"'"Never mind," rejoined he, "we can have such splendid fun!"
"'Well, we ran away from home (my cousin lived with us, as he had been left an orphan at a tender age). We travelled along bravely for a time, although the sun was dreadfully hot upon our backs.'
"'"Oh, dear!" I panted, "I never was so warm in my life."
"'"What is easier than to carry an umbrella, then?" suggested my companion; and with that he nibbled the stems of two toad-stools until they separated, and carrying one above his own head, gave me the other. This was a delightful change, for the toad-stools spread so as to shelter our faces from the sun. We trotted along comfortably after this, and finally came to the brink of a brook, where we paused, because we did not know how to get across.
"'"The mountains look such a little way off," said my cousin dismally; yet the brook still whirled on, seeming to laugh at our discomfiture.
"'"I believe we could skip from stone to stone," urged the gray mouse, who was determined not to turn back, if he could possibly help it.
"'So I tried the bits of stone for some distance; and then I found myself away out where the water was ever so deep, and I was seized with fright, not daring to move an inch either way, but clinging to the wet, slimy rock. Presently a beautiful trout came swimming towards me, its sides all clothed in variegated scales, and its handsome eyes sparkling with fun.
"'"What is the matter; are you sea-sick?" laughed the trout, splashing the foam from its tail in my face.
"'"Oh! don't, if you please, I am so giddy now," I cried, and then tumbled headlong into the water.
"'Ugh! what a cold bath that was: it makes me shiver only to think of it. The wicked fish took me on his back, and gave me such a sail as I hope I may never have again in this world. It went up and down, and up and down again, approaching the shore occasionally only to dartoff for a fresh trip, until I fairly squealed with fright, clasping its slippery back the while. At last it flung me off, and I landed by my cousin, who did nothing but laugh at me. I was very cross by this time; so, after trying to dry myself upon some blades of grass, I determined to return home. Just then a fat old bull-frog paddled lazily towards the bank.
"'"Will you carry us across the brook?" inquired my cousin eagerly.
"'"How much do you weigh?" asked the bull-frog, winking slowly.
"Just take up this fellow, and see." He then lifted me upon the bull-frog's back, who carried me safely across before I could say a single word. Afterward he brought my cousin over also, and we were able to resume our journey.
"'Fortunately we overtook a field mouse soon after, who invited us to visit his family in the stump of a tree, which we were glad enough to do, as we were both hungry and tired. That night I was very ill with chills and fever,—probably owing to the cold bath I had taken; and thefield mice had to give me a dose of some kind of bark that they always kept in the house, as they lived in a swampy region, which made me better. They none of them thought I could go on the next morning; and, as the gray mouse was so anxious to climb the mountains, I proposed his starting without me. This he consented to do, when one of the young field mice offered to be his guide; and if I felt well enough, I was to join them after a while. I had a very nice visit, indeed: the field mice were so hospitable and kind. I spent most of my time in the house with the ladies, and the eldest daughter was—who do you think? Why, your mother, of course; and a prettier young mouse I never saw.'
"'Don't be foolish,' interrupted Grandmamma.
"'Yes; but you were just as pretty as ever you could be,' urged Grandpapa, politely.
"'I know I was considered the belle of our society;' and Grandmamma tossed her head when she thought of the admirers of her youth.
"'I concluded I would not join my cousin atall,' went on Grandpapa; 'but this I was finally obliged to do, for days passed on and they did not return. At this we all began to look grave; so the father field-mouse told me that he was afraid something had happened, and he thought we had better search for them. We made a party of eight, and set out towards the mountains, anticipating something dreadful must have befallen the travellers. Ah, what a time we had!
"'We came to a place where the rock rose so steep and straight before us, that I did not consider it possible to climb it. What do you suppose we did? We tied ourselves together, as travellers do when ascending the Alps in Switzerland, although not with such ropes as they use; we fastened the tips of our tails together with bits of grass, then marched along side by side. This was an excellent arrangement, as we afterwards found; for at one time they all slipped, obliging me to bear their weight upon my tail. It was a terrible moment: I feared it would break, or be pulled out from the roots entirely!
"'At last we reached a shelf of rock wherewe could rest awhile. The view from this place was splendid. The valleys lay below blooming with verdure, many-colored flowers, and golden grain almost ready for the harvest; the rivers sparkled under the clear sunlight in silvery threads; and of the towns scattered along the the hillside as far as I could see, the church steeples looked like mere arrowy spikes. When I gazed down upon this beautiful smiling earth, and up at the blue sky where the soft white clouds were floating idly along, it seemed to me very wonderful that the good God, who had made such grand things, had made also little me.
"'We climbed up and up for several days, following footprints that were certainly those of mice; and we hoped belonged to our friends. At last, even such traces ceased; and we were fairly at our wits' end, when we heard faint sounds behind a large leaf. Peering cautiously around the corner, we saw the gray mouse and his companion stretched upon a bed of moss, groaning in the most dismal manner. They were overjoyed to see us again, for they hadsupposed they must die up there alone. My cousin had slipped, and sprained his ankle terribly; while the field-mouse had lost his balance, in trying to assist him, and fallen down a precipice some twenty inches high, thus injuring his spine. It was all very well having found them; but how were we to get them away, when neither of them could move a step? We sat for a long time looking at each other in doubt, and then a bright idea struck me.
"'"We can braid this sword-grass together, and lower them down by it," I said.
"'We soon joined a quantity in this way, then fastened one end about the waist of my cousin, and let him down to the next ledge. In this way we got them both to the foot of the mountain. Now it remained to carry them across the country; so we tore a mullein leaf in two halves, and, placing the pieces upon birch twigs, formed excellent litters for our invalids. We reached the stump of the field-mice again, after an absence of a month. The surgeon mended my cousin's ankle, which was broken; and, as for the young field-mouse, I am told he has not known what it was to feel well a day since.
"'During the period that we remained, I made a proposal of marriage to your mother, and was accepted; so, with the understanding that I should return in the spring, we finally started home. My mother forgot to scold us, she was so frightened by our long absence. Besides, she received very sad news just at this time. My father, who was away on business, as I have said, was taken with the cholera suddenly, after eating a late supper of bacon rinds, and died. I tried to be a good son ever after,' concluded he, wiping a tear from his left eye, 'although if I had not been naughty this time, I should never have known your mother.'
