CHAPTER V.
THE LAST CLEAN FROCK.
"For," said she, in spite of what grandmama taught her, "I'm really remarkably fond of the water."
* * * * *
She splashed, and she dashed, and she turned herself round, And heartily wished herself safe on the ground.
Once upon a time Harry and Laura had got into so many scrapes, thatthere seemed really no end to their misconduct. They generally forgot tolearn any lessons--often tore their books--drew pictures on theirslates, instead of calculating sums--and made the pages of theircopy-books into boats; besides which, Mrs. Crabtree caught them one day,when a party of officers dined at Lady Harriet's, with two of thecaptain's sword-belts buckled round their waists, and cocked hats upontheir heads, while they beat the crown of a gentleman's hat with awalking-stick, to sound like a drum.
Still it seemed impossible to make uncle David feel sufficiently angryat them, though Mrs. Crabtree did all she could to put him in a passion,by telling the very worst; but he made fifty excuses a-minute, as if hehad been the naughty person himself, instead of Harry or Laura, andabove all he said that they both seemed so exceedingly penitent when heexplained their delinquencies, and they were both so ready to tell uponthemselves, and to take all the blame of whatever mischief might bedone, that he was determined to shut his eyes and say nothing, unlessthey did something purposely wrong.
One night, when Mrs. Crabtree had gone out, Major Graham felt quitesurprised on his return home from a late dinner party, to find Laura andHarry still out of bed. They were sitting in his library when heentered, both looking so tired and miserable that he could not imaginewhat had happened; but Harry lost no time in confessing that he andLaura feared they had done some dreadful mischief, so they could notsleep without asking pardon, and mentioning whose fault it was, that themaids might not be unjustly blamed.
"Well, you little imps of mischief! what have I to scold you for now?"asked uncle David, not looking particularly angry. "Is it something thatI shall be obliged to take the trouble of punishing you for? We ought tolive in the Highlands, where there are whole forests of birch ready foruse? Why are your ears like a bell-rope, Harry? because they seem madeto be pulled. Now, go on with your story. What is the matter?"
"We were playing about the room, uncle David, and Laura lost her ball,so she crept under that big table which has only one large leg. There isa brass button below, so we were trying if it would come off, when allon a sudden, the table fell quite to one side, as you see it now,tumbling down those prodigious books and tin boxes on the floor! Icannot think how this fine new table could be so easily broken; butwhenever we even look at anything, it seems to break!"
"Yes, Harry! You remind me of Meddlesome Matty in the nursery rhymes,
"Sometimes she'd lift the teapot lid To peep at what was in it, Or tilt the kettle, if you did But turn your back a minute. In vain you told her not to touch, Her trick of meddling grew so much."
You have scarcely left my poor table a leg to stand upon! How am I everto get it mended?"
"Perhaps the carpenter could do it to-morrow!"
"Or, perhaps uncle David could do it this moment," said Major Graham,raising the fallen side with a sudden jerk, when Harry and Laura heard asound under the table like the locking of a door, after which the wholeaffair was rectified.
"Did I ever--!" exclaimed Harry, staring with astonishment, "so we havesuffered all our fright for nothing, and the table was not reallybroken! I shall always run to you, uncle David, when we are in a scrape,for you are sure to get us off."
"Do not reckon too certainly on that, Master Harry; it is easier to getinto one than to get out of it, any day; but I am not so seriously angryat the sort of scrapes Laura and you get into, because you would notwillingly and deliberately do wrong. If any children commit a meanaction, or get into a passion, or quarrel with each other, or omitsaying their prayers and reading their Bibles, or tell a lie, or takewhat does not belong to them, then it might be seen how extremely angryI could be; but while you continue merely thoughtless and forgetful, Imean to have patience a little longer before turning into a cross olduncle with a pair of tawse."
Harry sprung upon uncle David's knee, quite delighted to hear him speakso very kindly, and Laura was soon installed in her usual place therealso, listening to all that was said, and laughing at his jokes.
"As Mrs. Crabtree says," continued Major Graham, "'we cannot put an oldhead on young shoulders;' and it would certainly look very odd if youcould."
So uncle David took out his pencil, and drew a funny picture of a crossold wrinkled face upon young shoulders, like Laura's, and after they hadall laughed at it together for about five minutes, he sent the childrenboth to bed, quite merry and cheerful.
A long time elapsed afterwards without anything going wrong; and it wasquite pleasant to see such learning of lessons, such attention to rules,and such obedience to Mrs. Crabtree, as went on in the nursery duringseveral weeks. At last, one day, when Lady Harriet and Major Graham werepreparing to set off on a journey, and to pay a short visit at HolidayHouse, Laura and Harry observed a great deal of whispering and talkingin a corner of the room, but they could not exactly discover what it wasall about, till Major Graham said very earnestly, "I think we mightsurely take Laura with us."
"Yes," answered Lady Harriet, "both the children have been invited, andare behaving wonderfully well of late, but Lord Rockville has such adislike to noise, that I dare not venture to take more than one at atime. Poor Laura has a very severe cough, so she may be recovered bychange of air. As for Harry, he is quite well, and therefore he can stayat home."
