Mamie's Watchword

by Joanna H. Mathews

  V.

  _THE DUCKLING._

  THE spot chosen by Lily for the afternoon's amusement was indeeduniversally pronounced to be "splendid." On the very top of a broad,flat rock lay a pool of water (fresh water this; the waves seldomwashed so high even in the most furious of storms), it collected herefrom the rains and dew and fogs, and but rarely dried up. Just nowit was unusually full, and the most unaccommodating of nurses couldscarcely have refused permission to make the most of such a delightfulsheet of water. All four of our young friends and two other littlegirls, named Alice and Julia Gordon, who had been invited to jointhem, were soon busily at work.

  Lily produced, from the depths of her pocket, some tiny dolls "madeto be drowned and upset and such misfortunes," and the boats beinglaunched, these unfortunate passengers were speedily consigned to theprobable fate which awaited them.

  Ah, such a fate! Spite of the smiling, sunny face of that miniaturesea, what "horrible accidents" and "shocking disasters" took placethereon! what storms arose, caused by the violent stirring up of itswaters with whirling of sticks and splashing of stones! how thosegallant vessels ran into one another, turned bottom upwards, lost mastsand rudders! how they spilled their passengers, who were saved only tobe sent forth on another perilous voyage!

  By and by it was decided to build a pier,--a breakwater where thedistressed vessels might run for shelter now and then; and allproceeded to hunt up small stones and pebbles for the structure.

  Away went Lily, springing up here and down there, across rifts andchasms, swinging herself lightly from ridge to ridge, peering intoholes and clefts, and, whenever she found a stone suitable for herpurpose, passing it on to her less venturesome companions. Cominground a corner of the rock, she found Belle standing alone, and gazingthoughtfully over the blue waters of the sea.

  "Why, Belle!" she exclaimed, "what are you thinking of so solemnly? Whydon't you pick up stones?"

  "I was thinking about Mamie," answered Belle. "Lily, I believe shewants to be good, but she don't quite know how to set about it."

  "Oh, ho! and I s'pose you want to take pattern by Maggie and Bessie,and help her, do you?" said Lily, going down on her hands and knees,and thrusting her arm into a cleft where she spied a suitable stone.

  "I'd like to, but I don't know how very well," said Belle; "and it wasnot that I was thinking about so much. I was just wishing Maggie washere to give me a proverb to make a proverb-picture out of. Lily, doyou know of one about a breakwater?"

  "No," answered Lily, giving a violent tug to the stone which refusedto be dislodged from its position,--"oh! you obstinate old thing, comeout,--no, I don't, Belle. But why do you want one about a breakwater?"

  "'Cause I think Mamie feels very naughty to her mamma about it,"answered Belle. "She keeps saying how mean it is in her not to say shecan go, and calls her foolish and stupid; and she says she will coaxher papa to take her. And you know she ought not to talk so about hermother, even if she is--Lily, do you think Mrs. Stone is a very wisemamma to Mamie?"

  "Wise!" repeated Lily. "I should think not! There! why did you notcome before, when you had to come?"--this to the stone, which she hadat length succeeded in bringing up; then again to Belle,--"Belle, Ithink she's just about the foolishest mother I ever did see. Augh! ifmy mamma was so foolish as that, I should be too ashamed of her forany thing;" and Lily sprung to her feet, and flourished her stone inthe air as if to give emphasis to her opinion. "But I'll tell you,Belle; I have a very good idea. I think we could manage to give Mamiea lesson without offending her, and just pretending it's all play.As soon as our breakwater is finished, we'll have a game about adisobedient child,--no, ever so many children, so Mamie won't thinkwe mean her,--ever so many disobedient children who went on it whentheir mothers did not want them to, and were very severely punished byterrible things which happened to them. Don't you think that would do?"

  "Well, yes," answered Belle, rather doubtfully, for Lily's attempts atmoral teaching were apt to be more personal than agreeable, and to giveoffence where she did not intend it; "but you'll have to be very sureMamie don't think we mean it for a hint to her, Lily; else she'll bemad."

  "Oh, yes! we'll be careful," said Lily; and, secure of the success ofher plan, she ran back to the pool, followed by Belle.

  Meanwhile Mamie and Mabel had been busily at work raising thebreakwater which was now nearly finished, and enough stones having beengathered, Lily also lent a hand to its completion; while Belle, feelingrather tired, sat quietly by, looking on.

