VI.
_BUT NOT PERFORMING._
You will readily believe that Lily's "by and by" was long in coming, asit had often been before; and this although her mamma and nurse bothinvited her more than once to come and begin her petticoat.
The evening brought a note from Maggie Bradford, which was as follows:--
"DEAR LILY,--Mamma says we may have the sewing meeting, and Aunt Annie says she will take care of it up in her room, which is very kind of her; do you not think so? When Baby Annie heard us talking about it, she said, "Me too;" and we told her she should come if she would be good. Mamma says she is afraid she will be a disturbance, but she is so cunning that Bessie and I could not bear to tell her no; and we will be very industrious, even if baby is funny. We make you a life-member of our society for two weeks, till we have the clothes all finished; and we will have a meeting every Thursday afternoon. Come at three o'clock; and Aunt Annie will tell us stories or read to us till four, while we sew, and then we will put away our work and play.
"Yours respectfully and affectionately,
"MAGGIE STANTON BRADFORD.
"P. S. Bessie says of course you'd never think of such a thing as bringing 'Pro' to the meeting. We wouldn't believe it of you; but if you did, we should 'speed the parting guest,' which means to turn him out as quick as you can."
"Maggie knows so many proverbs and wise speeches, and always knows howto make a good use of them," said Lily, when Tom finished reading thisepistle to her, she having been in too much haste to try to spell itout for herself. "Now, Tom, what are you laughing at?"
"Why, I'm sure that is a good joke of Maggie's, and well worth beingamused at," said Tom.
"Oh, yes," said Lily, "she is very smart, and very funny too. I'm soglad we are going to have the sewing meeting; and, indeed, I don't take'Pro' with me."
"I am afraid he has paid us a visit this afternoon, Lily," said Mrs.Norris.
"Why, no, dear mamma; at least, I only thought I would wait till Iheard what we were going to do at the meeting, and not begin beforethem. It is nicer to begin all together."
"And I think you will find that all the other children have commencedtheir work to-day," said Mrs. Norris. "But we shall see."
Lily's mamma was nearly as well pleased as her little daughter at thearrangement she had made with the Bradford children, for she hoped thattheir example, and the wish to keep pace with them, might help Lily toconquer her besetting fault in this instance at least; and that shamemight keep her from falling behindhand with her work from week to week.
The sewing meeting being a novelty, and Lily very anxious to "see whatit would be like," she was willing to be made ready in good time thenext day; and actually arrived at the Bradfords' house eight minutesbefore three o'clock, which she, as well as the other children, took tobe a decided sign of improvement in the punctuality line.
Belle was there, but not Mabel, for the latter had taken a very badcold, and could not come out.
The little girls were soon all settled in Aunt Annie's room, each withher work; but Lily was rather dismayed, and quite ashamed, to findher mother's words proved true, and that each one of the other threechildren had not only commenced her work, but had completed quite agood piece upon it. Why, there was a whole seam and part of anotherdone upon Maggie's petticoat; and she had not yet set the first stitchin hers!
"Why! haven't you done any on yours yet?" asked Bessie, in amazement."Why didn't you begin it, Lily?"
"I thought to-day would be time enough," said Lily, rather sheepishly."I'm sorry now I didn't begin it."
"But it's too late to be sorry now," said Bessie, gravely shaking herhead. "Procrastination has been robbing Time again, Lily."
"Never mind, I'll sew very fast to-day," was Lily's answer.
As soon as she had the little girls all busy at their work, Aunt Annietook up a book, and prepared to read a story to them.
But scarcely had she commenced when the door, which stood ajar, waspushed open; and "Tootins" walked in, with an air which seemed to sayshe was quite sure of her welcome.
And who was "Tootins"? you will say. A kitten?
Well, I believe she was a kind of two-footed kitten; at least, she wasas full of play and frolic and merry ways as any four-footed littlepuss that ever called old cat mother. As fond of being cuddled andpetted now and then, too.