"'For my part,' remarked the city mouse, 'I have had rather a tough time of it so far. Now, indeed, I enjoy my ease; but, as I have said, it has been hardly earned. My desire in going to town was, first, to learn something of life, and then aspire to belonging to the class of business mice, which seemed to me the most enviable lot imaginable. I was very near losing sight of this aim once; still I persevered, until now I am reckoned among the most influential people.When I began my career, I was extremely gay; that is, I enjoyed the company of a number of other young mice, who did nothing but frolic the whole day. I might have kept on in this way for any length of time, had I not been suddenly checked.
"'I was invited to a ball given by a wealthy mouse at his country residence, which was located in a nook of the wall of an ice-house. It was really the finest place for the time of year I ever visited, and the wealthy mouse had spared no expense in fitting it up nicely. The coolness of the house was so refreshing in the sultry heat of July; for, if one was too hot, all one had to do was to skip down where the great blocks of ice were piled, and soon get cooled off again. Well, we were all to attend the silver wedding of the old couple. The young mice had the greatest time at the tailor's, wondering what to wear; for we were expected to assume the character of some distinguished person, as it was to be a fancy masquerade. I thought the tailor would have been crazed with getting our costumes made, we altered our minds so often; but, finally,all was ready, and, with our dresses wrapped in brown paper, we started.
"'At the entrance door,—a crack in the stonework,—we were shown by two waiters, in white jackets and aprons, to the dressing-room, where any number of guests were tying on their masks, made of scraps of various colored silks, that certainly had a very stylish appearance. The reception rooms below were truly magnificent. The walls were hung with strips of red and blue paper, gnawed into all manner of fanciful shapes, while a row of glow-worms, placed at intervals, lit up the place in the most beautiful way. At one end of the room stood the host and hostess upon a platform an inch high (she wearing her wedding-dress of lily leaves, which had a very old-fashioned effect, because every one wears swan's-down nowadays), to receive the company, who marched up to make a bow, each in turn. I represented Bluebeard, with a green turban round my head, a red sash with a dagger of a rose-thorn, and a pair of yellow Turkish trousers. This was all very elegant; but I found I could not dance the polka very well, I was so much bundledup. A friend of mine was dressed in a long-tailed coat of scarlet plush, with gold knee-breeches; another had on for armor half of a nutmeg-grater, with a tin shield made of the top of a spice-box, and a thistle-cup for helmet.
"'As for the ladies' toilets, I cannot begin to describe them, there was such a variety of beauty and elegance. One lady's costume I remember especially, however: it was so very dainty. She was equipped as a flower-girl, with a short dress of sea-lettuce, looped by tufts of dandelion down; she wore pink slippers, laced across the instep, a bodice of wasp-wings, and a hat made of a silver three-cent piece, ornamented by a flower in the side. I danced with this lady a great many times, although, as she was masked, I could not see her face at all; and we became quite well acquainted. The dancing-room grew very hot; and the band played splendidly (they were katydids, and worked so hard with their fiddles, it is only a wonder their legs were not worn out entirely), when I proposed to the young lady-mouse to take a walk in the moonlight. We found a good many othersstrolling along arm in arm; and she had just consented to give me a whisker (as mortals would exchange a lock of hair), when we heard a shrill voice behind us in the distance.
"'"Oh, that is my grandmother!" exclaimed my lovely companion in a whisper, and then she fainted away.
"'The grandmother hobbled up, and she was certainly the ugliest little old mouse I ever saw in my life. Her nose was very long, she wore green spectacles, and used a cane in walking. When she beheld the insensible form of her grand-daughter, she fairly shook her cane at me.
"'"What do you mean?" she said in a hoarse, croaking voice. "I came to the ball to watch this young mouse; and now you have skipped out into the moonlight to take cold, have you?"
"'She attempted to box my ears, while I tried to dodge her sharp claws; and, in so doing, the fair young mouse fell to the ground, thus ruining her pretty hat. The grandmother screamed with rage to see so nice a costume spoiled, and thissent all the guests out to find what was the matter. The noise brought still another guest to the scene that we did not expect: a great cat, with eyes like green fire, came creeping through the grass; but we never noticed her, we were so busy bickering and quarrelling among ourselves.
"'Suddenly she gave a pounce into our midst; and we all ran for our lives, tearing our dresses, losing caps and shoes, tumbling over each other, until we arrived breathless under shelter. We then began to count our number, and found that the poor flower-girl mouse was missing. I peeped out of the crack fearfully, and sure enough the horrible cat was stepping away lightly with our poor companion in her cruel mouth.
"'Of course the ball was closed after this dreadful accident; and as for the grandmother, I have heard she was crazy afterward, so that she had to be confined in an egg-shell with wire bars at the entrance. This event sobered me very much. I began to think that there was something more to be done in the world than frisk about and dress finely.
"'When I returned to the city, I went to a merchant mouse of great reputation to seek employment. After some delay, I was shown into his counting-room (behind the fireplace of a lawyer's office), where I found him, as was to be expected, busily engaged at his desk. I told him I should like to be appointed one of his clerks, as I hoped to rise, like himself, to the rank of wealth and importance. He put his pen behind his ear,—it was the pin-feather of a bird,—and smiled rather grimly, as though he fancied a good many mice would enjoy growing as great as he had. The salary I should receive was very small, he told me, and I would have to work very hard for it; still I was not discouraged by all this, so the next morning I entered his store.
"'He was one of the most influential provision mice in the city, doing a large wholesale business with other cities, and the country as well. I belonged at first to the number of young clerks whose duty it was to go about the streets and houses with bags, like rag-pickers, to find odd scraps of bread, cheese, sugar, nuts, raisins, and starch, which we brought to the warehouse, wherethey were taken in charge by other clerks, who packed them to be carried away, or sold them in piles at a time.
"'It was terribly fatiguing, for we were expected to bring a full bag always by nightfall; but I determined to be industrious; so I persevered, although the time seemedsolong before I was promoted to the rank of clerk in the receiving department. From this I have progressed slowly enough, yet I have gained much knowledge. Dear me! I could tell you where a crumb of cheese came from in the dark. Now I am the head of the house; for my employer has retired from business, leaving me in charge. I have also married his only daughter,' said the city mouse, with a proud air.
"'I am glad you have succeeded;' commented Grandpapa kindly; 'only be careful that prosperity does not make you arrogant, as it is apt to.
