THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 /o
 
 VIO-LET'S FALL. -PAGE 9.
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 'GERTY AND MAY,' ' SUNNY DAYS,' ' CHILDREN OF THE 
 PARSONAGE,' ' GRANNY'S STORY BOX,' ETC. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY T. L. WALES AND OTHERS.' 
 
 GRIFFITH AND FARRAN, 
 
 SUCCESSORS TO NEWBERY AND HARRIS, 
 
 \VEST CORNER OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, LONDON. 
 E. P. BUTTON & CO., NEW YORK.
 
 The Rights of Translation and of Reproduction an' reserved.
 
 CONTENT s. 
 
 I. OUR WHITE VIOLET, . 
 II. EDMUND, .... 
 
 III. BABY BUD'S BIRTHDAY, 
 
 IV. THE ENCHANTED WALNU IS, 
 V. THE RAINBOW, . 
 
 VI. PUNNY AND FERKY, . 
 
 VII. IN THE HAY MEADOWS, 
 
 VIII. THE JOYS OF MEASLES, 
 
 IX. GOING TO THE SEA, . 
 
 X. THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS, 
 XI. THE DESERT ISLAND, 
 XII. THE PICNIC, 
 XIII. SAVED, .... 
 
 21 
 
 3 
 4 3 
 56 
 70 
 
 86 
 99 
 1 08 
 125 
 136 
 152 
 
 6287.*?
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 VIOLET'S FALL, Frontispiece 
 
 EOC AND THE WALNUT FAIRY, 41 
 
 VIOLET WATCHING THE CHILDREN AT PLAY, . . 73 
 
 GERTY OFFERING TO SHOW VIOLET THE HERMIT CRAB, 115
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 OUR White Violet was one of the dearest 
 of little girls. She was loved by every 
 one around her. 
 
 She was not pretty ; some little children 
 seem to think that that has a great deal to do 
 with being loved. But no, our White Violet 
 was not a pretty child ; she was very pale, and 
 had a plain face, which was grave, and almost 
 sad-looking, except when it was lighted up by 
 her sweet smile. 
 
 She was not clever either ; some little chil- 
 dren think a great deal of that too, of being
 
 8 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 forward in their lessons, and being quick to 
 answer, and of saying sharp, funny things. 
 Violet had none of this ; she was rather back- 
 ward for her age, quiet and shy, I daresay 
 some of you clever young folks might even 
 have called her stupid. But she wasn't that. 
 She was not full of life and spirits either, as 
 most children are ; she did not run and spring, 
 and scream out with joy and laughter at new 
 sights, or chase butterflies, or roll in the hay, or 
 join in her brothers' and sisters' games of fun. 
 Violet could do none of these things. She was 
 deformed. 
 
 Poor Edmund ! he will never forget the day 
 when, in the kindness of his kind heart, he 
 caught up his little pet-sister, his bright, bonny- 
 faced Violet, in the hall, where she stood crying 
 because she could not get down the stone steps 
 to the others, who were playing on the terrace. 
 Nurse was getting out the perambulator for her, 
 the darling; for the two-year-old Violet could 
 not go far yet on her ten little toes. Edmund 
 saw her in her distress pointing to the merry 
 ones at play below, and crying, ' Me too ! Me 
 too !' She stretched out her arms to him when 
 she saw him.
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 9 
 
 ' Come along, Baby Bud ! ' he cried, and 
 snatched her up, calling out to nurse, as he ran 
 off, ' I'll look after her ! ' But as he uttered the 
 word he missed the first step, and fell, Violet 
 springing out of his arms to the very bottom of 
 the flight of steps, where she lay on her back, 
 quite still, while Edmund's screams brought 
 nurse and all the children to the spot instantly. 
 Edmund's bleeding face, bruised and cut, fright- 
 ened the children more at the first moment 
 than that of the pale, silent babe; but when 
 they saw that she lay in nurse's arms without 
 moving or opening her eyes, a dreadful fear fell 
 upon them, as they stood round the step on 
 which nurse sat, almost holding their breath, 
 and not daring to speak. 
 
 At last Alice whispered to Jessie ' Is she 
 dead ? ' 
 
 All heard the question, but no one answered. 
 Nurse's tears began to fall. ' My lamb ! my 
 pretty one ! ' she cried. ' Speak, my darling ! 
 Look at your nursey ! Oh my dear little life, 
 what shall I do for you ? ' 
 
 ' How dreadful ! ' exclaimed Mildred. ' I 
 can't bear it ! Oh our sweet Baby Bud ! ' for so 
 they always called the little Violet.
 
 IO OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 'What will mamma say when she comes 
 home ? ' said Mary. 
 
 ' Oh our sweet Baby Bud ! ' cried the little 
 sisters together in a concert of weeping. 
 
 ' Edmund, you naughty boy, you've killed 
 her ! ' exclaimed Jessie. 
 
 ' Hush, hush ! ' said nurse, looking up for 
 the first time at Edmund, who lay sobbing 
 violently on the stone landing at the top of 
 the steps, where he had crawled after his 
 fall. 
 
 ' Make yourselves of use, dears ! Miss Mary, 
 go and call Ellen ; tell her to bring some warm 
 water and bathe poor Master Edmund's face. 
 And you, Miss Milly dear, run and tell William 
 to fetch Mr. Cowan to this poor darling, and 
 not to lose a moment say there's been an 
 accident. Oh, my dear baby ! Poor Mistress !' 
 And nurse's tears fell fast again, as she looked 
 at the little still form on her lap, so changed in 
 a few minutes, from a bright, rosy, laughing 
 child, to the likeness of death. 
 
 Off sped the twins, Mary and Mildred, on 
 their errands. 
 
 ' What can / do ? ' asked Jessie, in a vexed 
 tone.
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 1 1 
 
 ' Fetch Susan here to me, dear/ said nurse 
 kindly. 
 
 Meanwhile little Alice had crept up the 
 terrace steps, and notwithstanding her horror 
 at the sight of the blood, had knelt down by 
 her brother, as he lay with his face Chidden 
 in his hands, and put her small arm tenderly 
 round his neck, laying her head by his. 
 
 ' Don't cry, dear Eddy/ she said coaxingly ; 
 1 don't cry, darling.' 
 
 Edmund's only answer was his sobs. 
 
 4 Here's my handschif for you/ said Alice ; 
 1 so wipe your poor face, Eddy dear please 
 don't cry ! ' and she patted and loved him, 
 while her own little tender tears dropped over 
 him. 
 
 ' Here's Ellen come to bathe your face I'm 
 so glad ! Oh, the poor blood ! Don't hurt him, 
 Ellen, will you ? ' 
 
 Kate the cook came behind Ellen to see if 
 she could do anything. They bathed Edmund's 
 cuts and bruises, and helped him indoors to lie 
 on his bed; for he had injured his arm in trying 
 to save Violet as she fell, and it gave him great 
 pain. Alice crept up with them, and sat on the 
 bed by Edmund, trying in her dear little way to
 
 12 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 pet and comfort him, until, wearied out with 
 crying, he fell into a sound sleep, from which he 
 was only awakened by the doctor, who stood 
 over him with a troubled face. Alice was still 
 keeping watch by her brother. 
 
 ' Where are you hurt, my boy ? ' asked Mr. 
 Cowan. 
 
 Edmund could only think of one thing. 
 He hardly dared asked, ' How is she ? ' 
 
 ' Alive, but badly hurt, I fear/ was the answer. 
 
 Edmund burst into tears. 
 
 ' I was afraid she was dead,' he said. ' I 
 would have suffered anything to save her ! ' 
 
 ' I know you would/ said the doctor kindly. 
 ' Poor boy ! you could not help it. Don't fret 
 any more about it.' 
 
 ' Where is she hurt ? ' asked Edmund. 
 
 ' Her spine/ replied the doctor gravely. 
 
 ' Oh my poor, poor Baby Bud ! ' sobbed 
 Edmund, and buried his face in the pillow. He 
 knew what that meant. 
 
 ' Has mamma come home ? ' he asked pre- 
 sently. 
 
 ' Yes, she is with your little sister.' 
 
 ' Let me go to her/ said Edmund, trying to 
 rise. 'Ah, how my shoulder hurts ! '
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 1 3 
 
 Alice had slipped away to go to look at Baby 
 Bud. The doctor said 
 
 ' Come, let us see your shoulder.' He found 
 that it was badly sprained. ' You must stay 
 where you are for to-day,' he said, and he 
 helped Edmund to bed, talking kindly to him 
 the while. 
 
 The day passed sadly for the poor boy. His 
 little comforter Alice came back to her post 
 after her visit to the nursery. 
 
 ' Poor Baby Bud is on a pillow on mamma's 
 lap,' she said. ' And she makes such a sad little 
 cry, the darling! She won't go from mamma 
 for a minute.' 
 
 ' Is mamma very unhappy ? ' asked Ed- 
 mund. 
 
 ' She cries a great deal, and looks very white,' 
 said Alice. 
 
 ' Oh dear ! ' moaned Edmund ; ' I wish she 
 could come to me.' 
 
