CHAPTER X
ST. NICHOLAS AND ST. VALENTINE
"What are the children all doing to-day?" said Katy laying down "Norwayand the Norwegians," which she was reading for the fourth time; "Ihaven't seen them since breakfast."
Aunt Izzie, who was sewing on the other side of the room, looked upfrom her work.
"I don't know," she said, "they're over at Cecy's, or somewhere. They'llbe back before long, I guess."
Her voice sounded a little odd and mysterious, but Katy didn'tnotice it.
"I thought of such a nice plan yesterday," she went on. "That was thatall of them should hang their stockings up here to-morrow night insteadof in the nursery. Then I could see them open their presents, you know.Mayn't they, Aunt Izzie? It would be real fun."
"I don't believe there will be any objection," replied her aunt. Shelooked as if she were trying not to laugh. Katy wondered what was thematter with her.
It was more than two months now since Cousin Helen went away, and Winterhad fairly come. Snow was falling out-doors. Katy could see the thickflakes go whirling past the window, but the sight did not chill her. Itonly made the room look warmer and more cosy. It was a pleasant roomnow. There was a bright fire in the grate. Everything was neat andorderly, the air was sweet with mignonette, from a little glass offlowers which stood on the table, and the Katy who lay in bed, was avery different-looking Katy from the forlorn girl of the last chapter.
Cousin Helen's visit, though it lasted only one day, did great good. Notthat Katy grew perfect all at once. None of us do that, even in books.But it is everything to be started in the right path. Katy's feet wereon it now; and though she often stumbled and slipped, and often sat downdiscouraged, she kept on pretty steadily, in spite of bad days, whichmade her say to herself that she was not getting forward at all.
These bad days, when everything seemed hard, and she herself was crossand fretful, and drove the children out of her room, cost Katy manybitter tears. But after them she would pick herself up, and try again,and harder. And I think that in spite of drawbacks, the little scholar,on the whole, was learning her lesson pretty well.
Cousin Helen was a great comfort all this time. She never forgot Katy.Nearly every week some little thing came from her. Sometimes it was apencil note, written from her sofa. Sometimes it was an interestingbook, or a new magazine, or some pretty little thing for the room. Thecrimson wrapper which Katy wore was one of her presents, so were thebright chromos of Autumn leaves which hung on the wall, the little standfor the books--all sorts of things. Katy loved to look about her as shelay. All the room seemed full of Cousin Helen and her kindness.
"I wish I had something pretty to put into everybody's stocking," shewent on, wistfully; "but I've only got the muffetees for Papa, and thesereins for Phil." She took them from under her pillow as she spoke--gayworsted affairs, with bells sewed on here and there. She had knit themherself, a very little bit at a time.
"There's my pink sash," she said suddenly, "I might give that toClover. I only wore it once, you know, and I don't think I got anyspots on it. Would you please fetch it and let me see, Aunt Izzie? It'sin the top drawer."
Aunt Izzie brought the sash. It proved to be quite fresh, and they bothdecided that it would do nicely for Clover.
"You know I sha'n't want sashes for ever so long," said Katy, in rathera sad tone, "And this is a beauty."
When she spoke next, her voice was bright again.
"I wish I had something real nice for Elsie. Do you know, Aunt Izzie--Ithink Elsie is the dearest little girl that ever was."
"I'm glad you've found it out," said Aunt Izzie, who had always beenspecially fond of Elsie.
"What she wants most of all is a writing-desk," continued Katy. "AndJohnnie wants a sled. But, oh dear! these are such big things. And I'veonly got two dollars and a quarter."
Aunt Izzie marched out of the room without saying anything. When shecame back she had something folded up in her hand.
"I didn't know what to give you for Christmas, Katy," she said, "becauseHelen sends you such a lot of things that there don't seem to beanything you haven't already. So I thought I'd give you this, and letyou choose for yourself. But if you've set your heart on gettingpresents for the children, perhaps you'd rather have it now." So saying,Aunt Izzie laid on the bed a crisp, new five-dollar bill!