"'Now, my dear daughter;' he added, turning to the mouse who had arrived second on Christmas Eve, 'what have you been doing this long time?'
"'I went to visit my cousin, as you will doubtless remember. She is a great matchmaker, and perhaps you knew that when you sent me to her; for I was then quite mature in age, and did not inherit any of my mother's beauty, besides. Well, she found me plenty of suitors, and before long I married. I enjoyed life very much at first; but sorrows in plenty awaited me,' sighed the daughter, arranging her crape head-dress.
"'I had four beautiful children; and my pride in them was so great that I decided to take them to the mouse fair, where prizes were to be given to the handsomest babies. The mice were flocking from all quarters to this splendid exhibition, which was given in order to raise funds for an orphan asylum that was much needed in the region.
"'The place selected was under a rock on the margin of a wood. The tent was made of rags joined together; and at the entrance we all paid the admittance fee,—a kernel of corn, which was to go towards the fund. The collection within was very fine. There were a few grains of maize brought all the way from Egypt at immenseexpense. There was a portrait of one of our distinguished ancestors, painted in brickdust by a young mouse artist of great talent; there was a scrap of bacon sent from England; and there were two whole figs given to the fair by a wealthy mouse of high rank. There were also a number of articles to be sold by lottery; a work-box formed of a filbert hollowed out, and lined with moss, besides being fitted up with needles and scissors of fish-bone; a pony carriage made of a scallop shell upon spool wheels, the most luxurious thing to drive in I ever beheld; a candlestick of brown sugar, beautifully nibbled into filigree work by a blind mouse of large experience; and a blanket composed of a sheep's tail, embroidered with cat-whiskers.
"'These are a few of the things I remember, because I nearly ruined my husband by taking shares in them all; and I actually drew nothing, so all that money, or corn rather, was lost.
"'Behind the tables stood rows of young lady-mice, all dressed alike, with buttercup caps upon their heads, and wearing aprons, the pockets trimmed with gold thread. This gave them avery pretty appearance; and they sold much more among the gentlemen mice than they would have done, had they been more plainly dressed.
"'At last it was time for the prizes to be given to the finest children; and the committee of ten old mice, who were to decide the important question took their places, and all mothers were told to come forward. How lovely my dear babies did look! They never cried, or crumpled their little white bibs in the least; and I felt so proud of them I could hardly stand.
"'Well, they took all the prizes: one for his large weight, one for the size of his nose, which was very remarkable for his age; one for the smallness of his feet; and the last for the great length of his tail. Oh! the other mothers were so enraged and jealous, I was afraid they would tear my eyes out.'
"Here the daughter mouse began to sob and cry, while all of the family tried to comfort her.
"'I will tell the rest: she will not be able,' piped her husband, holding a smelling-bottle to her nose.
"'No, no,' she said in a faint voice, while Grandmamma fanned her: 'I will finish.
"'We started home again with the little dears, and on our way paused to rest for the purpose of eating a few wild berries in the wood, as a luncheon, leaving our nurse at some little distance in charge of the children. We were startled by a sudden squeal, and beheld the nurse trotting towards us, her eyes wild with fright.
"'"Where are the babies?" I shrieked in terror.
"'Alas! I soon discovered what a misfortune had befallen me. A dog had found them as they lay asleep, and was now tossing them rudely about in sport, and I could not defend them. I have never been the same mouse since their sad death, and I do not expect ever to wear any thing but mourning.
"They were all very much affected by the sorrows of the eldest daughter. When she had finished, the city mouse used her handkerchief several times, while Grandmamma's spectacles were quite dim with tears.
"'Could you give us some items of your experience, also?' inquired Grandpapa of his eldest son, sleepily but politely.
"'I have really nothing of importance to tell;' and perhaps he was right, for he certainly had been very quiet all this time, although it may have been because he ate so much dinner.
"'I have lived a very uneventful life,' he went on, 'not having wandered further than the next village, where I live in a barn very comfortably. I have no learned tastes, like my bachelor brother; I do not care in the least whether the moon is green cheese or not,—as long as I stay on earth it need not trouble me; I am not a business mouse, like my city brother; I have never made a journey, like my father here; and all my children have lived to grow up, so that I have not the same misfortunes as my poor sister.
"'That is all I can say for myself; and, if it is agreeable to you all, I propose we go to bed, as some of us will have to make an early start in the morning,' he said, rising with a yawn of fatigue.
"They consented to this last arrangement, and thus Christmas Day closed on Grandpapa Mouse and his family."
Public favor was universally awarded the Caterpillar after this effort.
The Cricket next received a reward for all his patience and good humor, by having an opportunity of telling—
"Yes, it was a pleasant day, after all! The bright sunlight danced through the parted crimson curtains down upon the nursery floor, down upon curly heads nestled among the pillows, tinging the canary bird's golden feathers, as he ruffled himself upon the perch before skipping down to the dining-room of his cage for a stray seed or sip of water, and blinking straight into the eyes of little Milly, as she first opened them upon her sixth birthday. The other children were still napping; but Hannah, the nurse, thought of it, and came to kiss the pet who had first rested in her arms, a wee bundle of flannel, with a tiny red face. Nurse thought Milly a great deal prettier and bonnier, as she crept out of bed now to stand upon the warm hearth-rug in her white night-dress, warming her little pinktoes at the blaze, than when she was only that little bundle of flannel on the day of her birth.
"'Come, dears,' said nurse, rousing the others: 'it is Milly's birthday, you know; so be up bright and early.'
"'Yes, yes,' sang Milly, merrily whirling about the room to the step her dancing-master had last taught her. 'Get up! I am six years old to-day: only think; and you but four, Miss Pet,—such a little, little girl.'
"'No: I aint,' answered Pet, indignantly, rolling out upon the floor like a rosy ball of an apple: 'I am so big I can see over the table, anyhow.'
