Part 14 (1/2)

And off went the two little girls, with beaming faces, trying to make themselves useful.

”What shall I do?” thought Prudy, for every body was at work,--even Horace, who was turning the grindstone for the men.

”I'll dust the parlors, that's what I'll do. It does take aunt Madge so long.”

So, with the big feather duster, Prudy made a great stir among the books and ornaments, and at last knocked over a little pitcher and broke its nose.

”You little meddlesome thing,” cried aunt Louise, as soon as she knew it, ”this is one of your _days_, I should think!”

”I didn't mean to,” cried the child; ”I was trying to help.”

”Don't say you didn't mean to; you hadn't any business to touch the duster. I shall have to snip your fingers, I do believe.”

”Don't,” begged the child, ”_I'll_ snip my hands, _you_ needn't; _I'll_ snip my hands and get the naughty out.”

”They ought to be snipped from now till next Christmas,” said aunt Louise, laughing in spite of herself to see the little one set to work with thumb and finger, trying to do her own punis.h.i.+ng. ”There, there, go off, and be a good girl.”

Prudy's bright spirits rose again at these words, and she thought she would keep on trying to make herself useful. It was aunt Madge she wanted to help--good aunt Madge, who was so busy cooking for the gypsy supper.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PRUDY DUSTING.]

”I'll feed her bird,” thought the child; ”he sings as if he was hungry.”

Now aunt Madge had fed little Daffy before sunrise, and he was as yellow and happy as a canary can be. But silly little Prudy trotted off after a piece of sponge cake, climbed into a chair, opened the cage door, and swung the cake before his eyes.

Of course Daffy flew out, and one might suppose that was the last of him; but it so happened that the windows were not up.

Prudy ran, in great fright, to tell aunt Madge, and when she opened the door, the cat got in; and such a time as there was, you may imagine. Kitty rushed for the canary, aunt Louise rushed for the kitty, and aunt Madge for the bird. At last, Daffy was caught, and safe in his little home, with only the loss of a few tiny feathers.

”I'd give that child one sound whipping,” said aunt Louise.

”Let Madge attend to her,” replied grandma; ”she will do right, for she knows how to keep her temper.”

Louise said nothing, but she felt the rebuke; and as she left the room, there was a bright color in her cheeks.

”Prudy,” said aunt Madge, gently, ”you didn't mean to open the cage door, did you?”

Prudy remembered that she had been scolded before for saying ”I didn't mean to.”

”Yes'm, I did,” replied she, in a choked voice, ”I meant to do it a-purpose.”

”I'm really astonished,” cried aunt Madge, raising both hands. ”Then it's surely my duty to punish you.”

”You may,” sobbed Prudy. ”You may shut me up, and not let me have no dinner, 'cause I ain't hungry. I've been eatin' cake!”

”I think,” said aunt Madge, ”it would be a better punishment to keep you home from the party.”

”O,” cried Prudy, eagerly, ”wouldn't you rather snip my hands? You can snip 'em with a piece o' whalebone, you know, and switch me all over with a switch, and do _every thing_ to me, if you'll only let me go to the party!”