Little Frankie at School
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Nelly was crying bitterly, so that she could scarcely speak; but at last she sobbed out, "I didn't mean to hurt her so. I'm very sorry."
"Don't cry, pet!" said Mrs. Moran, kindly. "I dare say you meant her no harm; and if you did, sure and we all are in the wrong sometimes. Hitty lays up nothing against you. There, honey, stop a bit, and she'll tell you the same. Come, Hitty, tell the little girl you forgive her, since the lady is so kind as to ask it."
Hitty came forward with Bobby still in her arms, and when Nelly held out her hand, shook it cordially, saying, "My head is almost well now, and by to-morrow I'll never think of the blow again. I'm sorry for you, Nelly, to see you crying so."
Mrs. Gray sat for a time talking with Mrs. Moran, and encouraging her to allow Hitty to learn to read. There was one little boy just Frankie's age, whom the lady advised her to send to the public school.
This, the poor woman said, she should be glad to do, if the lad had clothes.
The next day, when Hitty returned from school, Nelly, Frankie, and Ponto accompanied her, each of them carrying a bundle as large as they could lift, with dresses, jackets, and sacks, the children had outgrown.
Mrs. Moran hardly knew how to express her gratitude, as she held up one article after another, and saw how nicely they would fit Ned or others among her children.
This lesson, though severe at the time, was never forgotten by Nelly. After this no one was more eager than she to show kindness to Hitty, or more pleased when the poor girl succeeded in learning to read.
In the afternoon most of the scholars repeated a hymn which they had learned at home, or a few verses from the Bible. Nelly noticed that Hitty never repeated any, and one day asked her the reason.
"I haven't any books," answered the child, "and then I couldn't make out the hard words, you know."
Nelly looked thoughtful for a minute, and then jumped up and down in her glee. "Ask your mother to let you come to aunty's to-night, or else come early to school and stop there to-morrow," she cried, "and I will teach you one of my pretty songs."
Two days later, when Miss Grant said, "Now we will hear the hymns or verses," Hitty, with a timid air and a blushing face, took her stand on the floor. She cast a glance at Nelly, whose whole countenance was glowing with pleasure, and then repeated the following pretty hymn: —
"'Who was that, dear mamma, who ateHer breakfast here this morn?With tangled hair and ragged shoes,And gown and apron torn?''They call her lazy Jane, my dear;She begs her bread all day,And gets a lodging in the barn,At night, among the hay.'For when she was a little girl,She loved her play too well;At school she would not mind her book,Nor learn to read and spell.'"Dear Jane," her mother oft would say,"Pray learn to work and read;Then you'll be able, when you're grown,To earn your clothes and bread."'But lazy Jenny did not care;She'd neither knit nor sew;To romp with naughty girls and boysWas all that she would do.So she grew up a very dunce;And when her parents died,She knew not how to teach a school,Nor work, if she had tried.And now, an idle vagabond,She strolls about the streets;And not a friend can Jenny findIn any one she meets.And now, dear child, should you neglectYour book or work again,Or play, when you should be at school,Remember Lazy Jane."CHAPTER VI.
FRANKIE AND THE CRIPPLE
One evening, near the close of the term, Nelly walked home in company with one of her schoolmates, and did not notice that her cousin went another way. One, two hours passed by, and Frankie did not make his appearance; and at last his mother became so anxious, that she sent his brother out to search for him.
Willie went to the square to see whether he had stopped at any of the stores, then, as he did not find him, to the houses of some of his schoolmates, but none of them had seen him since school.
"Where can he have gone?" said Willie to himself. "Perhaps he was at his teacher's, and has returned before this time."
He walked back toward home, looking around on every side.
He was passing a house, when he heard a noise in the yard, and looking through the trees, saw a company of boys standing round a curious little carriage, in which sat a boy who was talking to them. He ran eagerly into the yard, for he thought Frankie was among them.
As he drew nearer, he found it was not a boy in the carriage, but a man without legs. He had met with a dreadful accident, and been obliged to have both his legs cut off; and now he was trying to support himself by selling pictures, rolling himself in his carriage from house to house by means of a crank wheel. This was very hard work for him, especially when he was going uphill; sometimes he was obliged to get boys to push behind.
