A Little Girl in Old New York

by Amanda M. Douglas

  CHAPTER XVIII

  SUNDRY DISSIPATIONS

  The schools were all opened again. Hanny wasn't too big to go to Mrs.Craven's, indeed her school commenced with some girls two or three yearsolder. Ben went to work, starting off in the morning with John. Jim feltrather lonely.

  His best girl had been undeniably "snifty" to him. Something _had_happened to her at last. Through a friend her father had secured aposition in the Custom House. It was not very high, but it had anexalted sound. And instead of the paltry five hundred dollars he earnedat the shoe store, the salary was a thousand. They were going to movearound in First Avenue. Hanny was sorry that it was a few doors aboveMrs. Craven's. If Lily had only gone out of the neighborhood!

  Of course she disdained the public school. She was going to Rutgers. Sheheld her head very high as they went back and forth during the removal,and stared at Hanny as if she had never known her.

  But there were so many things to interest Hanny. Sometimes she read thepaper to her father, and it was filled with threats and excitements. Inthe year before, the independence of Texas had been consented to byMexico on condition that her separate existence should be maintained.But on the Fourth of July, at a convention, the people had accepted someterms offered by the United States, and declared for annexation. Forfear of a sudden alarm General Zachary Taylor had been sent with an armyof occupation, and Commodore Connor with a squadron of naval vessels tothe Gulf of Mexico. The talk of war ran high.

  Then we were in a difficulty with England about some Oregon boundaries."The whole of Oregon or none," was the cry. England was given a year'snotice that steps would be taken to bring the question to a settlement.Timid people declared that wild land was not worth quarrelling about.

  If you could see an atlas of those days I think you would be rathersurprised, and we are all convinced now that geography is by no means anexact science. The little girl and her father studied it all out. Therewas big, unwieldy Oregon. There were British America and RussianAmerica. There were Nova Zembla and Spitzbergen, and though there weredreams of an open Polar Sea, no one was disturbing it. We had a greatAmerican Desert, and some wild lands the other side of the RockyMountains. An intrepid young explorer, John Charles Fremont, haddiscovered an inland sea which he had named Salt Lake, and then gone upto Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River.

  He had started again now to survey California and Oregon. We thoughtKansas and Nebraska very far West in those days, and the Pacific coastwas an almost unknown land. We had just ratified a treaty with China,after long obstinacy on their part, and Japan was still The HermitKingdom and the Mikado an unknown quantity.

  And so everybody was talking war. But then it was so far away one didn'treally need to be frightened unless we had war with England.

  There were various other matters that quite disturbed the little girl.It had not seemed strange in the summer to have Dr. Hoffman come andtake Margaret out driving, or for an evening walk. But now he began tocome on Sunday afternoon and stay to tea. Mrs. Underhill was very chattyand pleasant with him. She had accepted the fact of Margaret'sengagement, and to tell the truth was really proud of it. Already shewas beginning to "lay by," as people phrased it, regardless of LindleyMurray, for her wedding outfit. There were a few choice things of CousinLois' that she meant for her. Pieces of muslin came in the house andwere cut up into sheets and pillow-cases. They were all to be sewedover-seam and hemmed by hand. A year would be none too long in which toget ready.

  Josie one day said something about Margaret being engaged. Hanny made noreply. She went home in a strange mood. To be sure, Steve had marriedDolly, but that was different. How could Margaret leave them all and goaway with some one who did not belong to them! She could not understandthe mystery. It was as puzzling as Cousin Lois' death. She did not knowthen it was a mystery even to those who loved, and the poets who wroteabout it.

  Her mother sat by the front basement window sewing. Martha was finishingthe ironing and singing:

  "O how happy are they Who their Saviour obey And have laid up their treasure above."

  Martha had been converted the winter before and joined the Methodistchurch in Norfolk Street. The little girl went with her sometimes to theearly prayer-meeting Sunday evening, for she was enraptured with thesinging.

  But she went to her mother now, standing straight before her with large,earnest eyes.

  "Mother," with a strange solemnity in her tone, "are you going to letMargaret marry Dr. Hoffman?"

  "Law, child, how you startled me!" Her mother sewed faster than ever."Why, I don't know as I had much to do with it any way. And I supposethey'd marry anyhow. When young people fall in love----"

  "Fall in love." She had read that in some of the books. It must bedifferent from just loving.

  "Don't be silly," said her mother, between sharpness and merriment."Everybody falls in love sooner or later and marries. Almost everybody.And if I had not fallen in love with your father and married him, youmightn't have had so good a one."

  "Oh, mother, I'm so glad you did!" She flung her arms about her mother'sneck and kissed her so rapturously that the tears came to her mother'seyes. Why, she wouldn't have missed the exquisite joy of having thislittle girl for all the world!

