Bessie in the City

by Joanna H. Mathews

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  IV.

  _FLOSSY._

  "AUNT HELEN! Aunt Helen!" said Maggie, almost as soon as they reachedRiverside the next day, "may we run down in the garden and find Donald?"

  Donald was the old Scotch gardener who lived at Riverside. He had beenthere for a great many years, long before Maggie and Bessie were born,long enough, as Maggie said, "to learn to talk American," if he hadchosen to do so. But Donald loved the dear old Scotch brogue whichreminded him of his fatherland so far away, and was at no pains to dropit; and our little girls liked him none the less that they sometimesfound it hard work to understand him. And they had good reason to likehim, for he was glad to see them when they came to Riverside, and triedall he could to make their visits pleasant to them. They were in agreat hurry to find him this morning, and could scarcely rest till theyhad permission to do so.

  "Well, well," said Grandpapa Duncan, "this is a nice thing. Have yougrown so fond of Donald since you have been away that you have hardlytime to speak to me before you run away to see him?"

  "Oh, no, grandpapa," said Maggie, "we like Donald very much, but youknow we like you a great deal more; but you see we are so anxious aboutthe puppy."

  "Oh, ho! then it is the puppy you like better than me? I do not seethat that mends the matter."

  "Now, grandpapa!" said Maggie.

  "Couldn't you come with us, grandpapa?" asked Bessie, coaxingly.

  "Yes, do," said Maggie, "it's such a nice, pleasant day. It will do yougood."

  "And it will do us good to have you," said Bessie.

  Grandpapa was very much pleased, but though there was a smile on hislips and in his eye, he wrinkled up his brow and pretended to think itwas very hard he should be asked to go out. Perhaps he wanted to becoaxed a little more.

  "I have no hat or cane here," he said, gruffly.

  Away ran Maggie and Bessie into the hall, and presently came back, theone with grandpapa's hat, the other with his cane. Maggie climbed onhis chair and put his hat on his head, pretty well down over his nosetoo, while Bessie placed the cane in his hand.

  "Now you are all ready," said Maggie.

  "But I have a bone in my knee; how am I to get up?" said grandpapa.

  Maggie took hold of one hand and Bessie of the other, and after agreat deal of pulling, with some pretended scolding and grumbling fromgrandpapa, he was upon his feet.

  "A nice thing, to be sure," said the old gentleman, "for two littlecity damsels to come out here to my quiet country home, to pull me outof my comfortable easy-chair and trot me around after puppy dogs andother nonsense!" and he frowned harder than ever, shaking his canefiercely at the laughing children, who knew very well that this wasonly fun, and that he was really glad to go with them. They thought ita fine joke, and went skipping merrily along, one on each side of him.They had gone but a few steps from the house, when Bessie stood still,exclaiming,--

  "Oh, how pretty, how pretty! Look, grandpapa! look, Maggie!"

  It was indeed a pretty sight that she saw. Just in front of them stoodtwo tall trees which grew straight upwards for some distance and thenleaned a little towards each other, so that at the top their brancheswove themselves together, making an arch. Over each tree ran a Virginiacreeper, or grass vine, winding round and round the trunks, spreadingover the branches, and when they could find nothing more to cling to,throwing out long sprays and tendrils, which waved gracefully about inthe gentle breeze coming up from the river. Although it was only themiddle of September, there had been several cool, frosty nights, andthe leaves of the vine were already of a bright crimson. The trees werestill quite green, and the contrast between their color and the red ofthe vine was very beautiful.

  "Oh, who did it, grandpapa?" said Bessie. "Who painted those leaves?Did Donald?"

  "No, darling, no hand of man could paint that. This is the Lord'sdoing, and it is indeed marvellous in our eyes."

  "Do you mean our Father in heaven did it, grandpapa?"

  "Yes, dear, it was the great and loving Father, who has not only madehis earth to bring forth food and drink for all his creatures, but hasalso made it so beautiful that it may please and delight our eyes."

  "But," said Maggie, in great astonishment, "that vine used to be allgreen just like the tree. How did it come red?"

  "I will tell you," said grandpapa. "Do you know what the sap is?"

  "No, sir."