"How good you are!" cried Katy, flushed with pleasure. And indeed AuntIzzie _did_ seem to have grown wonderfully good of late. Perhaps Katyhad got hold of her smooth handle!
Being now in possession of seven dollars and a quarter, Katy couldafford to be gorgeously generous. She gave Aunt Izzie an exactdescription of the desk she wanted.
"It's no matter about its being very big," said Katy, "but it must havea blue velvet lining, and an inkstand, with a silver top. And please buysome little sheets of paper and envelopes, and a pen-handle; theprettiest you can find. Oh! and there must be a lock and key. Don'tforget that, Aunt Izzie."
"No, I won't. What else?"
"I'd like the sled to be green," went on Katy, "and to have a nice name.Sky-Scraper would be nice, if there was one. Johnnie saw a sled oncecalled Sky-Scraper, and she said it was splendid. And if there's moneyenough left, Aunty, won't you buy me a real nice book for Dorry, andanother for Cecy, and a silver thimble for Mary? Her old one is full ofholes. Oh! and some candy. And something for Debby and Bridget--somelittle thing, you know. I think that's all!"
Was ever seven dollars and a quarter expected to do so much? Aunt Izziemust have been a witch, indeed, to make it hold out. But she did, andnext day all the precious bundles came home. How Katy enjoyed untyingthe strings!
Everything was exactly right.
"There wasn't any Sky-Scraper," said Aunt Izzie, "so I got'Snow-Skimmer' instead."
"It's beautiful, and I like it just as well," said Katy contentedly.
"Oh, hide them, hide them!" she cried with sudden terror, "somebody'scoming." But the somebody was only Papa, who put his head into the roomas Aunt Izzie, laden with bundles, scuttled across the hall.
Katy was glad to catch him alone. She had a little private secret totalk over with him. It was about Aunt Izzie, for whom she, as yet, hadno present.
"I thought perhaps you'd get me a book like that one of Cousin Helen's,which Aunt Izzie liked so much," she said. "I don't recollect the nameexactly. It was something about a Shadow. But I've spent all my money."
"Never mind about that," said Dr. Carr. "We'll make that right. 'TheShadow of the Cross'--was that it? I'll buy it this afternoon."
"Oh, thank you, Papa! And please get a brown cover, if you can, becauseCousin Helen's was brown. And you won't let Aunt Izzie know, will you?Be careful, Papa!"
"I'll swallow the book first, brown cover and all," said Papa,making a funny face. He was pleased to see Katy so interested aboutanything again.
These delightful secrets took up so much of her thoughts, that Katyscarcely found time to wonder at the absence of the children, whogenerally haunted her room, but who for three days back had hardly beenseen. However, after supper they all came up in a body, looking verymerry, and as if they had been having a good time somewhere.
"You don't know what we've been doing," began Philly.
"Hush, Phil!" said Clover, in a warning voice. Then she divided thestockings which she held in her hand. And everybody proceeded tohang them up.
Dorry hung his on one side of the fireplace, and John hers exactlyopposite. Clover and Phil suspended theirs side by side, on two handlesof the bureau.
"I'm going to put mine here, close to Katy, so that she can see it thefirst fing in the mornin'," said Elsie, pinning hers to the bed-post.
Then they all sat down round the fire to write their wishes on bits ofpaper, and see whether they would burn, or fly up the chimney. If theydid the latter, it was a sign that Santa Claus had them safe, and wouldbring the things wished for.
John wished for a sled and a doll's tea-set, and the continuation of theSwiss Family Robinson. Dorry's list ra
n thus:
"A plum-cake, A new Bibel, Harry and Lucy, A Kellidescope, Everything else Santa Claus likes."
When they had written these lists they threw them into the fire. Thefire gave a flicker just then, and the papers vanished. Nobody sawexactly how. John thought they flew up chimney, but Dorry said theydidn't. Phil dropped his piece in very solemnly. It flamed for a minute,then sank into ashes.
"There, you won't get it, whatever it was!" said Dorry. "What did youwrite, Phil?"