"Tootins" was the dearest, cunningest, most fascinating littletwo-year-old bit of mischief that ever found out she had ten fingers,and the number of uses they could be put to.
A mischief! I should think she was! Such restless, busy littlefingers! "Mademoiselle Touche-a-tout" Uncle Ruthven named her. Such aninquisitive little mind! Such never-tiring, pattering little feet! Sucha sweet voice, and such a crooked, cunning tongue!
When you saw her, you wanted to catch her up, and pet and hug her,she was so fair and round and dimpled; but that did not always suitMiss "Tootins." She thought her two small feet were made to be used,and she did not choose that they should be deprived of any of theirprivileges, except by her own free will. So she generally struggled tobe put down again; and, dear me! how sorry you were to let her go!
But sometimes, as I have said, she wanted to be cuddled and petted; andthen she would nestle to you, so dear and sweet, with her sunny headupon your arm, her great starry eyes fastened upon your face, whileyou talked baby-talk to her, or told her simple verses and stories.Understand you, do you ask? Indeed, she understood every thing yousaid; more than you could have believed possible.
Pure pink and white skin; eyes blue as heaven; golden hair; yes, realgolden hair, for when the sunlight fell upon her curls, they lookedlike threads of burning gold; shoulders and hands and arms that lookedas if they were only made to be kissed; a gurgling, rippling laugh; andoh, such cunning, wheedling ways! That is our "Tootins;" otherwise,Baby Annie. _Our_ "Tootins," did I say? Well, I suppose I must callher Mrs. Bradford's "Tootins;" but then, you see, I have drawn herpicture from life, and, having before my eyes just such a pet anddarling of my own, it came very natural to say "our Tootins."
But how did she come by such a funny name? you will ask again.
Well, that was a name her little brother Frankie had given her whenshe was a tiny baby; no one knew why he did it, but he did, and healways called her by it; and of late, if any one called her by anyother name, he always pretended he did not know of whom they spoke. Andso "Tootins" had come to be a sort of twin pet name with "Baby," andlittle Annie was called as much by one as by the other.
As I have said, she came in as if quite assured of her welcome, forBaby Annie was accustomed to have her society courted, and ratherimagined she was conferring a favor when she bestowed it upon herfriends. Moreover, she had been promised that she should jointhe others on this occasion, why or with what purpose she did notunderstand; but she knew that her sisters had talked of Belle and Lilycoming. She was fond of Belle and Lily, and had demanded a share intheir company, and here they were now. This she knew very well, andso she came in, followed by old nurse, who had her own doubts as towhether baby would be considered a serviceable member of the sewingcircle.
But "Tootins'" expectations proved well-founded, for she was greetedwith exclamations of pleasure; and after submitting to the necessaryamount of hugging and kissing, she was accommodated with a bench atAunt Annie's feet, and mammy told that she might leave her.
But was it really possible that any one thought baby was going to sitstill on that footstool? If so, she soon undeceived them; and the busylittle fingers were, as usual, searching about for what mischief theycould find to do.
First, she overturned Maggie's workbox, and having contrived, duringthe picking up of the contents, secretly to possess herself of theeyelet-piercer, was presently discovered boring holes in her own tinyshoe. The next thing which took her fancy was a small vase of flowers,which being within her reach was dragged over, the water spilledupon the floor and the flowers scattered, before Aunt Annie couldprevent it. Happily, the vase
was not broken, for which Miss Baby tookgreat credit to herself, declaring over and over again that she was"dood,"--little Pharisee that she was.
By the time that this disturbance was over, order restored, and themembers of the sewing society settled once more in their places,baby had retired into privacy behind the window curtain; and, beingsuspiciously quiet, Aunt Annie thought proper to inquire into heroccupation, when she was discovered industriously taking pins from apin-cushion, and sticking them into the carpet.
"Oh, what a mischievous, naughty little girl!" said Aunt Annie. "ShallI call mammy to take you away?"
"No, 'deed, Nan," was the answer; "Nan" being baby's name for AuntAnnie.
