V.
_WHITE MICE._
THE ladies with mamma proved to be two aunts who had come to pass apart of the day with her.
They had brought pretty gifts for each one of the children: a seriesof books for Nellie,--for they knew her tastes; a wax doll for Carrie;and a doll's tea-set for Daisy. So it was no wonder if the white micewere for the time forgotten in the children's delight over their newtreasures.
Carrie's doll was the handsomest one she had ever owned; not by anymeans equal to Nellie's nonpareil, it is true, but she was more thancontented with it.
Nellie was equally pleased with her books; but after looking at thepictures, and seeing "how very interesting" the series looked, sheresolutely put them away, and devoted herself to the entertainment ofher aunts, believing that as "mamma's housekeeper" a part of this dutydevolved upon her. Moreover, she found that her "help" was needed byher mother in certain little preparations for this unexpected company.Perhaps in her new zeal she did more than was needful, and might haveleft some things to the servants; but her mother was so glad to see heroccupied and content without her beloved study books, that she put nocheck upon her.
Carrie, too, being very anxious to carry out her new resolution ofmaking herself of use to mamma, was very busy, and more than once hadher fingers where they were not wanted. She ended her performances by amistake which alarmed her very much, believing as she did that she haddone great mischief.
The grocery-man having brought several articles from the store at atime when it was not convenient for the cook to attend to them at once,they had been left standing upon the kitchen porch. Such as were to goto the store-room were by Nellie's direction now carried there; butthere were others which were to be left under the cook's care, amongthem some rock-salt and some saltpetre.
Carrie being, as I have said, seized with the desire of making herselfuseful, went peering from one to another of these things. Seeing thesalt in one bucket, and the saltpetre in another, neither of thevessels being full, and not knowing there was any difference betweenthem, she thought the one pail would hold both, and forthwith emptiedthe one into the other.
"An' whatever have ye been about then, Miss Carrie?" she heard the nextinstant from Catherine the cook, and the woman stood beside her withuplifted hands, looking from the empty bucket to the full one. "If sheain't been and emptied all the salt-pater into me rock-salt," shecried to one of the other servants who was near.
"Oh my! and saltpetre explodes and goes off sometimes, when it is putwith other things," called Nellie, who had heard from the store-room."Children, come away from it; it might be dangerous."
Away went Carrie, frightened half out of her senses, and, rushing intothe room where her mother sat with her aunts, cried in a tone of greatdistress,--
"Oh! mamma, mamma, I've put all the Peter salt into the other salt, andNellie thinks we'll blow up."
The smile with which her mother and the other ladies heard thisalarming announcement somewhat reassured her, and she soon learned thatshe had done no such very great harm; but, her brothers Johnny and Bobhearing the story, it was long before she heard the last of the "Petersalt."
With so much else to think about, it is not very surprising that thelittle girls should forget the white mice; and, even up to the timeof their leaving home to go to Mrs. Bradford's house, Nellie did notremember to ask her mother if she would object to them.
Daisy, mindful of the advantage she had gained in the morning, and verymuch enjoying the position of affairs, was extremely coy and coquettishwith Frankie this afternoon; while he, anxious to return to his oldstandpoint with her, would have given her every thing she fancied, andcourted her favor by every means in his power. So you may be sure thathe repeated his offer of the white mice, for which he really did notcare much, so that it was no great act of generosity to give them up tohis young lady-love.
"They're my own, my very own," said the delighted child, showing herprize to Nellie, and the others. "Frankie says so. Just see this onerun up my arm, and the ofer one is way down in my pottet. Oh! they'reso cunning, and my very own. There comes that one out of my pottet."
Daisy was too much absorbed with her mice to notice the grave, doubtfulface with which Nellie heard her, and watched the tame little creaturesas they ran over her hands and arms, and up to her shoulder. Nelliecould not bear to damp her little sister's pleasure, but she fearedthat her mother would be nervous and troubled by their presence.
"Did you ask your mamma if Daisy could have them?" asked Maggie,noticing the expression of her face, and guessing the cause.
"No, I quite forgot it," answered Nellie; "and I can't bear todisappoint the dear little thing; and yet--and yet--I am 'most suremamma will not like to have them about."
"I don't believe she'd mind," said Bessie. "Our Aunt Annie isdreadfully afraid of real mice, but she don't mind those white ones abit."
"Suppose you take them home with you, and see what your mamma says,"suggested Maggie. "If she will not let Daisy keep them, then you couldbring them back to-morrow; but I feel 'most sure she will not bewilling to disappoint Daisy. Just see how delighted she looks, Nellie."
"Or if your mamma won't let Daisy keep them, Johnny could bring themback to-night," said Bessie.
