Nellie's Housekeeping

  VIII.

  _DAISY'S SACRIFICE._

  ROVER had to be released by and by after dinner, of course, but it didnot seem to matter so much by that time, for Daisy went to her pets,and the cat would not dare to come near them so long as she was there.

  So every one believed; but this proved to be a mistake, for puss wasmore persistent and daring than any one would have thought possible.

  "Johnny," said Mrs. Ransom, when Daisy had gone, "could you not arrangesome place up in the garret where Daisy could keep her mice and theyneed not come in my way?"

  "It is just what I was thinking of, mamma," said Johnny; "you neednever know they were there."

  "There now," said Carrie to herself, "so it is no harm at all for me tohave my mice up there. I shall just keep them."

  For repentant resolutions of giving up her hidden prize, and disposingof it in some way without betraying herself, were flitting throughCarrie's mind; but now she put them from her again.

  "First, we'll see if we cannot knock up some sort of a support to holda hook in the garden-house," said Johnny, "and then we'll hang the cageupon that. The roof is so old and broken it will not hold; but we mayput something in the wall to keep the cage out of the cat's reach, andwe'll try it before we bring them in the house, mamma."

  Daisy fed her mice, as she generally did at this time of the day,--thelittle creatures nibbled their food right out of her hand--played withand fondled them, talking to them the while in a coaxing, crooningvoice of all her affairs, unconscious of the cruel, greedy eyes whichwere watching her every motion and those of her pets.

  For Rover having gone, puss had made the most of her opportunities, andcame creeping slowly and stealthily beneath bushes and behind walls,till she reached the garden-house once more; and climbing to the roofsat watching the little child and her playthings through a hole in thethatch.

  And, by and by, this naughty _bete noir_ thought her chance had come.

  "Now, you ducky darlin's," said Daisy, "I b'lieve it's time for Frankieto come back to my house and play wif me. So you must go in your cagewhile I go and see, and we'll come back and play here where you can seeus. No, you needn't want to go into the house wif me. Mamma don't likeyou, which is a great, great pity; but she can't help it."

  The mice seemed strangely reluctant to go back in their cage, whetherit was that they only scented their watchful enemy, or that they hadcaught a glimpse of the glittering eyes looking down upon them; forone, with a squeak of terror, fled into the depths of Daisy's pocket,and the other would have followed had she not caught him in her handand stopped him.

  "No, no," she said, "you'll have to go into your cage, Dot, and youtoo, Ditto. Peoples have to do what they don't want to sometimes, andso do mouses. I've found that out," and Daisy shook her head with theair of one who has made a novel and important discovery.

  She put the mice into the cage, where they speedily hid themselvesbeneath their bed, shut and fastened the door and set it upon thefloor, believing that she would return in a moment with Frankie and letthem out again.

  Then she ran away to the house, where, as she had expected, she foundFrankie who had just arrived with his sisters, Maggie and Bessie. Theyhad not cared to wait till their mother came to take Mrs. Ransom todrive, but had begged and received permission to walk over that theymight have the longer afternoon for their visit.

  Daisy and Frankie were off together immediately, and the four elderchildren were settling the question of "what shall we do first?" whenthe whole household were startled by a succession of fearful shrieksfrom Daisy, accompanied by shouts of defiance and threats from Frankie.The sounds came from the garden-house; and Daisy's cry was not thedismal, low wail she set up at times over some minor trouble, but anunmistakable scream of terror and pain.

  Away ran every one to see what was the matter; mother, brothers andsisters, guests and servants; even Ruth, baby in arms, tearing down thestairs to follow the rest.

  The garden-house reached, the trouble proved not as serious as mighthave been feared; but quite enough so to warrant all the uproar fromthe two distressed little ones.

  There crouched Daisy in an ecstasy of terror, bending over herwhite mice, which she held cuddled up in her lap; never ceasing herscreams and calls for help, while Frankie brandishing a hoe stoodboldly between her and the black cat, which with glaring eyes, backerect, stood spitting and growling at the two children, determined nolonger to be balked of her prey. For this was no tame puss accustomedto be fed, and having a comfortable home; but a wild, stray cat,half-starved, and now quite furious at seeing her intended prize oncemore rescued.

  Not fairly rescued, if she could help it. Long waiting for the daintymeal and many disappointments had made her desperate; and more thanonce she had nearly sprung past the brave little Frankie, who, resoluteas the brute herself, fairly stood his ground, and faced her at everyturn, calling aloud,--

  "Hi! you there! you'd better be off with yourself. Now, you; you'llcatch it! I'll give it to you! I'll hoe you if you don't look out! Youwant to be hoed, do you? I won't let her get them, Daisy. Run, Daisy,run!"

  But Daisy was past running; terror had taken all power from her savethat of shielding her pets, as she best could, against her bosom, andshrieking aloud for help.