 ' I daresay she will soon,' said Alice, ' when 
 Baby Bud's asleep, perhaps. Shall I tell you a 
 story, Eddy dear ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, do/ said Edmund, glad of anything to 
 divert his mind; and though it was only the 
 rambling invention of a child of five years old,
 
 14 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 Alice's funny make-up of bogies and fairies, and 
 naughty little girls and boys, made him for a 
 time forget his grief, and even once break out 
 into a hearty laugh. ' Yours is rare nonsense,' 
 he said.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 EDMUND. 
 
 AT 7 HEN Edmund next saw his darling 
 Baby Bud, some days after her fall, 
 he was quite shocked. All the rosy colour was 
 gone from her dear little face, which was white 
 as a lily. Her large blue eyes had lost their 
 bright glance, and looked sad and full of pain. 
 She lay now always on a soft down pillow, for 
 she could not bear to be moved, her back hurt 
 her so. She moaned constantly, in a way that 
 it was pitiful to hear, and made poor Edmund's 
 heart ache. His tears dropped silently as he 
 saw her stretch out her little white hands to 
 him, and try to smile when he came in. 
 
 ' How glad she is to see you ! ' said Alice, 
 who had brought Edmund to her bedside. 
 ' Baby Bud ! it's your own Eddy, dear. How 
 she looks at your poor arm in its sling ! She
 
 1 6 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 can't make it out at all ! Isn't she pale ? She 
 shall be called our little White Violet! She 
 wants you to take her. Ah ! she mustn't be 
 touched. Poor Baby Bud ! ' 
 
 Edmund could hardly bear it. He stooped 
 over her and kissed her, and was turning away, 
 when he heard a little feeble voice ' Eddy.' 
 
 It brought him back to her side in a moment. 
 And from that time, in his play-hours, he was 
 hardly ever to be got out of his mother's room, 
 where the precious little one lay night and day, 
 in a small bed close to her mother's. He would 
 sit by her, singing nursery rhymes, and showing 
 her pictures, thinking himself well rewarded 
 with one little laugh or smile now and then. 
 His first thought in the morning was Baby Bud ; 
 and she always looked for Eddy after break- 
 fast, with the pretty flowers which he daily 
 brought for her from the garden. At night she 
 could not go to sleep without Eddy to sing to 
 her and soothe her. It was ' Eddy ! ' ' Eddy ! ' 
 all day long from the small weak voice; and 
 when he was by her, the poor little White 
 Violet seemed most to forget her pain. 
 
 It was a great comfort to him, who had so 
 unwittingly been the cause of her sufferings.
 
 EDMUND. I/ 
 
 He never seemed able to forget tJiat, and his 
 whole heart poured itself out in one great love 
 for the poor little maimed life. After a time she 
 was taken out to lie in the garden on a sofa, 
 and it was always Eddy who was to carry her 
 there. He it was who found the fir-cones and 
 horse-chestnuts for her to play with, and 
 brought her the first wild strawberries and 
 blackberries. His pocket-money was always 
 now saved up to buy something new for Baby 
 Bud, and the one thought of his life seemed to 
 be how he should make hers happy. 
 
 For many months poor Baby Bud lay on her 
 back in pain. It was a weary life for a young 
 child, and some little people that I know would 
 have been very fretful and complaining about 
 it. But from the first our sweet White Violet, 
 infant though she was, took up her cross 
 meekly. It was lovely to see her patience and 
 gentleness, which grew with her growth. It 
 was even surprising in such a tiny child. But 
 there was One who helped her no doubt He 
 who took the little children in His arms once, 
 who feels for every pain and trouble of the 
 least of His little ones. And when Violet was 
 old enough to understand this, and to be told
 
 l8 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 about that kind, good, unseen Father of hers, 
 she was glad to bear what He had laid upon 
 her. 
 
 There was nothing she liked so much as to be 
 read to, and to be told stories. How Edmund 
 racked his brain to think of something new and 
 funny to amuse Baby Bud! Mamma said he 
 was a walking story-box. Baby Bud liked best 
 of all the winter evenings, when her little couch 
 was drawn by the fire in the schoolroom while 
 papa and mamma were at dinner. Then Mary 
 and Mildred, and Funny and Ferky, and Jessie, 
 and Alice on Edmund's knee, sat round the fire 
 on low stools, close to dear Baby Bud, and 
 listened to Edmund's wonderful ' make-ups,' as 
 they called them. It was so nice and cosy, and 
 Edmund did invent such funny things ! I can't 
 help thinking that this long practice of making- 
 up stories for Baby Bud's enjoyment helped 
 him to become the famous writer that he is 
 now. Punny and Ferky were the two little 
 brothers between Baby Bud and Alice. Their 
 real names were Bernard and Percival. They 
 were the most mischievous sprites, and great 
 disturbers of the peace at story-telling time, as 
 they could not sit still for two minutes without
 
 EDMUND. 19 
 
 pinching and twitching and sparring with each 
 other, and were continually tumbling off their 
 stools, or upsetting the fire-irons, just at the 
 most interesting parts of the story, so that 
 sometimes there was a general outcry from the 
 little girls 
 
 ' Punny and Ferky, you horrid boys ! It's 
 too bad ! Do put them out, Edmund ! ' 
 
 And then Edmund would look very fierce, 
 and make a sudden pounce upon the offenders, 
 and threaten to lock them out, on which 
 Punny and Ferky, with comical faces, would 
 cry 
 
 ' We won't do it any more ! ' adding 
 privately, ' till next time ! ' 
 
 Punny and Ferky and Alice belonged pro- 
 perly to the nursery, but they were allowed to 
 come into the schoolroom, after the school- 
 room tea was over, to see Baby Bud, who was 
 always carried there at tea-time from mamma's 
 sitting-room, where she spent most of the day 
 as she was getting stronger. She did get 
 stronger when she was about five years old, but 
 she had still to lie down for many hours a day ; 
 and sad to say, in spite of all the care that was 
 taken, her little back was bowed out from the
 
 20 
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 effects of her fall, and a hump began to grow 
 there. 
 
 ' How dreadful ! ' I fancy I hear some little 
 girl say ; ' wasn't she very miserable ? ' 
 
 But the dear little patient Violet only said 
 meekly, ' GOD lets it come ! '
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 BABY BUD'S BIRTHDAY. 
 
 THE sun shone brightly on a lovely morn- 
 ing in June. The lawn looked so green 
 and fresh, all covered with sparkling dewdrops. 
 The morning glory, twining in and out of the 
 rustic trellis-work of the summer-house, had just 
 opened its beautiful, many-coloured cups. 
 
 But what are all the children so busy about 
 in the summer-house at this time in the morn- 
 ing ? They have not had breakfast yet. And 
 why are they making those long wreaths of 
 flowers, and ranging them all round the inside ? 
 And what are all those parcels, large and small, 
 done up so neatly, which are piled on the rough 
 table in the middle ? There is some wonderful 
 secret going on, surely ! 
 
 ' Here's the pen and ink, Edmund,' cried 
 Mary, scampering in. ' I was so afraid Ellen
 
 22 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 wouldn't let me take it. Oh dear!' in a voice of 
 horror, ' I've inked my frock ! What will nurse 
 say ? ' 
 
 'Bother nurse!' shouted Funny, as he rode 
 up and down the path on a stick. ' Who cares ! 
 Just like a girl, to be afraid of nurse ! ' 
 
 ' Master Funny, I want you ! ' said a solemn 
 voice behind him. ' You please to come with 
 me, sir.' 
 
 Funny's bravery was all gone in a moment. 
 
 '.No, nursey dear ! I won't say it again, 
 indeed ! I didn't know you could hear me ! 
 Please to forgive me ! it's Baby Bud's birthday.' 
 
 'If it wasn't Baby Bud's birthday I should 
 punish you, sir, for speaking in that way. She 
 would never say such rude words.' 
 
 ' But she's a girl ! ' persisted Funny. 
 
 ' Oh then, you're not sorry, I see ? ' said nurse, 
 coming nearer to Funny. 
 
 ' Oh yes, I am, I am, I am ! ' cried Funny ; ' I 
 beg your very humble pardon!' and he went 
 down on his knees and put up his two hands, 
 and made such a pitiful face for a moment, and 
 the next was laughing, perched up on the roof 
 of the summer-house, like a little monkey as he 
 was.
 
 BABY^BUD'S BIRTHDAY. 23 
 
 'It's lucky you're safe up there, sir,' said 
 nurse. ' Master Edmund, will you please to put 
 this little present with the others for Miss 
 Violet?' 
 
 ' O nurse, what is it ? what is it ? ' cried the 
 little girls. 
 
 ' A hood and cloak for her new doll,' said 
 nurse, who of course had to take it out of its 
 paper and display it to the admiring eyes of the 
 sisters. 
 
 'Now, Edmund, write on mine, please,' said 
 Mildred. 
 
 ' And mine ! ' 
 
 ' And mine ! ' 
 
 ' Mine first ! ' cried Jessie. 
 