Now, Harry thought it very hard that he was to be left at home, merelybecause he felt quite well, so he immediately wished to be very illindeed, that he might have some chance of going to Holiday House; butthen he did not exactly know how to set about it. At all events, Harrydetermined to catch a cold like Laura's, without delay. He would not,for the whole world have pretended to suffer from a cough if he reallyhad none, because uncle David had often explained that making any onebelieve an un-truth was the same as telling a lie; but he thought theremight be no harm in really getting such a terrible cold, that nothingcould possibly cure it except change of air, and a trip to HolidayHouse with Laura. Accordingly Harry tried to remember every thing thatMrs. Crabtree had forbid him to do "for fear of catching cold." Hesprinkled water over his shirt collar in the morning before dressing,that it might be damp; he ran violently up and down stairs to puthimself in a heat, after which he sat between the open window and doortill he felt perfectly chilled; and when going to bed at night, hewashed his hair in cold water without drying it. Still, all was in vain!Harry had formerly caught cold a hundred times when he did not want one;but now, such a thing was not to be had for love or money. Nothingseemed to give him the very slightest attempt at a cough; and when theday at last arrived for Lady Harriet to begin her journey, Harry stillfelt himself most provokingly well. Not so much as a finger ached, hischeeks were as blooming as roses, his voice as clear as a bell, and whenuncle David accidentally said to him in the morning, "How do you do?"Harry was obliged, very much against his will, to answer, "Quite well, Ithank you!"
In the meantime, Laura would have felt too happy if Harry could onlyhave gone with her; and even as it was, being impatient for the happyday to arrive, she hurried to bed an hour earlier than usual the nightbefore, to make the time of setting out appear nearer; and she couldscarcely sleep or eat for thinking of Holiday House, and planning allthat was to be done there.
"It is pleasant to see so joyous a face," said Major Graham. "I almostenvy you, Laura, for being so happy."
"Oh! I quite envy myself! but I shall write a long letter every day topoor Harry, telling him all the news, and all my adventures."
"Nonsense! Miss Laura! wait till you come home," said Mrs. Crabtree."Who do you think is going to pay postage for so many foolish letters?"
"I shall!" answered Harry
. "I have got sixpence, and two pence, and ahalf penny, so I shall buy every one of Laura's letters from thepostman, and write her an answer immediately afterwards. She will liketo hear, Mrs. Crabtree, how very kind you are going to be, when I amleft by myself here. Perhaps you will play at nine pins with me, andLaura can lend you her skipping rope."
"You might as well offer uncle David a hobby-horse," said Frank,laughingly, throwing his satchel over his shoulders. "No, Harry! youshall belong to me now. Grandmama says you may go every day to myplay-ground, where all the school-boys assemble, and you can have plentyof fun till Laura comes back. We shall jump over the moon every morning,for joy."
Harry brightened up amazingly, thinking he had never heard such goodnews before, as it was a grand piece of promotion to play with real bigschool-boys; so he became quite reconciled to Laura's going away for ashort time without him; and when the hour came for taking leave, insteadof tears being shed on either side, it would have been difficult to say,as they kissed each other and said a joyous good-bye, which face lookedthe most delighted.
All Laura's clothes had been packed the night before, in a large chaiseseat, which was now put into the carriage along with herself, and everything seemed ready for departure, when Lady Harriet's maid was suddenlytaken so very ill, as to be quite unfit for travelling; therefore shewas left behind, and a doctor sent for to attend her; while Lady Harrietsaid she would trust to the maids at Holiday House, for waiting uponherself and Laura.
It is seldom that so happy a face is seen in this world, as Laura woreduring the whole journey. It perfectly sparkled and glittered withdelight, while she was so constantly on a broad grin laughing, thatMajor Graham said he feared her mouth would grow an inch wider on theoccasion.
"You will tire of sitting so long idle! It is a pity we did not think ofbringing a few lesson-books in the carriage to amuse you, Laura," saidthe Major, slyly. "A piece of needle-work might have beguiled the way. Ionce knew an industrious lady who made a ball dress for herself in thecarriage during a journey."
"How very stupid of her to miss seeing all the pretty trees, andcottages, and farm-houses! I do like to watch the little curly-headed,dirty children, playing on the road, with brown faces, and hair bleachedwhite in the sun; and the women hanging out their clothes on the hedgesto dry; and the blacksmith shoeing horses, and the ducks swimming in thegutters, and the pigs thrusting their noses out of the sty, and the oldwomen knitting stockings, and the workmen sitting on a wall to eat theirdinners! It looks all so pretty, and so pleasant!"
"What a picture of rural felicity! You ought to be a poet or a painter,Laura!"
"But I believe poets always call this a miserable world: and I think itthe happiest place I have ever been in, uncle David! Such fun during theholidays! I should go wild altogether, if Mrs. Crabtree were not rathercross sometimes."
