Read Ebook: Baby Nightcaps by Fanny Aunt

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Ebook has 152 lines and 12023 words, and 4 pages

You have no idea how good and lovely Annie became after this. God answered her prayer.

In the summer time Lillie and the rest would go into the country to see her grandfather, of whom she was very fond, and well she might be, for he was one of the best and dearest grandfathers in the whole world. He was a gentleman of the old school, and treated even children with a stately courtesy; but while, at the same time, the children nestled to him with the most fearless confidence and love, they would as soon have thought of cutting their heads off, as of giving him one disrespectful word or look.

In the very next house to Lillie's grandfather's, lived "little Alice," about whom you have heard in "Nightcaps."

Then Alice would run down stairs, and out of the house, and scramble through a little hole in the fence at the back of the house, and rush up to Lillie, and Lillie would rush up to Alice, and they would knock each other down, without meaning to, on the soft grass, and roll over together, and jump up again, as good as new, and laugh! you never heard any thing sweeter! and report themselves ready for any play that Annie might propose.

Lillie was very fond of singing. She could sing most delightfully, "Old Dog Tray," "I want to be an Angel," "Pop goes the Weasel," and many other beautiful airs. She had taught Willie to sing "Pop--go--a--dee--sell," as he called it, and was unwearied in her efforts to amuse him, for he was a delicate little fellow, and had been sick a great deal. In this, Lillie was imitating her sister Annie, and it was perfectly beautiful to observe the care she took of him: she would tie the bib round his neck, when he was to eat his dinner, so tight, as almost to choke him to death, but with the most loving intentions, and would comb his soft curls down on his face, and nearly scratch his eyes out with the comb, but Willie never cried; not he! because he knew perfectly well, baby as he was, from the sweet affectionate expression beaming from Lillie's blue eyes, that she did it all in love, and it is really amazing what a deal of knocking about, children will stand and laugh at, if they know it to be done in love or play, when a slight touch in punishment will set them crying.

Lillie was older, and of course ate her breakfast like a dainty little maiden, as she was, in the neatest possible way, but for all that, she liked plenty to eat, and presently she held out her plate for some more cakes.

"Why, Lillie!" said her father, pretending to be astonished, "more cakes? you're just like Oliver! I am sure you must be full up to here," and he pointed to his throat.

"Oh! no, papa, you are mistaken, only look here, how loose my skin is," and she grasped the skin of her white neck, and pulled it up, and cried, "see papa, quite a big room left."

Her father laughed, and gave her the cakes, and while she was enjoying them, she cried to Willie:

"I'm learning to spell and read, Mr. Willie."

Lillie laughed, and polished his nose with her napkin; and rubbed it so hard, that it made Willie wink, and said:

"Because people must learn to read and spell, and you must learn too--I'm going to teach you; come, spell 'cat.'"

"But you must," said Lillie, "you must spell 'cat,' and you must learn to read the Bible; and you and I will read the Bible every single morning, and a great many times besides."

"Come, begin: spell 'cat.'"

A few days after this, the joyous Christmas came, the day on which our blessed Saviour was born, when everybody ought to be grateful and joyful, if they possibly can.

The next day, a lady called upon Lillie's mother, and said, "How did Annie like the ring I sent her?"

"Oh, no," said the lady, "I sent the cornelian ring to Annie."

This announcement troubled Lillie's mother. She knew her little girl thought more of this cornelian ring, than of all the rest of her presents; but she promised the lady, who was their cousin, it should be given to the rightful owner.

"Well, do you understand what it means?"

"Why, yes, mamma; papa says the golden rule means, that I must be good and kind to everybody, because I always want everybody to be good and kind to me."

"Well, Lillie," said her mother, in a very kind tone, "I must tell you about a mistake I have made. I am very, very sorry for it. I gave you two rings on Christmas day, and your cousin tells me, that she meant the cornelian ring for Annie. Now, Lillie, what will you do?"

"Oh, mamma!" exclaimed Lillie, and then she stopped, while a painful flush came all over her face, her little breast heaved, and her large and lovely blue eyes filled with tears. She felt very miserable, for a moment, then checking a rising sob, she said, softly--

"That is right, my darling," answered her mother, "that is doing just as you would wish to be done by."

So Lillie, with her great resolution filling her noble little heart, said not a word more, but hastened home with her mother, and walked straight up to Annie, with such a heaven-sent smile illuminating her sweet face, and took the precious ring off her finger, and said, "Here, Annie; this is your ring, take it; it was meant for you all the time, but mamma didn't know it," and here the rosy lips began to tremble, and Lillie was silent.

"Yes," said Lillie.