 ' Don't be selfish,' said Edmund. ' I shall 
 do them by ages. Twins, where are yours ? 
 Alike, of course ! ' 
 
 ' Of course,' said Mary. 
 
 ' A pair of doll's shoes, and a pair of doll's 
 socks,' said Mildred, ' and we each give a shoe 
 and a sock.' 
 
 There was a general laugh. 
 
 It was a great joke against the twins, that 
 they did everything in twin, as they called it. 
 When they were very small dots, they were
 
 24 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 found one day by their mamma both together 
 in the corner, crying. 
 
 ' How is this ? both in disgrace ? ' asked 
 mamma. 
 
 'Only Miss Milly, ma'am/ said nurse. 'I'm 
 sure I don't know why Miss Mary's put herself 
 there.' 
 
 ' What Milly doos, I doos ! ' said Mary in- 
 dignantly. 
 
 It was to be hoped that Milly would always 
 do the right thing in future. 
 
 'What a time Hobden is, bringing out the 
 sofa ! ' cried Jessie in a fretful voice. ' The bell 
 will ring in a minute, I know, and it won't be 
 all ready. What a plague he is ! ' 
 
 ' Mamma said you weren't to say that word, 
 Whiney-Piney ! ' said Ferky unwisely. 
 
 ' How dare you call me Whiney-Piney, sir ? ' 
 cried Jessie. ' I'll slap you if you don't take care.' 
 
 ' Will you ? Then I shall call you a hundred 
 thousand million billion Whiney-Pineys ! So 
 there,' exclaimed the dauntless Ferky, at the 
 same time taking to his heels, for he knew very 
 well what was coming. 
 
 'Cut away, Ferky!' cried Punny from his 
 perch.
 
 BABY BUD'S BIRTHDAY. 25 
 
 If it had not been for the little glass basket 
 in her hand, her present for Baby Bud, Jessie 
 would have set off after her tormentor. As it 
 was, she only stamped. 
 
 ' How you children do fight ! ' said Edmund. 
 ' Can't you keep the peace for five minutes ? 
 I'll tell you what it is, now, and I mean it too 
 though it is Baby Bud's birthday, if there's any 
 more sparring I'll not let the squabblers come 
 to the story that I'm going to tell this evening, 
 after tea, in the summer-house ! ' 
 
 This dreadful threat had the desired effect, 
 and Edmund went on directing all the little 
 gifts for Violet without any more disturbance. 
 
 ' Here comes the sofa at last ! ' cried Alice, as 
 Hobden appeared in the pathway, with Violet's 
 little couch on his shoulder. 
 
 ' Here, in this corner, please, Hobden,' said 
 Edmund. ' Twins, will you fetch the cushions ? ' 
 
 ' Miss Jessie, will you please to come around 
 here ? ' said Hobden, after he had duly admired 
 all the decorations of the summer-house. ' I've 
 got a little fuchsia that I've been raring- for 
 Miss Violet, and I hope she'll please to accept 
 it. She's a sweet little angel, she is, and the 
 ways of the Lord are unsearchable that the>s
 
 26 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 are, poor lamb ! ' said the old man, going on 
 talking to himself, while he poked up the earth 
 in the pot with the little flat bit of wood on 
 which was written the name of the fuchsia, 
 ' Queen of Beauty.' 
 
 ' It is a queen of beauty indeed ! ' said Jessie, 
 as she admired the clusters of large white 
 blossoms, with their bright crimson centres. 
 
 'Take care of it, my dear/ said Hobden, 
 putting it into Jessie's arms. ' I'm bringing up 
 one for your birthday, again that comes round.' 
 
 ' Oh, thank you, Hobden ! ' Jessie felt sorry 
 that she had called him a ' plague ' now. ' He 
 isn't at all a plague/ she said to herself; 'he's 
 a very nice old man/ 
 
 ' Oh, this is grand ! ' said Edmund. ' We'll 
 put the fuchsia in the middle of the table, and 
 the other things round it. Make haste, there's 
 the bell ! ' 
 
 The twins came flying with the cushions at 
 this moment, and then all had to hurry in to 
 breakfast amid a chorus of happy voices. 
 
 ' How nice it looks, Edmund ! ' 
 
 ' Won't she be surprised ! ' 
 
 ' Mamma says we may pick whatever fruit we 
 like for our feast! '
 
 BABY BUD'S BIRTHDAY. 27 
 
 ' And we are to have a whole holiday, and do 
 exactly what we like ! ' 
 
 Baby Bud did not get up to breakfast. Nurse 
 always dressed her directly after, and then she 
 was generally carried down to her mamma's 
 sitting-room, or, if it was fine, into the garden. 
 This was Edmund's business. 
 
 ' Where are you taking me ? ' she said this 
 morning, as instead^ of going to her usual place 
 under the shade of the tulip tree, Edmund 
 carried her to the end of the garden. 'And 
 where are all the others ? I haven't seen them 
 yet.' 
 
 'Ah!' said Edmund, 'we shall see in a 
 minute.' 
 
 ' Oh, how lovely, how lovely ! ' was Violet's 
 delighted cry as he laid her on the sofa in the 
 summer-house. There were wreaths of flowers 
 all round, and a great V, made of red and white 
 roses, put up in front of her couch. The children 
 were all clustered round her in a minute, kissing 
 and hugging her, and crying, 'Look at your 
 presents ! look at your heaps of presents ! ' 
 
 ' First let papa have his birthday kiss, for he 
 has to be off,' said papa, who had to go to town 
 every day early. ' Here is something for his
 
 28 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 Baby Bud ! ' and he placed a beautiful work-box 
 on her lap, lined with blue, and fitted up with 
 everything coloured silks, and cardboard for 
 markers, and materials for all kinds of pretty 
 work. For our Violet was very clever with her 
 tiny fingers, and could knit, and sew, and make 
 patchwork, and all sorts of little affairs ; and 
 she had already hemmed a handkerchief for 
 papa, which no doubt put the thought of this 
 lovely work-box into his head. 
 
 1 Oh, thank you, darling papa ! ' cried Violet. 
 ' It's too beautiful ! ' 
 
 ' One more kiss, and I must go, my Bud,' said 
 papa. 
 
 ' Mamma's present comes next, please ! ' said 
 mamma, who had been standing in the entrance, 
 with something in her hand which was covered 
 with a white handkerchief. 
 
 'A baby doll! O mamma! mamma!' cried 
 Violet, uncovering the pretty little head of 
 flaxen hair. 'A robe like a real baby! What 
 a sweet! Blue sash, and ties for the sleeves! 
 My pretty baby ! Thank you, dear mamma, 
 this is Baby Bud's little Bud ! ' 
 
 Now came the undoing of the many parcels 
 on the table. There were all sorts of little
 
 BABY BUD'S BIRTHDAY. 29 
 
 treasures, and each was a fresh delight. Nurse's 
 white silk hood and scarlet cloak for the doll ; 
 the shoes and socks from the twins, which 
 caused a great laugh ; Jessie's pretty glass 
 basket, which she had bought with her last 
 pocket-money at the Crystal Palace ; a picture- 
 book from Alice, and a box of sugar-plums 
 from Funny and Ferky, who thought there was 
 nothing better in the world ; a pincushion from 
 Ellen the housemaid ; a marker from Sarah 
 the under nurse, and a Tunbridge ware box 
 from Kate. Hobden's lovely fuchsia too we 
 must not forget that. 
 
 ' But what is that chirping sound I hear ? ' 
 said Violet, suddenly looking up, and for the 
 first time seeing a bright golden-coloured canary, 
 in a new cage, hanging from the roof of the 
 summer-house. ' For me ! O Edmund ! ' as 
 he unhooked the cage, and put it on Violet's 
 lap. ' A real live dicky for my own ! I am 
 the happiest little girl ! I am quite fat with 
 happiness ! '
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 
 
 HERE'S a set-out ! ' exclaimed papa, put- 
 ting his head into the summer-house 
 at five o'clock. ' What's going on ? ' 
 
 The children were very busy laying out the 
 tea-table, and filling small plates with straw- 
 berries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants, 
 which made a most inviting show. 
 
 'It's Baby Bud's birthday feast, papa,' said 
 Mildred. 
 
 'And we're going to make real tea ourselves 
 all by ourselves ! ' said Alice. 
 
 ' Won't you invite me ? ' 
 
 ' O papa ! ' with an amused laugh. 
 
 'I think I shall come in the middle as a giant, 
 and swallow up tea-pot and all ! You've no 
 room for anything more, have you ? ' 
 
 ' Oh yes, papa ! '
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 3 1 
 
 ' Papa, what have you got ? ' 
 
 ' O papa, what is in that parcel ? ' 
 
 ' Papa, is it for us ? ' 
 
 ' O you very best of all papas in the world ! ' 
 as from the hand which papa had cleverly kept 
 behind him came forth a beautiful birthday 
 cake, sugared over. 
 
 ' Where's the little Bud ? ' 
 
 ' Resting, papa, till tea is ready.' 
 