"Or very cross always," thought Major Graham. "But here we are, Laura,near our journey's end. Allow me to introduce you to Holiday House! Why,you are staring at it like a dog looking at a piece of cold beef! Mydear girl, if you open your eyes so wide, you will never be able to shutthem again!"
Holiday House was not one of those prodigious places, too grand to bepleasant, with the garden a mile off in one direction, and the farm amile off in another, and the drawing-room a mile off from thedining-room; but it was a very cheerful modern mansion, with roomsenough to hold as many people as any one could desire to see at once,all very comfortably furnished. A lively, dashing river, streamed pastthe windows; a small park, sprinkled with sheep, and shaded by finetrees, surrounded the house; and beyond were beautiful gardens filledwith a superabundance of the gayest and sweetest common flowers. Roses,carnations, wall flowers, holly-hocks, dahlias, lilies, and violets,were assembled there in such crowds, that Laura might have pluckednosegays all day, without making any visible difference; and she wasalso made free of the gooseberry bushes and cherry-trees, with leave togather, if she pleased, more than she could eat.
Every morning, Laura entered the breakfast-room with cheeks like theroses she carried, bringing little bouquets for all the ladies, whichshe had started out of bed early, in order to gather; and her greatdelight was to see them worn and admired all the forenoon, while she wascomplimented on the taste with which they had been selected andarranged. She filled every ornamental jar, basin, and tea-cup in thedrawing-room, with groups of roses, and would have been the terror ofany gardener but the one at Holiday House, who liked to see his flowersso much admired, and was not keeping up any for a horticultural show.
Laura's chief delight, however, was in the dairy, which seemed the mostbeautiful thing she had ever beheld, being built of rough transparentspar, which looked exactly like crystal, and reminded her of the icepalace built by the Empress of Russia. The windows were of paintedglass; the walls and shelves were of Dutch tiles, and in the centre rosea beautiful jet d'eau of clear bright water.
Laura thought it looked like something built for the fairies; but withinshe saw a most substantial room, the floor and tables in which were socompletely covered with cheeses, that they looked like some old Mosaicpavement. Here the good-natured dairy-maid showed Laura how to makecheese, and afterwards manufactured a very small one about the size of asoup plate, entirely for the young lady herself, which she promised totake home after her visit was over; and a little churn was also filledfull of cream, which Laura one morning churned into butter, andbreakfasted upon, after having first practised printing it into avariety of shapes. It was altered about twenty times from a swan into acow, and from a cow into a rose, and from a rose back to a swan again,before she could be persuaded to leave off her amusement.
Laura continued to become more and more delighted with Holiday House;and she one day skipped about Lady Harriet's room, saying, "Oh! I am toohappy! I scarcely know what to do with so much happiness. How delightfulit would be to stay here all my life, and never to go to bed, nor sayany more lessons as long as I live!"
"What a useless, stupid girl you would soon become," observed LadyHarriet. "Do you think, Laura, that lessons were invented for no otherpurpose but to torment little children?"
"No, grandmama; not exactly! They are of use also to keep us quiet."
"Come here, little madam, and listen to me. I shall soon be very old,Laura, and not able to read my Bible, even with spectacles; for, as theScriptures told us, in that affecting description of old age, which Iread to you yesterday, 'the keepers of the house shall tremble, and thegrinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of thewindows be darkened:' what then do you think I can do, because the Biblenow is my best comfort, which I shall need more and more every day, totell me all about the eternal world where I am going, and to shew me theway."
"Grandmama! you promised long ago to let me attend on you when you growold and blind! I shall be very careful, and very--very--very kind. Ialmost wish you were old and blind now, to let you feel how much I loveyou, and how anxious I am to be as good to you as you have always beento me. We shall read the Bible together every morning, and as oftenafterwards as you please."
"Thank you, my dear child! but you must take the trouble of learning toread well, or we shall be sadly puzzled with the difficult words. Afriend of mine once had nobody that could read to her when she was ill,but the maid, who bargained that she might leave out every word aboveone syllable long, because they were too hard for her; and you couldhardly help laughing at the nonsense it sometimes made; but I hope youwill manage better."
"O certainly, grandmama! I can spell chrononhotonthologos, and all theother five-cornered words in my 'Reading Made Easy,' already."
"Besides that, my dear Laura! unless you learn to look over my bills, Imay be sadly cheated by servants and shop-keepers. You must positivelystudy to find out how many cherries make five."
"Ah! grandmama! nobody knows better than I do, that two and two makefour. I shall soon be quite able to keep your accounts."
"Very well! but you have not yet heard half the trouble I mean to giveyou. I am re
markably fond of music, and shall probably at last beobliged to hire every old fiddler as he passes in the street, by givinghim sixpence in order to enjoy some of my favourite tunes."
"No, grandmama! you shall hear them all from me. I can play Malbrook,and Auld Robin Grey, already; and Frank says if I practise two hoursevery day for ten years, I shall become a very tolerable player, fit foryou and uncle David to hear, without being disagreeable."
