Bessie in the City

by Joanna H. Mathews

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  VIII.

  _THE NEW GLOVES._

  "Maggie and Bessie," said mamma one morning, "I want to see yourgloves. It is a month to-day since you began to save money for yourlibrary."

  The gloves were soon brought, and mamma examined them.

  "Maggie, your second-best are too shabby to be worn any more," said hermother, "you must take the better ones for every day, and I shall buyyou a new pair."

  "Oh, mamma, I would rather keep the old pair, and save the money," saidMaggie.

  "No, dear; you know I told you I must keep you as neat and well dressedas usual. You must have what is necessary, and then what is left ofthe dollar goes in your box."

  "And how much will it take for new gloves, mamma?"

  "About seventy-five cents. Then you have had two boot-laces; they areten cents; that leaves fifteen cents out of the dollar. Bessie's gloveswill do, I think, and she has had one boot-lace; that leaves the wholeof her dollar except five cents. Maggie, you must have taken greatpains to use fewer laces. This is a great improvement on last month."

  But in spite of her mother's praise, Maggie's face looked very long.Bessie had almost the whole of her dollar, and but a few cents wereleft of her own.

  "Mamma," said Bessie, "I think Maggie could not help it, if her secondgloves are pretty mussed. The other day Flossy yan away with them, andbefore we could get them he had chewed one all up. And it was notMaggie's carelessness, 'cause Jane put them on the bed, and Flossyjumped up and pulled them off. Couldn't you take a little of my dollarto help to buy the new gloves, and let Maggie keep some more of hers?"

  "That will not do," said mamma, smiling at the generous little girl;"but since it was Flossy's fault that the gloves were spoiled, andMaggie has taken so much pains, I will only take out fifty cents forthe new pair. And I will tell you, Bessie, it is much harder for Maggieto keep her things neat than it is for you, and then she generally putson her own shoes, while nurse or Jane puts on yours. Suppose next monthI add another twenty-five cents to her dollar; are you willing?"

  "Course I am, mamma. I am just as glad as anything. Isn't that nice,Maggie?"

  Maggie's face brightened. "And how much have we now, mamma?" she asked.

  "Forty cents out of Maggie's dollar, and ninety-five from Bessie's justmake one dollar, thirty-five cents. You have one dollar and twelvecents in your box, which make in all two dollars, forty-seven cents."

  Maggie was quite happy when she found they had such a sum, which mammatold them was nearly half of what they wanted for the library.

  Grandmamma's carriage now drove to the door, and she came in and askedMrs. Bradford to go out with her and take the children. Mamma said shecould not go herself, for baby was not well, and she did not care toleave her, but the children might go if grandmamma wished. Away theyran to be dressed, full of glee, for shopping with grandmamma was agreat pleasure, and they were almost sure to come home richer thanthey went. They drove to several places, and when the children thoughtthere was anything interesting to be seen, they went into the storewith their grandmother. If not, they remained in the carriage, andchatted with the coachman, or watched the people passing in the street.

  At last they went to a large store, where Mrs. Stanton and Mrs.Bradford were in the habit of going, and where Maggie and Bessie feltquite at home. There was a good-natured clerk, who was nurse's nephew,and whenever he saw them, he was sure to have an empty box with apicture cover, or a bright-colored piece of paper or ribbon to givethem. Here grandmamma bought several things which did not much interestthe little girls; but at last she took them to another counter, whereshe said something to the clerk about gloves.

  "Why, grandmamma," said Maggie, "are you going to buy gloves? Do youknow you have a whole box full at home? I saw them the other day whenyou let me put your drawer in order."

  But Mrs. Stanton only smiled, and pinched Maggie's round cheek, andjust then the gloves were put before them. Oh! such gloves as thosewere never meant for grandmamma's hand. Kid gloves they were too, andwho had ever seen any so small before? In her surprise and pleasure,Maggie had almost forgotten that she had been forbidden to handleanything when she went shopping; but just as her hand touched thegloves, she remembered, and drew it back. But the good-natured clerkgave them to her, telling her to look at them if she pleased.

  "Just like ladies' gloves," said Bessie, who, stretching up on tiptoe,could just see above the counter. Grandmamma lifted her and seated herupon it.

  "Do you call that a hand?" said she, playfully, taking Bessie's littlefingers in her own. "Mr. Jones, have you a pair small enough for that?"