  Mr. Duncan looked around him, and then, taking his knife from hispocket, cut a slip from a tall plant which grew near. He pressed itwith his thumb and finger, and a small whitish drop oozed slowly outfrom the end which had been cut.

  "See there," he said, "that is the sap or juice of the plant. It isin every tree or bush, and goes running through the trunk, branches,and leaves much as the blood runs through the veins in your body. Allthrough the summer it keeps the branches moist and the leaves fresh andgreen; but it does not like the cold, and when the frost comes, it runsaway from the leaves. Then they begin to turn, some red, some yellow,some brown. Our pretty creepers here are among the first to feel thecold; and they turn sooner than the trees over which they grow. As theweather becomes colder, the sap goes farther and farther away, backthrough the branches and down through the trunk till it reaches theroots, where it lies snug and close in its winter home under the warmearth. Then the leaves shrivel up and lose their bright colors and fallto the ground. If you break a branch from a tree in winter, it willsnap more easily than it will in the summer, because it is dry andbrittle from the loss of its sap. All through the cold weather the sapkeeps hidden quietly away in the roots; but in the spring when the airgrows mild and pleasant, it begins to stir and move upward again. Up,up it goes through the trunk and branches, till, as the weather growswarmer and warmer, the little buds which hold the young leaves andblossoms begin to show themselves, and at last unfold. Then the smalltender leaves peep out and gather strength and life from the soft airand bright sunshine and gentle rain, till the trees and bushes arecovered with their beautiful green dress and make a pleasant shade formy Maggie and Bessie when they come out to see their old grandpapa atRiverside."

  "And give us pretty flowers to smell and look at, and nice fruit toeat," said Bessie.

  "Yes, and see how our Father thinks of us and cares for our comfort atevery season. If we had not this pleasant shade in the summer, with thesoft green for our eyes to rest upon, we could scarcely bear the heatand light of the sun. But in the winter we need all the heat and lightwe can have; and then, the leaves drop away and let the rays of the sunfall upon the earth to warm and cheer us."

  While grandpapa was talking, they had been walking on; and now, as theyturned a corner, they saw Donald. He was tying up some dahlias. Thelittle girls ran forward.

  "How do you do, Donald?" said Bessie.

  "How is the puppy, Donald?" asked Maggie.

  "And how's yersel'," said Donald. "Eh, but I'm blithe to see ye aincemair."

  "We're well," said Bessie, "and I can yun about now, and my feet don'tget so tired as they used to."

  "That's gude news," said Donald; "an' noo ye'll be wantin' the weedoggie hame wi' ye. Weel, he's big eneuch; and I think ye may tak' himif yer mither's willin'."

  Bessie in City. p. 82.]

  The children understood enough of what Donald was saying to know thathe meant they could take the puppy home if their mother would notobject; and Maggie hastened to say, "Oh, yes! mamma will let us havehim; she quite expects us to take him home, Donald. Could you let ussee him now?"

  Donald was quite ready, and they all went over to his cottage, wherethe first thing they saw was Flossy himself, playing on the grass withhis two puppy brothers. They all came running up to Donald, as if theywere glad to see him, and then went snuffing and smelling about thefeet of the children, as if they wanted to find out who these littlestrangers could be.

  In five minutes they were all the best of friends, and Maggie andBessie were seated upon the grass with the three little dogs jumping,capering, and tumbling abo
ut them and over them. Such a frolic as theyhad, and how the children laughed, and how the puppies barked andyelped and frisked about, while it was hard to say who enjoyed it most,the little girls and the dogs, or grandpapa, Donald, and Alice, whowatched them from the cottage steps.

  The puppies were all pretty, but Flossy was certainly the prettiestof the three. He was beautifully marked in brown and white, and hiscoat was already becoming long, silken, and glossy. He was also themost playful and mischievous; and grandpapa told Maggie and Bessie hethought they would have their hands full to keep him out of harm. Once,in the midst of their play, Maggie's hat fell off, and in an instantFlossy had pounced upon it, and, when Maggie tried to take it from him,ran away, dragging it after him. Round and round the house he tore, andthey had quite a race to get it from him. At last Donald caught him andtook the hat from him; but, alas! it was none the better for its roughjourney over the gravel walks. He was next at his own finery. Alice,Donald's wife, had tied about his neck the red ribbon which she kept todress him with when his little mistresses came to Riverside, but hisbrothers seemed to think he had no right to be finer than they were,and were all the time pulling and snapping at the ribbon, till at lastit came untied. But Flossy had no idea of letting another puppy havethat which belonged to himself, and pretty quickly snatched it fromthem. Off he went again before the children could stop him, and runningdown in the cellar and behind some barrels, soon had the ribbon tornto bits. Alice was quite vexed when at last she pulled him from hishiding-place, and found the ribbon entirely destroyed; but the childrenthought him very smart, and did not see why he should not have his fun.

