CHAPTER V.
RUNNING WILD.
You begin to see how the children were running wild at Mrs. Eastman's.One morning Dotty climbed the hat-tree to get away from her cousinPercy.
"Don't believe 'cousin Dimple' knows a hat-tree wasn't made for littlegirls to sit on," said Percy.
"No, 'twas made to swing on," replied Dotty, tilting herself backwardand forward like a bird on a bough. "I'm going to stay here tillsomebody carries me off pick-aback."
Percy, having nothing better to do, took his little cousin on hisshoulders, danced her about the hall and through the house, and finallytossed her backward into a pile of shavings. Dotty sprang up, shook offthe shavings, and ran after Percy, laughing so boisterously thatAngeline said to the chambermaid,--
"I know of one person that will be glad when Mrs. Parlin gets back."
"And I know of another," replied Janey. "The child behaved like a ladywhen she first came; but what can you expect in this house with thoseboys?"
"How's that bird?" said Percy, as he and Dotty raced through thekitchen. "Can he stand on both legs yet?"
"Yes, indeed! He could stand on _three_ legs if he had 'em. He's mostwell--I must go and 'tend to him."--("I wonder what's going to happenthat's bad," thought she, as she fed the bird in her own chamber withcream biscuit. "I hope it isn't a fire!")--"Why, Johnny Eastman, Ishouldn't think your mamma'd let you scream so loud!"
"Then you must hear the first time. Come, let's go out and have somefun; mother's gone to Cumberland."
As if Johnny did not have fun all day, and every day, whether his motherwas at home or abroad!
"Prudy," said Dotty, "good by, for Johnny 'n' I are going down to thebeach to get some shells."
Prudy looked up from her writing.
"Don't go near the water," said she; then throwing her arms about herlittle sister, she sang,--
"If you love me as I love you, No knife shall cut our love in two."
"Well, I do," replied Dotty, with an affectionate hug, "and I sha'n't gonear the water."
"You won't forget?" said Prudy, anxiously. "You know mamma's as afraidof the water as she can be."
"What are you after?" cried Angeline, half a minute afterwards. "Of allthe rummaging children!" At the same time she gave Dotty a nice cakewarm from the oven.
"I'm looking for my hat," said the little girl, shutting the sink door."Last time I saw it 'twas in a barrel somewhere."
But it happened to be in a hogshead.
"I think this is a real nice sort of world," thought Dotty, as she andJohnny trudged off in the pleasant sunshine. "I do think, just tomyself--though I wouldn't say it out loud--that I'm as nice as anybody.I don't know what Prudy'd do 'thout me; and I guess Susy'd cry her eyesout!"
"What you thinking about?" said Johnny.
"O, 'bout a good many things! Let's run; it tires me to pieces to walk!"
"Look!" cried Johnny, "there's Mandoline!"
And such a pretty sight as bareheaded Mandoline presented! She was alittle Jewess, with such beauty, perhaps, as that of the women we readabout in the Bible. She had dark, wavy hair, like sea-foam with inktipped over in it. Her eyes were like gems; there was a brilliant colorin her cheeks, and her mouth was so sweet that
"Upon her lip the honey bee Might build her waxen throne."
Dotty did not know why she liked Mandoline so well, but like her shedid. Mrs. Parlin was afraid Mandoline had not been taught to respect thetruth, and had often desired her little daughter not to play with thebeautiful Jewess.
But "Lina" went to Mrs. Eastman's, and Mrs. Eastman petted her. Dottythought it could not be wrong to associate with a little girl her auntieliked so well.
"Come with us, Lina," said Johnny.
"Where are you going?"
"Going to make a Bunger Hill Monuement," repliedDotty. "We know where the shells grow real thick."
"But I've lost my shaker. A dog's got it."
"O, no matter, _you_ don't care," said Dotty, in a grandmotherly tone,"for _I_ won't let anybody laugh at you."
Lina yielded. The three children tripped along together, taking upFreddy Jackson on the way--a deaf and dumb boy, who only knew when itthundered by the jar he could feel. Everybody was kind to Freddy. DottyDimple, with all her faults, was never known to be impatient with thepoor boy.
The children reached the sea-shore, which _was_ somewhere "near thewater," though Dotty had assured Prudy to the contrary. Shell-gatheringis more exciting work than picking strawberries in the country; forstrawberries are all very much alike, whereas shells present somevariety.
