A Great Emergency and Other Tales

Cecil. The only thing we found fault with in our

He had found a fat old book in the garret, bound in yellow leather, at the end of which were "Directions

handsome head with the dignified air which became him so well, that I had more than once tried to put it on myself before the nursery looking-glass, and said to me, "You are quite old enough now, C

ut his head into the nursery at three o'clo

, and so di

rt; "women are not expected to

ther my manner impressed Henrietta as much as his impressed me. She sat down again and only sai

now I'm very much obliged to you

there's not room on the benc

d flower-pots, would have held a much larger audience than he had invited. Opposite to it was a rhubarb-pot, with the round top of a barrel resting on it.

e experiments

are glasses of water at the missionary

I think he was rather nervous; but if we have a virtue among us it is that of courage; and after

ct in an

proud of being taught by Rupert, and anxiou

looked cross then, after referring to the book he answered me: "It's a fire, or drowning, or an apoplectic fit, or anything of that sort."

gn of good-breeding than

st attention, and Rupert had hesitated, the wind havin

s place. "Now we'll have one each time. The one

ing mill-dam, and I had once been very much frightened by a spring-tide at the sea; but cowardice is not an indulgence

f," Rupert continued, "but what to do

ier, and I gave a cheerful attent

l, and was brought ashore, and you were the o

at this was not the answer which Rupert expected, so I left the question to Henrietta's readier wit. She knitted her thick eyebr

ault; Charlie and I couldn

a's foresight, but

t table and the empty glass in his wrath. "Of course I don't mean a dead m

said," cried Henriet

pert bitterly, as he stooped to set his tab

etta. "Indeed, I only mean to do my best,

e dry and warm as quickly as possible, and placed in a comfortable position, with the head and shoulders slightly raised. All this seemed quite feasible to us. Henrietta had dressed and undressed lots of dolls, and I pictured myself filling a hot-water bottle at the kitchen boiler with an air of responsibility that should scare all lighter-minded folk. But the directions for "restoring breath

ith wet cloths to keep off the smoke, we crept on our hands and knees to rescue a fancy cripple from an imaginary burning house, because of the current of air which Rupert told us was to be found near the floor. We fastened Baby Cecil's left leg to his right by pocket-handkerchiefs at the ankle, and above and below the knee, pretending that it was broken, and must be kept steady till we could convey him to the doctor. But for some unexplained reason Baby Cecil took offence at this game, and I do not thi

of anything; but, really and truly, I was sometimes a little frightened-not of breaking my leg, or a house on fire, or an apoplectic fit, or anything of that sort, but-of things in the dark. Every

er did give up the lectures in a huff, though he sometimes threatened