Little Folks Astray | Page 6

dressed in linsey woolsey, with a checked apron on,
she would still have been lovely. A white rose is lovely even in a
cracked tea-cup. But Colonel Augustus Allen was a rich man, and his
wife could afford to dress elegantly. Horace followed her to-night with
admiring eyes.
"They say she isn't as handsome as Aunt Louise, but I know better; you
needn't tell me! Her eyes have got the real good twinkle, and that's
enough said."
Horace was like most boys; he mistook loveliness for beauty. Mrs.
Allen's small figure, gentle gray eyes, and fair curls made her seem
almost insignificant beside the splendid Louise; but Horace knew better;
you needn't tell him!
"Horace," said Aunt Madge, "your Uncle Augustus is gone, and that is
one reason, you know, why I begged for company during the holidays.
You will be the only gentleman in the house, and we ladies herewith
put ourselves under your protection. Will you accept the charge?"
"He needn't pertect ME," spoke up Miss Dimple, from the depths of an
easy-chair; "I can pertect myself."
"Don't mind going to the Museum alone, I suppose, and crossing ferries,
and riding in the Park, and being out after dark?"
"No; I'm not afraid of things," replied the strong-minded young lady;
"ask Prudy if I am. And my father lets me go in the horse-cars all over
Portland. That's since I travelled out west."
Here the bell sounded, and the only gentleman of the house gave his

arm to Mrs. Allen, to lead her out to what he supposed was supper,
though he soon found it went by the name of dinner. Neither he nor his
young cousins were accustomed to seeing so much silver and so many
servants; but they tried to appear as unconcerned as if it were an
every-day affair. Dotty afterwards said to Prudy and Horace, "I was
'stonished when that man came to the back of my chair with the butter;
but I said, 'If you please, sir,' just as if I 'spected it. He don't know but
my father's rich."
After dinner Fly's eyes drew together, and Prudy said,--
"O, darling, you don't know what's going to happen. Auntie said you
might sleep with Dotty and me to-night, right in the middle."
"O, dear!" drawled Flyaway; "when there's two abed, I sleep; but when
there's three abed, I open out my eyes, and can't."
"So you don't like to sleep with your cousins," said Dotty, "your dear
cousins, that came all the way from Portland to see you."
"Yes, I do," said Fly, quickly; "my eyes'll open out; but that's no matter,
'cause I don't want to go to sleep; I'd ravver not."
They went up stairs, into a beautiful room, which aunt Madge had
arranged for them with two beds, to suit a whim of Dotty's.
"Now isn't this just splendid?" said Miss Dimple; "the carpet so soft
your boots go in like feathers; and then such pictures! Look, Fly! here
are two little girls out in a snow-storm, with an umbrella over 'em.
Aren't you glad it isn't you? And here are some squirrels, just as natural
as if they were eating grandpa's oilnuts. And see that pretty lady with
the kid, or the dog. Any way she is kissing him; and it was all she had
left out of the whole family, and she wanted to kiss somebody."
"Yes," said aunt Madge.
"'Her sole companion in a dearth Of love upon a hopeless earth.'

"If that makes you look so sober, children, I'm going to take it down.
Here, on this bracket, is the head of our blessed Saviour."
"O, I'm glad," said Fly. "He'll be right there, a-looking on, when we say
our prayers."
"Hear that creature talk!" whispered Dotty.
"And these things a-shinin' down over the bed: who's these?" said
Flyaway, dancing about the room, with "opened-out" eyes.
"Don't you know? That's Christ blessing little children," said Dotty,
gently. "I always know Him by the rainbow round His head."
"Aureole," corrected Aunt Madge.
"But wasn't it just like a rainbow--red, blue and green?"
"O, no; our Saviour did not really have any such crown of light, Dotty.
He looked just like other men, only purer and holier. Artists have tried
in vain to make his expression heavenly enough; so they paint him with
an aureole."
Prudy said nothing; but as she looked at the picture, a happy feeling
came over her. She remembered how Christ "called little children like
lambs to his fold," and it seemed as if He was very near to-night, and
the room was full of peace. Aunt Madge had done well to place such
paintings before her young guests; good pictures bring good thoughts.
"All, everywhere, it's so spl-endid!" said Fly; "what's that thing with a