 ' I shall go and see her, and join you all after 
 dinner, and we'll have some games.' 
 
 ' O papa dear, how nice t ' 
 
 . ' Now let us decorate the dishes with flowers/ 
 said Mildred. 
 
 It was all finished, and looking very pretty, 
 when a little later Edmund came out, carrying 
 his dear Baby Bud, whom he laid tenderly on 
 her sofa, covering her feet with a shawl. 
 
 They had a very merry tea, and Edmund had 
 enough to do to keep them in order. Indeed, 
 Punny and Ferky very neaily lost hearing the 
 story, they were so wild and mischievous, 
 putting salt on Edmund's plate for sugar, and 
 shrieking with delight at the face he made when 
 he put a strawberry covered with it into his 
 mouth ; and pinning the twins' frocks together,
 
 32 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 so that when they got up and moved away 
 quickly, there was a sudden rent, which filled 
 their faces with dismay at the thought of nurse. 
 
 ' Once for all, young sirs, I tell you this !' said 
 Edmund. ' If you don't behave yourselves, I'll 
 shut you up in the tool-house, to be company 
 for the spiders ! Now for the Story. Baby Bud, 
 you must choose what it's to be about.' 
 
 ' About boys,' said Violet, ' I like tales about 
 boys. And it must be a bogie tale, with magics 
 in it.' 
 
 ' Yes, yes ! ' cried the little girls. 
 
 ' Now, Baby Bud, you're a brick ! ' said Punny, 
 ' to choose the very sort I like best ! ' 
 
 ' She's two bricks,' cried Ferky, ' for it's just 
 what I like best too.' 
 
 'Pax!' said Edmund. ' Now, remember, the 
 first disturber goes into the tool-house ! My 
 story is called " The Story of the Enchanted 
 Walnuts." ' 
 
 ' Walnuts ! how could they be enchanted ? ' 
 broke in Punny. 
 
 ' Hush, do ! ' cried Jessie. 
 
 'We shall see ! ' said Edmund. 
 
 And he began
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 33 
 
 Encbanteb Walnuts. 
 
 Once upon a time there lived in an old castle 
 a nobleman who was called the Graf, and his 
 wife was called the Grafinn. And they had one 
 little son, who was called Eoc. 
 
 Now Eoc, let me tell you, was the naughtiest 
 of little boys under the sun. There was nothing 
 that he would not do, except what he was told. 
 He was the plague of the whole castle. He 
 once pinched the nose of the old nurse so tight 
 that it never came back to the right shape 
 again, but remained flat as a card ; and when 
 the Grafinn told him he was a sad boy, and shook 
 her head at him, he pulled off her wig, and put 
 it in the fire. As for Fritz, Eoc's little page, he 
 had a hard life ; for sometimes he was Eoc's 
 football, and sometimes his horse. And Eoc 
 would pluck out his hair by handfuls, and say 
 he was only plucking a goose ; and Fritz had to 
 laugh all the time, and pretend he liked it so 
 much! And everything that Fritz had, Eoc 
 would take away and keep for his own. One 
 day as Eoc and Fritz were walking by the bank 
 of a river which flowed near the castle, they saw 
 an old woman sitting in the doorway of a hut,
 
 34 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 with some very large walnuts in her lap, which 
 she was counting. 
 
 ' I shall have those walnuts,' said Eoc ; ' they 
 are big. Go and get them from that old 
 woman.' 
 
 So Fritz went up to the old woman and said 
 to her 
 
 ' The young Lord Eoc has sent me for your 
 walnuts. He wants them.' 
 
 ' He cannot have them,' she answered, and 
 went on counting and muttering to herself. 
 
 When Eoc heard what the old woman said, 
 he ran to her and cried angrily 
 
 ' Old hag ! give me those walnuts instantly ! ' 
 
 ' I cannot spare them,' she answered. ' For 
 shame to take them from a poor old woman ! 
 You have plenty in your own garden.' 
 
 ' Not so big,' said Eoc ; ' I must have these. 
 Give them me, I say ! ' 
 
 ' Nay,' said the old woman ; ' they are all the 
 food I have.' 
 
 ' What do I care for that ? I will have them ! ' 
 cried Eoc. ' See if I don't.' 
 
 ' I wish you joy of them if you get them,' said 
 the old woman ; and she got up and went into 
 her hut with the walnuts, and shut the door.
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 35 
 
 Eoc, in a passion, battered at it with all his 
 might, but could not get in. At last, finding his 
 rage useless, he went back to the castle, deter- 
 mined somehow or other to get the big walnuts. 
 He could not sleep in his bed for thinking of 
 them. And in the night, when all in the castle 
 were fast asleep, he got up softly, and creeping 
 out through a side door into the castle garden, 
 he got over the wall, and went down to the old 
 woman's hut by the water-side. 
 
 All was quite still ; no sound to be heard but 
 the rippling of the river as it flowed on. Eoc 
 stopped and looked in at the lattice. The big 
 walnuts lay on the ledge inside, and Eoc put in 
 his hand through the lattice-work. He could 
 just reach them. He took them out one by one, 
 and put them into his pockets; all but one, which 
 he could not get through the lattice, and so he 
 left it. Then he ran home as fast as he could. 
 
 But as he ran he heard very odd noises near 
 him, which startled him. He stopped and 
 looked round. There was nothing to be seen ; 
 so he ran on again. Still the noises kept close 
 to him. Again he stopped to listen ; and then 
 he found that the sounds came from the walnuts 
 in his pocket. They were jumping and bobbing
 
 36 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 up and down, and knocking against each other, 
 as if they were alive, and struggling to get out. 
 He put in his hand and thrust them down ; 
 but they resisted it, and jumped up again, and 
 clattered about like things bewitched. 
 
 Eoc was frightened. ' The horrid things ! ' he 
 exclaimed ; and snatching them from his pocket, 
 he threw them all away, and ran on as fast as 
 he could. 
 
 Still the noises pursued him, and looking 
 back, he saw, to his horror, that the walnuts 
 were coming after him, close at his heels. Giv- 
 ing them a great kick in his anger, he scattered 
 them all in the air ; but whenever they reached 
 the ground, they came after him again ; and 
 the faster he ran, the faster they jumped. At 
 length he reached the wall of the castle garden. 
 
 ' Now,' said he to himself, as he scrambled 
 over it, ' I shall be rid of these tiresome 
 walnuts ! ' 
 
 But the walnuts jumped over too, and pursued 
 him through the garden. 
 
 ' At least they cannot get through the door ! ' 
 said Eoc, and he darted into the castle through 
 the little side-door, shut it and bolted it, leaving 
 the walnuts outside.
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 37 
 
 He crept up to his bedroom, and as he entered 
 it he found them frisking and jigging about the 
 floor. 
 
 'Shall I never get away from these jumping 
 walnuts ? ' exclaimed Eoc. He opened his 
 window and threw them out, shutting it again 
 quickly ; but when he turned round, he found 
 them dancing on his bed. Then he locked them 
 up in his box, but no sooner had he done so, 
 than he saw them playing antics on the table. 
 He threw them into the fire, and they hopped 
 out again ; he stamped on them and crushed 
 them, and the next moment they were whole 
 again as before. 
 
 ' What is to be done ? ' cried Eoc in great 
 alarm. ' Fritz ! ' he cried, waking his little page. 
 4 Fritz, save me from these big walnuts ! ' 
 
 Fritz sprang up and tried to catch them, but 
 they would not let him touch them, and when 
 he tried to, they bounced up into his face, and 
 hit him so hard that he fled away terrified out 
 of the cattle, and never came near it again. 
 And when the day dawned Eoc was still waging 
 war with the big walnuts. 
 
 Nothing he could think of would put an end 
 to them ; water would not drown them, fire
 
 38 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 would not burn them, the earth would not hold 
 them ; when he buried them they came up again. 
 Wherever Eoc went, they followed up-stairs, 
 down-stairs, into every part of the castle, and 
 out of doors ; where he was, there were the 
 big walnuts. All day long he was running 
 away from them, and all day long they were 
 running after him. All night long he was trying 
 to hide himself from them, and all night long 
 they were peeping at him. If he put his head 
 under the coverlet, the big walnuts were there ; 
 if he put his head outside the coverlet, the big 
 walnuts were there. When he shut his eyes, he 
 saw them through his eyelids ; when he hid 
 himself in the dark, he still saw the big walnuts. 
 At his meals they ranged themselves round his 
 plate ; if he rode out, they jumped on the horse's 
 back and rode out too ; if he climbed a tree and 
 sat on a bough, they hopped upon it ; if he sailed 
 away in a boat in the water, they floated after 
 him. They were the torment of his life, he 
 could not get away from them. When he 
 walked, they walked ; when he ran, they ran ; 
 when he stood still, they stood still always 
 with him. And they got bigger every 
 day.
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 39 
 
 No one would approach Eoc ; the servants 
 fled away from him ; the Grafinn fainted when- 
 ever he came near her ; the Graf said, ' Our son 
 is certainly bewitched ! ' 
 
 Never was anything like it! Fitter patter 
 up the stairs, pitter patter down the stairs, jig 
 jig all day long ; everybody knew Eoc was 
 coming Eoc and the big walnuts, and every- 
 body got out of the way. And day and night 
 Eoc's cry was, '.Save me from these big walnuts!' 
 