  "There, child, don't strangle me," was what she said, in an unsteadyvoice.

  "But Dr. Hoffman isn't like father----"

  "No, dear. And Margaret isn't like me, now. They are young, and maybewhen they have been married a good many years they will be just ashappy, growing old together. And since Margaret loves him and he lovesher--why, we are all delighted with Dolly. She's just anotherdaughter."

  "But we have a good many sons," said the little girl, without seeing thehumor of it.

  "Yes, we didn't really need him, just yet. But he's Joe's dear friendand a nice young man, and your father is satisfied. It's the way of theworld. Little girls can't understand it very well, but they always dowhen they're grown up. There, go hang up your bonnet, and then you mayset the table."

  Yes, it was a great mystery. Margaret seemed suddenly set apart, madesacred in some way. Hanny's intensity of thought had no experience toshape or restrain it. All the girls had liked Charles,--perhaps if therehad been several boys and spasms of jealousy between the girls, shemight have been roused to a more correct idea. But though they had madehim the father, a lover had been quite outside of their simple category.

  Margaret came down presently. She had on her pretty brown merino trimmedwith bands of scarlet velvet, and at her throat a white bow just edgedwith scarlet. Her front hair was curled in ringlets.

  "Mother, can't we have supper quite soon, or can't I? The concert beginsat half-past seven and we want to be there early and get a good seat.Dr. Hoffman is coming at half-past six."

  Father came in. Mrs. Underhill jumped up and brought in the tea. Jimcame whistling down the area steps. They did not need to wait for Johnand Benny Frank.

  Hanny looked at her sister quite as if she were a new person, with somesolemn distinction. How had she come to love Dr. Hoffman?

  She had not settled it when she went to bed alone. There was a drearyfeeling now of years and years without Margaret.

  That was Friday, and the following Sunday Dr. Hoffman marched into theparlor with a vital at-home step. Margaret was up-stairs. Hanny sat inher little rocker reading her Sunday-school book. He smiled and cameover to her, took away her book, and clasping both hands drew her up,seated himself, and her on his knee before she could make anyresistance.

  "Hanny," he began, "do you know you are going to be my little sister? Ican't remember when I had a _little_ sister, mine always seemed big tome. And I am very glad to have you. You are such a sweet, dear littlegirl. Won't you give me a word of welcome?"

  Something in his voice touched her.

  "I wasn't glad on Friday," she said slowly. "I don't want Margaret to goaway----"

  "Then you will have to take me in here."

  "There's Stephen's room," she suggested naively.
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br />   "Yes, that would do. But I'm not going to take Margaret away in a long,long time."

  "Oh!" She was greatly relieved.

  "But I want you to love me," and he gave her a squeeze, wondering howshe could have kept so deliciously innocent. "Won't you try? You willmake Margaret ever so much happier. We should be sad if you didn't loveus, and now if you love one, you must love the other."

  Then Margaret came down, and she said the same thing, so what couldHanny do but promise. And it seemed not to disturb any one else. Whenshe spoke of the prospect to her father, he said with a laugh and a hug:"Well, I have my little girl yet."

  Dolly and Stephen took possession of their new abode and had a"house-warming," a great, big, splendid party almost as grand as thewedding. And what a beautiful house it was! There was a bathroom andmarble basins, and gas in every room, and pretty light carpets withflowers and green leaves all over them. There was music and dancing anda supper, and old Mr. Beekman walked round with her and told herKatschina wasn't well at all, and he was afraid he should lose her.Dolly said she was to come up on Friday after school and stay untilMonday morning. Would Margaret and Dr. Hoffman have a house like thissome time?

  She had more lessons to learn now. And grammar was curiously associatedwith Mrs. Murray being so sweet and attentive to the British officerswhile the Federal soldiers stole along--she could fairly see them withher vivid imagination. History began to unfold the great world beforeher. Another thing interested her, and this was that every pleasant dayDaisy Jasper came to school for the morning session. She was verybackward, of course, for she had never been to school at all. She couldwalk now without her crutch, but Sam was always very careful of her. TheJasper house became the rendezvous for the girls, as the Deans' hadbeen. Even bonnie Prince Charlie was allowed to go there. Daisy loved soto see them dance to the music of her wonderful box. But Charles had notbeen able to buy his accordeon. He needed a new suit of clothes if hehad any money to throw away, and Mrs. Reed insisted this should be putin the bank when his father said he could buy him all the clothes heneeded.

