The Staying Guest

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XII A SCRIPTURAL COMMAND

  Every one knows the comforting qualities of hot waffles and syrup, sonone will be surprised to learn that after supper Ladybird was in a frameof mind nothing short of angelic.

  "My aunties," she remarked, as she extended her thin length along theold-fashioned sofa in the sitting-room, "I think I _would_ like to have achildren's party, if it wouldn't make too much trouble."

  "Hospitality is a duty," said Miss Flint, laconically. "And though itwill doubtless make more or less trouble, I shall be very glad to giveyou a party, Lavinia, and you may invite your school-mates."

  "How many?" said Ladybird.

  "Not more than twelve, including yourself; because everything is indozens, and I don't want to get out the extras."

  "That's eleven besides me. Why, Aunt Priscilla, I don't like that manychildren in the whole school!"

  "I'm ashamed of you, Lavinia; you should feel more kindly toward all yourfellow-creatures."

  "Oh, I feel kindly enough about them, and I like them well enough, but Ijust don't want to make a party of them. A party ought to be a few peoplethat you can really enjoy."

  "That's a very selfish way to look at it," said Miss Flint; "a party isintended to give your guests pleasure."

  "And it ought to give you pleasure," put in Aunt Dorinda, in her gentleway, "to know that your guests are enjoying themselves. Wouldn't thatplease you, Ladybird?"

  "Oh, yes, I'd be awful glad to have them enjoy themselves; but I don'tsee why I couldn't be enjoying myself at the same time. Why not let theparty come, and you and Aunt Priscilla give them their supper, and letEdith and Cloppy and me go down by the brook and have some fun?"

  "Don't be absurd, Lavinia," said Miss Priscilla. "It is quite right thatyou should give a party to your young friends, and I think you will enjoyit quite as much as they do. It will be a very nice party; your AuntDorinda and I will provide a pretty supper, and the young people canstroll about the lawn, or, if the day is chilly, you can play at games inthe house."

  "It doesn't sound a bit nice," said Ladybird; "but I suppose the otherchildren will like it, and so I don't mind. When shall we have it?"

  "To-morrow is Saturday," said Miss Priscilla, "and I think to-morrowafternoon from three to six will be a good time for it. You can go out inthe morning and invite your friends, while we make the cakes andjellies."

  "All right," said Ladybird, with an air of resignation. "Who shall Iask?"

  "Oh, I don't care," said Miss Flint, who was already looking into herrecipe-book; "ask any one you choose. But be sure to get eleven; I liketo have just twelve at the table."

  "I'll help you make out a list, dearie, if you want me to," said AuntDorinda.

  "No, thank you," said Ladybird; "the list will be easy enough. I likeEdith Fairchild and Bob Sheldon the best, and then I'll ask the Smithgirls and Tom Cooper,--it will be easy enough to get eleven, and they'llbe awfully glad to come."

  "That's a good child," said Aunt Dorinda, patting her head; "and ifyou're undecided, give the preference to those who will enjoy it most."

  "Yes, 'm," said Ladybird, a trifle absent-mindedly, for she was trying tomake Cloppy stand on his head.

  The next morning all of the Flint household, except Ladybird, were busilyengaged in preparations for the party, and that light-hearted damselstarted out in high spirits to deliver her invitations.

  "It seems to me," she said to herself as she went along, "that my auntsare very good people. I know it's a trouble to them to have this party,and yet they do it just out of kindness to me, and kindness to theseother children that I'm going to invite. I wish I had a kinder heart.Somehow I never think of doing good to people until somebody puts me upto it. But now I've got a chance, and I'm in the notion, and I'm justgoing to invite those that it will do the most good to. I believe I'llask Jim Blake; he's the poorest boy in school, and he's awful dirty, butI know he'd like to come, and I think that's what aunty meant. Anyway,she said to invite those who would enjoy it most, and I know Jim wouldenjoy it like a house afire. I'll go right to his house and ask himfirst."

  Arriving at the Blakes' small and exceedingly unattractive residence,Ladybird entered and seated herself with her most conventional callingmanner.

  "I'd like to have your son Jim attend my party this afternoon, Mrs.Blake," she said; and her hostess responded:

  "Laws, miss, are you in earnest now? Does your aunts know you're askin'him?"

  "I'm inviting any one I choose," said Ladybird; "and I want Jim to comeif he'll enjoy it."

  "Oh, he'll enjoy it tiptop, miss, and I'm terrible glad to have him go."

  "Then that's all right," said Ladybird, joyously. "And I must go now, asI have to invite the others." But as she reached the door she turned, andadded, with a smile that entirely cleared the words of any rude effect,"My aunts are very particular about people's personal appearance."

  "Oh, never fear," said Mrs. Blake, comprehendingly, "I'll redd Jim upuntil nobody'll know him."

  Ladybird went away thrilling with an exalted sense of having done a mostmeritorious act, and eager to let the good work go on.