  It was well that help was so close at hand, or the situation of the twolittle ones might indeed have become dangerous; but at the sight of somany flocking to the rescue, the cat turned and fled, pursued by theboys with stones and sticks,--and who could blame them in such a caseas this?--but escaped without much hurt from the missiles which theythrew with better will than aim.

  The story was soon told: how, coming to the garden-house and pushingopen the door, the first thing that presented itself to the eyes ofDaisy and Frankie was the black cat, with one paw actually in thecage, the mice squeaking in terror, and shrinking from the cruel clawsoutstretched for their destruction; how Frankie had snatched the cageaway, and the mice had immediately fled to the protection of Daisy'sbosom, whence the cat had once tried to tear them.

  How the brave little knight had fought her off, and then tried to standbetween his tiny lady-love and farther harm, the new-comers had seenfor themselves; how devotedly Daisy herself had clung to her darlings,and how furious their enemy had been, was testified by the poor littlewoman's torn and scratched arm, bleeding from the adversary's claws,and the bent and twisted bars of the cage.

  It was plainly to be seen that the garden-house was no longer a safeplace for the white mice, not even until such time as the boys couldarrange some contrivance for hanging up the cage; and now Mrs. Ransomalmost forgot her dread of them in her sympathy over her poor littlegirl's distress and bleeding arms.

  Poor little dimpled white arms! even now they would not relax theirsheltering hold of the white mice, but held them firmly clasped.

  Daisy was speedily carried to the house, and once more seated, whitemice and all, on her mother's lap, while her scratches were bathed andbound up.

  "A wag on it" was Daisy's sovereign remedy for every thing in the shapeof a wound or bruise.

  "Let me put your mice away, darling," said Nellie, ever mindful of hermother's antipathy.

  "Oh, no! don't take 'em out. Mamma might see 'em, and she can't bear'em," sobbed Daisy, holding the little skirt tighter than ever. "Andoh, dear! I b'lieve I'll have to give 'em back to Frankie, 'cause Ican't let 'em live in the garden-house for that black old dreadful catto eat them up, and I s'pose mamma wouldn't want _me_ to live there allthe time, even with some one to take care of me."

  No, indeed, mamma thought not, as she folded the darling closer in herarms, and bade her cry no more; for her white mice should come into thehouse, and the boys should arrange a place for them where they wouldbe quite safe from black cats and other enemies.

  To see the change in Daisy's face!

  "Mamma! don't you mind? don't you weally mind? Won't they trouble you?"

  It was not possible for Mrs. Ransom to say that she would not beannoyed by
the presence of the white mice in the house, even thoughthey might never come under her own eye; and, although for Daisy's sakeshe put aside her own feelings, the loving heart of the little onedetected the slight reluctance with which she spoke.

  "Mamma couldn't have your white mice destroyed, darling," she answered;"and if Daisy is so careful for mamma, mamma must be careful for Daisy.So let the mice come Suppose you let Nellie take them now."

  Opening her skirt, Daisy revealed the mice, still trembling andquivering with their fright; and, seeking to hide themselves, the onemade for the bosom of her dress, the other unluckily ran over mamma'slap looking for some place of refuge. Johnny's hand was over him in aninstant, but not before his mother had grown white to the lips, and inspite of a strong effort she could not control a shudder of disgust.This did not escape Daisy.

  "Better put 'em away, quick, 'way far off, Johnny," she said in apitiful little voice, and resigning the other mouse to his care; andJohnny carried both away.

  Daisy was used to petting; but in consequence of her misfortunes, andthe honorable wounds she had received in the skirmish, she was sooverwhelmed with attentions and caresses, not only from her own family,but also from Maggie and Bessie, that she was presently consoled, andbeguiled from mamma's lap to the piazza, where she was seated in stateamong her admirers, and continued to be made much of.

  Frankie also came in for a share of the honors he had so fairly wonby his heroic defence of his little lady-love and her property; buthe presently concluded he had had enough of them, and would liketo go upstairs with the older boys and watch them at their work. Hewould fain have persuaded Daisy to go with him, but she still remainedmournful and subdued, and preferred to stay with the little girls andbe petted.

  For there was a great weight on Daisy's little mind, and a greatpurpose working there,--a purpose which required much resolution andmuch self-sacrifice; and it was hard to bring her courage to the point.She had small thought for what the other children were saying, as shesat nestled close to Nellie's side, with her sister's arm about her,and one of Bessie's hands clasped in her own.

  Carrie's thoughts were not more easy than Daisy's, and they were farless innocent. She was in an agony lest the boys, who were now in thegarret, should discover her secret. And there was Frankie with them!Frankie, who had a faculty for finding that which he was not intendedto find, for seeing that which he was not intended to see, for hearingthat which he was not intended to hear; who, full of mischief andcuriosity, went poking and prying everywhere, and whose bright eyes andbusy fingers would, she feared, be sure to fasten themselves upon thehidden box. But she dared not follow the boys upstairs, for it wouldseem strange if she left Maggie and Bessie, and her doing so mightexcite questions.

