Read Ebook: Hatty and Marcus or First Steps in the Better Path by Friendly Aunt

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Ebook has 410 lines and 20035 words, and 9 pages

Marcus did not answer; he was gazing straight into Hatty's face to see if she were really altered. He could see no change, save that a few freckles about her nose disfigured her uncommonly fair skin, and told of the life in the open air she had lately led. Her red hair had not grown a shade darker during her absence, although it was brushed a little smoother than usual. Her bright, reddish brown eyes had their own lively expression, and her mouth seemed as ready as ever to smile, until all about it the tiny dimples came like little pin-pricks in her fair skin.

Hatty's face was not changed, certainly; and instead of having the grave manner that Marcus expected, she was all joy at her return, and seemed to have forgotten that she meant to be any better than any one else.

Hatty had not forgotten her new resolutions, and if Marcus could have seen into her heart at the moment she stepped from the carriage, he would have read a prayer that she might be able to live among her dear brothers and sister like one of the lambs of the flock of Christ.

Meg and Harry had heard the sound of the carriage wheels, and were on the door-step to receive Hatty. They first almost smothered her with kisses; then Meg untied her bonnet strings with rough kindness, and Harry seized her little travelling bag, as if it were his especial property.

Hatty was a particular little soul, and the way Meg took hold of the new blue satin ribbons of her leghorn flat, hurt her as much as if Meg had given her one of the twisting little pinches she knew so well how to inflict. Hatty was going to twitch away, but instead of the twitch came a bright blush on her cheek, that she should have so soon been near being out of patience, when again among the little ones at home. As a kind of punishment to herself, she let Meg lay aside her bonnet, and suffered Harry to run off with her pretty travelling bag, without saying a word.

"Where's Mother?" asked Hatty, eagerly, passing along the hall, and going directly up stairs.

"Here, here, my child," said the mother, as she met her on the landing, and folded her affectionately in her arms.

Very pleasant it was to Hatty to receive that mother's tender kiss, but dearer still were the words which were, breathed in her ear: "God bless you, my darling, you are dearer to me than ever."

Hatty understood her mother's earnest words, and she could have echoed them, "you are dearer to me than ever." That was exactly what she felt. The mother who had talked to her of the blessed Jesus, and taught her His words and ways, was dearer than ever, now that she had resolved to follow Him.

In silence Hatty and her mother ascended the short flight of stairs that led to the upper hall; then the little girl asked eagerly--"But where is the baby? I have not seen him yet--or Aunt Barbara, either."

"So you did think of Aunt Barbara. I didn't know but you had forgotten me entirely, you were so taken up with your grandma," said the old lady, coming slowly out of the nursery.

"No, indeed, I had not forgotten you," said Hatty, and she kissed her affectionately.

Hatty had not forgotten Aunt Barbara; she had had painful reasons for remembering her. The unfortunate, disrespectful words she had spoken to the old lady, had risen up to her again and again, and made her pray with double earnestness to be forgiven for Jesus' sake.

Aunt Barbara led the way to the nursery, and there on the bed lay the baby, the pet of the house.

"O what a dear, tiny little creature!" said Hatty, bending over it, with a look half wonder and half affection. "I never saw such a little baby before; that is, I don't remember Harry very well, when he was so young," she added, for Hatty was trying to be truthful, even about trifles.

"Harry was twice as big at the same age," said Aunt Barbara. "He always was a bouncer."

Hatty stooped down to kiss the wee mouth of the sleeping baby, but Aunt Barbara pushed her roughly back, and said impatiently: "Don't, child! don't, you'll wake him."

"Mamma does not say I mustn't!" sprang to Hatty's lips, for she was sadly quick-tempered, but again a blush of shame took the place of hasty words.

"He will wake soon," said Mrs. Lee, quickly but quietly, "and then, Hatty, you can hold him in your arms; he is not much heavier than your dolly, Susan."

"Thank you, Mother. I should like that," said Hatty; she felt that her mother had wished to speak quickly to keep her from wrong words, and she was grateful for the kindness that would help her to do right.

"Now, Hatty, you had better come to your room, and take off your things."

Hatty turned towards her mother with a sudden glance of inquiry.

"Yes," said Mrs. Lee, "you are to have Meg for a room-mate." Hatty's face flushed, and Mrs. Lee hastened to add, "I thought you would like to help me, and you can do so best by taking Meg with you, and having a little charge over her."

Mrs. Lee opened the two lower drawers of the bureau, and said, "you see I have put some of Meg's clothes here; when you need any more you can come to me for them."

"But, Mother, where are all my presents, and my pretty things? That is too bad! I have always kept them so nicely in those drawers!" said Hatty, hastily.

Mrs. Lee did not speak for a moment; she opened a door leading into a large lighted closet, and then said, "Here, my darling, you will have a place for all you want to keep particularly nice; see, I have put your presents in this drawer, and your books are there above, on the shelf. I have put a little table here for your Bible, and you must not forget to 'enter into your closet,' to pray to Him who seeth in secret."