"Then that will be more than seven thousand hours of musical lessonswhich you have yet to endure, Laura! There are many more things ofstill greater importance to learn also, if you wish to be any betterthan a musical snuff-box. For instance, when visitors come to see me,they are often from France or Italy; but perhaps you will not mindsitting in the room as if you were deaf and dumb, gazing at thoseforeigners, while they gaze at you, without understanding a syllablethey say, and causing them to feel strange and uncomfortable as long asthey remain in the house."
"No! I would not for the world seem so unkind and uncivil. Pray, let melearn plenty of languages."
"Very well! but if you study no geography, what ridiculous blunders youwill be falling into! asking the Italians about their native townMadrid, and the Americans if they were born at Petersburgh. You will befancying that travellers go by steam-boats to Moscow, and travel in aday from Paris, through Stockholm to Naples. How ashamed I should be ofsuch mistakes!"
"And so should I, grandmama, still more than you; for it would be quitea disgrace."
"Do you remember, Laura, your uncle David laughing, when he last went tolive at Leamington, about poor Mrs. Marmalade coming up stairs to say,she did not wish to be troublesome, but should feel greatly obliged ifhe would call at Portsmouth occasionally to see her son Thomas. And whenCaptain Armylist's regiment was ordered last winter to the village ofBathgate near this, he told me they were to march in the course of thatmorning, all the way to Bagdad."
"Yes, grandmama! and Mrs. Crabtree said some weeks ago, that if herbrother went to Van Dieman's Land, she thought he would of course inpassing, take a look at Jerusalem; and Frank was amused lately to hearPeter Grey maintain, that Gulliver was as great a man as Columbus,because he discovered Liliput!"
"Quite like him! for I heard Peter ask one day lately, what sideBonaparte was on at the battle of Leipsic? We must include a littlehistory I think, Laura, in our list of studies, or you will fancy thatLord Nelson fought at the battle of Blenheim, and that Henry VIII. cutoff Queen Mary's head."
"Not quite so bad as that, grandmama! I seem to have known all aboutLord Nelson and Queen Mary, ever since I was a baby in long frocks! Youhave shewn me, however, that it would be very foolish not to feelanxious for lessons, especially when they are to make me a fit companionfor you at last."
"Yes, Laura! and not only for me, but for many whose conversation willentertain and improve you more than any books. The most delightfulaccomplishment that a young person can cultivate, is that of conversingagreeably; and it is less attended to in education than any other. Youcannot take a harp or piano about with you, but our minds and tonguesare always portable, and accompany us wherever we go. If you wish to beloved by others, and to do good to your associates, as well as toentertain them, take every opportunity of conversing with those who areeither amiable or agreeable; not only attending to their opinions, butalso endeavouring to gain the habit of expressing your own thoughts withease and fluency; and then rest assured, that if the gift ofconversation be rightly exercised, it is the most desirable of all, asno teaching can have greater influence in leading people to think andact aright, than the incidental remarks of an enlightened Christian,freely and unaffectedly talking to his intimate friends."
"Well, grandmama! the moral of all this is, that I shall become busierthan any body ever was before, when we get home; but in the meantime, Imay take a good dose of idleness now at Holiday House, to prepare me forsettling to very hard labour afterwards," said Laura, hastily tying onher bonnet. "I wonder if I shall ever be as merry and happy again!"
Most unfortunately, all the time of Laura's visit at Holiday House, shehad been, as usual, extremely heedless, in taking no care whatever ofher clothes; consequently her blue merino frock had been cruelly torn;her green silk dress became frightfully soiled; four white frocks wereutterly ruined; her Swiss muslin seemed a perfect object, and her pinkgingham was both torn and discoloured. Regularly every evening LadyHarriet told her to take better care, or she would be a bankrupt infrocks altogether; but whatever her grandmama said on that subject, themoment she was out of sight, it went out of mind, till another dress hadshared the same deplorable fate.
At last, one morning, as soon as Laura got up, Lady Harriet gravely ledher towards a large table on which all the ill-used frocks had been laidout in a row; and a most dismal sight they were! Such a collection ofstains and fractures was probably never seen before! A beggar wouldscarcely have thanked her for her blue merino; and the green silk frocklooked like the tattered cover of a worn-out umbrella.
"Laura," said Lady Harriet, "in Switzerland a lady's wardrobe descendsto many generations; but nobody will envy your successor! One mightfancy that a wild beast had torn you to pieces every day! I wonder whatan old clothesman would give for your whole baggage! It is only fit forbeing used as rags in a paper manufactory!"
Poor Laura's face became perfectly pink when she saw the destructionthat a very short time had occasioned: and she looked from one tatteredgarment to another, in melancholy silence, thinking how lately they hadall been fresh and beautiful; but now not a vestige of their formersplendour remained. At last her grandmama broke the awful silence, bysaying,
"My dear girl! I have warned you very often lately that we are not athome, where your frocks could be washed and mended as soon as they werespoiled; but without considering this you have, every day, destroyedseveral, so now the maid finds, on examining your drawers, that there isonly one clean frock remaining!"
Laura looked gravely at the last clean frock, and wondered much what hergrandmama would say next.
