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XI.
_NEW PLANS._
THINGS went very smoothly and pleasantly after this for several weeks.Maggie finished the whole number of towels, and she had taken so muchpains, and they were so well done for a little girl of seven, thatmamma said she thought she must give her six cents apiece insteadof five. Bessie's small patient fingers were learning to do nicely,too, and Mrs. Bradford said she should soon have two neat youngseamstresses. There were now more than four dollars in the box. Theyhad each had one new pair of gloves bought for them, and it was notlikely, if these were not lost, that more would be wanted before NewYear. Maggie had improved surprisingly in the matter of boot-laces,and now did not wear them out much faster than Bessie, who did not puton her own shoes. Growing daily more careful in this one thing, shebecame so in others. Fewer buttons and strings were dragged from herclothes, her aprons and dresses were not so soon soiled, and her hat,instead of being tossed down in any spot where she happened to be whenshe took it off, was always carried to the nursery and given to Jane,that she might put it away.
Quite often the children had small presents of money. Grandmamma Duncanor Uncle John, papa or grandpapa, would give them a new five or tencent piece,--once Uncle John had given them each twenty-five,--butthey never spent it for their own pleasure. As soon as they receivedany such little gift, away they ran for the library-box, and poppedthe money in. One day Maggie found ten cents in the street, and camerushing in to her mother's room with it.
"See here, mamma," she said, "what I have found! It was lying rightdown by our stoop, and there was no one near it, and I don't know whoseit is."
"Well, if you do not find the owner, we may think you have a right toit, I suppose," said Mrs. Bradford.
"But, mamma, ought we not to put it in the paper first, and see if anyone comes for it?"
"No, dear, that would not be worth while for such a small sum."
"But, mamma, when papa found that pocket-book with money in it, he puta piece in the paper, so the person who lost it would know where itwas."
"There were more than a hundred dollars in that pocket-book, Maggie. Itwas only right that papa should let the owner know where it was to befound. But ten cents is a very small sum, and if he put half a dozenadvertisements in the paper, it is not at all likely that any personwould come for it."
"And no one came for the money in the pocket-book," said Maggie,"though papa kept it a great while. But, mamma, he said it did notbelong to him; and since he could find no owner, he should think itbelonged to the Lord. So he gave it to the Sunday-school. Well now, ifI do not know who lost this ten cents, do you not think it belongs tothe Lord, and I ought to return it to him?"
"Perhaps you ought, my darling," said Mrs. Bradford, well pleased tofind her little girl so strictly honest, and so unwilling to keep thatwhich she could not quite surely feel was her own. "Suppose you put itwith your library money?"
"Would that be quite fair, mamma? Would it be giving to the Lord thatwhich belonged to him to put it with that money which we are to earn?"
"Quite fair and right, I think, dearest. That money you have certainlydevoted to the Lord's work; and you may put this with it with a clearconscience."
So the ten cents were added to the sum in the box, which, in one wayand another, was fast growing to the desired amount.
Each Sunday Maggie and Bessie went over to the hotel to Mrs. Rush'sclass. Not one had they missed, for they counted so much upon it thattheir mother could not bear to keep them at home, even in bad weather.Two or three Sabbaths had been very rainy, but papa had wrapped Bessiein mamma's water-proof cloak, and carried her over to the hotel, whileMaggie, in her own cloak and high india-rubber boots, trotted along byhis side holding the large parasol, which made a capital umbrella forthe small figure beneath it. Two bright little faces they were whichpeeped forth from the hoods of these water-proofs when they appearedin Mrs. Rush's parlor, and dearly did she and the colonel love tosee them. Then the wrappings were pulled off, and there were the twodarlings as warm and dry as if they had never stirred from their ownnursery fire.
Mrs. Rush still did all the teaching herself, but since that firstSunday, she had quite given up the office of story-teller to herhusband. She never could invent such stories as he did, she said, andsince he had begun with it, he had better go on! So each Sunday hehad one ready for them, and when the lessons were over, teacher andscholars were alike eager to listen. He had to repeat "Benito" morethan once, so fond were they all of it, and the children, especiallyBessie, would stop him if he told it in any way different from thatin which they had first heard it, and tell him he was wrong. Theyremembered it, he said, better than he did.
