Eight Cousins; Or, The Aunt-Hill

by Louisa May Alcott

  CHAPTER XIV.

  _A HAPPY BIRTHDAY._

  THE twelfth of October was Rose's birthday, but no one seemed toremember that interesting fact, and she felt delicate about mentioningit, so fell asleep the night before wondering if she would have anypresents. That question was settled early the next morning, for she wasawakened by a soft tap on her face, and opening her eyes she beheld alittle black and white figure sitting on her pillow, staring at her witha pair of round eyes very like blueberries, while one downy paw pattedher nose to attract her notice. It was Kitty Comet, the prettiest of allthe pussies, and Comet evidently had a mission to perform, for a pinkbow adorned her neck, and a bit of paper was pinned to it bearing thewords, "For Miss Rose, from Frank."

  That pleased her extremely, and that was only the beginning of the fun,for surprises and presents kept popping out in the most delightfulmanner all through the day, the Atkinson girls being famous jokers andRose a favorite. But the best gift of all came on the way to MountWindy-top, where it was decided to picnic in honor of the greatoccasion. Three jolly loads set off soon after breakfast, for everybodywent, and everybody seemed bound to have an extra good time, especiallyMother Atkinson, who wore a hat as broad-brimmed as an umbrella, andtook the dinner-horn to keep her flock from straying away.

  "I'm going to drive aunty and a lot of the babies, so you must ride thepony. And please stay behind us a good bit when we go to the station,for a parcel is coming, and you are not to see it till dinner-time. Youwon't mind, will you?" said Mac in a confidential aside during the wildflurry of the start.

  "Not a bit," answered Rose. "It hurts my feelings _very_ much to be toldto keep out of the way at any other time, but birthdays and Christmas itis part of the fun to be blind and stupid, and poked into corners. I'llbe ready as soon as you are, Giglamps."

  "Stop under the big maple till I call,--then you can't possibly see anything," added Mac, as he mounted her on the pony his father had sent upfor his use. "Barkis" was so gentle and so "willin'," however, that Rosewas ashamed to be afraid to ride him; so she had learned, that she mightsurprise Dr. Alec when she got home; meantime she had many a fine canter"over the hills and far away" with Mac, who preferred Mr. Atkinson's oldSorrel.

  Away they went, and, coming to the red maple, Rose obediently paused;but could not help stealing a glance in the forbidden direction beforethe call came. Yes, there was a hamper going under the seat, and thenshe caught sight of a tall man whom Mac seemed to be hustling into thecarriage in a great hurry. One look was enough, and, with a cry ofdelight, Rose was off down the road as fast as Barkis could go.

  "WHICH CAUSED BARKIS TO SHY."]

  "Now I'll astonish uncle," she thought. "I'll dash up in grand style,and show him that I am not a coward, after all."

  Fired by this ambition, she startled Barkis by a sharp cut, and stillmore bewildered him by leaving him to his own guidance down the steep,stony road. The approach would have been a fine success if, just as Rosewas about to pull up and salute, two or three distracted hens had notscuttled across the road with a great squawking, which caused Barkis toshy and stop so suddenly that his careless rider landed in anignominious heap just under old Sorrel's astonished nose.

  Rose was up again before Dr. Alec was out of the carryall, and threw twodusty arms about his neck, crying with a breathless voice,--

  "O uncle, I'm _so_ glad to see you! It is better than a cart-load ofgoodies, and so dear of you to come!"

  "But aren't you hurt, child? That was a rough tumble, and I'm afraid youmust be damaged somewhere," answered the Doctor, full of fond anxiety,as he surveyed his girl with pride.

  "My feelings are hurt, but my bones are all safe. It's too bad! I wasgoing to do it so nicely, and those stupid hens spoilt it all," saidRose, quite crest-fallen, as well as much shaken.

  "I couldn't believe my eyes when I asked 'Where is Rose?' and Macpointed to the little Amazon pelting down the hill at such a rate. Youcouldn't have done any thing that would please me more, and I'mdelighted to see how well you ride. Now, will you mount again, or shallwe turn Mac out and take you in?" asked Dr. Alec, as Aunt Jessieproposed a start, for the others were beckoning them to follow.