  Some of the girls at school were making pretty things for a fair to beheld in the basement of the Church of the Epiphany in Stanton Street,and they begged Hanny to help. They were to have a fair at Martha'schurch also, and the little fingers flew merrily. Hanny had found a newaccomplishment, and she was very proud to bring it into the school. Thiswas crocheting. Next door to the stable in Houston Street lived a verytidy German family with a host of little children. The man did cobbling,mending boots and shoes. His wife did shoe binding and stitching leather"foxings" on cloth tops for gaiters. Button shoes had not come in. Theyeither laced in front or at the side. And very few ladies wore anythinghigher than the spring heel, as it was called. To be sure, some of themdid wear foolishly thin shoes, but there were rubbers unless youdisdained them; and they were real India-rubber, and no mistake, ratherclumsy oftentimes, but they lasted two or three years.

  The little German girls, Lena and Gretchen, took care of the babies anddid the work. It seemed to Hanny they were always busy. Lena knitstockings and mittens and caps, and her small fingers flew like birds.One day she was doing something very beautiful with pink zephyr and anivory needle with a tiny hook at the end.

  "Oh, what is it?" cried Hanny eagerly.

  "Lace. Crocheted lace. A lady on Grand Street will give me ten cents ayard. It is for babies' petticoats. And you can make caps and hoods andfascinators. It plagued me a little at first, but now I can do it sofast, much faster than knitting it. And I am to have all the work I cando."

  "Oh, if I could learn!" cried Hanny.

  "I'll show you because you are so good to us. Your boy brought mothersuch a package of clothes. But I am not going to teach the girls aroundhere. They will be wanting to do it for the stores. You can make lacewith cotton thread and oh! elegant with silk. That is worth a gooddeal."

  Hanny bought her needle and worsted. At first she was "bothered" aswell. But she was an ingenious little girl, and when you once had the"knack" there were such infinite varieties to it. And oh, it was sofascinating! She hardly had time to study her lessons, and one day shedid actually miss in her definitions. But she begged Mrs. Craven to lether study them over and recite after school, for she knew her fatherwould feel badly about the imperfect mark.

  When she had made two yards of beautiful pink lace she showed it toMargaret. She meant to make two yards of blue and give them both to KatyRhodes for her table at the Fair. Margaret was very much pleased andsaid she must learn herself. Daisy Jasper did a little, too. She waslearning very rapidly and had a wonderful genius for drawing.

  Oh, dear! how busy they were. They were happy and interested, andalmost forgot to take out their dolls, or read their story-books. Marthasaid: "You might do something for my fair, too," and Margaret promised.

  Jim _did_ feel a little sore that Lily Ludlow did not ask him to herparty, which was quite a grand affair. She announced that she had brokenwith the public-school crowd, and was going to have all new friends. Butthe very next week she met Jim at another party, and he was so handsomeand manly that she really regretted her haste. Jim was very proud anddignified, and never once danced with her nor chose her in any of thegames.

  Dolly and Stephen came home to the Thanksgiving dinner. If Hanny had notbeen so much engrossed she might have considered herself left out ofsome things, only her father never left her out. And Ben brought homesuch tempting books that she did wish she could sit up like the othersand not have to go to bed at nine.

  The Epiphany fair came first, the week before Christmas. TheSunday-school room was all dressed with greens, and tables arranged overthe tops of the seats with long boards, covered with white cloths. Andoh, the lovely articles! Everything it seemed that fingers could make,useful or ornamental, from handsomely dressed dolls to pincushions, fromwhite aprons with lace and ribbon bows on the dainty pockets down tounromantic holders. Everybody laughed and chatted and were as gay as gaycould be.

  In the back room that was rented out for a day school--indeed, thelittle girl had come quite near being sent here--there were tables forrefreshments. The coffee and tea had a delightful fragrance, and thedifferent dishes looked wonderfully tempting.

  It was Hanny's first fair, but people didn't expect to take children outeverywhere then, or indeed to go themselves. There was more home life,real family life. Her father was her escort, and her mother had said:"Now don't make the child sick by feeding her all kinds of trash, or shecan't go out again this winter." So you see they had to be careful. Butthey had some delightful cake and cream, and he bought her a pound ofcandy tied up in a pretty box, and the loveliest little work-basket witha row of blue silk pockets around the inside.

  Katy Rhodes was waiting at a table with her mother, but she found anopportunity to whisper to Hanny "that her lace had sold the very firstthing, and there had been such a call for it she just wished they hadhad a hundred yards."

  That pleased the child very much.

  "It was like a store," said Hanny to her mother; "only everybody seemedto know everybody, and there were all kinds of things. So many peoplecame for their suppers they must have made lots of money. And I'm astired as I can be, only it _was_ beautiful."

  Martha's church was to have their Christmas Sunday-school anniversary,and Charles Reed was to sing a solo with a chorus of four voices. TheDeans and half the people in the street went. Margaret and Dr. Hoffman,and this time John and Ben took the little girl. Mother had been up atSteve's all day.