"I do not wish to make a prisoner of you at home during this very fineweather, yet in five minutes after leaving the house, you will, ofcourse, become unfit to be seen, which I should very much regret, as anumber of fine people are coming to dinner, whom you would like to see.The great General Courteney, and all his Aide-de-Camps, intend to behere on their way from a review, besides many officers and ladies whoknow your papa very well, and wish to see my little grand-daughter; butI would not on any account allow you to appear before them, looking likea perfect tatterdemalion, as you too often do. They would suppose youhad been drawn backwards through a hedge! Now my plan is, that you shallwear this old pink gingham for romping all morning in the garden, anddress in your last clean frock for dinner; but remember to keep out ofsight till then. Remain within the garden walls, as none of the companywill be walking there, but be sure to avoid the terrace and shrubberiestill you are made tidy, for I shall be both angry and mortified if yourpapa's friends see you for the first time looking like rag-fair."
Laura promised to remember her grandmama's injunctions, and to remaininvisible all morning; so off she set to the garden, singing andskipping with joy, as she ran towards her pleasant hiding-place,planning twenty ways in which the day might be delightfully spent alone.Before long she had strung a long necklace of daisies--she had put manybright leaves in a book to dry--she had made a large ball of cowslipsto toss in the air--she had watered the hyacinths, with a watering-pot,till they were nearly washed away--she had plucked more roses than couldpossibly be carried, and eat as many gooseberries and cherries as it wasconvenient to swallow,--but still there were several hours remaining tobe enjoyed, and nothing very particular, that Laura could think of, todo.
Meantime, the miserable pink frock was torn worse than ever, and seemedto be made of nothing but holes, for every gooseberry-bush in the gardenhad got a share of it. Laura wished pink gingham frocks had never beeninvented, and wondered why nothing stronger could be made! Having becomeperfectly ti
red of the garden, she now wished herself anywhere else inthe world, and thought she was no better off, confined in this waywithin four walls, than a canary bird in a cage.
"I should like so much to go, if it were only for five minutes, on theterrace!" said she to herself. "How much pleasanter it is than this.Grandmama did not care where I went, provided nobody saw me! I may atleast take a peep to see if any one is there!"
Laura now cautiously opened the garden-door, and put her head out,intending only to look for a moment, but the moment grew longer andlonger, till it stretched into ten minutes.
"What crowds of fine people are walking about on the terrace!" thoughtshe. "It looks as gay as a fair! Who can that officer be in a red coat,and cocked hat with white feathers. Probably General Courteney payingattention to Lady Rockville. There is a lady in a blue cloak and blueflowers! how very pretty! Everybody is so exceedingly smart! and I seesome little boys too! Grandmama never told me any children were coming!I wonder how old they are, and if they will play with me in the evening!It would be very amusing to venture a little nearer, and get a betterglimpse of them all!"
If Laura's wishes pointed one way and her duty pointed the other, it wasa very sad thing how often she forgot to pause and consider which sheought to follow; and on this occasion, as usual, she took the naughtyside of the question, and prepared to indulge her curiosity, though veryanxious that nothing might happen to displease her grandmama. Sheobserved at some distance on the terrace, a remarkably large thickholly-bush, near which the great procession of company would probablypass before long, therefore, hoping nobody could possibly see her there,she stole hastily out of the garden, and concealed herself behind it;but when children do wrong, in hopes of not being found out, theygenerally find themselves mistaken, as Laura soon discovered to hercost. It is very lucky, however, for the culprits, when they aredetected, that they may learn never to behave so foolishly again,because the greatest misfortune that can happen to a child is, not to befound out and punished when he does wrong.
A few minutes after Laura had taken her station behind the holly-bush,crowds of ladies and officers came strolling along, so very near herhiding-place, that she saw them all distinctly, and felt excessivelyamused and delighted at first, to be perched like a bird in a treewatching this grand party, while nobody saw her, nor guessed that shewas there. Presently, however, Laura became sadly frightened when anofficer in a scarlet coat happened to look towards the holly-bush, andexclaimed, with some surprise,
"There is surely something very odd about that plant! I see large pinkspots between the leaves!"
"Oh no, Captain Digby, you are quite mistaken," answered one of theladies, dressed in a bright yellow bonnet and green pelisse. "I seenothing particular there! only a common ugly bush of holly! I wonder youever thought of noticing it!"
"But, Miss Perceval! there certainly is something very curious behind!I would bet five to one there is!" replied Captain Digby, stepping up,close to the holly-bush, and peeping over: "What have we here! a raggedlittle girl, I do believe! in a pink frock!"
Poor Laura was now in a terrible scrape; she started up immediately torun away. Probably she never ran so fast in her life before, but CaptainDigby was a person who enjoyed a joke, so he called out
"Tally-ho! a race for a thousand pounds!"