  "Pride goeth before a fall,--better not try to show off again, ma'am,"said Mac, who would have been more than mortal if he had refrained fromteasing when so good a chance offered.

  "Pride does go before a fall, but I wonder if a sprained ankle alwayscomes after it?" thought Rose, bravely concealing her pain, as sheanswered, with great dignity,--

  "I _prefer_ to ride. Come on, and see who will catch up first."

  She was up and away as she spoke, doing her best to efface the memory ofher downfall by sitting very erect, elbows down, head well up, andtaking the motion of the pony as Barkis cantered along as easily as arocking-chair.

  "You ought to see her go over a fence and race when we ride together.She can scud, too, like a deer when we play 'Follow the leader,' andskip stones and bat balls almost as well as I can," said Mac, in replyto his uncle's praise of his pupil.

  "I'm afraid you will think her a sad tomboy, Alec; but really she seemsso well and happy, I have not the heart to check her. She has broken outin the most unexpected way, and frisks like a colt; for she says shefeels so full of spirits she _must_ run and shout whether it is properor not," added Mrs. Jessie, who had been a pretty hoyden years agoherself.

  "Good,--good! that's the best news you could tell me;" and Dr. Alecrubbed his hands heartily. "Let the girl run and shout as much as shewill,--it is a sure sign of health, and as natural to a happy child asfrisking is to any young animal full of life. Tomboys make strong womenusually, and I had far rather find Rose playing foot-ball with Mac thanputtering over bead-work like that affected midget, Ariadne Blish."

  "But she cannot go on playing foot-ball very long; and we must notforget that she has a woman's work to do by and by," began Mrs. Jessie.

  "Neither will Mac play foot-ball much longer, but he will be all thebetter fitted for business, because of the health it gives him. Polishis easily added, if the foundations are strong; but no amount of gildingwill be of use if your timber is not sound. I'm sure I'm right, Jessie;and if I can do as well by my girl during the next six months as I havethe last, my experiment _will_ succeed."

  "It certainly will; for when I contrast that bright, blooming face withthe pale, listless one that made my heart ache a while ago, I canbelieve in almost any miracle," said Mrs. Jessie, as Rose looked roundto point out a lovely view, with cheeks like the ruddy apples in theorchard near by, eyes clear as the autumn sky overhead, and vigor inevery line of her girlish figure.

  A general scramble among the rocks was followed by a regular gypsylunch, which the young folks had the rapture of helping to prepare.Mother Atkinson put on her apron, turned up her sleeves, and fell towork as gayly as if in her own kitchen, boiling the kettle slung onthree sticks over a fire of cones and fir-boughs; while the girls spreadthe mossy table with a feast of country goodies, and the childrentumbled about in every one's way till the toot of the horn made themsettle down like a flock of hungry birds.

  As soon as the merry meal and a brief interval of repose were over, itwas unanimously voted to have some charades. A smooth, green spotbetween two stately pines was chosen for the stage; shawls hung up,properties collected, audience and actors separated, and a word quicklychosen.

  The first scene discovered Mac in a despondent attitude and shabbydress, evidently much troubled in mind. To him entered a remarkablecreature with a brown-paper bag over its head. A little pink nose peepedthrough one hole in the middle, white teeth through another, and abovetwo eyes glared fiercely. Spires of grass stuck in each side of themouth seemed meant to represent whiskers; the upper corners of the bagwere twisted like ears, and no one could doubt for a moment that theblack scarf pinned on behind was a tail.

  This singular animal seemed in pantomime to be comforting his master andoffering advice, which was finally acted upon, for Mac pulled off hisboots, helped the little
beast into them, and gave him a bag; then,kissing his paw with a hopeful gesture, the creature retired, purring sosuccessfully that there was a general cry of "Cat, puss, boots!"

  "Cat is the word," replied a voice, and the curtain fell.