  "It seems to me," she thought, "that people like Jim Blake will enjoy theparty heaps more than the Smiths and Fairchilds, and I'm going to ask allthe poor ones I know first, and then fill up with the others. Why, itsays in the Bible, when ye make a feast to scoop in the halt and theblind and the maimed and the lamed; and that reminds me, Dick Harris islame, and so is his grandfather, for that matter. I believe I'll ask themboth; Aunt Priscilla didn't say I had to have only children. And Mr.Harris got lame in the war, so I'm sure he'll enjoy it; he's a veteran G.A. R., and I just know Aunt Priscilla will like him."

  The Harris gentlemen were delighted to accept; and Ladybird gracefullyapologized for not inviting the other members of the family by saying,"I'd love to ask you all, but I can only have eleven, and there are somany who seem to need invitations."

  As Ladybird proceeded, her charity grew wider, and finally acknowledgedno bounds either social or ethical.

  She invited old Miss Leech, who had lost most of her physical and many ofher mental faculties; and whose acceptance was unduly delayed because fora long time she could not make out what her excited visitor was drivingat.

  Next, Ladybird invited two firemen. This she did with mixed motives:partly because she happened to meet them, and their red shirts and shinyhelmets attracted her color-loving eye, and partly because she had avague impression that it was always wise to keep on good terms withfiremen. But to her surprise, though evidently highly appreciating theinvitation, they positively declined.

  This experience moved Ladybird to confine her invitations to youngerguests, and she succeeded in securing Sam Scott, an idiot boy, and thewidow Taylor's two small twins. The widow Taylor frankly announced thatshe would have to accompany the twins, as they were imps of mischief andwould destroy everything in sight; but as she seemed so anxious to come,Ladybird concluded she was a most desirable guest.

  The Tuckermans, a family of ten, were all clamorous to come, but Ladybirdwas obliged to select two, as that made her number ten, and she wasdetermined to invite Stella Russell.

  Her errands all accomplished, she went home with a light heart, and foundher aunts just putting the finishing touches to a daintily set table.

  Although buoyed up during the morning by a firm conviction that she wasfollowing out her aunts' wishes in spirit, if not in letter, theincongruity between the pretty table and the forlorn-looking specimens ofhumanity she had invited to sit at it suddenly came home to her, and shebegan to doubt whether she had acted wisely after all. So grave was thisdoubt that she could not bring herself to tell her aunts what she haddone.

  "Did you invite eleven?" asked Miss Priscilla, who was placing the chairswhich Martha brought from other rooms.

  "Yes, 'm," said Ladybird; "and Stella Russell is one of them."

  "Very well," said Miss Flint; "she seems somewhat o
ld for your party, butshe can help entertain the children. Now we will eat our luncheon at theside-table, for I don't want this one disturbed, and then after that youcan dress for the party. You may wear your white cashmere frock with redribbons, and see that your hair is smooth and tidy. I want you to look asneat as any of your guests."

  "Yes, 'm," said Ladybird, with a growing conviction that her aunts wouldnot care to practise what they preached, so radically as she hadarranged.

  "Aunt Priscilla," she said at luncheon, "perhaps you won't like some ofthe people I have invited; but you know you told me to invite those whowould enjoy it most."

  "For the land's sake, Ladybird, what have you been doing now? If you'vedone anything ridiculous, you may as well out with it first as last."

  Like a flash, Ladybird realized that what she had done _was_ ridiculous.Right it might be, charitable it might be, even according to Scripture itmight be, but none the less it certainly was ridiculous.

  "What is it, dearie?" said Aunt Dorinda, noticing Ladybird's dismayedcountenance. "Whom have you invited?"

  "I asked Jim Blake," said Ladybird, thinking it wise to begin with theleast objectionable one.

  "Jim Blake!" exclaimed Miss Priscilla. "Why, Lavinia Lovell, whateverpossessed you to ask that ragamuffin! I shall send him home as soon as heappears."

  "Why, Aunt Priscilla, he's perfectly crazy to come, and you said to askthose who would enjoy it most."

  Miss Flint looked utterly exasperated.

  "Of course I meant within the bounds of decent society," she said; "Ididn't suppose you intended to disgrace yourself and your relatives andyour home! But never mind now. Go to your room and get dressed, and Iwill attend to Jim Blake when he arrives."

  "But, aunty--"

  "Not a word more. Do as I told you. I am busy."

  Ladybird went up-stairs feeling crushed and despondent; but when shebegan to array herself in the white cashmere with red ribbons, which washer favorite frock, the humor of the situation appealed to her. What heraunt would do when the unwelcome guests arrived she did not know; but, onthe other hand, there was no way to avert the issue, and so there wasnothing to be done but to await developments.

  "And anyway," she said to herself, "I haven't done anything wrong; I'vedone just what the Bible says, even if it is ridiculous."