Willie saw his brother Frankie standing by the man, helping him hold his pictures, which he was exhibiting to the lady at the window. Frankie's face was very red, and great drops of perspiration stood on his forehead and nose.
"Why haven't you been home?" asked Willie. "Mother is very anxious about you."
"O, Willie, see this poor man!" exclaimed Frankie. "I have been pushing his wagon for him ever since school. He says he is a cripple, and can't walk at all. I'm going to push his carriage home now, as soon as he has sold pictures here, and then ask mamma to give him some supper."
"Why, Frankie Gray," called out the lady at the window, "is that you? Well, come and take this money, dear, to pay for three pictures."
When the carriage started, the boys all ran along; but none of them offered to assist in rolling it, except Willie and Frankie.
"You are tired," said Willie; "I'll push now." So Frankie took off his straw hat, and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. His hair was wet through, and curled in small rings all over his head.
Mrs. Gray was looking anxiously from the window when they entered the avenue, and ran eagerly down to meet them.
"O, mamma!" cried Frankie; "I met a poor man. He has no legs, and can't walk at all. He has to wheel himself about in a little carriage, to get enough money to buy his food. It's very hard work, and so I waited to push it for him a little while. Was it naughty, mamma? Will you please to give him some supper?"
Mrs. Gray looked in her son's earnest, loving eyes, and all her displeasure against him vanished. She caught him to her heart, and kissed his cheek and lips. "Yes, my dear," she said, "you shall have the pleasure of giving him a good supper. But are you not hungry yourself? It is long past tea time."
"I did not think any thing about it, mamma," said Frankie, "I was so sorry for the poor man. There, Willie has pushed his carriage up to the back door. I wonder how he can get out."
In a few minutes the poor cripple had walked on his knees to the table, where Jane had set him a bountiful meal. Frankie seemed to consider the man his especial charge, and Mrs. Gray drew Willie into the entry, where, through the door, they could see what passed.
As soon as the food was before him, the cripple began to eat; and Frankie, who was seated opposite, so as to be ready to attend to his wants, gazed at him in great surprise. "Why!" said he, "you didn't pray to God."
I suppose the dear child had never before seen any one begin to eat without first asking a blessing. Even when he and Nelly were playing tea, one of them always shut their eyes, and solemnly asked God to bless the food.
The man stared at him and went on eating, while Mrs. Gray smiled as she peeped through the door, to see how serious the boy looked.
"Don't you love God?" asked Frankie.
"I dun know," said the man.
"I love him," continued the child, "and I should think you would;" then, after waiting a moment, he asked, "Did he cut your legs off?"
"No," said the man, laughing; "the doctor did it."
"I'm glad of that," said Frankie. "You ought to love God, and pray to him every day. Perhaps, if you did, he would let your legs grow again."
Willie almost laughed aloud; but Frankie was so eager to do the man good, that he did not hear him.
"I am afraid you are a wicked man," he said, "if you don't pray any."
Mrs. Gray saw the cripple lay down his knife and fork, and gaze at the child; presently he spoke, but his voice trembled as he said, "I used to pray when I was a little shaver like you. My mother taught me."
"Where is she now?" asked the boy.
"She has gone up there, long ago," said the man, softly pointing his finger upward.
"Well," said Frankie, earnestly, "you can't go to heaven and live with her there, unless you are a good man and love God. I used to be naughty once, but my mother whipped me to make me good."
"That's too bad," said the cripple.
"No; it's just right. The Bible says she must. I'm trying now to be a good boy; and I wish you would try too."
"I guess there isn't much danger of you," said the man. "You're the most wonderful chap I ever saw."
"I don't know what chap is," replied Frankie. "When I say my prayers to-night, I am going to ask God to give you a new heart; and then you can't help being good."
"I wish you would," whispered the man, drawing his shirt sleeve across his eyes.
He pushed his chair back from the table, saying, "I've had a first-rate supper; and I thank you and your mother a thousand times for all your kindness."
Willie then stepped into the kitchen, and helped him from his chair into his carriage, at the back door. The man gave Frankie two of his handsomest pictures, saying, "Don't forget what you promised to do for me to-night. I have nobody else to pray for me now."
CHAPTER VII.
THE RAINY DAY
Miss Grant gave her scholars Wednesday and Saturday afternoons for play.