 He grew thin and pale and sad, and all the 
 folk said Eoc would die ; and they wondered 
 whether the big walnuts would be quiet when he 
 did. 
 
 How many times Eoc wished that he had 
 never seen them ! 
 
 At last he thought within himself that he 
 would go to the old woman to whom they 
 belonged, and beg her to take them back. So 
 he set out for her hut by the river-side with the 
 big walnuts jumping round him ; and as he went 
 along they jumped higher and higher in the air, 
 and somehow his heart grew lighter. 
 
 But when he reached the spot where the hut 
 had been, it was gone, and there was a big 
 walnut in its place.
 
 40 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 Eoc sat down on the bank and wept : his 
 only hope was gone. 
 
 'Oh!' he cried, 'will no one save me from 
 these big walnuts ? ' 
 
 He had hardly spoken, when the walnut which 
 stood in the place of the hut opened, and Eoc 
 saw a little dinky woman sitting in it. She 
 said to him 
 
 ' I will save you from these big walnuts.' 
 
 ' Will you ? oh, will you ? ' cried Eoc. 
 
 ' On one condition,' she answered. 
 
 ' Anything ! ' exclaimed Eoc. 
 
 ' You must be shut up in a walnut yourself,' 
 said the little woman. 
 
 'Must I?' said Eoc. 'Is there no other 
 way ? ' 
 
 ' None,' she replied. 
 
 'Oh dear!' said Eoc, trembling. 'How can 
 I ? Will it hurt ? Shall I jump too ? ' 
 
 ' Ask no questions,' said the little woman. ' I 
 have no time to lose. Will you or will you 
 not ? ' 
 
 'I will!' cried Eoc. 'Only save me from 
 these big walnuts ! ' 
 
 Then the little woman sprang out of the 
 walnut, and grew suddenly bigger, and Eoc
 
 EOC AND THE WALNUT FAIRY. PAGE 40.
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 43 
 
 knew that she was the very same old woman 
 whom he had seen sitting at the door of the hut. 
 She seized Eoc, and doubling him up, squeezed 
 him into the big walnut, and shut him in. 
 
 Then taking it in her hand, she whirled it twice 
 round, and threw it into the air ; and it went up, 
 up, up, and fell into the moon, where it jumped 
 and hopped about, to the great astonishment of 
 the little moon-men who dwell in the hill-sides 
 there. How they laughed and shrieked, these 
 little elves, as they came trooping by dozens 
 out of their caves, to see the strange sight ! 
 
 Eoc heard their cries, and wondered where he 
 had come. 
 
 ' Aoh ! Aoh ! ' they cried, ' let us catch it ! 
 Aoh ! Aoh I The strange beast ! ' and they 
 began to run after the big walnut, as it went 
 jumping along. When it came to the ground 
 they shouted, ' Now ! ' and made a rush at it ; 
 but just as they reached it, with arms out- 
 stretched to seize it, up it popped again, and 
 down they all went on their faces, shrieking 
 'Aoh! Aoh!' 
 
 This happened a great many times, and the 
 little moon-men got very angry at being so 
 baffled. At last, with a loud shout, they rushed
 
 44 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 at it and threw themselves upon it, scrambling 
 over each other's heads to get to the top of it, 
 and keep it down. 
 
 ' We have it ! hurrah ! ' they cried. ' Aoh ! 
 Aoh ! the wicked beast ! ' 
 
 But up it went again in the air, with the little 
 moon-men on it, and they tumbled off head over 
 heels in all directions, spluttering, and crying 
 ' Aoh ! Aoh ! ' more fiercely than ever. 
 
 In a great rage they got up again, and ran 
 after the big walnut very fast indeed. They 
 chased it all over the face of the moon, and at 
 last caught it just as it came down on the slope 
 of a hill, and overpowering it with their numbers 
 they rolled it into a deep pit in the hill-side, 
 which had been there ever since the moon had 
 the small-pox. 
 
 Up to this part of Edmund's story there had 
 been wonderful quiet ; but when it came to the 
 moon's having the small-pox, all the children 
 burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. 
 
 'Well!' said Edmund, very gravely, 'didn't 
 you know that ? ' 
 
 ' The moon had the small-pox!' cried Mildred. 
 ' How could it ? It isn't a person ! '
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 45 
 
 ' Don't be stupid ! ' said Jessie. ' Don't you 
 know that there's a man in the moon ? ' 
 
 ' But it was the moon that had the small-pox ! ' 
 persisted Mildred. 
 
 ' Of course it was ! ' said Edmund. ' Why, 
 that's how the moon comes to be pitted all over, 
 as you'll know when you learn astronomy.' 
 
 ' Pitied !' said Violet wonderingly. ' Oh yes, I 
 see, because it had the small-pox, poor thing.' 
 
 'Just so,' said Edmund. 
 
 ' But I don't see ' - began Mildred. 
 
 ' Be quiet, can't you ? ' said Punny, giving 
 her a poke. ' It's the girls that make all the 
 row.' 
 
 ' I'm sure it isn't, then,' said Mary, taking the 
 part of her twin. ' Ferky, you horrid boy ! 
 don't ! ' 
 
 For Ferky had put a beetle on her neck, and 
 Mary could not bear insects. She began to 
 scream. 
 
 ' Now, I tell you what it is ! ' cried Edmund, 
 fiercely jumping up. But Punny and Ferky 
 both took to their heels and fled. 
 
 ' Good riddance ! ' said Jessie. ' Now we 
 shall have some peace ! ' 
 
 So Edmund went on (not in the least aware
 
 46 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 that Punny and Ferky were lying in wait close 
 outside, brewing fresh mischief) 
 
 Well, as I said, the big walnut was rolled 
 into one of these pits, and the little moon-men 
 hastened to fill up the pit with stones and 
 earth ; and then, satisfied with having avenged 
 themselves, they went back to their caves to 
 rest for the night. 
 
 In the morning, great was the surprise of the 
 little moon-men to see growing up out of the 
 pit which they had filled a huge walnut-tree. 
 The branches were laden with big walnuts, but 
 they were so high up that the little moon-men 
 could not get them. 
 
 Every night an old woman came to the tree 
 and pulled one, and as she plucked it, she 
 cried 
 
 ' Bleed ! bleed ! 
 For thine evil deed ! ' 
 
 and the tree bled where the big walnut came 
 off. 
 
 When a hundred nights were gone, there 
 remained only one walnut on the tree. The 
 old woman came as usual and pulled it; and 
 as she did so, the walnut tree groaned, and
 
 THE ENCHANTED WALNUTS. 47 
 
 cracked, and shrivelled up and split open, and 
 out of it came Eoc. 
 
 'So!' said the old woman. 'What "do you 
 think of it ? ' 
 
 ' Jolly ! ' said Eoc. ' Give me another toss ! ' 
 
 ' Willingly ! ' answered the old woman. And 
 she took him up and [threw him right out of the 
 moon, and he fell into the lap of the Grafinn 
 as she sat in her castle garden. And the little 
 moon-men peeped over the edge of the moon 
 as he fell, and cried 
 
 ' Aoh ! Aoh ! be a good boy ! Aoh ! Aoh ! ' 
 
 ' Aoh ! Aoh ! be a good girl ! ' cried a voice 
 outside, and at the same moment the little girls 
 had a shower of spiders on their heads and 
 necks, which Funny and Ferky had been busy 
 collecting. There was a general scream and 
 scramble, while Edmund rushed after the 
 offenders, and gave them what they deserved. 
 What this was, every boy who plagues his little 
 sisters knows !
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE RAINBOW. 
 
 IT was a dull, wet day. The windows looked 
 very ' tearful/ as Violet said, with the long 
 rain-streams chasing each other down the 
 panes ; and the garden beyond was still 
 more dreary-looking, what with the rivers in 
 the gravel paths, and the poor battered flowers 
 lying on their beds. 
 
 ' How horribly dismal ! ' said Jessie, as she 
 stood idly in the window, following the rain- 
 drops with her fingers. 'There's nothing to 
 do!' 
 
 'I should not think so, if I could move 
 about as you can,' said Violet. ' I should go 
 and make up a play with the others.' 
 
 ' I don't like playing with them ; they get 
 cross with me,' said Jessie. ' That horrid Ferky 
 pulls my hair, and Punriy pinches.'
 
 THE RAINBOW. 49 
 
 ' Why don't you paint ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' I've got nothing to paint ; and besides, I've 
 lost my paint-box.' 
 
 ' Wouldn't Milly come and play table croquet 
 with you ? ' 
 
 ' I'm tired of that.' 
 
 ' Well, a story, then ; I wish you would read 
 me one.' 
 
 ' I hate reading ; there's quite enough of 
 that in the schoolroom.' 
 