"Nofing," said Phil, "only just Philly Carr."
The children shouted.
"I wrote 'a writing-desk' on mine," remarked Elsie, sorrowfully, "but itall burned up."
Katy chuckled when she heard this.
And now Clover produced her list. She read aloud:
"'Strive and Thrive,' A pair of kid gloves, A muff, A good temper!"
Then she dropped it into the fire. Behold, it flew straight up chimney.
"How queer!" said Katy; "none of the rest of them did that."
The truth was, that Clover, who was a canny little mortal, had slippedacross the room and opened the door just before putting her wishes in.This, of course, made a draft, and sent the paper right upward.
Pretty soon Aunt Izzie came in and swept them all off to bed.
"I know how it will be in the morning," she said, "you'll all be upand racing about as soon as it is light. So you must get your sleepnow, if ever."
After they had gone, Katy recollected that nobody had offered to hang astocking up for her. She felt a little hurt when she thought of it. "ButI suppose they forgot," she said to herself.
A little later Papa and Aunt Izzie came in, and they filled thestockings. It was great fun. Each was brought to Katy, as she lay inbed, that she might arrange it as she liked.
The toes were stuffed with candy and oranges. Then came the parcels, allshapes and sizes, tied in white paper, with ribbons, and labelled.
"What's that?" asked Dr. Carr, as Aunt Izzie rammed a long, narrowpackage into Clover's stocking.
"A nail-brush," answered Aunt Izzie. "Clover needed a new one."
How Papa and Katy laughed! "I don't believe Santa Claus ever had such athing before," said Dr. Carr.
"He's a very dirty old gentleman, then," observed Aunt Izzie, grimly.
The desk and sled were too big to go into any stocking, so they werewrapped in paper and hung beneath the other things. It was ten o'clockbefore all was done, and Papa and Aunt Izzie went away. Katy lay a longtime watching the queer shapes of the stocking-legs as they dangled inthe firelight. Then she fell asleep.
It seemed only a minute, before something touched her and woke her up.Behold, it was day-time, and there was Philly in his nightgown, climbingup on the bed to kiss her! The rest of the children, half dressed, weredancing about with their stockings in their hands.
"Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" they cried. "Oh, Katy, suchbeautiful, beautiful things!"
"Oh!" shrieked Elsie, who at that moment spied her desk, "Santa Claus_did_ bring it, after all! Why, it's got 'from Katy' written on it! Oh,Katy, it's so sweet, and I'm _so_ happy!" and Elsie hugged Katy, andsobbed for pleasure.
But what was that strange thing beside the bed! Katy stared, and rubbedher eyes. It certainly had not been there when she went to sleep. Howhad it come?
It was a little evergreen tree planted in a red flower-pot. The pot hadstripes of gilt paper stuck on it, and gilt stars and crosses, whichmade it look very gay. The boughs of the tree were hung with oranges,and nuts, and shiny red apples, and pop-corn balls, and strings ofbright berries. There were also a number of little packages tied withblue and crimson ribbon, and altogether the tree looked so pretty, thatKaty gave a cry of delighted surprise.
"It's a Christmas-tree for you, because you're sick, you know!" said thechildren, all trying to hug her at once.
"We made it ourselves," said Dorry, hopping about on one foot; "I pastedthe black stars on the pot."
"And I popped the corn!" cried Philly.
"Do you like it?" asked Elsie, cuddling close to Katy. "That's mypresent--that one tied with a green ribbon. I wish it was nicer! Don'tyou want to open 'em right away?"
Of course Katy wanted to. All sorts of things came out of the littlebundles. The children had arranged every parcel themselves. No grownperson had been allowed to help in the least.
Elsie's present was a pen-wiper, with a gray flannel kitten on it.Johnnie's, a doll's tea-tray of scarlet tin.
"Isn't it beau-ti-ful?" she said, admiringly.
Dorry's gift, I regret to say, was a huge red-and-yellow spider, whichwhirred wildly when waved at the end of its string.