Maggie and Bessie were very busy just now. Christmas was drawing near,and they were each working a book-mark which were to be presented toColonel and Mrs. Rush. Bessie's was for "her soldier," and Maggie'sfor his wife. Aunt Annie had promised to show them how they were to beworked, and one afternoon took them out to buy the materials. They camehome each with a piece of cardboard, a skein of silk, and half a yardof ribbon; and no lady who had spent hundreds of dollars that day tookhalf the pleasure in her shopping that our little girls did in theirs.
Aunt Annie had offered to give them what they needed from her stock ofpretty things. But no, they must buy all with their own money, or itwould not be quite their own presents. As soon as their walking dresseswere taken off, Aunt Annie was coaxed to show them at once how thebook-marks were to be made. She told them they must first decide whatmottoes they would work, and proposed several. Maggie chose, "Rememberme;" and Bessie, "I love you, Sir." Annie said it was not the fashionto put "Sir" on a book-mark; but Bessie thought it would not be at allthe thing for little girls to give "unpolite presents."
"We ought to make our book-marks just as proper as our own speaking,"she insisted.
Maggie was a little doubtful; but at last she said she would do asBessie did, since it was "better to be too polite than not politeenough." So Aunt Annie let them have their way, and greatly to herown amusement, cut the card long enough for "I love you, Sir," and"Remember me, ma'am." They did not think it any the less their own workthat their aunt put the points of the needles into the holes where theywere to go. Did they not pull them through with their own fingers anddraw the silk to its proper place? Of course, it was their own work;Aunt Annie would not have said it was hers on any account. After twoor three letters were made, Maggie learned to find the right hole forherself with a good deal of direction.
Before bed-time that night, Maggie had worked "Remem," and Bessie, "Ilo;" and they looked at what they had done with great satisfaction.Besides these book-marks, they were each to work one for papa or mamma,so that they had enough to keep them busy until Christmas.
Meanwhile the picture which Aunt Helen was painting was nearlyfinished. She had never allowed Maggie to see it, which the little girlthought very strange; but she had kept the secret well. Sometimes theywent to Riverside, and sometimes Aunt Helen came to grandmamma's house,when they would be sent for; and if mamma was not there, their auntwould paint very industriously. Bessie wondered why she would not letthem see what she was painting, and why Maggie should always be so fullof glee at such times, and shake her head so very wisely. But after shehad been once told that it was a secret, she asked no more questions.
On the morning after the book-marks were commenced, Mrs. Bradford, whowas not very well, was lying on the sofa, while her little daughterswere playing quietly on the other side of the room, and she heard themtalking together.
"Bessie," said Maggie, "I am so glad that I have all my towels done, soI can have leisure to make my Christmas presents."
"What does leisure mean?" asked Bessie.
"It means not to be busy."
"Oh, I am glad, too, Maggie! You was very industrious, and had a greatdeal of per-se-were."
"Ance," said Maggie.
"Ance what, Maggie?"
"Per-se-ve-rance. That's what you must say," said
Maggie.
"No. This morning Fred was mad 'cause he couldn't do his sum, and beasked papa to help him, and papa said he must persewere, and he coulddo it himself."
"Yes, I know it," said Maggie; "but it is persevere to do it, andperseverance to have it."
Bessie did not quite understand, but she thought it must be right,since Maggie said so.
"We'll ask mamma about it when she feels better," said Maggie. "Isn'tshe good to us, Bessie, to help us so much to get our library?"
"Yes," said Bessie, "she's such a precious mamma. I do think every oneis so kind to us, Maggie."
"Yes," said Maggie, "when I think about my friends, I feel as if Icould not say 'God bless them' enough."
"Yes," said Bessie, thoughtfully; "and when everybody is so good to us,and Our Father is so good to us, and we have such pleasant times, Isuppose we ought to be the best children that ever lived."
"But we're not," said Maggie; "least, I'm not. I think you are almostas good as any one that ever lived, Bessie."
"No, I'm not, Maggie. Sometimes I feel very naughty, and just likebeing in a passion, and I have to ask Jesus very much to help me."
"It's a great deal better to feel naughty, and not be naughty, than tofeel naughty, and be naughty, too, Bessie. Anyhow, you're just goodenough for me."