"Will you be good and quiet then?"
"'Es 'deed," said baby, resigning the pin-cushion into Aunt Annie'shands, and trotting off in search of fresh pastures.
A large trunk was in the room, the lid standing open; and Miss Stantonhad already called baby three or four times from its dangerousneighborhood. But the straps which kept the lid from falling backseemed to have a peculiar attraction for the little one; and once moreshe went over to the corner where it was placed, and, taking hold ofone of these straps, would in another moment have crushed both tinyhands by pulling the whole weight of the lid upon them, had not Maggiesprung up and caught it just in time.
"You had better call nurse to take her away, Maggie; she is tootroublesome, and we shall accomplish nothing while she is here," saidher aunt, now really vexed. But when she heard this, Baby Annie put upsuch a grieved lip and looked so piteous that the other children allpleaded for her; and Miss Stanton said she would try her once more.
Lily Norris. p. 110.]
"Shall Aunt Annie tell you a pretty story?" she asked, seating thelittle mischief in the corner of the sofa, where she would be out ofharm's way so long as she could be persuaded to remain there.
Baby assented eagerly, for she always liked a story; and Aunt Anniebegan, the little one listening intently, with hands quietly folded inher lap, and her great blue eyes fixed on her aunt's face.
"Once there was a little girl, and she was a very good little girl, andalways did as she was told. When her auntie said, 'You must be still,'she was as quiet as a little mouse, and made no noise. When her mammasaid, 'Come here,' she always came; and when her nursey said, 'Do nottouch that thing,' she never touched it. She did not take the pins,because she knew it was naughty, and that mamma would say, 'No, no;'and she did not pull at the flowers, because she knew her auntie wouldsay, 'Let them alone;' and she did not touch Maggie's workbox, becauseshe knew she was not to have it. And oh, dear me! why, she never woulddo such a naughty thing as to touch the trunk, because she knew itwould hurt her little fingers, oh, so badly! and then she would have tocry. So every one loved this baby, and said, 'What a good little girl!Come here, good little girl;' and gave her pretty flowers of her own,and let her stay in the room, and did not send her away to the nursery."
Here Aunt Annie paused, to see what effect her moral tale was makingon the small listener for whose benefit it was intended. Baby wasintensely interested, and when Aunt Annie ceased speaking, gravelyejaculated the one syllable, "More."
The other children, who thought this extremely funny, were trying tohide their smiles that they might not spoil the lesson the story wasintended to convey.
"Then there was another little girl," continued Aunt Annie, "such anaughty little girl, who would not mind what was said to her. Whenher mamma said, 'Don't go to the head of the stairs when the gate isopen,' she would not mind, but she did go; and she fell down stairs,and bumped her poor little head. And she took the piercer, and madeholes in her new shoes; and mamma said, 'Oh, the naughty baby! She mustsit on the bed with no shoes on because she did such a bad thing.' Andshe took the scissors and cut her little fingers, and they hurt her sobadly, and bled. And the pins too, and she put them in the carpet wherethey pricked grandmamma's feet; and grandmamma said, 'That naughty,naughty baby!' And what do you think happened to her one day? She wouldtouch the trunk when her auntie said, 'Come away;' and the lid felldown, and cut off all the poor little fingers, and the little girl hadno more fingers to play with, or to love mamma with, or to look at thepretty picture-books with. Oh, poor little girl! that was because shewould not be good."
Nothing could outdo the intense gravity of the little one's face anddemeanor as she listened to this thrilling tale, and drank in eachword. It was certainly making a great impression, Aunt Annie thought.
"Now," she said, thinking to strengthen and give point to this, "whowas the good little girl who always did as she was told?"
"Tootins," said the baby, with an air of supreme self-satisfaction, andconscious virtue, which set all the other children giggling.
"And who," asked Aunt Annie, trying to command her own face, as she putthe second question, "was the naughty little girl who did all those badthings, and was so much hurt?"