  "I wish I had my magnet swans and fishes up here," said Alice Gordon;"would not this be a nice place to swim them!"

  "Yes," said Belle; "and wouldn't it be fun if we had some of the newlittle _ducklies_ here to teach them to swim!"

  "Duck-ly-_ings_, they are called," said Lily, jamming down a refractorystone which, as she said, would not "stay _put_" and thereby spatteringthe water over herself and her playmates. But no one minded such atrifle as that. Builders of breakwaters cannot always expect to keepquite dry.

  "I thought Tom called them _ducklies_," said little Belle.

  "_Ings_--lyings--duck--ly--ings," repeated Lily with emphasis. "Yes,indeed, it would be too cunning and funny to have them here, and teachthem to swim. This would make just about a big enough pond for them."

  "Let's bring one to-morrow," said Mabel.

  "Mrs. Clark wouldn't let us," said Lily. "She's an awfully cross oldpatch."

  "Let's take one without asking her then," said Mabel. "We can put itback all safe, and she'll never know it."

  "That would be very naughty, though," said Belle.

  "And God would see, if Mrs. Clark didn't," said Mamie. "Mabel, youforget 'the eyes of the Lord are in every place.'"

  "See here," said Lily, who had just put the last stone upon theminiature pier, and then plumped herself down upon the rock besideBelle,--"see here, Mamie; it seems to me you're getting rather intimatewith the Lord."

  "I'm not," said Mamie resentfully; for she had felt rather grand whenshe made her speech to Mabel, and did not like to have her weaponsturned upon herself. "We ought to remember God sees us all the time."

  "Course we ought," returned Lily; "but then I don't b'lieve it's properto talk about it in that familiar kind of a way--so--so--well, I don'tknow exactly how to tell it, but as if the Lord was not any thing sovery great, you know," and Lily's voice took a graver tone. "He hearsus all the time, too, and we ought to be a little careful how we speakabout Him in our play."

  "He sees us and hears us now, just this very minute; don't He?" saidBelle thoughtfully.

  A moment's silence fell upon the little group as to one and all camethe solemn recollection of the Almighty presence here among them; asilence broken, of course, by Lily, who, turning again to Mamie, said,"It's very nice of you, Mamie, certainly, to try to remember that textof yours all the time; but then I mean we ought to think a little moresoberly, and speak a little more piously about it; or it's not likelyto do us much good. Now let's play."

  The proposed play was successfully carried out, both Lily and Bellebeing careful to avoid looking at Mamie during its performance lestshe should guess that it was intended expressly for her benefit, takeoffence, and so fail to profit by it.

  Nevertheless, Mamie had her own doubts on the subject; and, as the playprogressed, withdrew from any active share in it, sitting down andwatching the others with a solemn countenance.

  The truth was that her conscience was not at rest; not that she plannedany deliberate disobedience, but she knew that she was cherishingrebellious and undutiful feelings in her heart, because she would notmake up her mind to give up, without farther murmuring and teasing, thepleasure her mother had forbidden.

  The oft-shipwrecked and oft-rescued rag dolls, now in a most distressedand bedraggled condition, as became their various misfortunes, weresupposed to be a family of children seized with an uncontrollabledesire to go upon the breakwater in spite of the commands of theirparents that they should keep away from it. One af
ter another yieldedto the temptation, and all met with the most disastrous fates. Twowere swept away by an uncommonly high wave sent for the purpose, and,as they were carried into the depths of the sea, raised pitiful voicesto their comrades, crying, "Be warned by us! depart from disobedience,and be warned by us!" A part of the pier gave way with others,precipitating them into the briny deep; another child fell through ahole, and became wedged in between the stones, "where she had to stayall the rest of her life, and grew up there, but never got out, and hada horrid time." In short, some terrible but well-deserved catastropheovertook each one, till the whole family were destroyed.

  "That's not a bit real," said Mamie, in a tone of greatdissatisfaction, when the last survivor had been disposed of. "I knowchildren _don't_ usually be drowned and squeezed up in stones justbecause they go on breakwaters."

  "No," said Belle, "not _usually_; but then they might be, you know.Accidents _sometimes_ happen, 'specially if people don't mind."

  "Children don't _usually_ be ate up by bears," said Lily; "but theElisha children were; and I don't s'pose they expected the bears atall. So that shows punishments may come to us that we never thoughtabout, besides the punishment of a very bad conscience."

