A Litte Princess

"the show pupil," the power that Lavinia and certain other girls were most envious of, and at the same time most fascinated by in spite

he sat or stood in the midst of a circle and began to invent wonderful things, her green eyes grew big and shining, her cheeks flushed, and, without knowing that she was doing it, she began to act and made what she told lovely or alarming by the raising or dropping of her voice, the bend and sway of her slim body, and the dramatic movement of her hands. S

up. It seems more real than you are--more real than the schoolroom. I feel

oking very much grander than she knew, she caught sight, as she crossed the pavement, of a dingy little figure standing on the area steps, and stretching its neck so that its wide-open eyes m

e kitchen, disappearing so suddenly that if she had not been such a poor little forlorn thing, Sara would have laughed in spite of herself. That very evening, as Sara was sitting in the midst of a group of listeners in a

he put on pieces of coal cautiously with her fingers so that she might make no disturbing noise, and she swept about the fire irons very softly. But Sara saw in two minutes that she was de

dragged after them a fishing-net woven of deep-sea pearls," sh

o was loved by a Prince Merman, and went to

r the spell and actually forgot that she had no right to listen at all, and also forgot everything else. She sat down upon her heels as she knelt on the hearth rug, and the brush hung idly in her fingers. The voice of the storytell

he work-roughened hand, and

s been listen

o her feet. She caught at the coal box and simply

rather hot

tening," she said.

her head with

mamma would like you to tell stories to servant gi

n't believe she would mind in the least.

evere recollection, that your mamma

aid Sara, in her stern little voice. Som

at Miss Minchin's--my other one knows everything. The streets are shining, and there are fie

nia, turning on Sara; "making

a fine bit of unheavenly temper--"you will never find out whether they are or not if you're not kinder to people than you are now. Come along, Lottie." An

who makes the fires?" she

orth into a flow

cked boots and grates, and carried heavy coal-scuttles up and down stairs, and scrubbed floors and cleaned windows, and was ordered about by everybody. She was fourteen years old, but was so stunted in

t by the table, with her chin on her hands

below-stairs calling, "Becky, do this," and "

thought she looked as if she had never had quite enough to eat. Her very eyes were hungry. She hoped she should see her again, but though she caught sight of

ing. There were a great many of them, and she had been running about all day. Sara's rooms she had saved until the last. They were not like the other rooms, which were plain and bare. Ordinary pupils were expected to be satisfied with mere necessaries. Sara's comfortable sitting room seemed a bower of luxury to the scullery maid, though it was, in fact, merely a nice, bright little room. But there were pictures and books in it, and curious things from India; there was a sofa and the low, soft chair; Emi

until, as she looked at the red coals, a tired, slow smile stole over her smudged face, her head nodded forward without her being aware of it, her eyes drooped, and she fell fast asleep. She had really been only about ten minutes in the room when Sara e

e her as if she were a cr

r a grand occasion at the seminary, though it occurred every week. The pupils were attired in their prettiest frocks, and as Sara da

r on her black locks. She had been learning a new, delightful dance in which she had been skimming and flying about the r

h a few of the butterfly steps--and there sat

tly, when she saw her

tell the truth, she was quite glad to find it there. When the ill-used heroine of her story wakened, sh

like to waken her. But Miss Minchin would be cro

colored legs, and wondering what it would be best to do. Miss Amelia migh

ed," she thought.

opened her eyes with a frightened gasp. She did not know she had fallen asleep. She had only sat down for one moment and felt the beautiful glow--an

put it straight. Oh, she had got herself into trouble now with a vengeance! To have impuden

nd like a big

stuttered. "I arst yer par

n, and came qui

she had been speaking to a little girl like

Becky. "It was the warm fire--an' me be

ly little laugh, and put

"you could not help it. Y

colded, and having her ears boxed. And this one--in her rose-colored dancing afternoon splendor-- was looking at her as if she were not a culprit at all--a

ss?" she gasped. "Ain't ye

t Sara. "Of c

sorry that she could scarcely bear it. One of her queer thought

only a little girl like you. It's just an ac

azing thoughts, and "an accident" meant to her a calamity in which some

" she fluttered res

r a moment. But the next she spoke in a different tone

?" she asked. "Dare you

t her bre

miss?

, opened it, and loo

drooms are finished, perhaps you might stay a tiny whil

emed to rejoice when it was devoured in hungry bites. She talked and asked questions, and laughed until Becky's fears actually be

t the rose-colored frock. And she asked it a

-frocks," answered Sara.

Covin' Garden, watchin' the swells go inter the operer. An' there was one everyone stared at most. They ses to each other, `That's the princess.' She was a growed-up youn

, "that I should like to be a princess; I wonder what it

her in the least. She watched her with a sort of adoration. Very

"weren't you listen

med again. "I knowed I hadn't orter, but i

you like nothing so much as to tell them to people who want to li

t her bre

ss! All about the Prince--and the little white Mer-bab

nod

hat time you come to do my rooms, I will try to be here and tell you a bit of it every d

d HOW heavy the coal boxes was--or WHAT the cook

Sara. "I'll tel

of the coal scuttle. She had an extra piece of cake in her pocket, and she had been fed and warmed,

n the end of her table. Her feet were on a chair,

only a pretend princess, I can invent little things to do for people. Things like this. She was just as happy