Off set the Captain, and away flew Laura. At any other time she wouldhave thought it capital fun, but now she was frightened out of her wits,and tore away at the very top of her speed. The whole party of ladiesand gentlemen stood laughing, and applauding, to see how fast they bothcleared the ground, while Laura, seeing the garden gate still wide open,hoped she might be able to dart in, and close it, but alas! when shearrived within four steps of the threshold, feeling almost certain ofescape, Captain Digby seized hold of her pink frock behind. It instantlybegan tearing, so she had great hopes of leaving the piece in his handand getting off; but he was too clever for that, as he grasped hold ofher long sash, which was floating far out behind, and led Laura aprisoner before the whole company.
When Lady Harriet discovered that this was really Laura advancing, herhead hanging down, her hair streaming about her ears, and her face likea full moon, she could scarcely credit her own eyes, and held her handsup with astonishment, while uncle David shrugged his shoulders, tillthey almost met over his head, but not a word was said on either sideuntil they got home, when Lady Harriet at last broke the awful silenceby saying,
"My dear girl! you must, of course, be severely punished for this act ofdisobedience, and it is not so much on account of feeling angry at yourmisconduct that I mean to correct you, but because I love you, and wishto make you behave better in future. Parents are appointed by God togovern their children as he governs us, not carelessly indulging theirfaults, but wisely correcting them, for we are told that our GreatFather in heaven chastens those whom he loves, and only afflicts us forgreat and wise purposes. I have suffered many sorrows in the world, butthey always made me better in the end, and whatever discipline you meetwith from me, or from that Great Being who loves you still more than Ido, let it teach you to consider your ways, to repent of yourwilfulness, and to pray that you may be enabled to act more properly infuture."
"Yes, grandmama," replied Laura, with tears in her eyes, "I am quitewilling to be punished, for it was very wrong indeed to make you sovexed and ashamed, by disobeying your orders."
"Then here is a long task which you must study before dinner, as apenalty for trespassing bounds. It is a beautiful poem on the death ofSir John Moore, which every school-girl can repeat, but being ratherlong, you will scarcely have time to learn it perfectly, before comingdown to dessert, therefore, that you may be quite ready, I shall ringnow for Lady Rockville's maid, and have you washed and dressedimmediately. Remember this is your last clean frock, and be sure not tospoil it."
When Laura chose to pay attention, she could learn her lessonswonderfully fast, and her eyes seemed nailed to the book for some timeafter Lady Harriet went away, till at last she could repeat the wholepoem perfectly well. It was neither "slowly nor sadly" that Laura "laiddown" her book, after practising it all, in a sort of jig time, till shecould rattle over the poem like a rail-road, and she walked to thewindow, still murmuring the verses to herself with prodigious glee, andgiving little thought to their melancholy subject.
A variety of plans suggested themselves to her mind for amusing herselfwithin doors, as she had been forbidden to venture out, and she lost notime in executing them. First, she tried on all her grandmama's caps ata looking-glass, none of which were improved by being crushed andtumbled in such a way. Then she quarrelled with Lady Rockville'sbeautiful cockatoo, till it bit her finger violently, and after that,she teazed the old cat till it scratched her; but all these diversionswere not sufficiently entertaining, so Laura began to grow rather tired,till at last she went to gaze out at the portico of Holiday House, beingperfectly determined, on no account whatever, to go one single stepfarther.
Here Laura saw many things which entertained her extremely, for she hadscarcely ever seen more of the country than was to be enjoyed with Mrs.Crabtree in Charlotte Square. The punctual crows were all returning homeat their usual hour for the evening, and looked like a black shower overher head, while hundreds of them seemed trying to make a concert atonce; the robins hopped close to her feet, evidently accustomed to befed; a tame pheasant, as fat as a London alderman, came up the steps tokeep her company; and the peacock, spreading his tail, and struttingabout, looked the very picture of silly pride and vanity.
Laura admired and enjoyed all this extremely, and crumbled down nearly aloaf of bread, which she scattered on the ground, in order to be popularamong her visitors, who took all they could get from her, and quarrelledamong themselves about it, very much as boys and girls would perhapshave done in the same circumstances.
It happened at this moment, that a large flock of geese crossed thepark, on their way towards the river, stalking along in a slow majesticmanner, with their heads high in the
air. Laura observed them at adistance, and thought they were the prettiest creatures in the world,with their pure white feathers and yellow stockings, so she wonderedwhat kind of birds these were, having never seen a goose before, exceptwhen roasted for dinner, though, indeed, she was a sad goose herself, aswill very soon be told.
"How I should like to examine those large, white, beautiful birds, alittle nearer," thought Laura to herself. "I wonder if they could swimor fly!--oh! how perfect they would look, floating like water-lilies onthe river, and then I might take a bit of bread to throw in, and theywould all rush after it!"
Laura, as usual, did not wait to reflect what her grandmama might belikely to think; indeed it is to be feared Laura forgot at the momentthat she had a grandmama at all, for her mind was never large enough tohold more than one thing at a time, and now it was entirely filled withthe flock of geese. She instantly set off in pursuit of them, and beganchasing the whole party across the park, making all sorts of dreadfulnoises, in hopes they might fly; but, on the contrary, they held uptheir heads, as if she had been a dancing-master, and marched slowly on,cackling loudly to each other, and evidently getting extremely angry.