"Upon this Milly caught the small sister by both hands, and whirled her round the room so fast, that Pet had not a particle of breath left in her fat little body. The noise made all the other children open their eyes, and join in the fun; while even the baby sat up in its crib, to crow, and pat its dimpled hands together, because the rest did: babies can never give any better reasons for their actions. Nurse Hannah and her assistant, Sarah, never had such work to dresstheir charges, as on that morning. First, Tom put on his soldier's cap, which Santa Claus had given him only a few weeks before, and strapped the sword about his waist, which certainly made him look very funny indeed, considering that he still wore only his night-clothes; while all the rest strutted after him in single file, Dick beating a drum, Milly carrying a tin musket, and Pet bringing up the rear, staggering under the weight of a knapsack. In this way, they marched about, always slipping like eels when Nurse Hannah touched them, and making so much noise the while, that she could scarcely hear herself speak. At last, Sarah pounced upon Pet, and bore her away shrieking and struggling to the bath-room, whence, after a good deal of gurgling and splashing, she returned, looking as fresh as a rosebud that the dew has just kissed into fragrance. Milly now began to behave better; for she thought she must set Pet a good example, since she was so much the elder of the two. Tom and Dick, however, grew wilder and gayer as they dressed themselves. They hid Milly's boots so that she could not find them; theywhisked the baby out of his crib, where he sat contentedly sucking one thumb, and perched him upon the bureau; and Tom leaped upon the table with a newspaper, which he held upside down, and pretended to read, with Nurse Hannah's steel-bowed spectacles upon his little pug nose.
"At this they all laughed so loudly that mamma came to the door to inquire what was the matter, and tell them it was breakfast-time.
"'O Sarah! please brush my hair, quick,' implored Milly. 'I want to begin my year in season for every thing, if I possibly can.'
"So Sarah brushed her hair, and smoothed down the nice new dress and crisp muslin apron prepared for the occasion; then Milly ran downstairs, and climbed into her high chair, just before papa was ready to ask the blessing, feeling very gay and happy. After breakfast, mamma proposed that they should all go out to play for a time, as the morning was so fine.
"'Then,' she said with a smile, patting her eldest daughter's soft round cheek, 'we will see what we can do to amuse Milly in the house.'
"Mamma then went away, and Milly turned to the window with a half sigh of disappointment. The view from where she stood was beautiful enough to make any child's eyes sparkle with delight. The earth was hidden by a soft covering of fresh snow; the trees and shrubs were powdered with icicle fringes, that gleamed and sparkled in the sun like so many crystal pendants; and the Hudson River swept along, bearing upon its surface, now a stately steamboat, ploughing its way swiftly along through sheets of foam-flakes, and now a flitting sail-boat, with white sail spread like a bird's wings upon the wind. But, for the moment, Milly did not enjoy this splendid winter landscape; nor did she notice the little snow-birds, hopping about the frozen ground on their frail-looking little legs, and cocking their bright eyes up at her, as if begging a crumb from the plenty of the table. A cloud had come over her bright face, causing it for the time to look sullen and sad. Do you know what she was thinking of? Precisely what you or any other little child might in her place. She had expected a birthday gift, and now nothing of the kind waspresented to her from papa even down to the baby.
"'I always had one,' reflected Milly, growing more and more aggrieved as she thought of this injustice, until a tear rolled down her cheek. 'I always had one,'—this with a sob,—'even when I was ever so little. I had a rag doll, and a tin horse and cart, and a picture book, and all sorts of things; but to-day'—
"Here Pet came running in with her arms full of wrappings, followed by Sarah also carrying Milly's warm cloak, hat, and mittens.
"'Come,' said Pet, 'we are to slide on the pond with the boys, and have such fun.'
"'I don't want to slide,' pouted Milly, turning away to the window again.
"'What a naughty girl!' exclaimed Sarah, as she tied on Pet's hat, who could do nothing but stare at Milly in amazement, with big, bright eyes.
"'Not do,' piped the little sister. 'Oh! I know somethin', Mil',' she added, puffing out her cheeks with an important air. 'You are not to go up-stairs at all, mamma said.'
"'Oh, you silly little goose!' said Tom, overhearing the last sentence as he entered the room: 'I shall box your ears for that, Miss.'
"Then Tom pretended to carry out his threat, and Milly forgot her tears to join in the romp; while Sarah tried to defend poor Pet, who became so tumbled and out of breath, with her hat knocked over one eye, that she looked very funny indeed, though I do not believe she was very much hurt after all.
"Well, they went out into the frosty air, which nipped their little noses, stung their round cheeks into a warmer glow, and caused the blood to course through their young veins like sparkling champagne. Tom and Dick meant to be very good and patient to-day, because they loved their little sister much, although they were sometimes rough and rude to her; but then she was only a girl. Milly's uncle had sent her a beautiful pair of skates Christmas, all buckles and straps and sharp-curved runners. They were really splendid; but Milly did not make very much progress in using them, after all. Her ankleswouldturn; and she felt so helpless standingupon the smooth, glaring surface of ice alone, with her two feet planted close together, while her brothers whizzed past her in circles that made her head spin to watch, and asked her why she did not "strike out,—so!" Then when she followed their advice, and did strike out, her skates were sure to flash up in the air, where her head ought to have been, while her head went down bump, bump, where her skates should have been. This was the way Milly skated. When they reached the pond, Tom and Dick strapped on their skates; then Dick said,—
"'Now, Milly, we will teach you real nice to-day: we are going to be awfully good.'
"'No, I thank you,' said Milly, with a grand air: 'I am not going to tumble about, and get so vexed on my birthday. Pet and I will be ladies, and you shall be our horses.'
"At first, the two boys looked surprised; but Milly quite coolly seated herself upon Tom's sled, tucked her little petticoats snugly about her, and sat nodding at them both.
"'Upon my word, that's cool!' cried Tom; but he harnessed himself with the rope,nevertheless, and away they started, the silver bells attached to the sled tinkling merrily. They had a grand time of it for an hour or so, until Milly suddenly remembered what Pet had said about not going up-stairs; and then she wondered what it all could mean. They finally started for the house; and when they saw their mamma standing at the dining-room window watching, Pet and Milly joined hands, and ran as fast as they could towards home: they could not tell exactly why, except that they felt like it.
"'Can Milly go up-stairs now, mamma?' asked Pet eagerly.
"Mamma assented; and Milly, wondering very much what was coming, followed her mother into a little room that had never before been used, and which was now furnished in the most beautiful manner. There was a fresh muslin curtain, looped with gay ribbons, at the window; the carpet looked as if it had just been strewn with rosebuds; the tiny bedstead, of carved wood, had the daintiest linen and crimped hangings; while there was a little bookcase in one corner, containing all kinds of pretty books; upon thetable bloomed a bouquet of sweet-scented violets; and by the table was the loveliest rocking-chair imaginable, just large enough to hold a little girl of six years old. Upon the wall, in a wreath of evergreen, were written these words: 'Milly's room.'