  The next scene was a puzzler, for in came another animal, on all-foursthis time, with a new sort of tail and long ears. A gray shawl concealedits face, but an inquisitive sunbeam betrayed the glitter as of gogglesunder the fringe. On its back rode a small gentleman in Eastern costume,who appeared to find some difficulty in keeping his seat as his steedjogged along. Suddenly a spirit appeared, all in white, with longnewspaper wings upon its back and golden locks about its face.Singularly enough, the beast beheld this apparition and backedinstantly, but the rider evidently saw nothing and whipped upunmercifully, also unsuccessfully, for the spirit stood directly in thepath, and the amiable beast would not budge a foot. A lively skirmishfollowed, which ended in the Eastern gentleman's being upset into asweet-fern bush, while the better-bred animal abased itself before theshining one.

  The children were all in the dark till Mother Atkinson said, in aninquiring tone,--

  "If that isn't Balaam and the ass, I'd like to know what it is. Rosemakes a sweet angel, don't she?"

  "Ass" was evidently the word, and the angel retired, smiling withmundane satisfaction over the compliment that reached her ears.

  The next was a pretty little scene from the immortal story of "Babes inthe Wood." Jamie and Pokey came trotting in, hand-in-hand, and, havingbeen through the parts many times before, acted with great ease and muchfluency, audibly directing each other from time to time as they wentalong. The berries were picked, the way lost, tears shed, babyconsolation administered, and then the little pair lay down among thebrakes and died with their eyes wide open and the toes of their fourlittle boots turned up to the daisies in the most pathetic manner.

  "Now the wobins tum. You be twite dead, Dimmy, and I'll peep and see'em," one defunct innocent was heard to say.

  "I hope they'll be quick, for I'm lying on a stone, and ants are walkingup my leg like fury," murmured the other.

  Here the robins came flapping in with red scarfs over their breasts andleaves in their mouths, which they carefully laid upon the babeswherever they would show best. A prickly blackberry-leaf placed directlyover Pokey's nose caused her to sneeze so violently that her little legsflew into the air; Jamie gave a startled "Ow!" and the pitying fowlsfled giggling.

  After some discussion it was decided that the syllable must be "strew orstrow," and then they waited to see if it was a good guess.

  This scene discovered Annette Snow in bed, evidently very ill; MissJenny was her anxious mamma, and her merry conversation amused theaudience till Mac came in as a physician, and made great fun with hisbig watch, pompous manner, and absurd questions. He prescribed onepellet with an unpronounceable name, and left after demanding twentydollars for his brief visit.

  The pellet was administered, and such awful agonies immediately set inthat the distracted mamma bade a sympathetic neighbor run for MotherKnow-all. The neighbor ran, and in came a brisk little old lady in capand specs, with a bundle of herbs under her arm, which she at onceapplied in all sorts of funny ways, explaining their virtues as sheclapped a plantain poultice here, put a pounded catnip plaster there, ortied a couple of mullein leaves round the sufferer's throat. Instantrelief ensued, the dying child sat up and demanded baked beans, thegrateful parent offered fifty dollars; but Mother Know-all indignantlyrefused it and went smiling away, declaring that a neighborly turnneeded no reward, and a doctor's _fee_ was all a humbug.

  The audience were in fits of laughter over this scene, for Rose imitatedMrs. Atkinson capitally, and the herb-cure was a good hit at theexcellent lady's belief that "yarbs" would save mankind if properlyapplied. No one enjoyed it more than herself, and the saucy childrenprepared for the grand _finale_ in high feather.

  This closing scene was brief but striking, for two trains of carswhizzed in from opposite sides, met with a terrible collision in themiddle of the stage, and a general smash-up completed the word_catastrophe_.

  "Now let us act a proverb. I've got one all ready," said Rose, who wasdying to distinguish herself in some way before Uncle Alec.

  So every one but Mac, the gay Westerner, and Rose, took their places onthe rocky seats and discussed the late beautiful and varied charade, inwhich Pokey frankly pronounced her own scene the "bestest of all."