"But we ought to be good enough for Jesus," said Bessie. "I wish I wasas good as that boy named Nathan Something, that Harry yead to us abouton Sunday."
"Oh, yes," said Maggie, "it's all very well to read about thesewonderful children, but when one comes to do it, it's a differentthing. I don't believe that any one could be so good as never to do orto think a wrong thing. But, Bessie, you know, I will be quite sorrywhen mamma don't give us glove-money any more. I think this plan hasbeen of service to me in my carelessness. Don't you think I'm prettytol-able now?"
"Not pretty," said Bessie; "I think you are very tol'able now. Why,Maggie, don't you know papa said he could trust you to take a messageor do an errand now as soon as any of his children?"
"Yes, and it was very nice to hear him say that, Bessie. I didn't mindfor all the trouble I took to be careful, when he said it. When we haveour glove-money, it will make more than six dollars in our box, ifmamma don't have to spend any of it for us. We only want five for thelibrary, so what shall we do with the rest of it, Bessie. Mamma said wemust only spend that money in doing good."
"Perhaps mamma will tell us something," said Bessie.
"But I'd like to think of something ourselves, and I did think of anice thing, Bessie, if you would like to do it."
"I guess I would. Tell me, Maggie."
"Yesterday, when Mary Bent came here, she had on only a thin littlecape, that did not keep her warm at all, and she looked so cold, nurseasked her if that was the warmest thing she had, and she said yes. Sonurse brought an old piece of flannel, and basted it all inside thecape to make it warmer; but she said the child ought to have a thickcloak or shawl, and if mamma was home, she knew she would do somethingfor her. Mary said her mother had a warm shawl, but when the weatherwas cold, they had to keep it to put over Jemmy, 'cause he shivered soif he was not covered up warm. I felt so sorry for her, and last night,I thought maybe we could take the rest of our money and buy her a warmthing to wear. Would you like that, dear Bessie?"
"'Deed, I would," said Bessie. "You do make such nice plans, Maggie. Ifwe can do it, I shall just tell Mary you made it up. I don't believeanybody has such a smart Maggie as I have."
Maggie kissed her sister, for dearly as she loved praise, none wassweeter to her than that which Bessie was always so ready to give.
"I'm afraid we wont have enough to buy anything _very_ warm," she said,"'cause that would cost a good deal, and we have not time to earn any,we are so very busy."
"Yes," said Bessie, "we have our hands full; but we will ask mamma."
Later in the day they did ask her, and she said that, if they pleased,they might use what they did not need for the library for this purpose.
"But you will not have enough to buy a warm sack for Mary, such as sheshould have, my darlings," she said. "Nurse told me how poorly Marywas clothed for this cold weather, and I had intended, the next timeI should go out, to buy some gray flannel, and let Jane make a sackthickly lined and quilted. This will cost more than you can spare."
"Well, mamma," said Bessie, "if you will wait till after Christmas,perhaps we might earn enough to buy a sack for Mary, and we would liketo do it ourselves."
"But in the mean while, the poor child would be suffering with thecold," said Mrs Bradford. "Suppose I give Mary the cloak, and you buyfor Jemmy a comfortable, so that he will not need his mother's shawl."
The children agreed, though they did not look very well satisfied,for they had set their hearts on giving the warm garment to Marythemselves. Suddenly Maggie looked up at her mother as if a brightthought had come into her mind, and said, eagerly,--
"Mamma, Mary said she used to wear her mother's shawl when Jemmy didnot need it. Suppose you were to buy the comfortable, and then theshawl will be at liberty for Mary, and by and by, when we have enough,_we_ can buy the sack."
Mamma said this would do very well, and so it was arranged. Then shetold them that if they wished, she would continue to give them theglove-money each month, and what they saved from it they might stillspend for others who were in need; for Mrs. Bradford agreed with Maggiethat this plan had been of service to her little girl, and thoughtit would be well to keep on with it, since it was teaching her to bethoughtful and careful herself, in order that she might be of use toothers; and good habits once formed are not easy to lose.
That evening, when papa came home, he brought some glossy, crisp, newbank-notes, which he offered to Maggie and Bessie in exchange for someof the smaller money in their box. They were quite ready to take them,they were so clean and pretty; and taking out two dollars in change,Mr. Bradford put in two one dollar notes.
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