  How Bessie wished her hand was larger as the clerk shook his head!But after looking through the whole bundle, a pair was found whichgrandmamma thought would do, and then a pair for Maggie was pickedout with less trouble. They were wrapped in separate parcels, andeach child took her own, feeling quite as if she must have growntaller since she came to that counter. Then the clerk gave them each apiece of fancy paper,--Maggie's, gilt, with flowers stamped upon it,Bessie's, blue, with silver stars.

  As soon as they reached home, they ran to show mamma their treasures,but Mrs. Bradford noticed that Maggie did not seem half so eager asusual, when she had received any new pleasure. While Bessie was talkingas fast as her little tongue could go, she stood almost silent at hermother's knee, drawing her fingers slowly back and forth over her giltpaper.

  "What makes our Maggie so quiet?" Mrs. Bradford asked. "Are you notpleased with your grandmother's pretty present, dear?"

  "Oh, yes, mamma! but I was just considering about it a little."

  "What were you considering?"

  "If it was quite fair for me to wear the gloves, mamma. Do you think itis?"

  "Why should it not be fair, Maggie? Grandmamma gave you the gloves foryour own; did she not?"

  "Oh, yes, ma'am; but then she did not know you gave me glove allowance;and maybe she would not have bought them for me if she had known. Andnow you wont have to get me another pair this month. So maybe you wontthink I ought to have the gloves and the money too. I want to be quitevery fair, indeed, I do, mamma, and I didn't know how to think it wasquite right. Besides, those gloves are nicer than the kind you buy forus, and perhaps you would think you ought to take a little more of mydollar for them. If you would, I would rather have a pair of the otherkind, and put these away, and let the money go in the library-box."

  "You may wear the gloves and welcome, my dear, honest little girl,"said Mrs. Bradford, drawing Maggie to her, and kissing her. "It isquite fair for you to do so. Grandmamma knew that I gave you a certainsum for your gloves and so forth, and I think she meant to help you alittle by buying these for you. I am glad my darling child wishes tobe honest and upright in all she does. But I must be quite fair too. Itold you I should give you so much a month, and take from it what youneeded for gloves and shoe-laces, and whatever was left you might keepfor another purpose. Now since grandmamma has given you these, there isno need for me to buy you another pair; but it would not be just forme to take from you any part of the money they would have cost. It is_your_ gain, not _mine_. When a bargain has been made, we must hold toit, even though things turn out differently from what was expected."

  "But you need not hold to this bargain, if you do not wish to, mamma."

  "Indeed, I do wish to, Maggie, and you need not feel in the leasttroubled about it. I am not only satisfied, but very glad that you havereceived this little help."

  After this, Maggie's mind was at rest, and she wore her new gloves withgreat pleasure.

  "Hallo!" said Fred, as he and Harry came into the library thatafternoon, and found their little sisters quietly playing in onecorner. "What scrumptious paper! Where did you get that, Midget?"

  "Mr. Jones, nurse's nephew, gave it to us," said Maggie. "He gave methe gold piece, and Bessie the silver piece, but we cut them in two andeach took half."

  "I wish I could get hold of such friends as you do," said Fred."Somebody is alw
ays giving you something. How do you manage it?"

  "We don't manage it," said Bessie, who thought that Fred meant to saythat she and Maggie liked their friends for what they gave them. "Wedon't manage it, and we don't get hold of them, Fred. Our friends giveus things because they like to do it, and we never ask for anything;do we, Maggie?"

  "No," said Maggie, "and you ought not to talk so, Fred."

  "I didn't mean to say anything," said he, "but it is true; is it not?Are not people always making you presents, and taking you to places,and doing other things to give you pleasure?"

  "Yes," said Maggie, "but they do it because they like us. If anybodyloves anybody, it is a pleasure to do a favor to them. We think it is;don't we, Bessie?"

  "Oh, that is it; is it?" said Fred. "Well then, you love me; don't you?"

  "Course we do, because you're our brother; and we'd love you a greatdeal more if you didn't tease us, Fred."

  "Well, if you love me, and it is such a pleasure to do things forpeople you love, you can please yourselves very much by giving me someof this paper."

  "Oh, we can't; we want it ourselves," said Maggie, while Bessie took upboth pieces of paper, and put her hands behind her, as if she fearedthat Fred would run off with them.

  "Ho, ho," said he, "then you love yourselves better than you do me?"

  "Fred," said Mr. Bradford, who was sitting on the other side of theroom, "do not tease your sisters."

  "I did not mean to tease them, sir; but as Maggie thinks it sodelightful to please people whom one loves, I was only giving her achance to do it, and she don't seem to care to take it. I say, Hal,wouldn't this paper be jolly to make stars and things for our newkites?"