  In five minutes the curtain was lifted; nothing appeared but a verylarge sheet of brown paper pinned to a tree, and on it was drawn aclock-face, the hands pointing to four. A small note below informed thepublic that 4 A.M. was the time. Hardly had the audience grasped thisimportant fact when a long water-proof serpent was seen uncoiling itselffrom behind a stump. An inch-worm, perhaps, would be a betterdescription, for it travelled in the same humpy way as that pleasingreptile. Suddenly a very wide-awake and active fowl advanced, pecking,chirping, and scratching vigorously. A tuft of green leaves waved uponhis crest, a larger tuft of brakes made an umbrageous tail, and a shawlof many colors formed his flapping wings. A truly noble bird, whose legshad the genuine strut, whose eyes shone watchfully, and whose voice hada ring that evidently struck terror into the caterpillar's soul, if itwas a caterpillar. He squirmed, he wriggled, he humped as fast as hecould, trying to escape; but all in vain. The tufted bird espied him,gave one warbling sort of crow, pounced upon him, and flappedtriumphantly away.

  "That early bird got such a big worm he could hardly carry him off,"laughed Aunt Jessie, as the children shouted over the joke suggested byMac's nickname.

  "That is one of uncle's favorite proverbs, so I got it up for hisespecial benefit," said Rose, coming up with the two-legged worm besideher.

  "Very clever; what next?" asked Dr. Alec as she sat down beside him.

  "The Dove boys are going to give us an 'Incident in the Life ofNapoleon,' as they call it; the children think it very splendid, and thelittle fellows do it rather nicely," answered Mac with condescension.

  A tent appeared, and pacing to and fro before it was a little sentinel,who, in a brief soliloquy, informed the observers that the elements werein a great state of confusion, that he had marched some hundred miles orso that day, and that he was dying for want of sleep. Then he paused,leaned upon his gun, and seemed to doze; dropped slowly down,overpowered with slumber, and finally lay flat, with his gun beside him,a faithless little sentinel. Enter Napoleon, cocked hat, gray coat, highboots, folded arms, grim mouth, and a melodramatic stride. Freddy Dovealways covered himself with glory in this part, and "took the stage"with a Napoleonic attitude that brought down the house; for thebig-headed boy, with solemn, dark eyes and square brow, was "the verymoral of that rascal, Boneyparty," Mother Atkinson said.

  Some great scheme was evidently brewing in his mighty mind,--a tripacross the Alps, a bonfire at Moscow, or a little skirmish at Waterloo,perhaps, for he marched in silent majesty till suddenly a gentle snoredisturbed the imperial reverie. He saw the sleeping soldier and glaredupon him, saying in an awful tone,--

  "Ha! asleep at his post! Death is the penalty,--he must die!"

  Picking up the musket, he is about to execute summary justice, asemperors are in the habit of doing, when something in the face of theweary sentinel appears to touch him. And well it might, for a mostengaging little warrior was Jack as he lay with his shako half off, hischildish face trying to keep sober, and a great black moustache over hisrosy mouth. It would have softened the heart of any Napoleon, and theLittle Corporal proved himself a man by relenting, and saying, with alofty gesture of forgiveness,--

  "Brave fellow, he is worn out; I will let him sleep, and mount guard inhis place."

  Then, shouldering the gun, this noble being strode to and fro with adignity which thrilled the younger spectators. The sentinel awakes, seeswhat has happened, and gives himself up for lost. But the Emperorrestores his weapon, and, with that smile which won all hearts, says,pointing to a high rock whereon a crow happens to
be sitting: "Be brave,be vigilant, and remember that from yonder Pyramid generations arebeholding you," and with these memorable words he vanishes, leaving thegrateful soldier bolt upright, with his hand at his temple and deathlessdevotion stamped upon his youthful countenance.

  The applause which followed this superb piece had hardly subsided, whena sudden splash and a shrill cry caused a general rush toward thewaterfall that went gambolling down the rocks, singing sweetly as itran. Pokey had tried to gambol also, and had tumbled into a shallowpool, whither Jamie had gallantly followed, in a vain attempt to fishher out, and both were paddling about half frightened, half pleased withthe unexpected bath.

  This mishap made it necessary to get the dripping infants home as soonas possible; so the wagons were loaded up, and away they went, as merryas if the mountain air had really been "Oxygenated Sweets not Bitters,"as Dr. Alec suggested when Mac said he felt as jolly as if he had beendrinking champagne instead of the currant wine that came with a greatfrosted cake wreathed with sugar roses in Aunt Plenty's hamper ofgoodies.