  Oh that she had never touched the mice, or had at once obeyed Nellie'sdirections respecting them, which Carrie's conscience told her now, asit had at the time, was the same as if her mother had given them!

  "Nellie and Carrie," said Maggie, "what do you think we are doing,Bessie and I?"

  "We don't know. What?" said Nellie.

  "Guess," answered Maggie.

  "Oh! I'm not good at guessing," said Nellie, smiling. "I never guessedany thing or answered a conundrum in my life, except some of Daisy's;"and she drew her arm closer about the pensive little mortal at herside.

  Daisy's conundrums were many and various, some so very transparentthat she might as well have given the answer with the question, othersso extremely bewildering that Oedipus himself could scarcely haveunravelled their meaning; and it was in these last that she gloried,always feeling rather aggrieved if any one gave the right answer.

  "She gave a conundrum last night that none of us could guess,"continued Nellie, wishing to amuse and interest her little sister. "Seeif Maggie and Bessie can guess it now, Daisy."

  Daisy aroused a little from her melancholy, and said in a plaintivevoice,--

  "Why don't a pig wif a ni'gown on him want to go to the kitchen fire?"

  Maggie and Bessie gave up at once, knowing that this would be Daisy'spreference; besides being really quite at a loss to understand whya pig in such unusual attire should shun that particular spot, "thekitchen fire."

  "Because he's af'aid he'll burn his ni'gown," said Daisy, when she wascalled upon for the answer, which Maggie and Bessie pronounced "verygood;" and, being encouraged by her success, the pitiful little damselput forth another conundrum, having reference to the subject which wasweighing so heavily on her mind.

  "Here's anofer one," she said: "Why don't white mice like to live inthe garden-house?"

  "Because they are afraid the black cat will eat them," said Carrie,less mindful of her sister's prejudices than Maggie and Bessie had been.

  "Now, why did you guess it so soon?" said the affronted Daisy; and thisproving the drop too much in the already overflowing cup, her head wentdown in Nellie's lap, and she resigned herself to tears once more.

  None of the other children dreamed of the chief trouble which wasweighing on her little heart; but her misfortunes of the afternoonwere considered so serious that no one thought it at all strange thatshe should be in a melancholy state of mind. Still, silent sympathy,at present, seemed the best to Nellie, and she contented herself withsoftly caressing the bent head, and checked the others with upliftedfinger when they would have cheered Daisy with spoken words.

  "Talk about something else," she spelled out in the sign alphabet, andthen asked aloud,--

  "What is it you and Bessie are doing, Maggie?"

  "Making such lovely Christmas presents for mamma," answered Maggie.

  "What! already?" said Carrie.

  "Yes," said Maggie, "because it will take us so long to work it, and wehave lots besides to do. And then some dreadful accident might happento us to prevent our finishing it, you know, like Sir Percy nearlyputting out Lily Norris' eye; so it's best to take time by the forelockat once, even if it is only July."

  "What are you making?" asked Nellie.

  "A pair of brackets, the loveliest things," answered Maggie, withemphasis. "Bessie is filling up one, and I the other."

  "And we are going to have them made up ourselves, quite ourselves, outof our own money," said Bessie. "Nellie, why wouldn't you like to makesomething for your mamma of your own work? You can do worsted work sovery nicely."

  "I would like to very much," said Nellie. "And I have some money of myown that I could use."

  "I shall do it too," said Carrie.

  "If you would like to do the same thing that we are doing," saidMaggie, "Mrs. Finkenstadt has another pair of brackets nearly likeours, and at the same price. They are very pretty."

  "But I'm afraid"--began Nellie, then paused.

  "Not that you don't know how," said Maggie; "why, Nellie, every oneknows you work better than any of us."

  "I was thinking if I would have time enough," said Nellie, "now that Iam mamma's housekeeper. It takes up a good deal of time; and then--andthen"--

  "Oh! it's your old books," said Carrie. "I should think you might bewilling to give them up to make something pretty for mamma. If youdidn't study so much more than any of the other girls, you could do itvery well. I think you might make one; for then I could do the other,if you would show me how."

  "I'll show you how and help you all I can," said Nellie, "but I do notthink I shall try to do one myself. And it's not because of my studies,Carrie, but for another reason that I'd rather not tell."

  "Mamma would just as lief let you give up being her housekeeper if youwant to do something else for her," said Carrie.

  "I don't want her to," answered Nellie, "for--I do believe I am of useto mamma, and I would not like to put that off for something that isnot necessary. Besides, I have still another reason."