  "First-rate," said Harry. "I'll tell you what, Midget and Bess, willyou sell it?"

  "No," said Bessie, rather crossly, "we want it for dresses for ourpaper dolls. You do tease us, and we want you to go away, even if yousay you don't mean to, and you sha'n't--" Bessie stopped, and then wenton again in a pleasanter voice. "Please to 'scuse me, Fred. I didn'tmean to be so cross, but we are so busy, and we'd yather you wouldn'tinteryupt us."

  These last words were said in a very polite little manner, which ratheramused the boys. Fred had been ready with a sharp answer, when Bessiebegan so angrily; but now, when he saw her check her quick temper, hewas ashamed to provoke her.

  "Just as you choose," he said, "but you are in such a way in these daysto lay up money for your mission-books that I thought you would bewilling enough to sell it."

  "Children," said Mr. Bradford, again looking up from his writing, "ifyou cannot play without disputing, I shall separate you. Fred, yourlittle sisters were quiet and happy before you came in. Do not let mehave to speak to you again, my boy."

  Now here was the consequence of having a bad character. Fred had notintended to vex the children, but he was so in the habit of teasingthem that they were afraid of him, and thought he meant it when he didnot; while his father, who had not heard much of what was passing, butwho had been disturbed by the fretful tone of Bessie's voice, took itfor granted that Fred was annoying her. But Bessie was too honest tolet him be blamed when he had not deserved it.

  "Fred was not naughty, papa," she said. "I'm 'fraid it was me. I wascross."

  "Very well," said her father, who thought it best to let them settlethe difficulty themselves, if they could do it peaceably; "only letthere be no more quarrelling."

  "Suppose we go and finish our kites," said Harry. Fred agreed, and thetwo boys went away.

  "Bessie," said Maggie, presently, "I'm just of a good mind to giveHarry a piece of my paper."

  "For some pennies?" asked Bessie.

  "No; mamma said it was not nice for brothers and sisters to sell thingsto one another; and she don't want us to be too anxious to get money,even for our library. I'm just going to give it to him, 'cause that daywhen he asked me for the shell, I said I would sell it to him; and thenhe'll see I am not a miser."

  "Well," said Bessie, "then I'll give Fred a piece of mine, 'cause I wascross to him just now."

  "Harry shall have my gold piece," said Maggie, "and then we'll dividethese two 'tween ourselves."

  "So we will," said Bessie, "then we will all have some. Maggie, you dofix everything so nice."

  Away they ran to their brothers' playroom.

  "Holloa!" said Fred, when he saw them; "we are not such plagues butthat you had to run after us, eh?"

  "We came to bring you some of our paper," said Maggie. "This piece isfor you, Harry, and Bessie's is for Fred."

  "Well, you are first-rate little chaps," said Fred; "and Hal and I willmake each of you a nice little kite; see if we don't."

  "Oh, Fred!" said Bessie.

  "What's the matter now? Sha'n't you like that?"

  "Ladies are not chaps," said Bessie, gravely, "and they don't play withkites."

  "Oh, you're a big lady, aren't you?" said he, laughing.

  "I can be a lady if I'm not so very big. Mamma says anybody can be alady or a gemperlum, if they are kind and polite, even if they are verylittle, or even if they are poor."

  "All right," said Fred. "Then I suppose that lady wont accept a kitefrom this gemperlum."

  "Don't say it that way; you must say gem-per-lum."

  "Well, don't I say gem-per-lum?"

  "That's not the way," said Bessie, her color rising, for she knew thatFred was laughing at her, and she thought it was hard.

  "Fred," said Harry, "you are breaking your resolution already."

  Bessie in City. p. 184.]

  "That is so. What a fellow I am!"

  "Fred," said Bessie, "gemperlums don't tease. Papa is a gemperlum, andhe never teases."

  "And mamma said Tom Norris was a perfect little gentleman, and he doesnot tease. I guess gentlemen always 'do to others as they would,'" saidMaggie, who was very fond of this line.

  "They ought to if they do not," said Harry, "and no one can say thatyou don't keep that rule, Maggie."

  "When people have angry passions, it's very hard not to get in one whenthey're teased," said Bessie. "Fred, I do have to try so very, veryhard."

  Fred threw down his kite, and caught his little sister in his arms.

  "See if I plague you any more then," he said. "I was just telling HarryI did not mean to do it, and the first thing, I am at it again; but Iwill try to remember, Bess. Harry, if I forget again, I give you leaveto bring me up short the best way you can."

  Fred kept his word, and after this, took much pains to break himself ofhis provoking habit.

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