"They didn't want me to buy it," said he, "but I did! I thought it wouldamoose you. Does it amoose you, Katy?"
"Yes, indeed," said Katy, laughing and blinking as Dorry waved thespider to and fro before her eyes.
"You can play with it when we ain't here and you're all alone, youknow," remarked Dorry, highly gratified.
"But you don't notice what the tree's standing upon," said Clover.
It was a chair, a very large and curious one, with a long-cushionedback, which ended in a footstool.
"That's Papa's present," said Clover; "see, it tips back so as to bejust like a bed. And Papa says he thinks pretty soon you can lie on it,in the window, where you can see us play."
"Does he really?" said Katy, doubtfully. It still hurt her very much tobe touched or moved.
"And see what's tied to the arm of the chair," said Elsie.
It was a little silver bell, with "Katy" engraved on the handle.
"Cousin Helen sent it. It's for you to ring when you want anybody tocome," explained Elsie.
More surprises. To the other arm of the chair was fastened a beautifulbook. It was "The Wide Wide World"--and there Was Katy's name written onit, 'from her affectionate Cecy.' On it stood a great parcel of driedcherries from Mrs. Hall. Mrs. Hall had the most _delicious_ driedcherries, the children thought.
"How perfectly lovely everybody is!" said Katy, with grateful tearsin her eyes.
That was a pleasant Christmas. The children declared it to be the nicestthey had ever had. And though Katy couldn't quite say that, she enjoyedit too, and was very happy.
It was several weeks before she was able to use the chair, but when onceshe became accustomed to it, it proved very comfortable. Aunt Izziewould dress her in the morning, tip the chair back till it was on alevel with the bed, and then, very gently and gradually, draw her overon to it. Wheeling across the room was always painful, but sitting inthe window and looking out at the clouds, the people going by, and thechildren playing in the snow, was delightful. How delightful nobodyknows, excepting those who, like Katy, have lain for six months in bed,without a peep at the outside world. Every day she grew brighter andmore cheerful.
"How jolly Santa Claus was this year!" She happened to say one day, whenshe was talking with Cecy. "I wish another Saint would come and pay us avisit. But I don't know any more, except Cousin Helen, and she can't."
"There's St. Valentine," suggested Cecy.
"Sure enough. What a bright thought!" cried Katy, clapping her hands."Oh, Cecy, let's do something funny on Valentine's-Day! Such a good ideahas just popped into my mind."
So the two girls put their heads together and held a long, mysteriousconfabulation. What it was about, we shall see farther on.
Valentine's-Day was the next Friday. When the children came home fromschool on Thursday afternoon, Aunt Izzie met them, and, to their greatsurprise, told them that Cecy was come to drink tea, and they must allgo up stairs and be made nice.
"But Cecy comes most every day," remarked Dorry, who didn't see theconnection between this fact and having his face washed.
"Yes--but to-night you are to take tea in Katy's room," said Aunt Izzie;"here are the invitations: one for each of you."
Sure enough, there was a neat little note for each, requesting thepleasure of their company at "Queen Katharine's Palace," that
afternoon,at six o'clock.
This put quite a different aspect on the affair. The children scamperedup stairs, and pretty soon, all nicely brushed and washed, they wereknocking formally at the door of the "Palace." How fine it sounded!
The room looked bright and inviting. Katy, in her chair, sat close tothe fire, Cecy was beside her, and there was a round table all set outwith a white cloth and mugs of milk and biscuit, and strawberry-Jam anddoughnuts. In the middle was a loaf of frosted cake. There was somethingon the icing which looked like pink letters, and Clover, leaningforward, read aloud, "St. Valentine."
"What's that for?" asked Dorry.
"Why, you know this is St. Valentine's-Eve," replied Katy. "Debbieremembered it, I guess, so she put that on."
Nothing more was said about St. Valentine just then. But when the lastpink letter of his name had been eaten, and the supper had been clearedaway, suddenly, as the children sat by the fire, there was a loud rapat the door.