"Milly gazed about her, feeling as if she was in a dream. Having examined all the fine furniture which was from this time to be all her own, Pet pointed to a large object in a corner, concealed by a sheet curtain.
"'What's that?' dancing about with delight.
"'Let her guess,' said Tom, putting his hand over foolish little Pet's rosy lips, to keep her from telling the important secret.
"'It's a ba-by,' gurgled Pet; but Tom put his jacket over her head, and extinguished her entirely.
"'Can you guess what it is?' asked mamma.
"'It looks like an elephant,' said Dick.
"'I should think it might be a bookcase, only there is one; and Pet said it was a baby-house,' replied Milly hesitatingly.
"'Right, right!' cried all the children, clapping their hands.
"Then papa drew aside the curtain, and Milly's eyes fairly danced with delight at the sight disclosed.
"It was the most splendid baby-house she had ever seen in her life, although she had always considered that of her Cousin May very fine before. The roof reached nearly to the ceiling of the room, boasting gables and chimneys; there was a large front door, wearing the number of the house upon a brass plate; and the windows with the parted curtains temptingly invited a glimpse into the interior. Mamma then told Milly to open the door, which she did half shyly, as though she did not know what to expect next. First, she sat down upon the carpet to look at the kitchen, with its shining painted floor, its stove, dresser, teakettles, saucepans, flat-irons, and other implements of that department, over which reigned Dinah, in a yellow turban and smart red dress, with ever so many assistant darkies, from her daughter Sue down to tiny doll grandchildren, not more than an inch long,all as black as ebony. Next came the dining-room, which was certainly as handsome as the most fastidious doll could wish for. There were two mahogany sideboards, with a grand array of frosted cakes, pies, and ice-cream pyramids, only they were all made of painted wood; and there was a table with a beautiful gilt tea-service, and a large coffee-urn upon it. On the neatly papered wall hung several choice pictures about an inch square, and a veritable cuckoo clock, with the bird all ready to pop out when you pulled a silk tag. A genteel waitress, in a muslin cap and apron, stood by the table.
"Milly now stood up to view the second story, and by so doing just brought her small nose on a level with the bedroom. She found this to be furnished exactly like her own. The same carpet was spread upon the floor; the bureau, the bedstead, and washstand, were precisely similar. The baby-house had many more articles of furniture, however, than did the larger apartment; for it was not only adorned by a toilet-table, a wee bath-tub, and a wardrobe, but there were ever so many cradles and high-chairs for the children.
"'Now look at the parlor,' cried Pet.
"I cannot begin to describe the magnificence of this drawing-room. Every thing was gilt and crimson in the appointments, which is certainly very good taste, whether doll or human being. There was a gilt chandelier, with pink wax candles ready to light at any time, gilt chairs, and centre-table holding vases filled with flowers, while the carpet and walls were crimson. Before the open piano was seated a very pretty doll in a flounced blue silk dress, trimmed with crystal drops; upon the sofa reclined her two sisters, one wearing white with a green sash, and the other pink barege; while the mother, in purple satin edged with white lace, occupied a large arm-chair, with her feet upon a footstool. At the billiard-table in the corner were several more dolls, one holding the cue ready to play a game.
"This is all that I can remember of the wonderful baby-house (it is a long time since I saw it last); but if there was any thing else that I have not mentioned, you may be sure Milly discovered it before nightfall, that birthday when she was six years old. When she had seen all thesethings, little Milly jumped up with a flush on her cheek, and turned to all the kind faces that were watching her surprise and pleasure. First, she gave her parents a kiss of thanks; then there was Sarah smiling in the doorway, and Nurse Hannah holding the baby, who looked quite solemn, with one thumb in its mouth, baby fashion. The boys then ran away to their skating again, for they thought they were too big and old, to show much interest in a baby-house; and the sisters were left to their play undisturbed. Of course there was no end of fun for the rest of that long, happy day. Milly and Pet had hardly leisure to eat their dinner, they were so absorbed with their new playthings. Such a confusion as they made in the neat little rooms, house-cleaning, re-arranging furniture and dollies! Such a number of meals as were served in that one afternoon alone! It is only a wonder that a single doll had any digestion left, or that Dinah could still show her white teeth in that contented smile; for any other cook would have given warning that she was about to leave, I am sure, who had to serve the quantities of sweetened water, scraped apple, andchalk dishes that she did. But Dinah did not lose her temper, although it was so severely tried, one would think; and the day's pleasure closed with a grand tea-party, to which Tom and Dick were invited. Then the baby-house was arranged, and the door closed for the night.
"When it was bedtime, Milly realized, for the first time, what a large girl she had grown, to have a place all to herself. Sarah brought a light, and prepared to put her charge to bed; but this Milly resisted indignantly. She was going to undress, and take care of herself; so she bade Sarah good-night very ceremoniously, and the nursery-maid went away laughing. There was a good deal of pattering to and from the nursery, however, after that. First, Milly ran across her mother's room, and along the passage, to make a call upon the other children; and she looked back with a little shiver at comfortable Miss Pet sitting on the hearth-rug like a soft white kitten, and the baby asleep in the crib, as she returned to herown roomonce more. Then the others made her a call, and envied her new dignity: only Pet whispered in an awed tone,—
"'Wont you be afraid when the light goes out, Milly?'
"'No, indeed,' said Milly bravely.
"Then she blew out the candle, and sprang into bed, just to show Pet how much she enjoyed it all. But when they had trotted back, and it was all dark, she began to see strange shapes from out of the darkness, and to hear rustlings all about that she had never noticed in the shelter of the nursery, until she fell asleep. She was awakened by a noise that made her heart leap into her throat with a single bound. It was something between a gurgle and a groan; and so frightened grew little Milly, that she stole out of her warm bed, and paused, trembling, on the threshold of her mother's room to listen. What do you suppose the noise was, after all? Milly almost laughed at herself when she discovered; it was her papa snoring loudly. She was so glad that no one knew of her fright, the first night she slept alone, that she nestled into bed again, and pulled the blankets almost over her curly head. The moonlight came peeping into the window in silvery beams; and, after looking outupon the clear sky, where a few stars twinkled, Milly saw a wonderful sight. Down the moonbeam, which formed a pathway paved with sparkling hues, floated tiny fairy figures, bearing in their midst upon a litter, formed of a lily-cup, their queen. Milly thought she had never dreamed of any thing half so beautiful. Shimmering colors wrapped each little sprite in a misty glow, while their wings were frosted like those of a butterfly. As for the queen, she was ten times more radiant than any of her subjects, as a queen should be; and, when she moved, a faint musical sound tinkled from the chains of turquoises, which were fastened about her waist; from thence they twined in festoons all about her small person. She was further distinguished from the rest by a starry crown upon her head, and a wand tipped with the same radiance in her hand.
