The Chronicles of Rhoda

the worst," Norah cried. "He's as sharp

ing room, and stood regard

, Norah?" my mother

een after making a grand gingerbread for your lunch?

h, almost crying, an

e whole of it!"

read?" my mother repea

poking at him with a

n up in wrath, then little Trixie and I hand-in-hand, and Norah following behind us to see jus

me out of there! Dick! Do yo

ichard" things were ap

ther a good time. He brought a tin plate with him, and it was quite empty. There was not even so much as a crumb in it. My mother looked at h

istinctly, "I'd give him a good

ene fascinated, while my mother wavered between justice and me

am not going to be his mother any longer. I shall call him Master Richard,

own home! And not to have any mother! Little Dick's red, childish cheeks paled, and he lo

" he cried,

ard," she commanded.

ck wailed. "Oh, please, Mrs. Ha

of the room, leaving him behind. They all went away, she, and grandmot

ck never liked anybody to hug him, and it was very seldom that he cried. He dug his fi

If she ain't my mother

he mornings, and sometimes, when he didn't mean to play very hard, sometimes he wore it. He put it on now, and he put two clean handkerchiefs in his pocket, and his knife, and a red ball, and the knob off the machine drawer, and two rubber bands, and a wish-bone, and the little box out

ck! What are you go

ays masterful. But he didn't repulse me this time, so I kissed him on his ear, and rubbed my head against his shoulder, just to

nice things. I'll buy you some candy, and a pretty dress. And I'll buy you some

odded at him just to comfort him. I felt tha

heering up at the prospect. "Under the walnut-tree. And there'll be fathers and mo

you going, Di

face

the Green Door,"

reathed,

e vines were the thinnest there was a door,-a bright, green door, with a massive lock, and a huge key, and two great iron hinges. None of us children knew what lay on the other side; but there was something secret-look

see, brother

le!" he replied

that I could hear some one singing in the distance, a queer, elfish sort

er, run!"

both fled back to the house together, and we neve

and paused by the sitting room door. My mother was talking inside in quite a happy fashion. There was the buzz of the sewing-machine, and a murmur of conversation between her and grandmother, and once when she came to the end of a seam, once the machine stopped, and my mot

ood-bye," he said. "Don'

a little, but he di

and it any longer. To see dear little brother Dick go out into the world alone! Never to h

please, Dick, don't go away! Ta

, sister?" Dick d

ded a

er come back,

n the hall, the de

ick," I said,

kitchen. The hinges squeaked, and the gate came open with a rumble. It almost seemed as if my mother m

goat or two running about at a distance, and some very dirty ducks going home in single file. Away down the square there was a great red building, with smoke pouring out of its many chimneys,

gate, flattened against the fence, looking int

e had an old plaid shawl drawn loosely over her head, and a little bundle of shoe-strings dangled from her hand. She had the prettiest, brightest red ch

the street, but when she

m?" she said. "And h

little tighter, and

id in a chorus, just as our mothe

h me?" she asked, pleasantly. "Just a block

apron to play in, and Dick had on one, too, over his knicke

baby! Come, dears. Come! My little girl is sick. I

t us almost

them to come!" she exclai

hand and went up

said. "I'll go with

go, too, for he was the smaller.

lady!" the woman

s the rain had dripped from the roofs into sloppy pools on the ground, and the path was rough with fallen bricks and mortar. The woman was very careful of us. She showed us the cleanest way, and when the

e steps with a pail of soapy water

them kids, Becky

ss," our new frie

to bristl

in it," the other replied, c

k there,-so dark that at first I did not notice a bed in a dim corner, and a child lying on it looking

he bed, and gathered th

t the cheek of the child. "See the nice little lady and gentleman come to play with you. C

lieved. She hunted about under her faded shawl, and brought out some sticks of candy, the kind that taste of peppermint, and have beautiful red streaks that run zigzag around them. She generously gave eac

one," the mother urged, anxiously. "Oh,

ters,'" Dick declared, sp

, there being only two of us, but we went around and around in a solem

Salli

ut you

o the

o the

the v

ou lov

again from her mother's arms, where she had been wa

. "My own darlint! She's better! She's better already! They've done her mo

ked as if she could hug

ame is Amy," I announced, bashfu

rtily. "And without doubts you'll be b

er to-morrow,

Amy?" the mother

ck added, in his turn. "He's got red nostri

cibiades all around the room, endi

ride on the pretty horse?" the

th eager gallantry. "Doz

"Won't my Amy have a grand time playin

other to us. I almost thought that she tried to speak. Then she settled back again, and her eyes gazed off far beyond us

the little form

else!" she cried

erself to and fro on the edge of

hymn?" she whispered.

s to please our grandmother. We stood closer together, and sang with ful

ome for litt

e bright

us reigns

f peace

n earth i

with it

ryone i

be happi

room, but we sang on, earnestly, lin

nding by us. He motioned for us to be silent, and went on to the corner where the child

?" he said,

with a start. The red cheeks

father!" th

still on her knees, and la

o me I've tried and I've tried. You know I have. But it's no us

ming incoherent from grief, and sobbed wil

ren come from?" the pr

ned throug

. I thought if she were happier, if there were little friends of her own age about her, that I might coax her back again, get her t

oke off agai

ngs,-the knob off the machine drawer, the stopper of the cologne bottle, the ten missionary cents that were to educate the native child

he explained, wit

e watch, and drew

avely. "Tell her not to cry

n cried only

. On the way he asked us many questions, and I confided the whole story to him, of how little brother Dick had been naughty, and had eaten the gingerbread and had been disowned, and how we had started out into the wide world together. Somehow I was glad that we hadn't gone any farther. So

old priest said, seriously. "Remember that. And be good

vered over our he

Green Door himself, and went into the house

kissed us both, with all her old affection. Her fac

tle son?" she as

ms around me as we