"Who can that be?" said Katy; "please see, Clover!"
So Clover opened the door. There stood Bridget, trying very hard not tolaugh, and holding a letter in her hand.
"It's a note as has come for you, Miss Clover," she said.
"For _me_!" cried Clover, much amazed. Then she shut the door, andbrought the note to the table.
"How very funny!" she exclaimed, as she looked at the envelope, whichwas a green and white one. There was something hard inside. Clover brokethe seal. Out tumbled a small green velvet pincushion made in the shapeof a clover-leaf, with a tiny stem of wire wound with green silk. Pinnedto the cushion was a paper, with these verses:
"Some people love roses well, Tulips, gayly dressed, Some love violets blue and sweet,-- I love Clover best.
"Though she has a modest air, Though no grace she boast, Though no gardener call her fair, I love Clover most.
"Butterfly may pass her by, He is but a rover, I'm a faithful, loving Bee-- And I stick to Clover."
This was the first valentine Clover had ever had. She was perfectlyenchanted.
"Oh, who _do_ you suppose sent it?" she cried.
But before anybody could answer, there came another loud knock atthe door, which made them all jump. Behold, Bridget again, with asecond letter!
"It's for you, Miss Elsie, this time," she said with a grin.
There was an instant rush from all the children, and the envelope wastorn open in the twinkling of an eye. Inside was a little ivory sealwith "Elsie" on it in old English letters, and these rhymes:
"I know a little girl, She is very dear to me, She is just as sweet as honey When she chooses so to be, And her name begins with E, and ends with E.
"She has brown hair which curls, And black eyes for to see With, teeth like tiny pearls, And dimples, one, two--three, And her name begins with E, and ends with E.
"Her little feet run faster Than other feet can flee, As she brushes quickly past, her Voice hums like a bee, And her name begins with E, and ends with E.
"Do you ask me why I love her? Then I shall answer thee, Because I can't help loving, She is so sweet to me, This little girl whose name begins and ends with 'E.'"
"It's just like a fairy story," said Elsie, whose eyes had grown asbig as saucers from surprise, while these verses were being readaloud by Cecy.
Another knock. This time there was a perfect handful of letters.Everybody had one. Katy, to her great surprise, had _two_.
"Why, what _can_ this be?" she said. But when she peeped into the secondone, she saw Cousin Helen's handwriting, and she put it into her pocket,till the valentines should be read.
Dorry's was opened first. It had the picture of a pie at thetop--I ought to explain that Dorry had lately been having a siegewith the dentist.
"Little Jack Horner Sat in his corner, Eating his Christmas pie, When a sudden grimace Spread over his face, And he began loudly to cry.
"His tender Mamma Heard the sound from afar, And hastened to comfort her child; 'What aileth my John?' She inquired in a tone Which belied her question mild.
"'Oh, Mother,' he said, 'Every tooth in my head Jumps and aches and is loose, O my! And it hurts me to eat Anything that is sweet-- So what _will_ become of my pie?'
"It were vain to describe How he roared and he cried, And howled like a miniature tempest; Suffice it to say, That the very next day He had all his teeth pulled by a dentist!"
This valentine made the children laugh for a long time. Johnnie'senvelope held a paper doll named "Red Riding-Hood." These werethe verses:
"I send you my picture, dear Johnnie, to show That I'm just as alive as you, And that you needn't cry over my fate Any more, as you used to do.
"The wolf didn't hurt me at all that day, For I kicked and fought and cried, Till he dropped me out of his mouth, and ran Away in the woods to hide.
"And Grandma and I have lived ever since In the little brown house so small, And churned fresh butter and made cream cheeses, Nor seen the wolf at all.
"So cry no more for fear I am eaten, The naughty wolf is shot, And if you will come to tea some evening You shall see for yourself I'm not."
Johnnie was immensely pleased at this, for Red Riding-Hood was a greatfavorite of hers.
Philly had a bit of india-rubber in his letter, which was written withvery black ink on a big sheet of foolscap:
"I was once a naughty man, And I hid beneath the bed, To steal your india-rubbers, But I chewed them up instead.