Laura was now quite close to her new acquaintances, and even threw apebble to hurry them forward, when suddenly an old gander stopped, andturned round in a terrible rage. The whole flock of geese then did thesame, after which they flew towards Laura, with their bills wide open,hissing furiously, and stretching out their long necks in an angrymenacing way, as if they wished to tear her in pieces.
Poor Laura became frightened out of any wits she ever had, and ran off,with all the geese after her! Anybody must have laughed into fits, couldthey have heard what a triumphant cackle the geese set up, and had theyseen how fast she flew away. If Laura had borrowed a pair of wings fromher pursuers, she could scarcely have got more quickly on.
In the hurry of escaping, she always looked back to see if the enemyfollowed, and scarcely observed which way she ran herself, till suddenlyher foot stumbled over a large stone, and she fell headlong into theriver!--oh, what a scream Laura gave! it terrified even the old ganderhimself, and sent the whole flock of geese marching off, nearly as fastas they had come; but Laura's cries also reached, at a great distance,the ears of somebody, who she would have been very sorry to think hadheard them.
Lady Harriet, and all her friends at Holiday House, were taking adelightful walk under some fine old fir trees, on the banks of theriver, admiring the beautiful scenery, while Miss Perceval was admiringnothing but her own fine pocket handkerchief, which had cost tenguineas, being worked with her name, trimmed with lace, and perfumedwith eau de Cologne; and Captain Digby was admiring his own scarletuniform, reflected in the bright clear water, and varying his employmentoccasionally by throwing pebbles into the stream, to see how far theywould go. Suddenly, however, he stopped, with a look of surprise andalarm, saying, "What noise can that be!--a loud scream in the water!"
"Oh dear, no! it was only one of those horrid peacocks," answered MissPerceval, waving her fine pocket handkerchief. "They are the mostdisagreeable, noisy creatures in the world! If mama ever keeps one, Ishall get him a singing-master, or put a muzzle on his mouth!"
"But surely there is something splashing in the river at a greatdistance. Do you not see that!--what can it be?"
"Nothing at all, depend upon it! I could bet the value of my pockethandkerchief, ten guineas, that it is nothing. Officers who liveconstantly in barracks are so unaccustomed to the country, that theyseem to expect something wonderful shall happen every minute! That isprobably a salmon or a minnow."
"I am determined, however, to see. If you are quite sure this is asalmon, will you promise to eat for your dinner whatever we find,provided I can catch it?"
"Certainly! unless you catch a whale! Oh! I have dropped my pockethandkerchief,--pray pick it up!"
Captain Digby did so; but without waiting to examine the pattern, heinstantly ran forward, and to his own very great astonishment, saw Lauraup to her knees in the river, trying to scramble out, while her face waswhite with terror, and her limbs trembled with cold, like a poodle dognewly washed.
"Why, here you are again!--the very same little girl that I caught inthe morning," cried he, laughing heartily, while he carefully pulledLaura towards the bank, though, by doing so, he splashed his beautifuluniform most distressingly. "We have had a complete game at bo-peepto-day, my friend! but here comes a lady who has promised to eat you up,therefore I shall have no more trouble."
Laura would have consented to be eaten up with pleasure, rather thanencounter Lady Harriet's eye, who really did not recognize her for thefirst minute, as no one can suppose what a figure she appeared. The lastclean frock had been covered entirely over with mud--her hair wasdripping with water--and her new yellow sash might be any colour in theworld. Laura felt so completely ashamed she could not look up from theground, and so sorry she could not speak, while hot tears mingledthemselves with the cold water which trickled down her face.
"What is the matter! Who is this?" cried Lady Harriet, hurrying up tothe place where they stood. "Laura!! Impossible!!!"
"Let me put on a pair of spectacles, for I cannot believe my eyeswithout them!" said Major Graham. "Ah! sure enough it is Laura, andsuch a looking Laura as I never saw before. You must have had a nicecold bath!"
"I have heard," continued Lady Harriet, "that naughty people are oftenducked in the water as a punishment, and in that respect I am sure Lauradeserves what she has got, and a great deal more."
"She reminds me," observed Captain Digby, "of the Chinese bird which hasno legs, so it constantly flies about from place to place, never amoment at rest."
"Follow me, Laura," said Lady Harriet, "that I may hear whether you haveanything to say for yourself on this occasion. It is scarcely possiblethat there can be any excuse, but nobody should be condemned unheard."
When Laura had been put into dry clothes, she told her whole history,and entreated Lady Harriet to hear how very perfectly she had firstlearned her task, before venturing to stir out of the room; upon whichher grandmama consented, and amidst tears and sobs, the monody on SirJohn Moore was repeated without a single mistake. Lady Rockville thencame in, to entreat that, as this was the last day of the visit toHoliday House, Laura might be forgiven and permitted to appear atdessert, as all the company were anxious to see her, and particularlyCaptain Digby, who regretted that he had been the means at first ofgetting her into a scrape.