 Violet sighed. ' How odd it is, Jessie ! ' she 
 said ; ' the things that I should like, and can't 
 do, are just the things that you can do, and 
 don't like. I often wish I might come and 
 do lessons with you all in the schoolroom ; 
 and I always think table croquet must be such 
 a nice game, and wish that I could play at it.' 
 
 The little girls were silent^ach thinking 
 her own thoughts Jessie thinking how dull 
 and stupid it was to have nothing to do, and 
 Violet wondering why children so often had 
 just the things they did not like. She did 
 some little lessons every morning with her 
 mamma ; she could read and write very well ; 
 but the music, and drawing, and dancing, which 
 her sisters learnt, she could not ; and those
 
 50 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 were the very things she would have so liked 
 to do ! But Violet was learning one great 
 lesson, which was better than all these. What 
 was that ? 
 
 Patience. 
 
 There can be no better lesson for any one. 
 For we are told that if we 'let patience have 
 her perfect work,' we shall 'be perfect and 
 entire, wanting nothing' So I cannot help 
 thinking that the little Violet was really learn- 
 ing more than all her sisters in the schoolroom, 
 though she did not learn half the things that 
 they did. 
 
 'There's a rainbow!' cried Jessie suddenly. 
 ' I do believe it is going to clear up ! How 
 glad I shall be! I shall go in the garden.' 
 And away she ran, full of her own pleasure, 
 without a thought of her poor little sister 
 whom she was leaving alone. If Jessie was 
 dull on a rainy day, she who could do all 
 sorts of things to amuse herself, what must 
 Violet have been, obliged to lie down for so 
 many hours ? Jessie did not think of that. 
 
 Violet lay quiet for some time, watching 
 the rainbow as it gradually faded away in the 
 sky, and thinking how lovely it was, and how
 
 THE RAINBOW. 5 I 
 
 wonderful, with its perfect colours melting one 
 into the other. 
 
 When it was quite gone, and 'the sky had 
 begun to clear, Violet heard the merry voices 
 of her little brothers and sisters coming down 
 the stairs. They were going out in the 
 garden. 
 
 Violet hoped they would open the door 
 of the room where she lay and come in, and 
 say something ; it was so tedious to be alone ! 
 
 But no ; they seemed to have forgotten her. 
 The voices passed on, Funny and Ferky, Mary 
 and Milly, Jessie's loudest of all (Alice was in 
 bed with a cold), and then they died away, 
 as one after another the children ran out of 
 the hall-door, and down the stone steps, which 
 had been the scene of poor Violet's sad fall. 
 As Violet heard the little feet patter down the 
 steps, she thought of this, and she said to 
 herself, sorrowfully 
 
 'If it had not been for that, I might be 
 running out in the garden with them now! 
 How nice it must be to be free, as they are ; 
 and to be able to run and jump and play ! Oh 
 dear ! oh dear ! ' 
 
 The tears came into Violet's eyes ; it did
 
 52 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 seem so very hard to bear sometimes ; 
 especially when, as now, the others ran off 
 to enjoy themselves, and left her alone. Poor 
 little Violet ! They did not know, perhaps, how 
 hard it was to her. But there was One who did. 
 
 Just then Edmund came in with a roll of 
 pictures in his hand. 
 
 ' O Eddy ! I'm so glad you're come ! ' 
 
 ' See what I have brought you to do, Bud ! ' 
 
 'Oh, what?' Violet raised herself on the 
 sofa, and looked eagerly at the roll. 
 
 4 Do you remember my telling you about 
 the Hospital for Sick Children in London ? ' 
 
 'Yes, indeed I do. I am often thinking 
 about it, and wish I could send them some 
 things. 1 
 
 'That's just it!' said Edmund, undoing his 
 parcel. ' Look here ! I thought you would 
 like to make them a scrap-book.' And he 
 unrolled some sheets of brightly coloured 
 French pictures, scraps of all kinds boys 
 and girls, birds and fishes, soldiers and horses, 
 market-women and peasants, flowers and fruits. 
 Violet clapped her hands in glee. 
 
 ' How beautiful ! ' she cried. ' I shall like 
 doing it so ! '
 
 THE RAINBOW. 53 
 
 ' They must be cut out first,' said Edmund. 
 ' And then we will make a stuff-book, like the 
 one in the nursery.' 
 
 Violet laughed. 'Calico, you mean,' she 
 said. ' Boys call everything stuff I ' 
 
 'Well, calico, then,' said Edmund. 'And we 
 will have some paste, and stick on these things, 
 and won't the poor little children just like it, 
 that's all ! ' 
 
 ' Will they know that I helped to make it ? ' 
 asked Violet. 
 
 ' I'll send word,' said Edmund. ' Where are 
 some scissors ? ' 
 
 Then he drew a small round table close to 
 the sofa where Violet lay, and they both set to 
 work busily. 
 
 Violet was quite bright and happy again 
 now ; it was so nice to have something to do 
 for the little sick children ! 
 
 Edmund had been to the hospital once with 
 his father, and he had told Violet about it on 
 his return. 
 
 ' I have so often thought about those poor 
 little children since,' said Violet. 'Are there 
 any there like me ? ' 
 
 ' I saw one/ answered Edmund. ' A little
 
 54 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 boy. He was a great deal worse oft" than you, 
 though, my Bud. He was not only obliged to 
 lie down always, but he was blind' 
 
 ( O Eddy dear, how sad!' Then Violet 
 stopped short. She had never thought of such 
 a thing as that before. Suppose she had been 
 blind too ! How many enjoyments she had 
 which were denied to that poor little boy ! 
 What a small trial hers was, compared to his ! 
 How thankful she ought to be that she could 
 see ! see to read, to write, to work, to paint ; 
 see all the lovely flowers and trees, and sunrise 
 and sunset ; see pictures and pretty things ; 
 and, best of all, see the dear faces of those she 
 loved. That poor child had none of these 
 pleasures, which she enjoyed every day. His 
 world was dark. Violet did not speak for so 
 long, thinking of these things, that at last 
 Edmund said 
 
 'Are you dull, my Bud ? ' 
 
 'No,' said Violet, 'not now. But I was, 
 before you came in. And what you said about 
 that little boy has made me feel sorry.' 
 
 ' Why sorry ? ' asked Edmund. 
 
 'Because/ said Violet, 'I was unhappy at 
 being left alone ; and yet there was that
 
 THE RAINBOW. 55 
 
 beautiful rainbow for me to look at. I never 
 thought before how good it is to see! Poor 
 little boy, I could cry for him ! I wish he 
 could see like me ! I wish he could have seen 
 the rainbow ! ' 
 
 ' He will see one day,' said Edmund gravely. 
 ' It is only for a little while.' 
 
 1 Yes,' said Violet. 'And there is a rainbow 
 round God's throne ! '
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 
 
 VIOLET'S papa and mamma had gone out 
 to an archery meeting some miles off, 
 and had taken Edmund with them. 
 
 There was to be a grand 'high' tea in the 
 nursery all together, Miss Wilson, the governess, 
 being away. It was holiday time, and nurse 
 used to say she should be only too glad when 
 it was over. No tongue could tell the trouble 
 she had with all those young monkeys ; she 
 said it really was dreadful ! Miss Wilson did, 
 to be sure, keep them in some sort of order, 
 but there ! as soon as she was gone, they ran 
 wild! 
 
 Funny and Ferky were the chief offenders, 
 they played all sorts of tricks ; and Mary and 
 Mildred were generally in disgrace when they 
 were.
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 57 
 
 ' Hurrah ! I say ! mamma has given out cake 
 and jam for tea ! ' cried Ferky, rushing into the 
 room where Violet lay, still busy with her 
 scrap-book. ' Isn't it jolly ! ' 
 
 'Very,' said Violet 
 
 ' He only cares for eating,' said Jessie. . 'Just 
 look at him! He's got your paste-brush, 
 Violet. Ferky, don't, you horrid boy ! ' she 
 cried, as Ferky, in revenge, dabbed it in Jessie's 
 face. 
 
 'You shouldn't call me a glutton, then !' said 
 Ferky. 
 
 ' I didn't ! ' cried Jessie. 
 
 ' You did ! ' roared Ferky. 
 
 ' If the cap fits, wear it ! ' retorted Jessie 
 mockingly. 
 
 Ferky made no answer to this, but darted out 
 of the room. 
 
 ' Good riddance ! ' cried Jessie after him. 
 
 ' The same to you ! ' shouted Ferky, as the 
 next moment he appeared, holding up a sauce- 
 pan, which he had seized from the kitchen. 
 Jessie saw what was" coming, but he was too 
 quick for her. It was down on her head, and 
 over her face, before the cook, who had followed 
 Ferky after her saucepan, could stop him.
 
 58 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' If the cap fits, wear it ! ' he shouted, holding 
 the saucepan on, while Jessie's shrieks re- 
 sounded through the house, and brought down 
 nurse and Ellen from the upper regions. 
 
 ' Hurrah ! jolly ! look at Jessie's new hat ! ' 
 cried Punny, dancing about and clapping his 
 hands ; while Violet, frightened at all this 
 uproar, began to cry, and entreat Ferky to leave 
 Jessie alone. 
 