  Lily had said "we" and "us" lest Mamie should feel that she intended aparticular thrust at her; but as she spoke the last words, she couldnot refrain from giving a sidelong glance to see if her moral lessonwere taking a proper effect, and Mamie caught it, and it increased hersuspicion that she was to receive a reproof and warning under thisfriendly disguise.

  "I just believe Lily does mean that play for me," she said to herself,"and she has no right to. I wish she'd mind her own business." Then,rising and moving away with a very superb air, she said aloud, "That'sa very foolish, tiresome play, and I shan't stay to see any more of it."

  "Oh! it's done," said Lily; "the disobedient children are all used up.We'll fish them out now, and lay them in the sun to dry. I do wish wecould have some of the ducklings here; it would be such fun."

  Other people were now beginning to flock down to the rocks, for thiswas the favorite resort in the afternoons; and numerous groups were tobe seen, scattered here and there, in such convenient resting-placesas they might find, watching the breaking of the waves, and all themingled beauties of sea and sky. Among them came Mr. Powers, Mr. andMrs. Norris, Mrs. Stone and the little Gordons' mother; and Mr. Norrisasked if there were not a cluster of "Sunbeams" who would like to shedthe light of their rays upon "Indian Rock."

  Yes, indeed! Lily had painted the glories of "Indian Rock" in suchglowing terms, that they were only too eager to accept the invitation;and with the help of many a lift, pull, and push from the strong armsof the gentlemen, the whole party, great and small, were soon landedon that enchanting spot. For there each one of the children had beenforbidden to venture, unless in company with some older and experiencedperson; and their nurses had been told not to lead them there. For"Indian Rock" was a dangerous spot, unless one trod it with care, orhad the guidance and support of a strong, firm hand.

  "Papa," said Mamie, as her father helped her up to the top of aslippery ledge, "I'm sure I do not think the breakwater could be moredangerous than this, and I don't see why you could not let me go therejust as well as here. Lily's mamma lets her go there with only Nora orTom, and I'm sure I don't see why I can't."

  Much to Mamie's surprise, and somewhat to her alarm, her fathernow spoke quite sternly to her, bidding her put all thought of thebreakwater out of her head, since, dangerous or not, her mother wasafraid to have her go there, and his word had been passed that sheshould not be allowed to do so.

  After this, she dared say no more; but still she silently fretted andmurmured, and thought herself hardly used, thereby losing half herpleasure in the beautiful scene before her.

  It was two or three days before any of the children came down to playin their pool again. Other pleasures took up their time and attention;but, at last, one bright, sunny afternoon, it was proposed to go.

  When the hour arrived, however, Lily and Belle were invited to go fora drive and a visit to the light-house; and the juvenile party wasreduced to four. Lily kindly lent her ships and boats, and a new supplyof unhappy passengers had been provided; but these did not satisfyMabel, who, since the day on which she had first seen the ducklings,had never ceased to wish that she could see them swim.

  "You've been here the longest; would you mind asking Mrs. Clark to lendus one of the ducklings to take down to the Rocks this afternoon?" shesaid to Lily, as the latter, ready dressed for the drive, stood uponthe piazza, waiting for the carriage.

  "I should think I _would_ mind!" exclaimed Lily. "I would not do itfor any thing. Why, Mabel, she's the crossest old thing that everlived. This morning when I came up from the bath, I asked her for aginger-cake, and she told me I was always stuffing! Stuffing! Such ahorrid word to say! And besides, it's not true. I'm not eating all thetime, and mamma gave me leave to ask for the cake."

  "Didn't she give it to you?" asked Mabel.

  "Oh, yes, she gave me a whole plateful; at least, she was going to; butyou don't think I was going to take them after that! No, indeedy!"

  "But I don't want her to _give_ us a duckling, only to lend us one toswim it down in our pool," said Mabel. "Wouldn't you dare to ask her?"

  "I'd dare enough," answered Lily, who seldom confessed to dread ofliving thing, unless it were a horse; "but I know it would be of nouse; and I never ask people for things when I'm sure they don't want togive them to me. Here's the carriage."

  This was not Mabel's doctrine. Like Mamie Stone, she had a great dealof faith in fretting or worrying for that which other people did notwish to grant, knowing from experience that she often, by this means,gained her point.

  Having seen Belle and Lily off, she sauntered out to the back lot wherethe chickens and ducks were kept, and stood looking at the ducklingswith a growing desire to have one to play with. Should she go and askMrs. Clark?