"'Here we are, at last,' said the moonbeam fairy in the sweetest voice. 'Give me your hand, Milly.'
"The little girl extended it half-fearfully, and the fairy leaped into the outspread palm, dancing lightly over the pink-tipped fingers in doing so.
"'Don't be afraid of me,' she said. 'I never hurt any child in my life, I assure you.'
"The other fairies climbed upon the bed also, some clinging to the curtain tassels, some perched among Milly's curls, and others sat at their ease on the footboard.
"'It is Milly's birthday,' rustled the elves, like the soft patter of raindrops among forest leaves.
"'Yes: we have come a long way to see you, for we live in the moon,' said the fairy; 'and it is only when she lowers silver ladders to the earth, that we can make a visit down here.'
"'I am so glad you all came to-night,' exclaimed Milly; 'only how did you know, away up there, that it was my birthday?'
"'Ah!' returned the fairy smiling, 'we always know every thing, you may be sure. The angels tell us, especially about those that are good upon the earth. Now to-night my twelve sisters are also down here somewhere; this one flitting into the attic windows of the city streets, where there is sickness and sorrow; that one whispering words of comfort in dreams of warmth and plentyto the little wayfarer, sleeping upon a cold doorstep; while another is hovering over the broad sea, to lead the poor, rude sailor's thoughts home.'
"'Do you live in a palace?' asked Milly.
"'Yes: we live in a palace beside a silver lake; and we are called the twelve sisters of the fairy lake, because we all sprang into life from a single bubble of foam, blown through the reed of our Father, the water god, who rules over rivers and fountains in the moon.'
"'How wonderful!' commented Milly.
"'Let us be doing something, mistress,' piped a restless elf, who had never been at rest a moment, but who skipped and danced about like a firefly; once, indeed, turning a summersault, and landing upon Milly's nose.
"'What shall we do?' said the queen.
"'Oh! any thing else but talk, please; we can do that at home,' replied the elf.
"'Shall I show you my new baby-house?' inquired Milly, who supposed that the fairies must find as much to interest them in it as she did herself.
"At this the restless elf darted off, and was followed by the others; while the queen waved her wand, and, to Milly's astonishment, the door, which she had carefully locked, flew wide open. The fairy again waved her wand; and from every tiny chandelier sprang jets of light, that shone through the windows, and sparkled over the handsome furniture in the most beautiful manner.
"'Will you come to see the fun?' asked the fairy; and Milly, all curiosity, followed her midnight guests across the room.
"The restless elf next borrowed the queen's wand, and, stepping into the window of the bedroom, tapped each of the sleeping dolls with it upon the head.
"'Come, come! get up, you lazy creatures!' cried the roguish elf, enjoying himself immensely.
"All the dolls began to move about and yawn, as if they were just waking up. Milly thought she had never imagined any thing so delightfully funny as the little babies winking their bright black eyes, and crying so that the nurses had to rock the cradles to keep them quiet.
"'Now, then,' said the elf, 'you all dress yourselves as quickly as possible, and then I will tell you what to do.'
"He left them in the bedroom, roused Dinah in the kitchen, and the genteel waitress in the dining-room; then he returned to the parlor, tried the piano, whistling a tune, at the same time winking so drolly at Milly, that she laughed with delight; played a round or so at the billiard-table, and then seated himself in the large arm-chair. In the mean while, the dolls were grumbling over the whole affair.
"'I never heard of such a thing,' said the fat mamma, smoothing her hair before the looking-glass, 'to turn us all out of bed at this time of night, and set all babies crying, too!'
"'Never mind, mamma,' said the daughter in blue silk, shaking out her flounces: 'it is the little lady's birthday, and we can take a nap to-morrow.'
"'Yes,' chimed in the pink-barege sister; 'and she never has broken us, you know.'
"'I am sure I am afraid of my legs, if that Miss Pet only looks at me, for fear they will besmashed,' echoed the white-muslin lady, looking mournfully at her china boots.
"'If Pet could only hear her talk!' whispered Milly to the fairy queen; when lo! in toddled the young lady, and, putting her arm about Milly's neck, stood looking at the wonderful sight also.
"'I am so glad you can see it too, Pet!'
"'By this time the dolls had made their toilets; all except the babies that were left in charge of their nurses, some of whom trotted them upon their knees, or fed them with pap out of tin mugs, while others still rocked the cradles, and the seamstress stitched upon the sewing-machine.
"'First, we will have a dance,' said the elf, cutting a caper in mid air. 'You stupid dolls! why don't you act as though you were made of something better than wood?'
"'We are made of the best French china and kid,' retorted the dolls indignantly, as they all huddled together in the corner, and stared at the elf with their round eyes.
"'They are afraid of you; join your companions on the roof,' commanded the queen.
"The elf made a wry face, for he desired to play pranks upon the dollies; but he flew up at the royal command to where the others were clustered about the chimneys, and hung himself by one leg from an eave, with his queer little face and twinkling eyes close to Milly. Left to themselves, the inmates of the baby-house felt more at their ease. The blue-silk daughter commenced to play a lively air upon the piano, to which all the younger dolls began to dance; and such waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles as were performed never were seen before.
"'You would think they had been to dancing-school all their lives,' said the fairy.
"'What fun we are having!' exclaimed a pretty doll, with red cheeks, mincing along. 'I was only made last week, and I had no idea the world was such a nice place.'
"'You need not think you are to go on in this way all your life,' snapped another, who was rather ill-natured, because her nose was broken. 'We are all bewitched to-night.'
"'Are we?' returned rosy-cheeks. 'I should like to be so always, then.'