Nellie was still doubtful; but it was quite true that she herself couldnot bear to check Daisy's delight by even a hint that their motherwould not admire or tolerate the white mice; and, though against herbetter judgment, she resolved to let the child carry them home, andthen act as circumstances, or rather mamma's wishes, dictated. Itwould have been better to have told Daisy at once, Nellie knew that;but she always shrank from inflicting pain, or saying that which wasdisagreeable to another; and, besides, she had a faint hope that hermother might not so much mind the _white_ mice. Miss Annie Stanton'sexample was an encouraging one in this matter.
So after an afternoon pleasantly spent in play, during which Daisycould scarcely be persuaded to part from her new pets for a singlemoment, the Ransom children said good-by to their young friends, andturned their faces homeward.
Daisy walked sedately along by Nellie's side, not skipping and jumpingas was her wont, lest she should disturb the precious white mice, oneof which lay curled in her "pottet," the other in a box also given toher by Frankie, which she held tenderly clasped with both hands to herbreast. The child's face was radiant as she talked of her treasures,and every now and then peeped within the box where one of them lay; andNellie, watching and listening to her, was ready to believe that mammacould not and would not have any fear of the pretty little things.
Still!
She, Nellie, had intended to be the first to speak to her mother ofthe white mice, and to tell Daisy to keep them out of sight tillmamma should hear of them, and her permission be gained to bring theminto the house. She was just about to speak to Daisy as they enteredthe gate, when her attention was called for the moment by Johnny,who begged her to help him unravel a knot in his fish-line, knowingwell--impetuous fellow!--that her patient fingers were better at thatthan his own stronger but less careful ones.
All that needed patience and gentleness it seemed natural to bring tosteady, painstaking Nellie.
But just at the moment that she was engaged with Johnny's line, andwhen she had for the time forgotten Daisy and the white mice, thelittle one spied her mother coming out upon the piazza; and, anxious todisplay her prize, she scampered away over the lawn as fast as her feetcould carry her, Carrie following.
"Mamma, mamma!" cried Daisy as she reached her mother's side, "dearmamma, just see what Frankie Bradford gave me. All for my own, my veryown, to keep for ever, an' ever, an' ever, he said so."
And, plunging her hand into her pocket, she brought forth one mouse andlaid it in triumph on her mother's lap; then, opening the box, thrustthe other beneath her very eyes, her own chubby face fairly brimmingover with dimples and smiles.
Mrs. Ransom turned a shade paler, shrank back a little, then with aforced smile said,--
"Yes,
darling, very pretty. I dare say you are very much pleased; butsuppose you put this little fellow in the box with his brother. It is abetter place for him than mamma's lap."
"Oh, no! mamma, he'd just as lieve stay in your lap," said Daisy."He's not a bit af'aid of you. He likes peoples. See, he'll run rightup your arm;" and, taking the mouse up, she would have laid it uponher mother's hand, had not Mrs. Ransom drawn back with an unmistakableshudder and expression of disgust which struck even the unconsciousDaisy.
"Don't, darling, don't," she said hurriedly, but gently, unwillingto wound her little girl, or to give her any dread of the harmlesscreatures, but still feeling that she _could not_ bear them near her."Take them away, my pet: you know mamma does not like mice."
"They're not _weally_ mice, mamma," said the little one, opening greatastonished eyes at her mother, but at the same time obeying her wordsand drawing farther away with her mice,--"they're only white ones, not_weally_ ones."
"Yes, darling," said her mother, trying to control her disgust for thechild's sake, "but mamma does not like any mice. Suppose you put themaway."
Just at this moment Nellie ran up the piazza steps.
"O mamma!" she said, seeing the expression of her mother's face, "Imeant to tell you about the white mice before Daisy brought themnear you or showed them to you, but she was too quick for me. Daisy,darling, take them away; you see mamma does not like them, and youmust take them back to Frankie Bradford."
To have seen Daisy's face!
She could not believe it possible that any one should really have afear or dislike to "such cunning little things" as her white mice, andshe stood looking from mother to sister, dismay, disappointment, andwonder mingling in her expression.
Poor little Daisy!
Nellie hastily explained to her mother, telling her how she had beendetained by Johnny, and that she had not intended to allow her to seethe mice until she had learned whether or no they would annoy her; andending by saying that she was sure Daisy would be a good girl and carrythem back to Frankie.
Nellie herself, Mrs. Ransom and Carrie, all expected to hear Daisybreak into one of her dismal wails at this proposal; but, to theirsurprise, this did not follow.
True, the little face worked sadly, and Daisy winked her eyes veryhard, trying to keep back the gathering tears, while her bosom, towhich she held the mice tightly clasped, rose and fell with the sobsshe struggled to suppress.
"Mamma," she at last gasped rather than said,--"mamma, I'm trying veryhard: I _am_ trying not to be a cry-baby any more, 'cause Nellie saidthat was a good way to be a help to you; but, mamma, oh! I do 'most_have_ to be a cry-baby if you don't love my mice, 'cause I do love 'emso."