  "Eh, but you're an ill beastie!" said Alice, giving Flossy a cuff onthe ear.

  Bessie's little tender heart was quite grieved. "Alice," she said, "Iwas 'fraid maybe you'd be sorry when we took Flossy away; but I guessyou don't care much; do you?"

  "Na, na!" said Alice. "I canna be fashed wi' the three o' them, an'this ane's the warst o' them a'. He's aye in mischief. Didna he lick a'the cream for my mon's breakfast?"

  Scarce a word did the children understand, except that Flossy had drankthe cream meant for Donald's breakfast, and that Alice was ratherpleased to be rid of him.

  "Perhaps he don't know any better," said Bessie. "He'll have to beteached."

  "'Deed does he," said Alice, as if she were glad she was no longer tohave the teaching of him.

  "Grandpapa," said Maggie, "may we take Flossy up to the house now, sothat he may be used to us before we go home?"

  Grandpapa said they might, and Maggie told Bessie that she should carryhim.

  "I'll only carry him half the way," said Bessie, "and you can carry himthe yest."

  But Flossy had no mind to be carried at all. He liked to frisk abouton his own four feet, and was quite ready to run after his littlemistresses. Indeed, the puppies were all so well pleased with their newplaymates that the other two wished to go also, and Donald had to shutthem up to prevent them from following.

  Grandpapa said they would not go directly home, but through theorchard, and so down to the river bank. In the orchard the men werepicking the early apples and packing them in barrels, and grandpapa,going to one of them, chose two large rosy-cheeked apples and gave oneto Maggie and one to Bessie. They stood a while watching the men, andthen turned to go on.

  Between the orchard and the river lay a broad green field, and in thisfield several cows and a large flock of sheep were feeding. Now Bessie,although she was not a timid child about many things, was afraid ofcattle; and as Mr. Duncan opened the gate into the field, she drew back.

  "Grandpa," she said, "bettern't we go the other way?"

  "I think not," said grandpapa. "This way is the pleasantest, and I havesomething to show you down by the water."

  "But if we should be bucked, what would our mamma say?" asked thelittle girl, still looking timidly at the cows.

  "We shall not be bucked, dear," said grandpapa, smiling. "Does myBessie think I would take her or Maggie where there was danger?"

  "No, grandpapa, but--" Bessie still hung back.

  "You shall not go this way, dear, if you do not wish; but these are ourcows, and I know them to be all peaceable and good-tempered. But if weturn back and go through the garden again, I shall be too tired to takeyou down to the river."

  "I think we'll go this way," said Bessie, and so they went on; but asthey passed the cows, grandpapa felt the little hand he held nestleitself very tightly in his own, and as he saw how her color came andwent, he was sorry he had not turned back. The cows did not notice themat all, not even when Flossy, who seemed to think it would be a veryfine thing to bark at something so much larger than himself, ran upto one and began woof woofing in a very absurd manner. The cow justlifted up her head and looked at him for a moment; then, as if she wellknew that such a tiny thing could do her no harm, put it down and beganto eat again.

  "Isn't it er-dic-u-lous, grandpapa," said Maggie, "to see Flossybarking at that great cow?"

  "Rather ridiculous," answered grandpapa. "Look at those little lambs,Bessie."

  Bessie quite forgot the cows when she saw the lambs playing by the sideof their mothers. But when Flossy found the cattle cared nothing forhim, he thought he would try to make a little fuss here, and away heran after one of the lambs. The sheep did not take it as quietly as thecows; the lamb was frightened, and the mother, who did not understandthat this was Flossy's fun, and that he could not have hurt her childeven if he had wished to, put it behind her, and lowering her head,stamped her foot at Flossy as if she were very angry. Mr. Duncan calledthe puppy away, but he would not mind, and Maggie ran to take him upin her arms. The poor sheep saw her and thought here was somethingelse coming to hurt her baby, so she must fight a little herself. Sheran at Maggie, and butting her head against the little girl, threw herover upon the grass. The other sheep had stood looking on; but now, asif afraid of being punished for what one of their number had done, thewhole flock turned and scampered away to the opposite side of the field.