"Na-a-an!" shouted baby, changing her air of delighted self-approbationto one of stern reproof and bitter indignation against her would-beteacher.
To describe the peals of gleeful laughter which followed this suddenturning of the tables would be impossible. Roguish Lily went caperingand whirling about the room in an ecstasy of fun and enjoyment at thiscapital hit; and all thought it the most excellent joke they had heardthis long time. It would have been impossible to help joining in theirmerry peals of laughter, even had not Aunt Annie herself been heartilyamused at the little rogue's cuteness; and baby, finding she had said agood thing, joined her own rippling laugh to the general merriment, towhich she further added by now saying, "Oh, dear! me so funny."
The laughter and merry voices brought mamma to see what the great jokecould be; and Miss Baby now thought proper to deprive them of hersociety, slipping down from her nest on the sofa, and running to hermother with,--
"Me better do wis my mamma."
"Tootins" always considered she had "better" do whatever she wished todo.
And now perhaps you will say, What has all this long story about"Tootins" to do with Lily and procrastination?
Why, just this; that from the moment the baby had entered the room,Lily's attention had been entirely diverted from her sewing. In vaindid that faithful little monitor, Bessie, endeavor by hints and signs,and softly whispered words, to persuade her to keep on with the workalready so far behindhand. For to all her entreaties, Lily onlyanswered, "There's time enough," or, "I'm going to do it in a minute,"and so forth; while she watched the baby, and was rather disposed toencourage her in her mischief. And when Miss Stanton put little Annieup on the sofa, and began to tell her the story, Lily dropped hersewing upon the floor, and, leaving her seat, hung over the arm of thecouch, listening and idling away her time. The other children wereamused, too, at Annie's pranks, especially at this last one, but theykept on sewing industriously; even little Belle, who was unaccustomedto it, laboriously and with much painstaking, setting in stitch afterstitch.
But even this good example had no effect on Lily; and seeing this, AuntAnnie was not sorry when "the little hindering thing" declared she had"better do wis" her mother. Mrs. Bradford thought so too; and carriedaway the cunning but provoking monkey.
"O Lily!" said Maggie, reproachfully, "I thought you were not going tobring Pro with you."
"Well, I didn't," said Lily. "I'm sure I've been sewing; at least, I'vesewed some; and I was just looking at Annie for a moment."
"For a good many moments, Lily," said Miss Stanton; "and even when youhad your work in your hand, you put in the stitches very slowly andcarelessly. See there, Lily," taking up the end of the seam on whichLily was now working in great haste, in order to make up for losttime, "what long, uneven stitches, my dear child."
"Oh, they'll do, Miss Annie," said Lily. "I'll do the rest better; butI must have this seam done to-day."
Miss Stanton looked grave, and shook her head, and it was not a usualthing for gay, merry Annie Stanton to look serious; and Lily saw thatshe, like other people, did not think so
lightly of this habit whichshe considered of so little consequence.
For, as you will have perceived, Lily had already forgotten the sadlesson she had received in the matter of the silver inkstand; andMaggie, Bessie, and Belle afterwards acknowledged to one another thattheir proverb picture had quite failed to produce the good effect theyhad hoped for.
"Let's keep the sewing meeting in a little longer," she said, when thehour was over, and the other children were preparing to put by theirwork, which had made good progress during that time.
"No," said Miss Annie, "an hour's steady work is enough for any littlegirl, and the others are tired. They have done enough for to-day."
"I think I'll do a little more," said Lily, who felt ashamed as shecompared her own work with that of her young companions, and saw howmuch more they had accomplished.
"As you please," said Miss Stanton; "but I cannot attend to you longer,Lily. I am going out to dinner, and must dress now. I hope you will dobetter before next Thursday."
Lily went away with the others, intending to sew while they played,at least, for a while; but, as you may believe, when she saw them allengaged with their dolls, Procrastination came and put her virtuousresolution to flight, whispering that she could make up for lost timeto-morrow; and, as usual, he had his way, and the petticoat was soonaltogether forgotten.