"My precious lambie!" said the mother; and, forgetting her own aversionto Daisy's pets in her sympathy for the child, she held out her arms toher, and gathered her, mice and all, within their loving clasp.
Thoughtful Nellie in another instant had taken the mice from Daisy'shold, and shutting both within the box laid it on a chair at a distance.
"Mamma," sobbed Daisy, hiding her little pitiful face on her mother'sbosom, "I will take 'em back to Frankie. I didn't know you woulddegust 'em so, and I'm sorry I bringed 'em home for you to see. And,mamma, I wouldn't be a cry-baby, 'deed I wouldn't, if I could help it."
"You can cry a little if you want to, and no one shall call you acry-baby, my pet," said her mother, "and"--Mrs. Ransom hesitated; thenafter a little struggle with herself, went on--"and you shall keep themice, darling. Perhaps we can find a place for them where mamma willnot see them."
Daisy raised her head, showing flushed cheeks and tearful eyes, and astill quivering lip, although smiles and dimples were already minglingthemselves with these signs of distress, at this crumb of comfort.
Never was such an April face and temper as Daisy Ransom's.
"I'll tell you, mamma," said Johnny, coming to the rescue, "Bob and Ican make a cubby hole for them down in the garden-house, and they canlive there, where they need never bother you. Daisy can go and playwith them there when she wants them. Will that do, Daisy?"
Do? One would have thought so to see Daisy's delight. She was beamingand dimpling all over now.
"Oh! you dear, darling, loving Johnny," she exclaimed, clapping herhands; then turning to her mother, and softly touching her cheek, sheasked in the most insinuating little way,--
"Mamma, dear, would they trouble you down in the garden-house? If theywould, I'll do wifout 'em."
Who could resist her sweet coaxing way.
Not her mother, certainly, who, once more kissing the little eager,upturned face, assured her that she might keep the white mice, and havethem down in the garden-house.
"There's an old bird-cage upstairs in the attic," said Nellie, "whywouldn't that do for a house for them?"
"Just the thing. I'll bring it," said Johnny, and away he wentupstairs, three steps at once, and returning in less time than wouldhave seemed possible, with the old, disused bird-cage.
"It is rather the worse for wear," he said, turning it around, andviewing it disparagingly, "but we'll make it do. I'll cobble it up; andit will hold the mice anyhow, Daisy."
To Daisy it seemed a palace for her mice. Every thing was _couleur derose_ to her now that she was to be allowed to keep her new pets, andthat, as she believed, without any annoyance to mamma.
Johnny and Bob were very kind too. They went to work at once; theformer straightening the bent bars of the cage, the latter finding acup and a small tin box for the food and drink of the white mice.
Daisy was enchanted, and stood by with radiant face till she saw herpets lodged safely within their new house, when she was even satisfiedto have the boys carry them to the garden-house, and to stay behindherself; mamma telling her that it was too late for her to go outagain.
Never was happier child than Daisy when she laid her little head on herpillow that night.
"What a nice day this has been!" said Carrie, as the four elderchildren sat with their mother upon the piazza, after Daisy had gone torest.
"What's made it so wonderfully nice?" asked Johnny.
"Well, I don't know," said Carrie. "I've had a very pleasant timesomehow, and I believe it's 'cause Nellie has been with me 'most allday, and been so nice. Why, Nellie, you haven't studied one bit to-day."
"Why, no," exclaimed Nellie. "I declare I forgot all about mypractising and sewing, and every thing. I never thought of my books,I've been so busy. Why didn't you remind me of the practising andsewing, mamma?"
Her mother smiled.
"I thought it just as well to let you take the whole day for otherthings, Nellie," she said: "a whole holiday from books and work willnot hurt you. You _have_ managed to live and be happy through it, haveyou not?"
"Why, yes," answered Nellie, astonished at herself, as she recollectedhow completely lessons, sewing, and practising had slipped from hermind; "and it has been a very nice day, as Carrie says. A great dealpleasanter than yesterday," she added, as she contrasted her feelingsof last night with those of to-night.
There could be no doubt of it. She felt more like herself, better andhappier to-night, than she had done, not only yesterday, but for manydays previous; and here was fresh proof, if her sensible little mindhad needed it, that her father and mother were right, and that "allwork and no play" were fast taking ill effect on both mind and body.
Now it will not do for little girls who are inclined to be idle andnegligent in their studies to find encouragement for their lazinessin Nellie's example, or to think that what was good for her must begood for them. Nellie was a child who, as you have seen, erred on theother side, not only from real love for her books, but also from thedesire to learn as much and as fast as her quicker and more cleverschoolmates; but this is a fault with which but few children can bereproached, and I should be sorry to have my story furnish any one withan excuse for idleness or neglect of duty.