"Well, then, I will. If I had got the two rings by mistake, I should have given one to you right away! indeed I would, Lillie."

"Would you?" answered Lillie, brightening wonderfully, "well, then, I am glad I have given it to you," and the painful shadow passed away from her face, and Willie was so impressed with this interesting scene, that he forthwith brought out one of his dearest treasures, a horse with a tail like a water-spout, drawn for him by his father, which he had painted such a bright apple green, that it set your very teeth on edge only to look at it, and bestowed it then and there upon Lillie, with a hug and a kiss, that was worth all the green horses, and brown ones too, in the universe; and thus happiness was restored to the hearts of these three lovely children, and Lillie got along like other people, with only one wedding ring, and came to think it quite enough; but that I believe is the general opinion, though I am not absolutely certain.

JACK AND HIS FRIENDS.

Once upon a time, there was a little boy, named Jack. He lived in a house with his papa and mamma, who were so fat that they had to be very good-natured, because you know, it don't answer at all for fat people to be cross, it makes them feel so very uncomfortable. So it does everybody else, for the matter of that! Who likes to see any one cross or angry, with a face flaming with rage, and talking in so sharp a voice that it sounds like a pack of fire-crackers, going off? Why, nobody. So, suppose you and I try which can keep the brightest and sweetest face all this next year. Will you? you dear little thing!

Well, Jack had a pretty little brown dog, named Carlo, and a nice little white cat, named Minnie; and Jack the boy, and Carlo the dog, and Minnie the cat, were the best friends, and had the greatest fun together, that ever a boy, and a cat, and a dog had, since the world began, and a little before.

When Jack had eaten his pudding, and Carlo had munched his bones, and Minnie had lapped her milk, they would all rush out in the garden together, as if they were distracted with joy; and then such a hurrying, and a scurrying, and a scampering, and a scattering, and a cutting round corners, and a hiding under bushes, and a jumping out of unexpected places, was never seen or heard of, I do believe. Wasn't it funny? Did you ever have such fun?

One day, Jack's father and mother had gone out to spend the day with Mr. and Mrs. Thingumbob, and the cook forgot to give the poor little boy his dinner.

Into the kitchen he rushed, and nearly tumbled head first into a tub full of soap-suds. If he had, I couldn't have finished this story, which would have been a pity. But he did not fall in; for he immediately shouted out--"Mary! Mary! Mary! I want a piece of bread and butter! I want my dinner!"

"But you can't have your dinner yet," said the cook; "I'm just making the dumpling; the baker has not come, and there isn't a speck of bread in the house."

"Well, give me a piece of cake then," said Jack.

"Haven't got any cake," said the cook.

"Well, candy then," said Jack.

"Haven't got any candy," said the cook.

"Well, sugar, or sweetmeats, or something; I'm just as hungry as a little bear," said Jack.

"Haven't got 'em, Master Jack," said the cook; "but I tell you what! here is a penny; go to the baker that lives on top of the hill, and buy a loaf of bread for yourself."

"Oh, yes! so I will!" shouted Jack, jumping over a chair and upsetting the knife-board, and all the knives which the cook had just been cleaning; and this provoked her so, that she caught up the broomstick, and ran after him, and fell over the wash-tub herself; so Jack got off safe. Aren't you glad?

Then he called Carlo, the dog, and said--"Look here, Carlo; do you want to go to the baker's with me to buy a loaf of bread?"

"Bow, wow, wow," said Carlo; which meant, "Of course I do. Hurrah!"

Then he called Minnie, the cat, and said--"Look here, Minnie, do you want to go to the baker's with us to buy a loaf of bread?"

Minnie opened her eyes, stiffened her tail, and made her back as round as a hoop, and said, miau! miau! miau! which was cat-talk for "Of course I do. Hurrah!"

So they all started off together in a state of perfect delight. Presently, they came to where Bunny the rabbit lived.

"Bunny, Bunny," called Jack. Out popped little Bunny, flapping his long ears, and winking his red eyes, and gave a funny little squeak; which meant, "How-de-do, Jack, what do you want?"

"Bunny," said Jack, "do you want to go to the baker's with us to buy a loaf of bread?"

"Oh! of course I do," squeaked Bunny. So Jack the boy, and Carlo the dog, and Minnie the cat, and Bunny the rabbit, made quite a party.

Pretty soon they came to Jenny Wren's house, high up in a tree. "Jenny, Jenny," called Jack.

Out she popped from her nest, where she was sitting on top of her children, and jumped on a branch, and wagged her little head, and fluttered her little wings, and cocked up her little tail in the air, to show how glad she was to see her friend Jack.

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