Mary: A Nursery Story for Very Little Children

by Mrs. Molesworth

do. And then Mary ran after him and left off screaming, which wassensible. Indeed, I think both of them showed more sense than sillyEmma, though she was grown up and they were little children. For whatcould be less use than to sit on the ground crying and rubbing herbruised arm?

  But somebody else--somebody none of them was thinking of at all--showedthe most sense of any one.

  The Perry children were coming along a field-path at one side of theroad--it was dry weather, and the path was pretty hard and smooth, soComfort and the old wicker perambulator got on pretty well with Janieand the baby beside them of course--when the sound of Leigh's shoutscame across the hedge. Janie had quick ears and still quicker wits.

  "Someat's wrong," she cried, and she plumped the baby into her sister'sarms. "Now hold he," she added, and for once Comfort had to leave offreading--indeed the flop of the baby made her book drop to the ground--and get it into her head that the care of her three baby brothers was_her_ business for the present, while Janie flew to the gate, which shescrambled over or crept under, I am not sure which, in less time than ittakes to tell it, and found herself in the middle of the road.

  Leigh was some little way off still; but nearer than he, and comingnearer every instant, was something else which made even Janie's stoutlittle heart rise up to her mouth, as she afterwards said. It was theperambulator from the Hall, the beautiful new perambulator, banging anddashing along, dragged by something that looked just then very like alittle wild beast instead of a well-disposed tame doggie. And yet itwas only looks, for Fuzzy was in the best of spirits, quite pleased withhimself, and thinking that Leigh's shouts only meant he was to go fasterand faster.

  But Janie had not time to think anything. She only saw that theperambulator was not empty; she only took in that it must be stopped.She would not have been frightened, even if she had thought the dog wasmad, for she was very brave. But she knew that her voice would have nopower over him, and she made her plan in a moment. Just as the wildlyexcited dog came close to her--luckily just then he was going prettyevenly--she threw herself in his way, which made him slacken his pace,and then, somehow or other, she got hold of the edge of the carriage,holding on to it with all her strength, and she was very strong for hersize. And then--what happened exactly she could not tell--I fancy Fuzzymust have given a bound forward to get rid of this troublesomeinterruption to his grand race--but before she knew where she was theywere all in a jumbled-up heap on the ground, Janie, Baby Dolly,perambulator, and dog--Fuzzy barking loudly; baby, Janie was thankful tohear, crying and roaring, but, as far as the small sister-nurse couldmake out, unhurt.

  She had got her safely in her motherly little arms by the time Leighcame up. The first thing he did was to seize hold of the reins whichhad been dragging behind, for after a glance had shown him that the babywas in good hands, Leigh's next thought was for the new perambulator.

  "She's not hurt?" he exclaimed.

  "No, no, sir. I think not," said Janie. "She fell soft--right atop ofme, Master Leigh. Hush, hush now, Miss Baby dear. Don't 'ee cry.There's Miss Mary a-coming along. Hush, hush, my dearie."

  And in surprise at the strange voice, and pleased by the sweet tones,Dolly actually did leave off crying. She opened her eyes wide, and bydegrees a smile--a real smile--crept out of her mouth, and brightened upall the little face, still shining with tears. So that when poor weeMary, all out of breath, and white with fear for her darling sister,came up to the little group, Janie was able to say, while Dollystretched out her hands in welcome--

  "She's not hurt, Miss Mary, dear. She's not hurt."

  Leigh by this time had unfastened Fuzz, and set the perambulator on itslegs, or wheels, again. He was all trembling; and though it was not ahot day of course, the drops were standing out on his forehead.Wonderful to say, the perambulator was not broken or spoilt.

  "Oh Mary," said Leigh. He could scarcely speak. "Oh Janie, I don'tknow how to thank you."

  Janie opened her eyes. It had never come into her head that she haddone anything to be thanked for. But she was, as I said, very sensible.

  "Master Leigh," she replied, "I couldn't a' done less--that's nothing.But I can't think how Mrs Nurse could a' let you do such a thing."