 ' You very naughty boy ! ' exclaimed nurse, 
 as she came in. ' How dare you be so unkind 
 to your sister, sir ? Come up-stairs directly, 
 and go to bed this moment ! ' 
 
 Nurse's tone put Ferky in a fright. He let 
 go the saucepan, and fled into the kitchen, and 
 out through the back yard, followed by Punny, 
 nurse, cook, Ellen, and, of course, all the 
 children. In the shrubbery they lost him. 
 Ferky had doubled and got back into the 
 kitchen, with Punny after him ; quick as 
 thought they locked the kitchen door, and 
 fastened the windows. 
 
 ' We'll lock them out ! ' said Ferky. 
 
 ' Famous ! ' cried Punny. 
 
 Then they rushed round to the front door, 
 locked that, and bolted all the windows.
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 59 
 
 ' Now let us get our tea while we can ! ' said 
 Ferky. 
 
 ' It's all ready,' said Funny. ' What rare fun ! 
 Won't they be angry when they find they can't 
 get in ! ' 
 
 Up went these very naughty boys to the 
 nursery, where the tea was laid out in grand 
 style. 
 
 ' I shall sit in Mrs. Nurse's chair,' said Ferky. 
 ' I say, the tea-pot's hot ! ' 
 
 He proceeded to pour out the tea, making a 
 great river in the tea-tray, while Funny seized 
 upon the pot of jam, and took out a big 
 spoonful. 
 
 ' Isn't it good, that's all ! ' he said, as he 
 plastered it upon his bread. 
 
 ' I like it best upon cake,' said Ferky, and 
 he helped himself to a large slice of plum cake, 
 and began to cover it with jam. 
 
 ' Give us some more sugar,' said Funny ; ' my 
 tea isn't sweet enough ! ' 
 
 ' What a wax they will be in ! ' said Ferky, 
 pouring himself out another cup of nurse's 
 strong tea. ' It's rather good fun, I think ! ' 
 
 'Yes, isn't it?' echoed Funny, but he did not 
 seem to be quite comfortable in his mind.
 
 60 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' They can't get in till we like ! ' said Ferky 
 presently. ' That's one good thing. Hand me 
 the jam, Pun. Have you done ? ' 
 
 1 Yes,' said Funny, whose heart was beginning 
 to fail him, as he thought of what was to come. 
 ' I'm not very hungry. I wonder what nurse 
 will do to us when she does get in ? ' 
 
 ' It's all Jessie's fault ! ' said Ferky stoutly. 
 
 ' She's the one that ought to be punished.' 
 
 ' Hush ! I hear something ! ' said Funny, 
 growing very pale. 
 
 ' Nonsense, they can't get in ! ' answered 
 Ferky, growing pale also, though, for he did 
 hear voices. 
 
 ' Hadn't we better hide ? ' said Funny. ' Oh 
 do, Ferky ! I'm frightened ! They are come in ! 
 Hide ! hide ! ' 
 
 'The linen press!' whispered Ferky. There 
 was a sort of rubbish cupboard under the linen 
 press, which stood in a recess in the nursery ; 
 into this they crept, among bags of old linen, 
 railway rugs, and blankets only just in time. 
 The nursery door opened, and in came nurse, 
 followed by Ellen, cook, and the children. 
 
 ' I made sure I should find them here ! ' she 
 said.
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 6 1 
 
 ' They've been here,' said Ellen. ' Look at 
 the things ! ' 
 
 ' They've eaten up half the jam ! ' cried Jessie. 
 
 'They've been at my tea-pot!' cried nurse, 
 in great wrath. ' Only let me find them ! ' 
 
 ' Let us have a hunt ! ' cried Jessie, who was 
 very anxious for the offenders to be punished. 
 ' Where can they be ? ' 
 
 Punny pinched Ferky, and squeezed himself 
 as far back among the blankets as he could, 
 trembling. 
 
 The search began. First they all went into 
 the night-nursery, and looked under the beds, 
 and into the shoe-cupboard, and the clothes- 
 basket, and the wardrobe, but there were no 
 boys to be found there ; then into the playroom, 
 which opened out of the night-nursery, but 
 there were no boys there. 
 
 ' They must be down-stairs,' Ferky and Punny 
 heard nurse say, and away flocked the whole 
 tribe back again through the day-nursery, and 
 out into the passage. Nobody thought of the 
 clothes-press. It was supposed to be full of 
 things, and to have no room for little boys. 
 Ferky drew a long breath when all was still 
 again.
 
 62 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 'I'm so afraid!' whispered Punny. 'What 
 do you think she'll do ? ' 
 
 Ferky did not like to think of that, so he 
 said 
 
 ' I don't know. I say, hadn't we better slip 
 out, and go into the garden ? There will be no 
 getting out if we don't go now.' 
 
 ' Yes, do,' said Punny. 
 
 ' Get out, then,' said Ferky. ' I can't move ! ' 
 
 Punny opened the door, and crept partly out, 
 but suddenly scrambled in again, exclaiming, in 
 a terrified whisper 
 
 'They're coming back! Quick, Ferky, let 
 me get in ! ' 
 
 He got back into his corner in haste. Ferky 
 pushed up the rugs and blankets to the front of 
 the cupboard, so as quite to hide them both, 
 and to leave a space behind for him and Punny. 
 But in doing this, he pushed the cupboard door 
 a little way open, without knowing it. 
 
 Then they lay crouched up very still. Some 
 one had come into the nursery. They thought 
 it was nurse, and they held their breaths. She 
 bustled about tidying the tea-table, which they 
 had left in a great mess, and putting the chairs 
 round, and poking up the fire.
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 6 
 
 Seeing the lower door of the clothes-press 
 partly open, she stooped down and looked in. 
 Then she closed the door, and turned the key in 
 it. The sound sent a pang through the little 
 boys' hearts. They were locked in ! 
 
 Funny nearly cried out, but Ferky caught 
 hold of his hand, and squeezed it very tight. 
 Then nurse went to the end of the passage, and 
 called to the other children to come up to tea. 
 
 While she was gone, Ferky whispered, 'All 
 right, be quiet ; she never saw us ! ' 
 
 ' But how shall we ever get out ? ' asked 
 Punny. ' It's such a squash in here ! I'd 
 rather go out and be whipped at once ; I don't 
 like it ! ' 
 
 ' Do be quiet,' said Ferky. ' I'll get Alice to 
 unlock the door presently, when nurse is gone 
 down.' 
 
 So Punny was obliged to be satisfied. They 
 heard all the children come in and go to tea, 
 and great were the grumbles at the half-empty 
 jam-pot and the share of the cake which was 
 left. 
 
 Punny and Ferky nearly laughed out loud to 
 hear Jessie's lamentations. 
 
 ' Where can they be ? ' said Violet.
 
 64 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 'We've searched the whole house,' answered 
 Milly. 
 
 ' They must be in the garden somewhere, or 
 the out-houses.' 
 
 'We've locked them out if they are,' said 
 Jessie. ' It's their turn now. I hope they will 
 like it.' 
 
 ' I'm glad they are not obliged to go without 
 their tea,' said Alice. 
 
 'And I'm very sorry,' said Jessie. 'It would 
 just serve them right.' 
 
 ' Nursey, what will you do to them when you 
 find them ? ' asked Mary. 
 
 ' They will see,' said nurse, in so dreadful a 
 tone that there was a general silence. It was 
 plain that she was very greatly displeased. 
 
 Funny and Ferky could hear all this, of 
 course, in their hiding - place. How they 
 quaked ! Ferky began to think it would have 
 been better if he had not gone quite so far ; and 
 Funny, poor Funny ! he wished from the bottom 
 of his heart that he had not joined in^ Ferky's 
 naughtiness. He dared not speak or move, 
 however, much as he longed to go out at once 
 and beg nurse to forgive him. When tea was 
 over, he thought 'Now nurse will be going
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 65 
 
 down, and \ve shall be able to get out. It is so 
 horrid to be shut up in here ! ' 
 
 Ferky was beginning to be of the same 
 mind. 
 
 The little girls were having a game at gipsies, 
 and the boys wished they could be at play with 
 them too. 
 
 ' It was rather stupid of us to get in here,' 
 thought Ferky. 
 
 ' How nice it is to play without those plaguing 
 boys!' said Jessie. Tm so glad they're not 
 here.' 
 
 'It is a comfort,' said Milly, ' to be in peace 
 for once.' 
 
 ' They are such torments,' said Mary. ' I 
 wish they were gone to school.' 
 
 ' You would soon wish them back again,' said 
 Alice. ' It's rather stupid to have no boys ; if 
 they only would not pull our hair!/ 
 
 ' Yes, and if they only would not fillip us ! ' 
 said Milly. 
 
 1 Nor boo in our ears ! ' said Mary. ' They 
 wouldn't be so bad then.' 
 
 ' Well, I think boys are plagues,' said Jessie, 
 ' and I wish the world was full of girls. That 
 horrid Ferky, to put a saucepan on my head!
 