  Rose took part in all the fun, and never betrayed by look or word thetwinges of pain she suffered in her ankle. She excused herself from thegames in the evening, however, and sat talking to Uncle Alec in a livelyway, that both amazed and delighted him; for she confided to him thatshe played horse with the children, drilled with the light infantry,climbed trees, and did other dreadful things that would have caused theaunts to cry aloud if they knew of them.

  "I don't care a pin what they say if you don't mind, uncle," sheanswered, when he pictured the dismay of the good ladies.

  "Ah, it's all very well to defy _them_, but you are getting so rampant,I'm afraid you will defy me next, and then where are we?"

  "No, I won't! I shouldn't dare; because you are my guardian, and can putme in a strait-jacket if you like;" and Rose laughed in his face, evenwhile she nestled closer with a confiding gesture pleasant to see.

  "Upon my word, Rosy, I begin to feel like the man who bought anelephant, and then didn't know what to do with him. I thought I had gota pet and plaything for years to come; but here you are growing up likea bean-stalk, and I shall find I've got a strong-minded little woman onmy hands before I can turn round. There's a predicament for a man and anuncle!"

  Dr. Alec's comic distress was mercifully relieved for the time being bya dance of goblins on the lawn, where the children, with pumpkinlanterns on their heads, frisked about like will-o'-the-wisps, as aparting surprise.

  When Rose went to bed, she found that Uncle Alec had not forgotten her;for on the table stood a delicate little easel, holding two miniaturesset in velvet. She knew them both, and stood looking at them till hereyes brimmed over with tears that were both sweet and sad; for they werethe faces of her father and mother, beautifully copied from portraitsfast fading away.

  Presently she knelt down, and, putting her arms round the little shrine,kissed one after the other, saying with an earnest voice, "I'll trulytry to make them glad to see me by and by."

  And that was Rose's little prayer on the night of her fourteenthbirthday.

  Two days later, the Campbells went home, a larger party than when theycame; for Dr. Alec was escort, and Kitty Comet was borne in state in abasket, with a bottle of milk, some tiny sandwiches, and a doll's dishto drink out of, as well as a bit of carpet to lie on in her palace car,out of which she kept popping her head in the most fascinating manner.

  There was a great kissing and cuddling, waving of handkerchiefs, andlast good-bys, as they went; and when they had started, Mother Atkinsoncame running after them, to tuck in some little pies, hot from the oven,"for the dears, who might get tired of bread and butter during that longday's travel."

  Another start, and another halt; for the Snow children came shrieking upto demand the three kittens that Pokey was coolly carrying off in atravelling-bag. The unhappy kits were rescued, half smothered, andrestored to their lawful owners, amid dire lamentation from the littlekidnapper, who declared that she only "tooked um 'cause they'd want togo wid their sister Tomit."

  Start number three and stoppage number three, as Frank hailed them withthe luncheon-basket, which had been forgotten, after every one hadprotested that it was safely in.

  All went well after that, and the long journey was pleasantly beguiledby Pokey and Pussy, who played together so prettily that they wereconsidered public benefactors.

  "Rose doesn't want to go home, for she knows the aunts won't let herrampage as she did up at Cosey Corner," said Mac, as they approached theold house.

  "I _can't_ rampage if I want to,--for a time, at least; and I'll tellyou why. I sprained my ankle when I tumbled off of Barkis, and it getsworse and worse; though I've done all I know to cure it and hide it, soit shouldn't trouble any one," whispered Rose, knitting her brows withpain, as she prepared to descend, wishing her uncle would take herinstead of her bundles.

  How he did it, she never knew; but Mac had her up the steps and on theparlor sofa before she could put her foot to the ground.

  "There you are,--right side up with care; and mind, now, if your anklebothers you, and you are laid up with it, _I_ am to be your footman.It's only fair, you know; for I don't forget how good you have been tome." And Mac went to call Phebe, so full of gratitude and good-will thathis very goggles shone.