Hatty and Marcus | Page 7

little blue eyes, and to hold him in your lap."
Hatty was delighted when she reached the nursery, to be allowed to
take the tiny being in her arms, and to hold his pretty soft hand in hers.
Meg and Harry seemed to think it was a very attractive sight to see
Hatty with the baby on her lap, and they left their soap-bubbles and
came to stand about her.
At this moment Aunt Barbara came in. She did not seem to notice
Hatty and the baby. Her eyes at once fell upon the bowl full of
soap-suds Meg had placed on a chair.
"Dear! dear!" exclaimed Aunt Barbara, "what are the children coming
to? Why, they waste soap as if it grew, instead of cost money! Here,
Meg, pour this away directly, and don't do such a thing again!"
"It won't help it to throw it away," said Meg. "I want to blow bubbles."
"Shan't have it! shan't have it!" said little Harry, holding tight to the
edge of the bowl with his little fat hands.
"Aunt Barbara," said Mrs. Lee, very gently, "I told the children they
might blow bubbles a little while this afternoon. Jane mixed the soap
for them, that they need not be wasteful."
"Its little use savin' in such a house as this!" said Aunt Barbara, and she
walked away as if she were particularly injured.
Marcus now came in to tell how happy and contented the chickens

seemed in the new coop. He saw some evidences of displeasure on the
faces of Meg and Harry, and he exclaimed, "I met Aunt Barbara in the
hall, with her indignation strut on. What's up?"
"Marcus, my son, I cannot bear to hear you speak in that way of any
old person, especially of Aunt Barbara."
"But she is too tiresome and provoking, Mother. If I want a piece of
twine for a kite-string she calls it wasteful, and--"
"Yes," broke in Meg, "and when I want to play tea, she won't let me
have a bit of milk or sugar,--that is, if mother is not here."
"Hush, hush, my children," said Mrs. Lee, with a look of pain. "Come,
sit down all of you, and I will tell you a story."
Marcus liked to hear stories as well as little Meg herself, and he
forthwith sat down on the floor, where he could look straight into his
mother's eyes.
Mrs. Lee began: "Once there was a little orphan girl, only seven years
old. Her father and mother died, and she did not know what was to
become of her. Now this little girl had an aunt, who was the widow of a
clergyman. This aunt had a little cottage of her own, and just enough
money to live quietly and comfortably by herself. She knew if she took
the little orphan to her home, she must deny herself a great many
comforts to which she had always been accustomed; but she resolved to
do it.
The little girl was very glad when she found that she was not alone in
the wide world, and she soon learned to love the kind aunt who did so
much for her.
Sometimes she was surprised to see what care her aunt took, that
nothing should be wasted; and she often wondered why her aunt did not
buy herself a new bonnet, or a new dress, which she seemed to need.
She did not know that her aunt had to practice so much care and
economy, to give her a home. By and by, when she grew older, she

understood all this, and tried to be like a daughter to the friend who had
been so kind to her. Her aunt's queer little ways only made her feel,
then, that it was for her she had learned to save even the shreds she cut
off when she was sewing. After the orphan girl was grown, she was
married to a very kind gentleman. This gentleman was so grateful to
the aunt for her care of the orphan, that he wanted her to come and live
with them in her comfortable home; but Aunt Barbara said--"
"There, there, Mother! you have let it out," exclaimed the children in a
breath.
"Don't, don't," said Hatty; "what did Aunt Barbara say, Mother?"
"She said, your old aunty is queer and notional, and maybe you would
be happier without her. No, no, let me stay here alone; I shall be quite
contented to know my little orphan is so well taken care of! It was of
no use urging Aunt Barbara, so we had to let her have her way. Now,
my children, you know how Aunt Barbara got her very economical
ways, and I hope you will have patience with her, for my sake."