"In the mean while, the stout mamma had done nothing but doze and nod upon the sofa, with a fine lace pocket-handkerchief over her head, while all the music and dancing had gone on so merrily about her. But no sooner had the genteel waitress arranged every thing below stairs, and tinkled the little silver bell, than she whisked off the covering from her face, and rose briskly to go to supper.
"Such a feast as awaited them! There wasrealtea and coffee bubbling in the urns; the wooden cakes, pies, and ices, were wooden no longer; or, if they were, the dolls certainly found them delicious. As for Dinah, the cook, she was as busy as possible, not only making various dishes over the fire, but boxing the ears of her children, and scolding them when they did not bring her pepper or salt just to the minute. Then, what a pet she was in when any thing burned upon the stove!
"Milly watched all the busy little figures until her very eyes ached, and the clock, upon the dining-room wall of the baby-house, struck one, two, when out popped the bird above, withoutany one's pulling the silk tag, and chirped 'cuckoo' quite distinctly. At this the moonbeam fairies fluttered from their perch upon the gables, and circled in rings of flame and purple and gold and blue, quickly succeeding each other; while the moonlight streamed brighter and brighter, wrapping every thing in a dazzling cloud.
"What do you suppose this dazzling light really was, my dear little reader? Why, it was nothing but another day's sun kissing Milly's eyelids and curls with golden caresses. Yes, every thing was undisturbed in her room. The baby-house was closed; and, when she peeped in, all the dolls were as stupid as though they never had skipped, or eaten a late supper the previous night, while all the wooden cakes stood upon the sideboard untouched.
"'Never mind; the fairieswerehere,' thought Milly, 'for Pet saw them, too.'
"At the breakfast-table, she tried to tell her story; but Tom and Dick laughed at her so, she did not get through with it very well.
"'But the fairies were here,' cried Milly, half vexed. 'Pet saw them.'
"The little sister, who was eating bread and butter contentedly, stopped, with her mouth and eyes wide open, which made everybody laugh the more.
"'I never did!' said Pet, indignantly: 'I only slept the whole time.'
"Poor Milly said no more; but she never saw the moon climb her sparkling, star-strewn pathway afterward, without wishing that the fairies might spread their rainbow wings, and flutter down into her little chamber again, as they did the night when she was six years old."
It stormed heavily all day. The Teapot and Saucepan, sitting on the shelf in a state of idleness, agreed together, that, if the rain dashed against the windows in that way, the Club would not be able to hear each other speak when night came.
On the hearth stood an intruder; a dilapidated old umbrella was in the corner, drops of dirty water trickling in streams across the hearth from the damp folds.
"I have wet my feet in this muddy river," said the Wasp.
"The hearth was so clean before," sighed the Caterpillar.
"I am really very sorry my master the peddler left me in your way," said the Umbrella, meekly. "Only I cannot help it."
"To be sure not," said the Kettle. "You look like an old traveller, friend; will you tell us something of yourself?"
"Certainly," replied the Umbrella, and began his history:—
"You will hardly believe it when I say that I was once as handsome as an umbrella need to be; I am so faded and stained by old age or rough exposure now. Yet I actually was; for in the large manufactory where I was born, no stouter whalebone frame or finely carved handle could be found.
"My ribs have been broken in several places since, and clumsily mended again, which naturally gives me a bungling appearance. Ah, well! beauty must fade.
"I remember very well my début in life. I was standing in the rack of a larger shop, one fine summer morning, when a very natty young gentleman entered, and purchased me without delay.
"Of course, as I was inexperienced and foolish,I was only too glad to exchange the monotony of the warehouse for any novelty.
"Allow me to remark, in commencing, that I have one complaint to urge against fate for having made me what I am. The life of an umbrella is a most aggravated form of slavery. One can never be sure of having a moment's peace. In stormy weather, no matter how heavily the rain falls, or the snow sleet drives, one must be on duty, shivering in wet corners neglected, or dragged out to brave the tempest again; while on clear days one may be under the bed, or behind the wardrobe likely enough,—that at least was my experience, but then my master was a bachelor.
"I wondered what duty I should perform on this bright, pleasant morning; for there was not so much as a cloud in the sky to be seen. I soon discovered I was to be of service on an excursion of some kind; for the gentleman walked up an avenue leading to a handsome house, and upon the steps, under the clustering rose-vines, stood a fair lady, awaiting his arrival apparently.
"Presently they drove away in a pretty basket carriage, drawn by a fat little pony, and Iaccompanied them, together with the luncheon parcels and fruit baskets.
"It was a pleasant route along a shady road; and I amused myself listening to the conversation of the young people (it was of a very interesting nature to themselves!), or I flirted with the lady's parasol,—a dainty bit of silk that ruffled its lace flounce coquettishly upon the breeze, and showed the pink-tinted lining to advantage.
"'You are extremely handsome,' I remarked to the Parasol.
"'Yes,' she replied complacently; 'I was imported from Paris, you know, and cost very dear, as my lace isreal. But what are you doing here?'
"'That I cannot tell myself,' I answered. 'Perhaps we shall know before the day is over.'
"At length we reached the end of our drive; the master assisted his companion to alight; the luncheon, parasol, and myself, followed to where the grass bank, soft as velvet, sloped to the brink of a merry little brook, which sparkled laughingly in the sunlight for a time, then hid among the ferns that fringed the distance.
"An umbrella never was exposed to morecontempt than I received on that occasion. No sooner had my master brought me upon the scene, than the company began to laugh and jest. It seemed so absurd to these silly people, that I should be needed. Even the Parasol, resting in the lap of her mistress, smirked contemptuously at me where I stood disconsolately against a tree. For three long hours I remained unoccupied; while all the gay people strolled among the trees to gather wild flowers, or reclined in the shade to enjoy strawberries and ice-cream.
"Gradually the sun became obscured behind masses of swiftly rising cloud; but no one noticed it except myself, and, as no refreshments were offered me, I had nothing better to do than to watch the change of the weather. Suddenly there sounded a peal of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning; then down pattered the rain, making delicious music among the leaves overhead.
"I never felt so wicked in my life. I longed to dance, only an umbrella cannot do that without losing its balance. I longed to shout aloud, but an umbrella cannot do this either forthe want of a pair of lungs. I spread my grateful shelter above the heads of the group to whom I belonged, and I even took the naughty Parasol under my protection, which was certainly a generous act, although one ought never to make a merit of such things: I should be ashamed to suspose any of my race would have behaved differently under the circumstances.
