CHAPTER VI.
SUSY AND PRUDY.
The Clifford children were very anxious to see Susy and Prudy, and itseemed a long while to wait; but the Portland schools had a vacation atlast, and then it was time to expect the little cousins.
The whole family were impatient to see them and their excellent mother.Grandma lost her spectacles very often that afternoon, and every timeshe went to the window to look out, the ball of her knitting-workfollowed her, as Grace said, "like a little kitten."
There was great joy when the stage really drove up to the door. Thecousins were rather shy of each other at first, and Prudy hid her face,all glowing with smiles and blushes, in her plump little hands. But thestiffness wore away, and they were all as well acquainted as ever theyhad been, in about ten minutes.
"Ain't that a bumpin' stage, though?" cried Horace; "just like ababy-jumper."
"We came in it, you know, Susy," said Grace; "didn't it shake like acorn-popper?"
"I want to go and see the piggy and ducks," said Prudy.
"Well," whispered Susy, "wait till after supper."
The Cliffords were delighted with their little cousins. When they hadlast seen Prudy, which was the summer before, they had loved her dearly.Now she was past five, and "a good deal cunninger than ever;" or soHorace thought. He liked her pretty face, her gentle ways, and said veryoften, if he had such a little sister he'd "go a lyin'."
To be sure Susy was just his age, and could run almost as fast as hecould; still Horace did not fancy her half as much as Prudy, who couldnot run much without falling down, and who was always sure to cry if shegot hurt.
Grace and Susy were glad that Horace liked Prudy so well, for when theywere cutting out dolls' dresses, or playing with company, it waspleasant to have him take her out of the way.
Prudy's mouth was not much larger than a button-hole, but she opened itas wide as she could when she saw Horace whittle out such wonderfultoys.
He tried to be as much as possible like a man; so he worked with hisjacket off, whistling all the while; and when he pounded, he drew in hisbreath with a whizzing noise, such as he had heard carpenters make.
All this was very droll to little Prudy, who had no brothers, andsupposed her "captain cousin" must be a very remarkable boy, especiallyas he told her that, if he hadn't left his tool-box out west, he couldhave done "a heap better." It was quite funny to see her standing overhim with such a happy, wondering little face, sometimes singing snatchesof little songs, which were sure to be wrong somewhere, such as,--
"Little kinds of _deedness_, Little words of love, Make this _earthen needn't_, Like the heaven above."
She thought, as Horace did, that her sled would look very well "crossedoff with green;" but Susy would not consent. So Horace made a doll'ssled out of shingles, with turned-up runners, and a tongue of string.This toy pleased Prudy, and no one had a right to say it should not bepainted green.
But as Captain Horace was just preparing to add this finishing touch, alady arrived with little twin-boys, four years old. Aunt Madge came intothe shed to call Horace and Prudy. "O, auntie," said Horace, "I don'tbelieve I care to play with those little persons!"
His aunt smiled at hearing children called "little persons," but toldHorace it would not be polite to neglect his young visitors: it would bepositively rude. Horace did not wish to be considered an ill-manneredboy, and at last consented to have his hands and garments cleansed withturpentine to erase the paint, and to go into the nursery to see the"little persons."
It seemed to him and Prudy that the visit lasted a great while, and thatit was exceedingly hard work to be polite.
When it was well over, Prudy said, "The next lady that comes here, Ihope she won't bring any little _double boys_! What do I love littleboys for, 'thout they're my cousins?"
After the sled was carefully dried, Horace printed on it the words "LadyJane," in large yellow letters. His friend Gilbert found the paint forthis, and it was thought by both the boys that the sled could not havebeen finer if "Lady Jane" had been spread on with gold-leaf by asign-painter.
"Now, Prudy," said Horace, "it isn't, everybody can make such a sled asthat! It's right strong, too; as strong as--why, it's strong enough to'bear up an egg'!"
If Horace had done only such innocent things as to "drill" the littleboys, make sleds for Prudy, and keep store with Gilbert, his mothermight have felt happy.
But Horace was growing careless. His father's parting words, "Alwaysobey your mother, my son, and remember that God sees all you do," didnot often ring in his ears now. Mr. Clifford, though a kind parent, hadalways been strict in discipline, and his little son had stood in awe ofhim. Now that he had gone away, there seemed to be some danger thatHorace might fall into bad ways. His mother had many serious fears abouthim, for, with her feeble health, and the care of little Katie, shecould not be as watchful of him as she wished to be. She remembered howMr. Clifford had often said, "He will either make something ornothing," and she had answered, "Yes, there'll never be any half-wayplace for Horace." She sighed now as she repeated her own words.
In his voyages of discovery Horace had found some gunpowder. "Mine!"said he to himself; "didn't aunt Madge say we could have everything wefound up-attic?"
He knew that he was doing wrong when he tucked the powder slyly into hispocket. He knew he did wrong when he showed it to Gilbert, saying,--
"Got any matches, Grasshopper?"
They dug holes in the ground for the powder, and over the powder crossedsome dry sticks. When they touched it off they ran away as fast aspossible; but it was a wonder they were not both blown up. It waspleasant, no doubt, to hear the popping of the powder; but they darednot laugh too loud, lest some one in the house should hear them, andcome out to ask what they could be playing that was so remarkably funny.
Mrs. Clifford little thought what a naughty thing Horace had been doing,when she called him in one day, and said, with a smiling face,--for sheloved to make him happy,--"See, my son, what I have bought for you! Itis a present from your father, for in his last letter he asked me to getit."
Horace fairly shouted with delight when he saw the beautiful Zouavesuit, gray, bordered with red, and a cap to match. If he had any twingesof conscience about receiving this present, nobody knew it.
Here is the letter of thanks which he wrote to his father:--
"DEAR PAPA.
"I am sorry to say I have not seen you since you went to the war. Grandpa has two pigs. I want a drum so much!
"We have lots of squirrels: they chip. We have orioles: they say, 'Here, here, _here_ I be!'
"I want the drum because I am a _captain_! We are going to train with paper caps.
"I get up the cows and have a good time.
"Good-by. From your son,
"HORACE P. CLIFFORD.
"P.S. Ma bought me the soldier-clothes. I thank you."
About this time Mrs. Clifford was trying to put together a barrel ofnice things to send to her husband. Grandma and aunt Madge baked a greatmany loaves of cake and hundreds of cookies, and put in cans of fruitand boxes of jelly wherever there was room. Aunt Louise made a nicelittle dressing-case of bronze kid, lined with silk, and Grace made apretty pen-wiper and pin-ball. Horace whittled out a handsome steamboat,with _green_ pipes, and the figure-head of an old man's face carved inwood. But Horace thought the face looked like Prudy's, and named thesteamboat "The Prudy." He also broke open his savings-bank, and beggedhis mother to lay out all the money he had in presents for the sicksoldiers.
"Horace has a kind and loving heart," said Margaret to Louise. "To besure he won't keep still long enough to let anybody kiss him, but hereally loves his parents dearly."
"Well, he's a terrible try-patience," said Louise.
"Wait a while! He is wilful and naughty, but he never tells wrongstories. I think there's hope of a boy who _scorns a lie_! See if hedoesn't come out right, Louise. Why, I expect to be proud of
our Horaceone of these days!"