  Before she had fully made up her mind to do so, the woman herself camearound the corner of the house, and the next moment her loud, sharpvoice struck disagreeably on Mabel's ear, and put all thoughts ofasking a favor from her quite out of the little girl's mind.

  "Now look here! What are you about there? You let them chickens alone,and go round to your own side of the house. I don't want the boarders'children meddling round here."

  Such was the greeting which Mabel received; not very encouragingcertainly, and she moved away with a scowl at Mrs. Clark which did notmake her look much more amiable than the loud-voiced scold herself.

  "I wasn't touching your old chickens," she called out as soon as shethought herself at a safe distance.

  But, instead of going back to the house, she walked on to the end ofthe lot where it was divided from the next field by a row of currantbushes and a stone wall. Walking along by the bushes, without anyparticular purpose, and thinking it was time for her to go and see ifthe other children were ready for the walk to the Rocks, she heard acurious little noise among the bushes.

  Stooping down and peering in at the spot whence it seemed to come, shesaw one of the ducklings lying on the ground, and making the faintsound which had attracted her attention.

  "I wonder how it came here, so far from its hen-mother and the otherducklings," she said to herself. "I could take it up now if I liked,and carry it to the Rocks, and neither the hen nor Mrs. Clark could seeme."

  The temptation was strong. Mrs. Clark had vanished into the house; andthe next moment Mabel had the duckling in her hand, hand and bird bothhidden beneath the little overskirt of her dress, and she was runningrapidly out of the gate which opened on a cross road by the side of thehouse.

  Then she heard Alice and Julia Gordon calling her.

  "Mabel! Where are you, Mabel? We are ready to go;" and Nanette'svoice, "Ou etes-vous donc, Mademoiselle?" and although she had nointention of keeping her prize a secret, it was with a half-guiltyfeeling that she went forward and joined them, still keeping her handhid
den beneath her overskirt. She would let the other children see whatshe had there when they reached the rocks, but not now.

  But she was not allowed to keep her secret so long; for as they werewalking along the path which lay above the cliffs, Julia Gordon said,--

  "What do you keep your hand under your skirt for, Mabel?"

  Mabel looked around before she answered. She had tried to persuadeherself that she had done nothing wrong in "borrowing" the duckling foran afternoon's play, since no one had told her she was not to have it;but, nevertheless, she felt rather doubtful of what the nurses wouldsay when they knew what she had there.

  The three women in charge of the little party had fallen somewhatbehind; and Mamie, having taken it into her head to draw the wagon inwhich Lulu was seated, was also with them, and out of hearing for themoment, if she lowered her voice.

  "Don't tell if I tell you something," said Mabel, in answer to Julia'squestion, and speaking to both her and Alice.

  "No, what is it?"

  "You and Alice come close, one on each side of me," said Mabel. "Idon't want any one else to know it till we are at the pool." Then, asher companions obeyed, full of eager curiosity, "It's a duckling; oneof the new little ducklings that have the hen for a mother; and we'llswim it in the pool."

  "Oh, what fun!" said Julia.

  "Did Mrs. Clark lend it to you?" asked Alice.

  "No, I didn't ask her, she's so cross," answered Mabel; "but it wasn'tany harm, for the duckling had come away from its mother, anyhow. Ifound it under the currant bushes, and I expect it will do it a greatdeal of good to teach it to swim. Mrs. Clark ought to be very muchobliged to us."

  "Perhaps the poor little thing had run away to see if it could find anywater," said Julia. "Ducks always want to swim, I believe, and this onehad no mother duck to teach it."

  "Yes; so you see it's quite a kindness," said Mabel.

  "Let's see it," said Alice.

  "Presently, when we are at the rock where the pool is," said Mabel."I don't want to take him out now for fear he begins to wiggle againbefore I get him in the water, and he knows what we are going to dowith him. Won't he be glad?"

  "Yes," said Julia. "Does he wiggle much?"

  "Not now," said Mabel. "At first he wiggled dreadfully, but I held himtighter, so he couldn't; and he made a little noise, too, but I shut uphis bill close, so he couldn't. He's very quiet and good now."

  "Aren't you going to let Mamie see him?" asked Alice.

  "Oh, yes, when we are ready to put him into the water; but I daresay she'll go and say something hateful about him when she sees him.Mamie's real ugly to me, and I can't bear her."