  There was a large platform at the end of the church, and crowds ofpretty children dressed in white, ranged in tiers one above another.After a prayer and singing by the congregation the real exercises began.The body of children sang some beautiful hymns, then there were severalspirited dialogues, and separate pieces, very well rendered indeed. Whenit came "bonnie Prince Charlie's" turn, he seemed to hesitate a moment.Hanny thought she would be frightened to death before all the people. Ithink Charles would have been a year ago.

>   The piano began the soft accompaniment. After the first few notes thesweet young voice swelled out like the warble of a bird. People weresilent with surprise and admiration. The fair, boyish face and slimfigure looked smaller there on the platform. The face had a youthfulsweetness that nowadays would be pronounced artistic.

  The chorus came in beautifully. There were three verses in the solo, andreally, I do not know as the audience were to blame for applauding. Theboy had to come out and sing again, this time a pretty Christmas carolthat they had practised at singing-school.

  When the exercises were finished the children were all taken down-stairsand they looked very pretty flitting about. There was another surprise,one that greatly interested the little girl. In one prettily arrangedbooth were two curious small beings who had a history. They had alreadybeen in Sunday-school on two occasions. A missionary to China, seeingthese little girls about to be sold, had rescued them by buying themhimself. He had brought them back on his return, and now kindly disposedpeople were making up a sum to provide them with a home and educatethem.

  Hanny pressed forward holding John's hand tightly. They were sostrange-looking. The larger and older one was not at all pretty, but theyounger one had a sweet sort of shyness and was not so stolid. Theiryellow-brown skins, oblique dark eyes, black brows, and black hair doneup in a remarkable fashion with some long pins, and their Chinese attireseemed very curious. The gentleman with them said there were hundredsof little girls sold in China, and that women bought them for futurewives for their sons, and treated them like bond slaves. Thesechildren's feet had not been cramped, this was done mainly to the higherorders. He had some Chinese shoes worn by grown women, and they weresuch short, queer things, like some of the pincushions made for theFair.

  We didn't suppose then the Chinese would come and live with us and havea Chinatown in the heart of the city; do our laundry work and takepossession of our kitchens; that the blue shirts and queer pointed shoeswould be a common sight in our streets. So the Chinese children were acuriosity. Indeed, several years elapsed before Hanny saw anotherinhabitant of the Flowery Kingdom.

  "Don't you want to put something in the box?" John held out a quarter tothe little girl.

  Her eyes sparkled with pleasure. Then she shook hands with the smallChinese maidens, and she felt almost as if she had been to a foreigncountry.

  If Mrs. Reed had been present she would have marched Charles home inshort order. She did not believe in praising children, or anybody elsefor that matter. Everybody, in her opinion, needed a strict hand. Shehardly approved of the singing-school, and if she had really understoodthat Charles would stand out alone facing the audience, and then beapplauded for what he had done, and go into the fair and be praised and"treated," she would have been horrified and put him on the strictestsort of discipline for the next month.

  Charles had endeavored to persuade his mother to go, but she wanted toget the turkey ready for the Christmas dinner, and had no time for suchtrifling things. No woman had who did her duty by her house and herfamily. The harder and stonier and more rigid the discipline was, themore virtue it contained, she thought. There was no especial end in viewwith her; it was the way all along that one had to be careful about andmake as rough as possible.

  Mr. Reed was secretly proud of his boy. He had a misgiving that all thispraise and attention was not a good thing, but the boy looked so happy,and it was Christmas Eve, with the general feeling of joy in the air. Hewas curiously moved himself. Perhaps happiness wasn't such a weak andsinful thing after all. It did not seem to ruin the Underhill family.

  But he said to Charles as they were nearing home: "I wouldn't make muchfuss about the evening. Your mother thinks such things rather foolish."

  They all returned in a crowd, laughing and talking and saying merrygood-nights. Martha had the key of the basement and they trooped in.Indeed, Martha was so much one of the family that Dr. Hoffman paid her adeal of respect.

  Father was up-stairs in the sitting-room reading his paper. He glancedup and nodded.

  "Oh!" cried Hanny, "where's mother? The house looks so dark and dull andnot a bit Christmassy. It was all so splendid, and oh, Father! Charlessung like an angel, didn't he, Margaret? They made him sing over again,and he looked really beautiful. And there were two Chinese girls at thefair, such queer little things," she flushed, for the word recalled LilyLudlow. "Their hands were as soft as silk, and when they talked--well,you can't imagine it! It sounded like knocking little blocks all aroundand making the corners click. But where _is_ mother?"

  "Mother is going to stay up to Steve's all night. They wanted her tohelp them."

  "Oh, dear! It won't be any Christmas without her," cried the little girlruefully.

  "Oh, she'll be home in the morning, likely."

  "Hanny, it is after eleven, and you must go to bed," said Margaret.

  "I'd just like to stay up all night, once. And can't I hang up mystocking?"

  "I'll see to that. Come, dear. And boys, go to bed."