  "Nurse is ill; at least she's hurt her leg," said Leigh. "It's Emmathat's with us."

  "Then she oughter be ashamed of herself," exclaimed Janie, as if she wasnineteen and Emma ten, instead of the other way about. "What's the goodof a big person to look after children if she's as silly as them. I begyour parding, Master Leigh, but this 'ere precious baby's had a narrerescape, and no mistake."

  Janie was hot with indignation and fright.

  "But you tried yourselves, Janie," said Leigh, feeling rather small."Ned harnessed himself to--"

  "_That_ was quite different," said Janie. "And I told you the other dayas it hadn't turned out a good plan at all. I'm sure if I'd had anynotion you were thinking of such a thing, I'd have--" she stopped, thenwent on again, "But you'll never try such tricks again, now, will you,Master Leigh? And you'll go straight to your dear mamma as soon as youget in and tell her all about it."

  "No, I'll never try it again, I promise you. And of course I'd rathertell about it myself, Janie. You won't, will you? They'd be makingsuch a song of it all through the village."

  "Very well then, I won't say nothing," agreed the little woman. "AndI'll tell Comfort--she's in the field there behind the hedge with thebabies. I'll see to it that Comfort says nothing neither."

  Then Janie put Baby Dolly tenderly back into her nest again, chargingthe children to stay close round her till Emma came up, "for fear thesweet little lady should be frightened again." There was a vision inthe distance of Emma slowly making her way to them, and Janie did notwant to see her.

  "I've a sharp tongue in my head, and I'd mebbe say too much," shethought.

  So she hurried back to her own charges, whom she found quite content;_the_ baby sprawling on Comfort's knee, and Comfort seated on the grass,late October though it was, buried in her book. There was no need towarn _her_ to say nothing. She looked up with a start as Janie ran upto them.

  "What have you been doing, Janie?" she said. She had no idea anythinghad been the matter!

  Emma was very cross when she got to the children. She was vexed at herown arm being bruised, and began scolding Leigh as if he had done it allon purpose to hurt her.

  "You said it would be as right as could be, Master Leigh," she grumbled,"and how was I to know? _I'm_ not going to be scolded for it, I cantell you."

  "You needn't be afraid," said Leigh, very proudly. "I'll take all theblame on myself when I tell mamma."

  Then Emma changed her tone and began to cry.

  "You'll not really tell your mamma," she said. "_Of course_ I'd beblamed, and I'd lose a good place, and what my poor mother'd say I don'tknow. It'd go near to break her heart, and she's not well. Oh MasterLeigh, you'll not tell? There's no harm done, and Miss Dolly's none theworse, and we'll never be so silly again. Miss Mary, my dear, do askMaster Leigh not to tell."

  Mary could not bear to see any one cry, least of all a big person. Herlips began to quiver, and she looked timidly at her brother.

  "Leigh," she began.

  And Leigh too was very tender-hearted. But both of them, and Artie too,felt deep down in their hearts that however sorry they might be for Emmathey were not doing right in giving in to her.

  They did promise not to tell, however; and then the little party turnedhomewards in very low spirits, though they had such great reason forthankfulness that their dear little sister was not hurt.

  They hardly spoke all the way; and Dolly, by this time, tired out by allher adventures, had fallen fast asleep.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

  HAPPY AGAIN.

  It was two or three days after Fuzzy's running away with theperambulator that nurse, who was now quite well again, came in tobreakfast in the nursery with a grave face, and without, as usual, BabyDolly in her arms.


  "Where's baby?" said Leigh; and Mary, who was deeply engaged with herbowl of bread-and-milk, looked up.

  "Where's Baby Dolly, nursie?" she said, in turn.

  "In bed," nurse answered, "in bed and fast asleep. She's had a badnight, and she only fell really asleep when it was about time forgetting up. So of course I didn't wake her."

  "Is she ill?" asked Leigh; and both he, and Mary and Artie, looked atnurse so anxiously that she felt sorry for them.

  "I hope not," she said. "I hope