CHAPTER III.
MARY--MORE GENEROUS THAN JUST.
Harriet and I, walking over one pleasant afternoon to my brother's, metJessie sauntering slowly home, and Mary with her. We stopped to chat awhile with them, and then Mary, bidding Jessie good-by, turned back withus. While I walked steadily on, she and Harriet were sometimes by myside, sometimes running before me, and sometimes lingering far behind.As we approached the house, we saw the sheep driven to their pen forthe night. The children were before me, but near enough for me to hearMary exclaim, "Harriet, there is my lamb--that is the one I mean tochoose--if it does not grow too large before the time."
"Maybe you will not have to choose at all," said Harriet, "for Jessiemay get it."
"Indeed she will not," said Mary.
"How do you know that?" asked Harriet, "only one month is gone. I wishshe may get it."
"I do not think that is very kind of you," said Mary, "to wish thatJessie should get it instead of me, when you know I want the lamb somuch."
"Why, Mary," said Harriet, "though you may not get it just at thisparticular time, you know your father would give you one afterwards ifyou asked for it, and poor Jessie may never have another chance to getone. Besides, I think it will do her a great deal more good than you."
"I do not see how," said Mary, still in a dissatisfied tone.
"Why," said Harriet, "you know she knits her own stockings, and herfather has to buy wool--now, she could have the wool from her own lambwithout paying any thing for it."
"I never thought of that," said Mary, earnestly, while I could not butsmile at Harriet's forethought. "But, Harriet, I should like to get thelamb," said Mary, after thinking a while, "and then I could give it toJessie, you know."
"But are you sure Jessie would take it from you?"
"Oh yes! I could make her take it," said Mary, confidently.
"I do not know that," said Harriet, "if her grandmother told her not;and you know Aunt Kitty told us Mrs. Graham never would take any thingfor herself when she was very poor."
"Well," said Mary, in a perplexed tone, "what shall I do?--for I wanther to have it now as much as you do, since you put me in mind how muchgood it will do her. Oh! I will tell you, Harriet, what I will do; Iwill not study at all, and so I cannot get any merit cards, and I willstay out late, and get all the blanks."
As I did not quite approve of Mary's very ingenious plan for obligingJessie, I stepped up and said, "Do you think that would be quite rightto your papa and Miss Bennett, who are trying by the offer of thisreward to make you more studious and punctual?"
"Well, what shall I do, Aunt Kitty?"
"Do your best, my dear, to win the reward, and let Jessie do the same.The habits you are thus forming will be of far more consequence to youthan the lamb to Jessie."
"But I want Jessie to have it," said Mary, whose generous feelings hadnow been excited; "besides, I do not think it is a fair trial, forJessie has so little time to study."
"Then, Mary, suppose you and Harriet go every day and help her in herwork at home, so that she may have more time for study."
"So we will," said Mary, with great animation, "that is a real goodplan; and I will tell you what, Aunt Kitty, I will study and get thetickets, since you say I ought, but before Miss Bennett counts them, Iwill make Jessie take some of my merit cards, and I will take some ofher blanks, so as to be sure that she will have the most; so, you see, Iwill have the good habits, and she will have the lamb too. Will not thatbe clever?"
"Very clever on your part, Mary, but I hope you will not find it easy tomake Jessie do a thing which in her would be very wrong. Better lose thelamb than be dishonest."
"Dishonest, Aunt Kitty!"
"Yes, Mary, would it not be dishonest in Jessie to get the lamb bymaking your father and Miss Bennett believe that tickets which are inreality yours, have been won by her."
Mary looked quite grave for a minute, then brightening up, said, "Well,Harriet, at any rate it is not wrong to help Jessie, so I will come foryou to-morrow morning."
"Very well," said Harriet, "I will go with you, and when we have doneall the work, I will help Jessie get her lessons; so, maybe, she mayhave the most tickets without taking yours."
Mary colored, and though she said nothing, I could not help thinkingthat she would rather Jessie should get the lamb by any other means thanby having the most tickets.