  Maggie sat up upon the grass. She was not at all hurt, but ratherfrightened and very much astonished.

  "Are you hurt, little woman?" asked grandpapa, as he lifted her up andplaced her upon her feet.

  "No, grandpapa, but--who did it?"

  "Who did it? Why, the mother sheep there."

  "She is very ungrateful," said Maggie, indignantly. "I came to helpher, and she oughtn't to do it."

  "She did not know that, dear," said grandpapa. "She thought you, too,were coming to hurt her lamb, and she could not tell what else to do.See there, Bessie, the cows which you were so afraid of did not evenlook at us, while this meek, timid sheep, of which you had not theleast fear, has knocked over Maggie. Do not look so distressed, dear;Maggie is not hurt at all."

  It was some time before Bessie could quite believe this. It seemed toher scarcely possible that her dear Maggie should have been throwndown in such a rude fashion, and yet not be hurt. But so it was; nota scratch nor a bruise was to be found. The ground was not very hardjust here, and the grass quite soft and long; and beyond the frightand a streak or two of earth on her white dress, Maggie had receivedno harm from her fall. It made her feel rather sober, however, and shewalked quietly along by grandpapa's side without skipping and jumpingas she had done before.

  "Grandpapa," said Bessie, "don't you think the sheep ought to knowbetter?"

  "Well, Bessie, I think we must not blame the poor creature. She did notknow that Maggie was her friend, and Flossy had frightened her and madeher angry. If she had been alone, she would probably have run away; butshe loved her child better than she did herself, and took the best wayshe knew to keep it from harm."

  "You are very naughty, Flossy," said Bessie. "You did a deal of_misfit_. You frightened the poor little lambie, and made my Maggie beknocked down."

  "Yes," said Maggie, "he'll have to be taught, 'to do to others.' Poorlittle fellow! He don't know much himself."

  "Yes," said Mr. Duncan, "like all young things, he h
as much to learn,and his teachers must have a good deal of patience."

  "Grandpapa," said Bessie, "are not lambs pretty good baby animals?"

  "I rather think they are, Bessie. Perhaps their mammas sometimes findthem troublesome; but we seldom or never hear of a lamb getting intomischief or naughty ways. So when a child is obedient and gentle, wesay it is like a little lamb."

  "Mamma taught us such a pretty hymn last week about a lamb," saidBessie.

  "Can't you let me hear it?" said grandpapa. So Bessie repeated theseverses:--

  "Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life, and gave thee feed, By the stream, and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight,-- Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice. Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?

  "Little lamb, I'll tell thee! Little lamb, I'll tell thee! He is called by thy name. For He calls Himself a lamb. He is meek, and He is mild, He became a little child. I, a child, and thou, a lamb, We are called by His name. Little lamb, God bless thee! Little lamb, God bless thee!"[A]

  She said them slowly and carefully, not missing one word, and grandpapawas much pleased.

  "That is indeed pretty, my darling," he said, "and grandpapa is muchobliged to you. What a dear, good mamma you have, always teaching yousomething useful or pretty."

  "Oh, yes!" said Bessie, "she is just the most precious mamma that everlived."

  Grandpapa looked down as if he thought the dear mamma's little daughterwas rather precious, too; but he did not say so.

  "I never saw such a good helper as our mamma," said Maggie. "She alwayscan tell us how to do things."

  Then Maggie told how mamma was helping them to buy the library, andof all their little plans. Grandpapa listened, and seemed very muchinterested; and by the time the story was finished, they had reachedthe river.

  Mr. Duncan led them through a grove of locust-trees, and just beyondwas the pretty sight he had brought them to look at. This was a pondinto which the water flowed by a narrow canal cut from the river. Uponit were floating two beautiful white swans. The children had never seenthem before, for the pond had been made, and the swans brought there,since their last visit to Riverside. Over the canal was a pretty rusticbridge, and below it a wire fence, which allowed the water to flowin, but through which the swans could not pass. On the other side ofthe pond was a little house, made, like the bridge, of boughs twistedtogether.