One Wednesday morning it rained very hard; and as Nelly was not quite well, her aunt thought it not best for her to go to school. Margie too had been unwell for a few days; so Mrs. Gray sent for her to come up to the nursery, that they might amuse themselves with their dolls.
Margie was eleven years of age; but she liked to play as well as ever. She had Frankie's black Dinah for her child; and then she had a large rag baby of her own, while Nelly had great Fanny and two smaller dolls.
These they set up in a row, and played school; but just as they were ready to begin, Ponto walked into the room, and tipped the scholars over.
"O Ponto, how naughty!" exclaimed Nelly, laughing aloud, as he carefully stepped over the pupils, who were lying on their faces. "Now let us begin again."
So Dinah, and Fanny, and Lily Gray, and Jenny, Margie's doll, were all placed in nice order again, their backs up against the wall; and after a few words, charging the scholars to be very good and say their lessons well, Nelly rang her aunt's small table bell, for them to take their places in the class.
But not one of the dollies stirred; and so Nelly took Dinah's hand, and led her out to the floor.
They played in this way for more than an hour, and then Nelly complained of the headache; and so her aunt sent her to lie down and rest till dinner.
In the mean time, Frankie had put on his India rubber boots, and holding a large umbrella, started off for school, as happy as possible. He had never been absent or tardy a single day; and his teacher had promised to paint him a beautiful card, if he continued his good conduct to the end of the term.
The dear boy was very much pleased at this, and was trying in every way to be good. He trudged gayly on right through the puddles of water, the rain pattering upon his umbrella, and dripping off upon the ground.
"I don't care," said Frankie to himself. "It's hard walking, I know; but I shall have a good time when I get there. My teacher will say, 'I knew you would be here, Frankie, because you belong to the Try Company.'"
When he reached the schoolroom, he found no one there but his teacher and Hitty; and how do you think they came so safely in all the rain? Frankie laughed most heartily when they told him. They rode with the butcher in his covered cart.
They had kindled a nice fire in the open grate, and after the little fellow had stamped off the mud in the porch, he came in and stood by it to dry himself.
The clock struck nine; but not one more of the scholars came, because it was only a half day, the teacher said; and so Frankie and Hitty stood before her, instead of going on the gallery, and repeated the Lord's Prayer.
Then she told them to bring their chairs close to the fire.
"What a funny little school!" said Frankie, laughing.
The teacher laughed too, and said, "I think we shall have a very pleasant time." She rang the bell, and Frankie marched out alone to his class. Then she rung it again, and Hitty read and spelt. She could read quite well now, and was getting to be a very good scholar.
After this, Miss Grant said, "I must march with you, I suppose;" and so she stepped upon the circle; and they marched around and around, singing, —
"This is the way we wash our face,"the teacher washing hers as hard as any of them.
At recess she took a piece of paper from her desk, and drew a pretty picture of a dog carrying a basket in his mouth, and told Frankie to draw one like it.
Frankie was delighted, and said, "This dog is like Ponto, only that it has a short tail instead of a long one."
Miss Grant then cut a paper doll for Hitty, and afterward one for Nelly. She made paper dresses, and aprons, and capes, and paper hats for their heads; and was so much engaged when she saw how delighted the children were, that she forgot she was teaching school, and never rang the bell for the close of recess for more than an hour.
They all laughed merrily, and Frankie, clapping his hands, said, "I like rainy days best of all!"
After recess, Miss Grant gave the children a lesson in geography, and then related a story of a boy, named Charles Huntington, who, by his honesty, uprightness, and faithfulness to his employer, became a great and good man. Having gained wealth, he gave freely of it to the poor and needy, and, after a long life of happiness and usefulness, died lamented by all who knew him.
Frankie listened attentively to the story, and then said, "I'm going to ask God to help me be like Mr. Charles Huntington."
And here we must leave our young friend, with the hope that the promise of early youth was verified in his manhood; that the seed sown in his young and tender heart, and watered by his mother's tearful prayers, sprang up and bore abundant fruit.
As for his cousin Nelly, she continued with her aunt for many years, until her mother died, when she returned home to comfort and bless her father, and help train her little brother as she had herself been taught by her kind friends. She always entertained for Frankie the deep affection of a sister; and when he graduated from college with the first honors of his class, no one rejoiced or felt more proud of his success than his cousin Nelly.