Aunt Madge's Story

by Sophie May

  Samantha and Julia were gone to a neighbor's that afternoon, andcousin Lydia was filling a husk-bed in the barn. There was no one athome but lame and half-blind grandma Tenney.

  "I don't care if they are gone, for they all think I'm a naughty, badgirl," thought I. "O, why don't they love me? My mamma loves me, andhugs me every day when I'm home."

  I walked along to the well, my eyes half-blinded by tears. Thatwell-sweep had always fascinated me, and I had been allowed to playwith it freely; but lately cousin Joseph had observed that the curb,or framework round the mouth of the well, was out of order; the boardswere old, and the nails were loosened; he should put on new boards assoon as he could stop; but until he did so, I must let it alone. WouldI remember?

  "Yes, sir," said I, at the same time thinking in this wise: "Why, Idrawed water day before yes'day, and he didn't say the boards wereold. How could they grow old in one day?"

  Still I fully intended to obey. I forgot myself when I said,--

  "Fel, le's do a washing, and wash our dollies' clo'es. I'll go get alittle tinpail to draw water with."

  For I could not lift the bucket.

  "Well," said she; "and I'll go get a cake o' soap."

  She had heard nothing about the well-curb, and did not know we weredoing wrong to draw water. She enjoyed swinging the pole just as muchas I did, and we soon forgot our slight disagreement as we watched thelittle pail drop slowly into the well.

  "There are stars down there," said I, "for I saw 'em once; they sayit's stars, but I shouldn't wonder if 'twas pieces of gold--shouldyou?"

  I was letting the pail down as I spoke, and Fel was leaning againstthe curb, peeping into the well.

  "O, I forgot," cried I; "cousin Joseph said--"

  But even before I had finished the sentence, the rotten boards gaveway, and Fel pitched suddenly forward into the well!

  My brain reeled; but next moment my reason--all I ever had and moretoo--came to my aid. I can't account for it, but I felt as strong andbrave as a little woman, and called out,--

  "Take hold of the pole, Fel! take hold of the pole!"

  I don't know whether she heard me or not, for her screams were comingup hoarse and hollow from the watery depths. All I know is, she didput out both her little hands, and clutch that short pole. Theten-quart pail was dangling from the end of the pole, within two feetof the water.

  What was I to do? I could draw up the little tin pail, but not such aheavy weight as Fel. My hope was that I might keep her above water awhile, and as long as I could, of course she would not drown. It was awise thought, and showed great presence of mind in a child of my age.I am glad I have this one redeeming fact to tell of myself--I, who ranwild at the silly story of a make-believe Big Giant!

  Yes, I held up that long pole with all the might of my little arms,crying all the while to Seth in the barn,--

  "Come quick! come quick!"

  It was just as much as I could do. I am sure strength must have beengranted me for the task. For a long while, or what seemed to me a longwhile, nobody heard. Seth was making a great noise with his flail, andif my shout reached his ears he only thought it child's play; but whenit kept on and on, so shrill and so full of distress, he dropped hisflail at last and ran.

  Not a moment too soon; my little strength was giving out.

  "Jethro! what's this?" cried he, and caught the pole from my hand."Well, you're a good one! Don't be scared, little dear." That was toFel. "Hold on tight, and I'll fetch you up in a jiffy."

  She did hold on; stupefied as she was, she still had sense enough tocling to the pole.

  "There, there, that's a lady! Both arms round my neck! Up she comes!"

  By that time cousin Lydia was on the spot, looking ashy white, andSeth, with Fel in his arms, was rocking her back and forth like ababy, and saying, "There, there, little girlie, don't cry."

  "The Lord be praised!" exclaimed cousin Lydia; "the child's alive! thechild's alive!"

  "Yes, and this Marjie here is a good one," said Seth, pointing to me;"she's got the right stuff in her. I never saw a young one of that agedo anything so complete in my life."

  I cried then; it was the first time I could stop to cry. Cousin Lydiaput her arms round me, and kissed me; and that kiss was sweet to mysoul.

  Seth carried Fel into the house. She was trembling and sobbingviolently, and did not seem at first to understand much that was saidto her. Cousin Lydia rubbed her, and gave her some cordial to drink,and I looked on, half proud and half ashamed. Seth kept saying therewere five feet of water in the well, and if I hadn't held Fel up, shemust have drowned before anybody could get to her. I knew I had beenvery brave, and had saved Fel's life. I knew it before Seth said so.But who drowned her in the first place? I expected every minute cousinLydia would ask that question; but she didn't; she never seemed tothink of it.

  When the young ladies came home, Miss Julia took me in her lap, andsaid,--

  "Well, Marjery, you're a smart child; there's no doubt about it--avery smart child."

