Pearl and Periwinkle | Page 3

first, will you, if we can't love you quite so

much as her, 'cause the Fat Woman was very dear to me and
Periwinkle."
A sudden something gushed up in the heart of Miss Maise, the
something that makes the Fat Woman and the clown and all of us kin,
but it died down as quickly, and she only said:
"I shall expect you to be good children and obey me, that is all."
"Not love you?" asked her young nephew in surprise.
The hard look faded again from Aunt Hetty's face as she yielding to
such an irresistible entreaty, hesitatingly replied:
"Yes--yes, a little if you can."
CHAPTER II
PIGS, CABBAGES, AND--MR. ROBERT GREY
The day following the arrival of Pearl and Periwinkle at their Aunt
Hetty's home was Sunday. But the children were not permitted to attend
the church service since the time had been too short to procure suitable
clothing for Pearl. Miss Maise, feeling that she would be setting a poor
example in remaining at home herself, determined at least to attempt
the instruction of the children in their Sunday-school lesson.
Immediately then after the breakfast dishes were washed she called
them into the living room.
Miss Hetty did not know just how to begin. The children sat quietly,
regarding her with wide-open eyes, and under their questioning gaze
she felt rather uneasy. A cloth-covered catechism was lying on the table
and this she finally took up. Glancing at the first page opened she
abruptly asked her niece:
"Are you a Christian?"
Pearl gazed at her inquiringly, but gave no answer. Miss Hetty was

prepared for the worst now.
"Do you believe in God?" she continued.
"Yes," answered the child in a surprised tone.
"Who is He?" was the next question asked.
Pearl pointed a little forefinger upward. "Up there," she said in that
awed tone in which little children speak of God, no matter how limited
their knowledge concerning Him. And all of Miss Hetty's questions
convinced her that Pearl's religion was limited to the knowledge that
God lives "up there."
Periwinkle admitted that he knew little more except that their mother
had told them that God always sees them.
"And don't you know any Scripture passages, nor Bible stories, nor
your Catechism? and don't you know that God punishes children who
do not love His Word?" asked their aunt in much surprise.
"But we never heard him speak a word," cried Pearl in reply.
Miss Hetty gazed at the child in eloquent silence. Then she arose,
unlocked the bookcase and selected two books.
"Learn the first two pages by the time I come back," she said. "I'll leave
you for half an hour. I know no other way of helping you."
There was silence for five minutes after their aunt with an indignant
swish of skirts had left the room. Pearl was the first to break the
silence.
"Do you think this is much fun, Peri?" she inquired, looking up with a
puzzled frown.
"No, I don't. I don't understand it. The Fat Woman never gave us a
lesson unless she explained it first."

"Let's not study any more then. It's dreadfully hot in here and the air
smells awful nice comin' through the window. Just like tulips and roses
and several brands of perfume jumbled together. Say, Periwinkle, if
you opened that window ever so little I could just fly right out to that
yellow butterfly that's wiping his feet on Aunt Hetty's flowers."
Pearl's wish was always law to her adoring brother. He set her free, and
as soon as he saw her "flying away," he daringly raised the window still
higher and jumped out quietly himself.
Hand in hand they skipped down the street as noiselessly as snowbirds
in the snowdrift and as gracefully as two windblown leaves. Many
people were walking along the street, all dressed in their best clothes
and all going in one direction. Suddenly Periwinkle clutched his sister's
hand.
"Look, Pearl," he exclaimed excitedly, "there's that tall man with the
nice brown eyes, and the tan shoes who looked at Aunt Hetty so funny
at the station yesterday. Should we speak to him?"
"It would be nice of us," Pearl replied, and always accustomed to act on
the impulse, she called, "Howdy do, Mister! Why is everybody going
this way this morning?"
The man, thus addressed, stopped and, looking down on them with one
of those smiles of comradeship that won their hearts at once, replied:
"Why, hello! It's Sunday, you know, and we are all going to church.
Don't you want to come along?"
"Oh, Aunt Hetty wouldn't--she don't like my clothes, you know."
"I think they're real pretty," replied their new-found friend, smiling a
little because of their answer. "Silk aren't they?"
"Yes, trimmed with satin and snow-flake