"Indeed, my dear Lady Rockville! I might perhaps have agreed to yourwishes," answered Lady Harriet, "particularly as Laura seems sincerelysorry, and did not premeditate her disobedience; but she actually hasnot a tolerable frock to appear in now!"
"I must lend her one of my velvet dresses to destroy next," said LadyRockville, smiling.
"Uncle David's Mackintosh cloak would be the fittest thing for her towear," replied Lady Harriet, rising to leave the room. "Laura, you mustlearn a double task now! Here it is! and at Lady Rockville's request Iexcuse you this once; though I am sorry that, for very sufficientreasons, we cannot see you at dessert, which otherwise I should havebeen most happy to do."
Laura sat down and cried during a quarter of an hour after Lady Harriethad gone to dinner. She felt sorry for having behaved ill, and sorry tohave vexed her good grandmama; and sorry not to see all the fine partyat dessert; and sorry to think that next day she must leave HolidayHouse; and sorry, last of all, to consider what Mrs. Crabtree would saywhen all her ruined frocks were brought home. In short, poor Laura feltperfectly overwhelmed with the greatness and variety of her griefs, andscarcely believed that any one in the world was ever more miserable thanherself.
Her eyes were fixed on her task, while her thoughts were wandering fiftymiles away from it, when a housemaid, who had frequently attended uponLaura during her visit, accidentally entered the room, and seemed muchsurprised, as well as concerned, to find the young lady in such a way,for her sobbing could be heard in the next room. It was quite a reliefto see any one;
so Laura told over again all the sad adventures of theday, without attempting to conceal how naughty she had been; and mostattentively was her narrative listened to, till the very end.
"You see, Miss!" observed Nelly, "when people doesn't behave well, theymust expect to be punished."
"So they should!" sobbed Laura; "and I dare say it will make me better!I would not pass such a miserable day as this again, for the world; butI deserve to be more punished than I am."
"That's right, Miss!" replied Nelly, pleased to see the good effect ofher admonitions. "Punishment is as sure to do us good when we arenaughty, as physic when we are ill. But now you'll go down to dessert,and forget it all."
"No! grandmama would have allowed me, and Lady Rockville and every bodywas so very kind about inviting me down; but my last clean frock isquite unfit to be seen, so I have none to put on. Oh, dear! what athousand million of pities!"
"Is that all, Miss! Then dry your eyes, and I can wash the frock in tenminutes. Give it to me, and learn your lesson, so as to be ready when Icome back."
Laura sprung off her seat with joy at this proposal, and ran--or ratherflew--to fetch her miserable object of a frock, which Nelly crumpledunder her arm, and walked away with, in such haste that she wasevidently determined to return very soon; while Laura took her goodadvice, and sat down to learn her task, though she could hardly look atthe book during two minutes at a time--she watched so impatiently forher benefactress from the laundry.
At length the door flew open, and in walked Nelly, whose face looked asred and hot as a beefsteak; but in her hand she carried a basket, onwhich was laid out, in great state, the very cleanest frock that everwas seen! It perfectly smelled of soap and water, starch and hot irons,and seemed still almost smoking from the laundry; while Laura looked atit with such delight and admiration, it might have been supposed shenever saw a clean frock before.
When Lady Harriet was sitting after dinner that day, sipping her wine,and thinking about no thing very particular, she became surprised tofeel somebody gently twitching her sleeve to attract notice. Turninginstantly round to ascertain what was the matter, and who it could be,what was her astonishment to see Laura at her elbow, looking rather shyand frightened.
"How did you get here, child!" exclaimed Lady Harriet, in accents ofamazement, though almost laughing. "Am I never to see the last of youto-day! Where did you get that frock! It must have dropped from theclouds! Or did some good fairy give you a new one?"
"That good fairy was Nelly the housemaid," whispered Laura. "She firsttossed my frock into a washing-tub; and then at the great kitchen fireshe toasted it, and----"
"----And buttered it, I hope," added Major Graham. "Come here, Laura! Ican read what is written in your grandmama's face at this moment; and itsays, 'you are a tiresome little puss, that nobody can keep in any orderexcept uncle David;' therefore sit down beside him, and eat as manyalmonds and raisins as he bids you."
"You are a nice, funny uncle David!" whispered Laura, crushing her wayin between his chair and Miss Perceval's, "nobody will need a tonguenow, if you can read so exactly what we are all thinking."
"But here is Miss Perceval, still more wonderful; for she knows by thebumps on your head, all that is contained inside. Let me see if I coulddo so! There is a large bump of reading, and a small one of writing andarithmetic. Here is a terrible organ of breaking dolls and destroyingfrocks. There is a very small bump of liking uncle David, and aprodigious one of liking almonds and raisins!"
"No! you are quite mistaken! It is the largest bump for loving uncleDavid, and the small one for every thing else," interrupted Laura,eagerly. "I shall draw a map of my head some day, to show you how it isall divided."
"And leave no room for any thing naughty or foolish! Your head should beswept out, and put in order every morning, that not a single cobweb mayremain in your brains. What busy brains they must be for the next tenyears! But in the meantime let us hope that you will never again bereduced to your
"LAST CLEAN FROCK."