"There was no house or shelter at hand, and all the pretty pony carriages were no protection against the storm. How flabby the muslin dresses of the ladies became, how limp the white coats of the gentlemen, as they crowded under the shelter of the oak-trees pretending to think it very funny indeed! But they did not, I could see that plainly enough. The young ladies' hair came out of curl, and the brims of their hats were crushed out of shape from attempting to keep them dry; while the piles of frosted confectionery melted into a mass that might as well have been soaked brown paper, or any thing else tough and disagreeable. The strawberries tumbled about in crimson pyramids, followed by stray golden lemons; and cakes, with white caps on, popped out of their place, to join in the general ruin.
"How proud I felt! Soft words and tender glances were exchanged by the young couple I protected; for I managed to screen them from the rest, so they could enjoy themselves the more.
"'Dear Umbrella,' entreated the Parasol, 'do save my tassels; they are growing quite wet, and the color has changed.'
"'Yes, indeed, Madam Butterfly: you are not good for much.'
"'I am so new to be thrown aside,' sobbed the Parasol. 'All for a stupid shower, too!'
"'There, don't cry,' I urged. 'Your tassels can be changed or dyed.'
"'Dyed!' shrieked the Parasol, indignantly. 'I hope I have not come to that.'
"'Do not be so proud,' I said. 'You will certainly come to grief. At least men do, and I see no reason why the same rule should not apply to parasols as well.'
"I have never seen the parasol, lady, or any of the gay company that laughed in the sunshine, or shivered in the rain since. I suppose my young master must have married the lady, for I saw him slip a beautiful diamond ring uponher finger at the picnic. I hope they are all very happy, and that the frail parasol is still in existence; yet I have no means of knowing. Alas! an umbrella cannot move without being carried.
"For a short time I resided in the young gentleman's apartments, where I formed some very pleasant acquaintances. There was a porcelain standard on the mantel-piece, holding a meerschaum pipe; and a tobacco vase, with a little Hindoo god perched on the lid. There was an embroidered smoking-cap with a gold tassel, hanging over the arm of a parian statue of Juno; a bronze clock, a silver-knobbed cane, and a riding-whip on the wall.
"The smoking-cap and riding-whip were very spicy in their conversation, and waged continual war with the tobacco vase or pipe, who were true Germans.
"'That stupid maid very nearly broke my head with the handle of her duster,' said Juno, angrily. 'My heart flutters still with the fright it gave me.'
"'She soiled my lining with her dirty fingers, too,' said the smoking-cap.
"'Thank fortune! I do not require dusting, warbled the canary bird, spreading his golden feathers in the sunlight, and flirting a seed at the Hindoo god on the lid of the tobacco vase, who only grinned a broader smile at the attention.
"'My face is cracked,' chimed in the pretty, good-natured clock; and at this, the canary bird, jealous of any sound save his own voice, poured forth a flood of music from his tiny throat.
"'Hush!' rustled an ivy-plant, that drooped in graceful tendrils about the open window. 'We have not received the new-comer politely.'
"'What new-comer? Oh, the Umbrella!'
"'Yah, ze Umbrella,' echoed the meerschaum, speaking very broken English.
"So they all welcomed me cordially, to my great relief; for I was beginning to feel dreadfully shy and awkward, not being accustomed to society. I endeavored to make myself agreeable, by describing to them the incident of the shower, at which they all laughed heartily.
"My thoughts frequently revert to the life Iled in that delightful home, where I was surrounded by so many refinements. Alas! it was too soon brought to a close. My master made a journey; and, although I had not the least idea of it, I accompanied him. I was scarcely allowed time to look farewell at the various inmates of the room; the clock and canary chirping good-by in duet, and I was gone.
"I next found myself upon a large steamboat. Any thing more wretched than the night we passed there, I cannot imagine. I rolled about in the most uncomfortable fashion, the lights bobbing up and down, the cabin floor rocking giddily, and my careless master took no heed to my safety.
"A tattered, rusty-looking man came prowling along, then, stooping over me, adroitly managed to drop a clumsy, cotton umbrella, and carry me off instead. What must have been my master's disgust, when he discovered that horrid, faded thing, instead of my slim, genteel self!
"There was no help for it, because an umbrella cannot raise any outcry; so the thief took possession of me without struggle.
"We arrived in a large city; and I was carried ashore by the rusty man, who made his way along many narrow, dirty streets, to a small dingy shop, which he entered. It was a musty, dark place, crowded with many strange articles of sale, from mended furniture, silver watches, odd crockery, and picture frames, to china vases, and silk pocket-handkerchiefs.
"Here, I was sold to the owner of the shop, a wrinkled, old man, with a white beard, who placed me in company with others of my class in a rack. At first I was too unhappy in my altered circumstances to attempt any conversation with those about me. The sun came peeping in the dust-stained window; and each stray, gilded beam seemed a blessing in that sad, gloomy place. How every thing brightened under the heavenly, glorifying touch! The wreaths of artificial flowers took the bright hues of life; and a gray parrot, in a battered cage, shook himself to peer about more cheerfully.
"'How pleasant the sun is!' remarked the parrot. 'If it only would shine here all day, as it does in my native India, instead of creeping awayover the roofs so soon, leaving us chill and dark again!'
"Then I inquired, 'You have not lived here always?'
"'I should rather think not,' retorted the parrot, sharply. 'Do you take me for a common bird, sir? I belonged to one of the best families at home; only it was my misfortune to be caught by a sailor, who brought me over the seas to this great city, when he was taken ill, poor fellow, and died. I heard him say I was to be a present for his sweetheart up in the country; but I never saw her, because the lodging-house woman sold me, with the rest of the sailor's effects, to the old Jew here.'
"'As to that,' said a rosewood arm-chair, with a faded cover, 'I once adorned a magnificent drawing-room myself.'
"' And we,' sighed a wreath of artificial roses, 'once nestled among the curls of beauty.'
"'I was stolen,' said an alabaster vase, standing in graceful purity among the surrounding common objects.
"'I was, also,' echoed a velvet portmonnaie,an ivory fan, and a crystal perfume-bottle, with silver top.
"Then with the parrot for conductor, holding a bit of straw in his left claw, as the leader of an orchestra wields his bâton, they all commenced a song, the words of which were composed by the ivory fan, and set to music by the parrot.