoken Nan, as always.
"It"s a very convenient thing that I know you children," she had said, "for it"s a great trouble to have to find out, and learn to know everybody in a town."
They were playing games in the nursery, when mother came up-stairs, having finished the jam, ordered the groceries, and paid Mrs. O"Neal.
She was going to combine resting and mending, as usual, so she came to the nursery, just as they were beginning a temperance lecture.
Bobby was selling tickets, and mother cheerfully paid a penny, and sat in her low rocker near the window.
Nan had chosen to be lecturer, so Ethelwyn, Beth, and Bobby made a somewhat reluctant and highly critical audience. Besides, there were the dolls in various uncomfortable att.i.tudes, but very amiable nevertheless.
And to them all, Nan now came forward and made a profound bow.
"My subject is Temperance, ladies and gentlemen," she began, "and I hope you"ll pay attention, because it"s a true subject, as well as a useful one.
"I wish men wouldn"t get drunk. It"s dreadful smelly even going by a saloon, so I don"t see how they can. I think it would be very nice if pleecemen would think once in a while about stopping such things as drunkers, but they probably like to have saloons around for themselves.
A nice thing would be, to have ladies, like your mother and me, for pleecemen. Then we"d scrub things up, and pour things out, till you couldn"t smell or taste a thing. But men are meaner than women"--Bobby looked dubious--"some men aren"t though"--he looked relieved. "The reason we are so nice and "spectable, is because my father is a minister, and doesn"t dare do disgraceful things, and your mother doesn"t get time. So we should be thankful, instead of wishing we had a candy store in the family, and being sorry we have to set examples for other kids. No! No! No! children, I mean. That"s all, and I hope you won"t forget all I"ve told you."
"Let"s play church now," said Ethelwyn promptly, "and I choose to be preacher, because I know about Moses and Abiram. The choir will please sing Billy Boy."
So they put on nightgowns for surplices.