  "I'm sure I think it seems a great deal more to make a lovely Christmaspresent for mamma than to do housekeeping for her. I believe she'drather," said Carrie.

  "I don't believe so," answered Nellie.

  "And, Carrie," said Maggie, "very often in t
his world we have to putup with appearances being deceitful, and with knowing not only that'all is not gold that glitters,' but also that some very true gold doesnot glitter at all; and Nellie's private reason may be very true gold,indeed, without our seeing it glitter. Besides, mamma says Nellie isone of the most sensible little girls she ever saw; and I believe sheis a case of 'old head on young shoulders,' so we may as well thinkthat she is wise and right until we know differently."

  Maggie's fine speech, overflowing as it was with proverbs, silencedCarrie, as her wise sayings did usually silence her companions, who didnot command such a flow of ideas and language; and Nellie gave her agrateful look.

  "Here's mamma in the carriage to take out your mamma," said Bessie; andthe attention of the children was for the moment diverted from theirown affairs.

  "Will you go and drive too, Daisy?" said Mrs. Bradford.

  "No, fank you, ma'am," answered Daisy, much to the astonishment ofthe other children, as she raised her woe-begone little face from itsresting-place. For Daisy was generally very ready for a drive, or foran outing of any kind.

  But now to all their persuasions, to all their expressions of surprise,she remained perfectly immovable, only blinking her eyes very hard,pursing up her rosy lips, and shaking her head, in the most deplorablemanner possible.

  But the cause of this came out when Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Ransom hadgone; for as the carriage drove away the boys came running downstairsand out upon the piazza.

  "Now your white mice will be all safe, Daisy," said Frankie; "me andJohnny and Bob have made the first-ratest place for them up in thegarret. I'd like to see that old cat finding them up there. Come andsee how nice it is."

  "It's no matter about it," said Daisy. "You're all very good, and I'mvery obliged to you; but I wouldn't feel to keep my mice up in thegarret."

  "What are you going to do with them then?" asked Johnny.

  "I couldn't have 'em in the house when mamma feels so about it," saidDaisy, choking back a sob, and trying to be very brave.

  "She said you could," said Bob.

  "Yes, I know she did," answered Daisy; "but she don't like it, I knowshe don't, and so I'm going to give 'em back to Frankie."

  "But, Daisy"--began Johnny.

  "No, no," said Daisy, putting out a little hand to stop him, "don'tspeak to me about it, Johnny, 'cause I do feel so very bad, then maybeI wouldn't; and I should fink a little girl who wouldn't rafer pleaseher mamma than to have white mice must be the naughtiest little girlin the world."

  "You dear little thing!" exclaimed Maggie.

  "I don't believe mamma would care at all so long as she never sawthem," said Bob; "do you, Nellie?"

  Nellie hesitated.

  "I do think she would _care_," she answered reluctantly, for Daisy'swistful eyes were raised to her face, as if hoping for an encouraginganswer; "but she has made up her mind to bear it for Daisy's sake."

  "But I don't want her to do any more sake for me," sighed Daisy. "I'dbetter do sake for her, I should fink; and please don't speak any moreabout it, children. I'd like to have 'em to play wif down here tillmamma comes home; and then I'll give 'em back to Frankie for ever an'ever an' ever. That was why I wouldn't go and drive, so I could saygood by to 'em."

  Nellie did not oppose her self-sacrificing resolution, hard as she knewit was for the child; for she was sure that her mamma would never feeleasy while the creatures were in the house, and she was sure also thatin some way she would make it up to Daisy.

  Not that Daisy had any such idea. No, in giving up her mice she did itwithout any thought of payment, only to save mamma from annoyance anddiscomfort, a great and generous sacrifice for such a little child;for Daisy was but five years old, you must remember; and this showedthought and consideration worthy of a much older person. But thenDaisy always had been remarkable for her tender, clinging love for hermother, and her earnest desire to please her in all things.

  It struck all the other children; and they overwhelmed her withcaresses and expressions of admiration and affection; even bluff Bob,who seldom condescended to bestow much flattering notice upon hissisters, declaring,--

  "Well, you are a little brick, Daisy."

  It was pleasant to be so petted and admired, for Daisy dearly lovedpraise, and in all this she found consolation, and began to put onlittle airs and graces befitting a heroine.

  Dear little lamb! who would quarrel with her if she did?

  How hard it went with her might be seen by the working of the sweetface, the pitiful pressure of the tiny hands one against the other, theswimming eyes and choking voice.

  It was too much for Carrie.

  The contrast between her own conduct and that of her little sister wasmore than her uneasy conscience could bear; secret remorse and shameoverwhelmed her, and with a quick resolve to be "as good as Daisy," andsacrifice her own wishes to her mother's prejudices, she slipped awayfrom the other children, and ran upstairs, determined to put the graymice out of the way.