Grandmother Dear: A Book for Boys and Girls

'S STORY--(

ou live, t

IV., P

were all settled again,

urpose, stood the cup. I darted forward to beg my father to let me wait a moment, but just then, curiously enough, he had met a friend and was standing talking to him, and when I touched his arm, he turned rather hastily, for, as I told you, he had not been pleased with my way of replying about my grandmother. And he said to me I must not be so impatient, but wait till he had finished speaking to Mr. Lennox. I asked him if I might look in at the shop window, and he said 'Yes, of course I might,' so I flew back, the bits rattle-rattling in my pocket,

ther told me he was a Jew, and well accustomed to having his

ig-twenty schelling, that cup. Old lady bought von, v

all, and the old man shook his head. It was too little, 'twenty schelling,' he repeated, or at the very least, to oblige the 'young lady,' fifteen. I said to him I had not got fifteen-eleven and nine-pence was everything I possessed, and at last, in my eagerness, I nearly burst into tears. I really do not know if the old man was sorry for me, or if he only thought

NTY SCHELLI

and handed it back to me, leaving me in possession of

in my pocket. My father was just shaking hands with Mr. Lennox and turning round to look for me, when I ran up. Mr. Lennox, it appeared, was the gentleman w

iness had worried him, and it was that that he had been talking about to Mr. Lennox. He said to me that he was half afraid he would have to dr

y. He said to me, 'Why, Nelly, you were just now saying you did not care for going to s

uest. But I felt far from happy that evening at home, when something was said about my wanting to go again, and one of my brothers remarking that I must surely have enjoyed myself very greatly at my grandmother's, my father and mother looked at me kindly and said that their little Nelly liked to please others as well as herself. Oh how guilty I felt! I hated having anything to conceal, for I was by nature very frank

e. I stole across the room to the china cupboard, drew forward a chair and climbed upon it, and, in mortal fear and trembling, placed the cup on the saucer waiting for it. They seemed to match exactly, but I could not wait to see any more-the sound of some one coming along the ante-room reached my ea

ack from her, and again I felt my face get red. Why would people praise me when I did not deserve it? My grandmother, I supposed, thought I had come

w. It's holidays,' I said abruptly, my very honesty now leading me into misrepresentati

kindness, that I was deceiving my grandmother, which was far worse than breaking twenty cups. I felt quite provoked with myself for feeling so uneasy. I had thought I should have felt quite comfortable and happy once the cup was restored. I had spent all, or very nearly all, my money on it. I said to myself, Who could have done more? And I determined not to be so silly and to think no more about it-but it was no go

gain, would I then feel satisfied with my behaviour to her, and would I still say to myself that I had done all for the best in spending my money on a new cup? Would I not then rather fe

all about it,' I said to myself. 'I would not like to

r was very old. He replied, 'Not so very. Of course she is not young, but we

ry strong,' I said. 'She is very seldom ill

hough it was true that already I was beginning to love her much more than formerly, still my fath

ething would be said about my birthday present, and my brothers would ask me if I had made up my mind what I should buy with it, or they would tease me about my sudden fancy for spending two days together with my grandmother, and ask me if I was not in a hurry to go to see her again. I grew irritable and suspicious, and more and more unhappy, and before long those abo

lently, and to all appearance I fear, sulkily, got ready as my father desired. We had a very quiet drive; my father made no remarks about my dullness and silence, and I began to be afraid that something had been found out, and that he was taking me to my grandmother's to be 'scolded,' as I called it in my silly little mind. I glanced up at his face as I sat beside him. No, he did not look severe, only grave and rather anxious. Dear father!

n she said to my father she was so glad he had brought me, and she hoped I would have a happy day. And my father looked at me as he went away with a sort of wistful anxiety that made me again have that horrible feeling of not deserving his care and affec

-box-a wonderful box, full of every conceivable treasure and curiosity-and then, when I was a little tired with all my exertions, she made me sit down on a footstool at her feet and talked to me so nicely-all about when she was a little girl-fancy that, Molly, your great-great-grandmother ever having been a little girl!-and about the queer legends and fairy tales that in those days wer

he conversation; I leaned my he

iries now,' I said. 'D

Sweet-temper, and Lady Make-the-best-of-it, and old Madame Tidy, and, most of all perhaps, the beautiful fairy Candour. I laughed at her funny way of

ppen sometimes that one would be half inclined to

ked up

t of things, grandmot

a few days ago, was dressed-I am perfectly certain of it, for her dress was just the same as one I have upstairs in my collection-in a pale pink or salmon-coloured skirt, looped up over a pea-green slip-the picture of the shepherdess is repeated again on the saucer, and there it still is as I tell you. But the strangest metamorphosis ha

done no good-grandmother must know it all now, I could hide it no longer, and she would be far, far more angry than if at the first

oment, and her kind voice saying, 'Why

ew myself on the floor, crying out to

it, grandmother. When you told me not to open the cupboard, I did open it, and I took out the cup, and it fell and was broken, and then I saw another in a shop window, and I thought it was just the

child, how little you know me! But oh, I am so glad you have told me all about it yourself. Th

up my mind to tell it frankly. That was what had so disappointed her the next day when she had quite thought I had come on purpose to tell it all. Then when my father had come to consult her about the queer state I seemed to be in, she had not felt surpri

he told me the other had been bought by a little girl. Ten shillings was too much to give for it, Nelly, a great deal too much for you to give, and more

so much more if I had had it. You will keep the cup now?' I added. 'You won't make

e courage. And she explained to me that even if there had been reason for my fears, 'even if I had been a very harsh and severe grandmother, your concealment would have done no good in the end,' she said. 'It would have been like

lph and Sylvia and Molly, my darlings, remember this-even to the naturally frank and honest there come times of sore temptation in life, times when a little swerving from the straight narrow path of uprightness would seem to promise to put all straight whe

n too were silent for a moment

ther and mother all a

feel happy till I had done so. They were very kind about it, very kind, but still it was to my grandmother I felt the most grateful and the most drawn. From that time till her death, when I was nearly grown up, she was my

stroking her grandmother's hand, which she had

all s

and all her things were divided, I begged them to give me the pink cup. I might have had a more

would say that I may have that cup-will you? To remind me, you know, of what you have been telling us. I quite understand how you mean: that day all my brooches were broken, I did awfully want not

you. Don't mind her, grandmother. She just talks as if she had no sense sometimes. How can you, Molly?" she went on, tur

onishment, then gradually they grew misty,

o die, grandmother dear, do I? only we all must die some time. I d

uch a hurry to judge each other. And about the cup, Molly, I'll consider, though I hope and believe you will not need it to remind you of the lesson I want to impress on you by the story of my