My Young Days | Page 6

when she was my age, and told me that I should come back with
such rosy cheeks. And all the while I was thinking of the new
doll's-house that grandmamma would give me perhaps. The thought of
this took me back to Rosalinda, and I felt sure that Bobbie would let
her fall if I didn't be quick and go to him. So I said, "Yes, I will go,"
very much in a hurry, and was ever so glad to get away and run upstairs
again.
"Queer little fish!" I heard papa say as I left the room. "She thinks a
great deal more about the doll and Bobbie, than of the visit to
Beecham."
"Children never look far forward," was mamma's answer.
But I did look forward by and by. When dear Rosalinda was safely
tucked up in her cradle, and Bobbie and I had "time to think," as we
said, then we talked it all over. And very wonderful plans we made.
Such numbers of injunctions did I lay upon Bobbie, as to the care of the
dolls while I was away, that the poor little fellow said with a sigh, "Yes,
I'll try and 'member, Sissy!"
So I consoled him by the thought of all the presents grandmamma
would send him when I came back. In fact, I was to bring something
for everybody, so I thought. Two dear little rabbits for Bobbie, perhaps
a new black silk gown for nurse, a beautiful sash for the baby, and so
on, and so on.

[Illustration: SO NICE!]
The next afternoon Bobbie and I had our last feast. Do you often have
feasts? I don't mean cake and fruit, and good things at the dinner-table.
Oh no, I mean a real tiny feast all to yourselves, with the nursery-chair
unscrewed to make table and chair, with square paper plates twisted at
the corners, paper dishes with sugar on one, currants on another, rice or
raisins on another, and little doll's-house cups for the make-believe
wine and the real milk. Ah, that nice sugared milk taken in little sips
out of the oldest nursery-spoons! How well I can fancy myself now,
giving Bobbie his spoonful, while pussy looked enviously up at us?
Then it was that the bright thought struck me that I would bring home
some real Beecham kittens to puss, that would do quite well in the
place of those dear little lost ones, that James had taken away and
forgotten ever to bring back? Well, you know, all the preparations were
made, my pretty new frock tried on, all my kisses given, and all sorts of
messages sent home from the station, and in the highest of spirits my
first start in life was accomplished. What my feelings were when the
day came to an end, you know, so I need not tell you.

V.
LITTLE COUSINS.
So now you know who I was, where I came from, and all about me. Let
me, then, go on telling you about this remarkable visit to grandmamma.
You have heard all about those first quiet days, when I was all alone,
the only little thing in all the place. It was very different afterwards, I
can tell you.
You know Jane had told me all that was going to happen. Indeed, she
talked always very fast, and didn't mind filling my little head with her
opinions of my betters which was certainly a mistake. It was a shame,
she said, that my uncle, "the Reverend," should send all his children
here, while he and his wife went taking their travels and their pleasure
all about to those gay foreign places!

Grandmamma talked about it in quite a different way. She told me how
ill my aunt had been, so ill that my uncle had been obliged to take her
away from England for the whole winter. And she said that now they
had left the place on the beautiful Swiss lake, and were going to try
some German baths. Only they could not take the children there, so
they were to come and stay at the Park for a month or too, the while.
I thought this would be very nice, and I began to ask all sorts of
questions about Harry and Lottie, and Alick and Murray, and Bertie
and the baby. How funny it would seem when the nursery was so full! I
thought the day would never come. But it did. The carriage was sent off
to the station, and in due time it came back, quite full to overflowing
with children!
There was a good deal of shyness at first, when we all stood in a row,
and looked at each other, answering grandmamma's questions seriously,
and feeling very odd. But that was only the first