"Then you called out, 'Who is there?' I was thrown most in a fit, And I let the india-rubbers fall-- All but this little bit.
"I'm sorry for my naughty ways, And now, to make amends, I send the chewed piece back again, And beg we may be friends.
"ROBBER."
"Just listen to mine," said Cecy, who had all along pretended to be asmuch surprised as anybody, and now behaved as if she could hardly waittill Philly's was finished. Then she read aloud:
"TO CECY.
"If I were a bird And you were a bird, What would we do? Why you should be little and I would be big, And, side by side on a cherry-tree twig, We'd kiss with our yellow bills, and coo-- That's what we'd do!
"If I were a fish And you were a fish, What would we do? We'd frolic, and whisk our little tails, And play all sorts of tricks with the whales, And call on the oysters, and order a 'stew,' That's what we'd do!
"If I were a bee And you were a bee, What would we do? We'd find a home in a breezy wood, And store it with honey sweet and good. You should feed me and I would feed you, That's what we'd do!
"VALENTINE."
"I think that's the prettiest of all," said Clover.
"I don't," said Elsie. "I think mine is the prettiest. Cecy didn't haveany seal in hers, either." And she fondled the little seal, which allthis time she had held in her hand.
"Katy, you ought to have read yours first because you are the oldest,"said Clover.
"Mine isn't much," replied Katy, and she read:
"The rose is red the violet blue, Sugar is sweet, and so are you."
"What a mean valentine!" cried Elsie, with flashing eyes. "It's a realshame, Katy! You ought to have had the best of all."
Katy could hardly keep from laughing. The fact was that the verses forthe others had taken so long, that no time had been left for writing avalentine to herself. So, thinking it would excite suspicion to havenone, she had scribbled this old rhyme at the last moment.
"It isn't very nice," she said, trying to look as pensive as she could,"but never mind."
"It's a shame!" repeated Elsie, petting her very hard to make up for theinjustice.
"Hasn't it been a funny evening?" said John; and Dorry replied, "Yes; wenever had such good times before Katy was sick, did we?"
Katy heard this with a mingled feeling of pleasure and pain. "I thinkthe children do love me
a little more of late," she said to herself."But, oh, why couldn't I be good to them when I was well and strong!"
She didn't open Cousin Helen's letter until the rest were all gone tobed. I think somebody must have written and told about the valentineparty, for instead of a note there were these verses in Cousin Helen'sown clear, pretty hand. It wasn't a valentine, because it was toosolemn, as Katy explained to Clover, next day. "But," she added, "it isa great deal beautifuller than any valentine that ever was written." AndClover thought so too.
These were the verses:
"IN SCHOOL.
"I used to go to a bright school Where Youth and Frolic taught in turn; But idle scholar that I was, I liked to play, I would not learn; So the Great Teacher did ordain That I should try the School of Pain.
"One of the infant class I am With little, easy lessons, set In a great book; the higher class Have harder ones than I, and yet I find mine hard, and can't restrain My tears while studying thus with Pain.
"There are two Teachers in the school, One has a gentle voice and low, And smiles upon her scholars, as She softly passes to and fro. Her name is Love; 'tis very plain She shuns the sharper teacher, Pain.
"Or so I sometimes think; and then, At other times, they meet and kiss, And look so strangely like, that I Am puzzled to tell how it is, Or whence the change which makes it vain To guess if it be--Love or Pain.
"They tell me if I study well, And learn my lessons, I shall be Moved upward to that higher class Where dear Love teaches constantly; And I work hard, in hopes to gain Reward, and get away from Pain.
"Yet Pain is sometimes kind, and helps Me on when I am very dull; I thank him often in my heart; But Love is far more beautiful; Under her tender, gentle reign I must learn faster than of Pain.
"So I will do my very best, Nor chide the clock, nor call it slow; That when the Teacher calls me up To see if I am fit to go, I may to Love's high class attain, And bid a sweet good-by to Pain."
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