  Just think of that from Miss Julia! It wouldn't have been much fromMiss Samantha, for she had a soft way with her; but Miss Julia! Why,it puffed me out, and puffed me out, till there was about as muchsubstance to me as there is to a great hollow soap-bubble.

  "Yes," said cousin Joseph, in his slow way, "Marjery is smart enough,but she ought to be very smart to make up for her heedlessness."

  There, he had pricked the bubble that time! I twinkled right out.

  And it was the last time Julia admired me; for she happened to thinkjust then of her gold watch. It was not on Fel's neck; it had goneinto the well where the stars were. Seth got it out, but it wasbattered and bruised, and something had happened to the inside of it,so it wouldn't tick.

  Miss Julia never took me in her lap again; but she liked Fel as wellas ever. She said Fel was not at all to blame. I knew she wasn't, andsomehow, after that dreadful affair, I was willing people should loveFel better than me. I had been fairly frightened out of my crossnessto her. O, what if I _had_ drowned her? Every time I wanted to snubher I thought of that, and stopped. I suppose I put my arms round herneck fifty times, and asked, "Do you love me _jus_ the same as if Ihadn't drowned you?"

  And she said "Yes," every time, the precious darling!

  I had a very lame arm not long after this; it almost threw me into afever. I was ashamed to have that doctor come, for they had told mewhat was the matter. It has always been my luck, children, if I evertried to show off, to get nicely paid for it!

  Now I think of it, Dotty, how easily Fel could have turned upon me atthis time, and said, "Ho, little meddle-girl! Got a sore arm, too!"

  But you may be sure she never thought of such a thing. It grieved herto see me lie in bed, and toss about with pain. She sat beside me, andpatted my cheeks with her little, soft hands, and sometimes read tome, from a Sabbath school book, about a good girl, named MaryLothrop,--she could read as well as most grown people, for she reallywas a remarkable child,--but I didn't like to hear about Mary Lothrop,and begged her to stop.

  "She's too tremendous good," said I. "It killed her to be so good, andI'm afraid--"

  I believe I never told Fel what I was afraid of; but it was, that shewas "too tremendous good" herself, and would "die little," as MaryLothrop did. I thought she seemed like Mary; and hadn't Miss Juliasaid she was too good for this world? O, what if God should want herup in heaven? I had thought of this before; but if I had reallybelieved it, I should all along have treated her very differently. Weshould none of us speak unkindly if we believed our friends were soongoing away from us, out of this world. What would I give now if I hadnever called the tears into that child's gentle eyes!

  My arm got well, and the next thing that happened was a letter fromhome--to us two little chickens, Fel and me both. Seth brought itfrom the "post-ovviz," directed to Miss Ruphelle Allen and MissMargaret Parlin, care of Joseph Tenney, Esq. Here it lies in mywriting-desk, almost as yellow as gold, and quite as precious. Howmany times do you suppo
se we little girls read it and kissed it? Howmany times do you suppose we went to sleep with it under our pillows?We took turns doing that, and thought it brought us pleasant dreams.

  Her mother wrote one page of the letter, and my mother another; 'Ria afew lines, and Ned these words, in a round hand:--

  "DEAR SISTER: I suppose you want to hear all about our house and barn. I went to Gus Allen's party. We trained, and a pretty set of fellows we were."

  That was all he told about our house and barn, and he did not signhis name. Perhaps he would have said more after resting a while; butMiss Rubie saved him the trouble, and ended the letter, by inviting"you darlings,"--Fel and me,--to her wedding, which was to take placein a few weeks.

  We had a little waltzing to do then! A wedding! We danced right andleft, with that letter under our feet.

  "I should think you'd better read on, and see what the man's name is,you little Flutterbudgets," said cousin Joseph, laughing at us.

  We hadn't thought of that. We looked, and found it was uncle John!Another surprise. It was a new idea to both of us, that a man who hadhad one wife should ever have another. We remembered aunt Persis, whowanted to steam Fel.

  "And she died years, and years, and _years_ ago."

  "About eleven months," said cousin Lydia. Your uncle John is obligedto go to England this fall, and wants to take Zed; and I am very gladMiss Rubie is willing to be Zed's mother, and will go with them."

  "How can she be his mother?" said I. "She's his auntie."

  But we didn't care about the relationship, Fel and I; all we caredabout was the wedding. And I did hope I should have a string of waxbeads to wear on my neck.

  Here is our reply to the letter. (The words in Italics are Fel's.)

  "DEAR LITTLE MOTHERS: We thought we would write to you. _We are glad we shall go to the wedding._ Do you think you can buy me some wax beeds? _We want to see you very much._ But I want the wax beeds, too. Fel said a prayer for my sickness. I think she is a very pias girl. The cow is dead, &c., & ect. So good by."

  "From MAJ and RUPHELLE."