  "Oh, grandpapa," said Maggie, "what beautiful birds! How did they comethere? And that water, too? It did not use to be there."

  "No," said Mr. Duncan. "The pond was made this summer, while you wereat Quam Beach. Those birds are swans."

  "And is that their little house?" asked Bessie.

  "Yes," said grandpapa; and then taking from his pocket a couple ofcrackers which he had brought for the purpose, he gave one to each ofthe children, and told them they might feed the swans. The birds werenot at all afraid of the little girls, and came swimming up to wherethey stood, arching their graceful necks as if they quite expected toreceive something nice to eat. Indeed, they were so tame that when thecrackers were broken up, they took pieces from the children's handsas if they had known them all their lives. Maggie and Bessie weredelighted, and Maggie thought she would like to stay by the pond allday; but now Mr. Duncan said it was time to go back to the house, sothey bade good-by to the swans.

  By this time Flossy was tired, and was quite willing to let Maggietake him up in her arms and carry him. Before they reached home he wasasleep, and Maggie laid him in a corner of the sofa in the hall, andcovered him up with a shawl. After a while, Bessie seeing him, thoughtshe was tired too, so she climbed on the sofa, took Flossy in her arms,nestled down on the cushions, and in five minutes she, too, was fastasleep. There Maggie, who had been down in the kitchen, begging thecook for some milk for the puppy, found her. She stood looking at herfor a moment, then ran into the library where her father and Uncle Johnwere sitting.

  "Oh, papa," she said, seizing his hand, "come and see the prettiestthing you ever saw. Come, Uncle John, do come; but do not make anynoise."

  Papa and Uncle John followed the eager little girl, who led them to thesofa where Bessie and Flossy lay.

  "Isn't she sweet?" whispered Maggie. "Isn't it just like a picture?"

  It was indeed a pretty sight. The sleeping child in her white dress,with her curls falling over the red cushions, and the little dogclasped in her arms, his face cuddled up against her shoulder. But Mr.Duncan and Mr. Bradford thought that not the least pretty part of itwas the affectionate little sister standing by, looking at Bessie withso much love in her eyes. Her father could not help stooping to kissher. Just then Aunt Helen passed through the hall.

  "Come here, Helen," said Mr. Duncan.

  "Isn't that a pretty picture, Aunt Helen?" said Maggie, as her auntpaused to look. "I am going to call mamma."

  "No, no," said Mrs. Duncan, "do not call her. You have given me anidea, Maggie. Can you keep a secret?"

  Maggie promised, and her father said he thought she might be trusted.

  Now Aunt Helen could draw and paint very beautifully, and her "idea"was to make a little picture of Bessie as she lay sleeping, and to giveit to her mother as a Christmas gift. She ran to her room, and bringingpaper and pencils, began to sketch her little niece.

  Mr. Bradford looked over her shoulder.

  "Could you not put the other one in?" he whispered, looking at Maggie,who still seemed as if she could not take her eyes from her sister."We never separate them, you know, and it will be a double pleasure toMargaret."

  So Mrs. Duncan drew Maggie, too, though Maggie did not know this, forher aunt said she should not let her see the picture until it was quitefinished.

  "And mind," said Uncle John, "if you say a word about it, I shall lookat you with both my eyes, and put your nose between your ears."

  Maggie laughed, and promised to be very careful; and now, as Bessiebegan to stir, Aunt Helen ran away with the picture.

  Flossy was taken home in the carriage that afternoon, and I must say,he behaved very badly all the way. He was not used to riding, and hedid not like it at all. On the first half of the road, he whined andfretted all the time; and when he became a little accustomed to themotion, he would not keep quiet; and either scrambled all about thecarriage, or if Maggie or Bessie took him upon her lap, put his headout of the window and barked at every person he saw, so that his littlemistresses were quite mortified.

  "Mamma," said Bessie, "please don't think he's the troublesomest littledog you ever saw. We will teach him to behave better. If you hadn'tteached us, maybe we would have been as full of _misfit_ as he is."

  Mamma said she did not doubt that Flossy would learn better in time,and she would have patience with him.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [Footnote A: William Blake.]

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