But in this instance it was very dull business, for the reason thatthere were no shells to be found. They had all become weary of gropingabout in the sand, when Johnny looked at the bay, and observed a boycoming towards them, rowing a boat.
"Hilloa, there!" shouted the boy.
"Hilloa!" responded Johnny. "If that isn't Sol Rosenberg!" (This wasMandoline's brother.) "Where you going, Sol?"
"Nowhere particular. Get in and go too?"
"Yes," said Johnny, "Fred Jackson and I. Fred can steer as straight's aneedle. I'll paddle, you know."
"Girls too," added Solomon, gallantly.
With one accord the children walked eagerly towards the boat, which, bythis time, Solomon had moored against the beach. All but Dotty.
"Are you old enough, Solly Rosenberg, old enough and know enough not todrown us all to pieces?"
Young Solomon laughed.
"If I can't manage a small concern like this!"
"But four, and one more, make _five_, Solly!"
"You don't say so! Well, I could carry sixteen, if they were all suchlittle snips as you are!"
"Dot Parlin thinks she weighs as much as two tons," said Johnny, in anirritating tone.
"I'm dreadful 'fraid," murmured the little Jewess, shaking the waywardhair out of her magnificent eyes; "but I'll go if you will, DottyDimple."
Dotty shoved her feet into the sand and reflected.
"My mamma is afraid of the water; but then she was upset in a scursion,and that's why she's afraid."
"What kind of thing is a _scursion_?" asked Johnny.
"A Sabbath school picnic. And she wasn't upset either, only she 'xpectedto be."
"Come on!" called Solly. "All aboard!"
"But my mamma said it wasn't safe!"
"No, she didn't. She never saw this boat; she doesn't know whether it'ssafe or not."
"Doesn't it leak a single speck, Solly Rosenberg? It looks wet."
"Pshaw! That's where the waves come in; it's as tight as the bark to atree."
Dotty was becoming very eager to go. It sometimes did seem, when shereally wished to do any particular thing, that she wished it more thanany one else.
"But, O dear! my mamma doesn't 'low me to sail."
This was spoken sorrowfully; but there was a little wavering in thetone. Dotty had taken the first false step; she had listened to thevoice of temptation, and every persuasive word of Solly's left herweaker than it had found her.
"My mamma doesn't _ever_ 'low me to sail."
"You _couldn't_ sail in a wherry if you were to try," said Johnny."Come, Sol, don't stop to bother: who wants girls? They just spoil thefun."
"For shame!" said the more polite Solomon, drawing himself up andlooking very manly; "the girls shall go if they want to. Only just roundthe curve."
Dotty liked Solly at that moment very much. She looked at herill-mannered little cousin with royal disdain, and walked slowly andcautiously on towards the boat. Lina followed at a little distance._Her_ mother had also forbidden her to go on the water, and had declaredthat Solomon was too young to manage a boat; but neither Lina nor herbrother had very tender consciences. If they did wrong things, andnobody knew it, it was all very well; but if they were found out--ah!then was the time to be sorry! Dotty's conscience had been much bettereducated than theirs: it gave her plenty of warning, which she would notheed, and tried to stifle by talking.
&
nbsp; "It isn't a sail boat. When my mamma went in the scursion, then it was asail boat, and the wind whistled so the sails shook dreadfully. My mammanever talked to me about wherries; she didn't ever say I mustn't go in awherry."
While Dotty was still talking, she entered the boat, the last of thefive. She seated herself, but was annoyed to find her dainty gaiterssinking into a pool of dirty water. She lifted her feet, but could notkeep them up. Well, perhaps she shouldn't have the sore throat afterall; she couldn't help it now if she did have it. At any rate she wasdetermined not to complain, when Solly had been so very polite.
"Isn't this prime?" said Johnny, as they launched out upon the water.
The motion was certainly pleasant, and for a few moments Dotty was quitedelighted, thinking over and over again,--
"Mamma won't care; it's nothing but a wherry, and the wind doesn'tblow."
Then she suddenly remembered her promise to Prudy, not to go "anywherenear the water."
"And I never thought I should. I never s'posed I should see SollyRosenberg. I didn't know he was in this city. Prudy'd like it just aswell as I do, if she was in here, and knew 'twas a wherry."