Baby Pitchers Trials

Baby Pitcher's Trials, by Mrs.
May

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Title: Baby Pitcher's Trials Little Pitcher Stories
Author: Mrs. May
Release Date: September 27, 2006 [EBook #19390]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration: Frontispiece.--The Funeral, p. 52]

LITTLE PITCHER-STORIES.
BABY PITCHER'S TRIALS.
BY
MRS. MAY.

BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY CLARK & FISKE, 32 CORNHILL.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by CLARK &
FISKE, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
How the Little Pitcher made Sunshine, 7
CHAPTER II.
Flora Waits for the Sun to Drink up the Water, 19
CHAPTER III.
The Story of the Poor Robin, 30
CHAPTER IV.
"Going to Have a Funeral," 41
CHAPTER V.
Bertie Meets Jack Midnight at the Spring, 53

CHAPTER VI.
A Deadly Snare for the Muskrat, 65
CHAPTER VII.
Something in the Trap, 76
CHAPTER VIII.
Jack Pulls off the Warm Jacket, 84
CHAPTER IX.
Flora in Exile, 96
CHAPTER X.
Flora Goes to Ride in the Little Blue Cart, 105
CHAPTER XI.
She says Good-bye to the Soap Man, 114
CHAPTER XII.
And Loses her Way, 124
CHAPTER XIII.
Charley Swallows the Rooster, 133
CHAPTER XIV.
Happy Towzer, 142
CHAPTER XV.

Flora Never Opens the Big Gate, 152

BABY PITCHER'S TRIALS.
CHAPTER I.
HOW THE LITTLE PRINCESS MADE SUNSHINE.
It was raining fast, and it had rained for two days. This was the third.
Flora had become tired of the leaden sky and the wet earth. She had
watched the moving clouds and the swaying branches of the trees long
enough, and now she was ready for fair weather. But it seemed as if fair
weather would never come, and she looked in vain for a bit of blue sky.
There was not even a light streak. It was stormy without and it was
stormy within. The gray side of the sky was all that could be seen, and
the gray side of Flora's temper was out also. There was a sunny side to
both, but that was carefully hidden by the sober clouds.
Flora was tired of the big drops that chased each other down the pane.
She was tired of trying to look abroad through the wet glass and the
mist. When she did get a glimpse of the outer world there was nothing
to see, and that was the worst of it. There was nothing but muddy roads,
pools of water and little patches of green grass. It was not to be borne.
Flora crept down from her high chair to the lowly footstool, leaned her
head upon her hand and sighed. Sister Amy had gone to school, and
Charley and Bertie were big boys. Of course they could go anywhere in
any weather, with "yubber" boots. How she envied them! Only she the
youngest of the flock, the Baby Pitcher, was forced to stay at home
because it rained. So she sighed. Mamma heard the sigh and said
inquiringly, "Well?"
"If I was a lady," said Flora, "a certain true lady, I wouldn't stay in for
the weather. I would put on my water-prooth and go a-fishing."
"In the rain?"

"I would."
Mamma laughed. Now Flora was not in a mood to be laughed at, so she
shut her eyes to keep back the tears, for she knew they would come if
she did not shut the covers down tightly. She did not keep them all
back however, for mamma saw two or three rolling slowly down her
little girl's cheek.
"Wouldn't go fishing without a water-prooth," she added, petulantly;
"might fall in and get wet."
Mamma did not laugh now. She was very grave. She had not had an
easy time of it since falling weather set in. She could do nothing right.
All her efforts had failed to amuse Flora. So mamma sighed.
Flora, forgetting that she must keep the covers shut down tightly,
opened wide her eyes and was astonished. Mamma looked so very
sober. Was she too going to cry because the pleasant sunshine staid
away so long?
"I wouldn't," she said, earnestly. Mamma looked up. "I never would cry
for the rain," hastily brushing the moisture from her own cheek.
"Ladies don't, nor good children; only cross ones."
"I am glad to hear it," said mamma; but she did not smile.
"It