"O, Mother, you are so very kind and I am so very hasty," exclaimed Hatty; "I will not forget to do as you say, for indeed I need it. You will have to be very patient with me, Mother, for I am afraid I shall have hard work to keep my resolutions."

"Trust in God for help to struggle against your faults, and in the end you will conquer," said the mother, with an affectionate kiss, and then she left her little daughter alone.

Hatty had led an easy, quiet life with her grandmother for the last three months, and had had but little temptation to give way to her hasty temper. Now she began to realize that it would be quite another thing, where at almost every moment she was called on to give up her own will and pleasure for that of others; but she was not disheartened. God has promised to give his strength to those who really wish to serve Him, and on this promise little Hatty relied. In her closet she knelt and asked the blessing of Heaven on her poor efforts, and she rose cheerful and happy.

When Hatty had arranged her clothes once more neatly in her own room, she began to wonder what had become of Marcus, and she concluded to go in search of him; she met him in the hall. He seemed much excited, and said, "O Hatty, what beautiful bantams! I have put them in a barrel, and carried all the packages grandma sent, to the kitchen, and now I want to know where we shall keep them?"

Hatty was not quite pleased that Marcus should take the bantams so immediately under his protection, though she had brought them as a present to him. She checked the feeling of annoyance, and said pleasantly, "They are yours, Marcus, so you can plan for them as you think best; but perhaps you could manage to make a coop, as you do not go to school to-day."

Marcus was delighted with the presents, and resolved to set to work immediately to get the pets into comfortable quarters before Sunday.

Hatty put on her sun-bonnet, and they both were soon very busy in the yard, planning for the chicken coop with as much interest as if they were going to build some wonderful specimen of architecture which all the world would admire.

Marcus found in the wood-house a large packing box, and after much hammering he succeeded in knocking out one side, so the chickens could have their feet on the ground in their new home.

"Chickens are like the Irishman who liked a mud floor that would never wear out, and never need washing," said Marcus, with the air of one who was instructing some ignorant person.

"Yes, grandma has all her coops made that way," said Hatty, who was well pleased to show that she understood the subject.

Marcus now selected a board of the right length, and had just begun to split it up into slabs for the front of the coop, when he heard Aunt Barbara's bed-room window go up.

Marcus did not raise his eyes, but he could not stop his ears, and he had to hear the shrill tone that called out, "Stop! stop! Marcus Lee!"

Marcus rested his hatchet on the board, and looked up.

"You are a wasteful boy!" began Aunt Barbara. "You ought to be ashamed to cut up that good board!"

"Don't mind her," said Marcus, in an undertone, as he resumed his work.

"Wait a minute, Marcus," said Hatty; and then raising her voice she called out, "Aunt Barbara, we want a coop for the chickens--some dear little bantams I brought from grandma's!"

"Chickens!" said Aunt Barbara, much as if she had said bears! "What on earth did you bring them here for? why, they'll ruin everything in the garden, and crow so in the morning nobody can sleep."

"We are going to shut them up, Aunt Barbara, and that will keep them out of mischief," said Hatty, trying to speak pleasantly.

"Take your own way! take your own way! Its never any use for me to say anything!" said Aunt Barbara, and her window was put down with such a force that made the glass rattle.

Marcus had expected to hear Hatty answer in her usual hasty way, and he was quite surprised to see that she did not seem at all angry, and now had no unkind remarks to make about Aunt Barbara. He did not know that Hatty had been obliged to cast one look up to the clear sky, to remember the Great Being who was looking down upon her, before she dare trust herself to speak, nor did he know that she was now wondering why Aunt Barbara should be so unlike her dear, dear grandma.

Marcus kept steadily on at his work, but Hatty did not feel satisfied about it until she had asked her mother if there was really any harm in what they were doing. After Mrs. Lee had given them free permission to go on, the morning passed pleasantly away in watching Marcus, and she was quite surprised when the dinner bell rang.

"O dear!" said Hatty, "we shall have hardly time to put ourselves in order for the table."

Although Marcus knew that it was his mother's express wish that he should never come to the table without looking neat and tidy, he paid little regard to his personal appearance; but there was something in the eager way in which Hatty hastened to brush the hair she had been too much inclined to neglect, that had its influence on him.

Hatty was in her seat before her father was at the table, and a pleased smile crossed her face as she saw that Marcus had been using the clothes brush, and combing his straight black hair off his high forehead.

The dinner hour was always a pleasant time at Mrs. Lee's, for then all the family were together, and some interesting conversation was sure to take place. Marcus was a restless boy, active in body and mind. He enjoyed his father's society, and affected to think that he was the only one in the family who was really a suitable companion for a boy of the mature age of twelve!

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