Big and Little Sisters | Page 9

mood, perhaps when kept within doors on a stormy
Sunday afternoon. She had read them often, asking explanation of the
hard words from the teachers, and had learned a number of the simplest
ones in preparation for her own admission to the King's Daughters
Circle, which would be before long, she had hoped.
"Here is one about the tongue, that has the straight marks Helen made,
and Annie's cross behind it. This I have not learned to say."
Cordelia Running Bird read aloud slowly: "'_Even so the tongue is a
little member, and boast-eth great things. Behold how great a matter a
little fire kind-leth_.'
"That means to brag with the tongue and make folks very cross.
Hannah Straight Tree bragged because her floor and stairs are always
nicer than my floor and stairs," Cordelia said. "But just like I have
bragged some, too," she added. "My tongue has talked so much

because my father is an agency policeman and my little sister has nice
things. And I bragged about my white memory and my store shoes. But
I was only talking to myself about the ugly issue shoes, and Hannah
Straight Tree went and told it."
She turned the leaves and found another text: "'_A soft answer turneth
away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger_.' I did not speak soft
when I told Hannah Straight Tree she was very dumb in school, and I
was glad Dolly could not motion in a single song, or even have an ugly
green dress, and I was not sorry that her big and little sister could not
come to school. And Dolly and Lucinda have not said mean things to
me, so why should I be cross at them? But Hannah would not find the
dustpan and take up her dirt, and that was very mean. Now here is one
that I have learned. I can say it without looking at the book."
Cordelia Running Bird shut her eyes and carefully re-peated: "'_Pride
goeth before de-struction, and a haught-y spirit before a fall_.' Haughty
means to feel stuck-up. The pail fell downstairs and made me talk
Dakota, so I had to come to bed, because I was stuck-up and made
Hannah Straight Tree cross. Just like they all would not be hating me if
I had not been haught-y. But the dormitory girls were very mean to
walk whole-feet on my wet floor. If they had walked heel or tiptoe I
should not have scolded to myself about the ugly issue shoes, and
called them shovel-feeted, and wished they had to lie in bed. But I did
not wish them to be cripples--only have a good long rest till I was
through scrubbing. But Hannah was mean to go and tell. I can find no
verse that will excuse her and the dormitory girls."
Here Cordelia Running Bird fell to pitying herself anew.
"I shall now read Annie's best verse, but it will be very hard to mind
those words that Jesus spoke."

Cordelia Running Bird wound the ribbon round the little Bible, tying it
with care, and laid the book close by her on the bed; then she ate her
dinner with a hearty relish. She had hardly finished when the door from

the front hall was opened, and the young white mother, rosy from her
sleigh-ride, looked into the dormitory. She saw the little Bible lying
near Cordelia, glanced inquiringly at the dark-faced girl, and then
smiled and nodded, to receive a cheerful smile in answer.
"Jump up quickly, dear, and dress," she said. "Some little girls are
going up the river to the store, and one of the girls is Cordelia Running
Bird."
Cordelia started out of bed in joyful haste.
"Are you ready to give back the Bible?" asked the white mother,
coming to the bed.
"Yes, ma'am," replied Cordelia Running Bird, handing her the little
book. "Thank you very much. It made me think of Annie, so I read it,
and it told me I must love my enemies, so just like I shall do it now."
"I am very glad the cross thoughts have left you," was the answer.
"Now put on your plaid dress and be ready in ten minutes."
Cordelia flew to get the plaid dress from the closet, and was ready and
downstairs in a twinkling. The little girls selected for the drive were in
the playroom putting on their hoods and coats in great delight. Cordelia
hurriedly put on her own, and, opening her cupboard, she unlocked a
doll trunk, taking out a tiny purse for coins, whose portly sides bespoke
some wealth within. She looked an instant at the blue dress and the silk
for feather-stitching, finding to her great relief that they had not been
touched. She locked them in