 66 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 He hurt my nose so ! No one but a boy would 
 think of such a thing.' 
 
 Violet was now fetched by Ellen to go to 
 bed; and the under-nurse, who had just come 
 in, took Mary and Mildred away to go to bed 
 also. Ferky waited anxiously, in hopes that 
 nurse would leave the room ; but no, she was 
 sitting down to her sewing quite comfortably by 
 the fire. It was beginning to be serious j what 
 if she were to sit there all the evening ? Ferky 
 made up his mind that he would go to sleep 
 in the clothes-press. When nurse was gone to 
 bed, at any rate, he and Punny could roll them- 
 selves up in the blankets. It was rather dreary, 
 certainly ; but there were two or three chinks in 
 the cupboard through which the candle-light 
 came in, so it was not pitch dark. How quiet 
 Punny was! Could he be going to sleep? 
 Just as Ferky thought this ; he heard a little 
 snore close to him. He gave Punny a gentle 
 shake, which woke him ; but it put Ferky in 
 a great fright. He felt hot all over. What if 
 nurse had heard it ! 
 
 It did not seem so, however. She called 
 Alice to come and have her hair plaited, as 
 she would have to go to bed directly.
 
 PUNNY AND FERKY. 67 
 
 ' Will you put me to bed, nursey ? ' asked 
 Alice. 
 
 'Not to-night,' answered nurse shortly, and 
 began to do Alice's hair. 
 
 ' Are you going to look any more for Funny 
 and Ferky?' Alice asked presently. 'I am 
 so unhappy about them, nursey,' she added ; 
 ' I'm afraid they're lost ! ' 
 
 ' I shall take no more trouble about them,' 
 replied nurse, in an awful tone. ' They may 
 stay where they are, wherever that may be, until 
 their papa comes home. It won't be long first." 
 
 Ferky felt cold all over when he heard nurse 
 say this. He began to think it would be 
 better for them to come out at once, and throw 
 themselves on her mercy. As soon as Alice 
 and Jessie were gone to bed he would. Jessie's 
 hair was done next, and the under-nurse came 
 and took her and Alice away. Then the 
 nursery was so still that the little boys could 
 hear the click of nurse's thimble against her 
 needle every time she made a stitch. 
 
 It became more and more dreadful. Ferky 
 kept on poking Funny to keep him awake. At 
 last he could bear it no longer. He whispered 
 very softly into Funny's ear
 
 68 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' I'm going to speak ! ' 
 
 Then a little penitent voice came forth from 
 the clothes-press 
 
 ' Nurse ! ' 
 
 Nurse started, and then went on with her 
 work again. 
 
 ' Nursey dear ! ' 
 
 Still the thimble went on clicking against 
 the needle. 
 
 'Nursey dear!' two little penitent voices 
 now. 
 
 No answer. 
 
 ' Nursey, do let us out ! ' 
 
 There was a loud ring at the hall-door bell, 
 which made Funny and Ferky tremble in their 
 shoes. 
 
 ' O nursey, dear nursey, let us out this once, 
 and we will never do it again ! ' they prayed. 
 
 ' Never, no, never ! ' said Punny. 
 
 'We are going down on our knees to you 
 to let us out ! ' cried Ferky. ' Only this very 
 once ! ' 
 
 ' And we will be good ever after ! ' pleaded 
 Punny. 
 
 Nurse stooped down and unlocked the door. 
 How glad the little prisoners were to crawl
 
 FUNNY AND FERKY. 69 
 
 out ! They fell on their knees before nurse, 
 and cried humbly 
 
 ' Please to forgive us ! We are very sorry ! ' 
 Then they burst out crying, and sobbed. 
 
 Nurse said, 'We must talk about this to- 
 morrow. Come to bed now.'
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 
 
 PUNNY and Ferky did not go down to 
 dessert for a week. When the others 
 went, they stayed behind in the nursery, in 
 disgrace. Their papa and mamma were very 
 much displeased with them. The little boys 
 made many, good resolutions while they were 
 up-stairs, but it is easier to make resolutions 
 than to keep them. 
 
 It was lovely summer weather now, and the 
 haymaking had begun. There were two fields 
 called the Upper and Lower Meadows, just 
 below the house, in one of which the hay was 
 piled up in large cocks, looking, Violet said, 
 like the huts of the Lapps, dotted over the 
 grass. 
 
 Nurse got out all the large round holland
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 7 1 
 
 pinnies, nicknamed by the children 'Daddy 
 Ouashys,' from some old joke, and called the 
 children to come out to spend the afternoon 
 and have tea in the hayfield. There was a
 
 /2 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 clump of trees in the middle of the large 
 meadow, which gave a pleasant shade, and 
 here nurse brought out her work, and sat, to 
 see that the children did not get into any 
 mischief. Here, too, Edmund brought Baby 
 Bud's cushions, and made her a charming little 
 nest in one of the green hollows under the 
 trees, and then carried her out to it. He was 
 obliged to go back to his studies, but he gave 
 her a story-book to read, and spread a shawl 
 over her feet, promising to come out and have 
 tea with them all by and by. 
 
 Violet lay for a long time watching the others 
 at their play. It was almost better, she 
 thought, on such a warm day, to be a looker- 
 on than a sharer in such hot fun. Funny and 
 Ferky were taking flying leaps at the haycocks, 
 coming down on the top of them, and rolling 
 off again, while the twins ran after them, trying 
 to smother them in hay as they fell. Every 
 now and then Mary and Milly got the worst 
 of it, when Funny and Ferky pounced upon 
 them, and nearly buried them. Jessie and 
 Alice were chasing each other round and round 
 the haycocks, and hiding under them in 
 turn.
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. I' AGE 72.
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 75 
 
 At last Violet was tired of watching them, 
 and began to read. Nurse had gone in to see 
 about the tea. 
 
 ' How nice and quiet it is ! ' thought Violet 
 presently, laying down her book. ' I like the 
 gentle hum of the insects, and the tiny chirps 
 of the little birds, and the soft waving of the 
 leaves overhead, and the blue sky, with its 
 woolly clouds ! How good it is of God to 
 make us so many happinesses, and to give us 
 this beautiful summer to enjoy!' Then her 
 thoughts went on to the poor little blind boy 
 of whom Edmund had told her, and she felt 
 very sorry to think that he could never enjoy 
 all these lovely things as she could. She was a 
 very happy little girl not to be blind ! What 
 should she send to the poor blind boy ? she 
 asked herself. She should like to send him 
 something ; she had so many pleasures that 
 he had not. The scrap-book would be of no 
 use to him. What did blind children have to 
 play with ? Nothing ! 
 
 She cast her eyes down upon her book, and 
 it came into her mind that that was the 
 thing, the very thing a story to be read to ! 
 He should have her prettiest story-book, the
 
 76 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 one she liked best. It should go with the 
 scrap-book. 
 
 1 Having settled this in her mind, Violet 
 looked round, and wondered where all the 
 children were. She could not see one of them. 
 Perhaps they had sat down under the haycocks 
 to rest. 
 
 Nurse came out by and by with a basket, 
 followed by Sarah, the under-nurse, carrying 
 the kettle and some of the tea-things. A cloth 
 was spread in the middle of the grove, on the 
 grass, and four stones placed at the corners to 
 keep them down. Violet looked on with 
 interest, as nurse and Sarah put out the teapot 
 and cups and saucers at one end, the plates 
 round the cloth, and the bread and butter and 
 seed-cake in the middle. Presently she saw 
 Edmund coming down the meadow towards 
 the grove, with a basket in his hand, which 
 seemed to have cabbage-leaves in it. 
 
 ' I picked these for tea,' he said, as he put 
 the basket down by Violet. 
 
 ' Cabbages for tea ! ' said Violet. 
 
 ' Look underneath,' said Edmund. 
 
 ' Strawberries ! ' cried Violet, lifting up the 
 leaves. ' Oh, how kind of you ! What beauties !
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. ?/ 
 
 Nurse, please put them out on a dish ; quick ! 
 before the others come ! Won't they be 
 pleased ! We will make strawberry squash ! ' 
 
 ' Where are they all ? ' asked Edmund. 
 
 ' Yes, where are they ? ' said nurse, looking 
 round. ' I don't see them.' 
 
 ' Neither do I,' said Sarah. 
 
 ' In some mischief, no doubt,' said Edmund. 
 Til run down the field and find them;' and 
 away he went. 
 
 Now you must know that this meadow 
 opened into another, which went down in a 
 steep slope to the river. There were a good 
 many trees and shrubs along the bank, and 
 several bushy islands in the middle. In some 
 parts the river was very low, so that it would 
 not reach above the ankles ; but in others it 
 suddenly deepened into large holes, which 
 made it very dangerous, so that the children 
 were never allowed to go down there, unless 
 they were with Edmund or nurse.' 
 
 The following conversation had taken place 
 between the four little ones under one of the 
 haycocks in the upper meadow : 
 
 Ferky. ' I say, wouldn't it be jolly to go and 
 have a paddle in the river ? '
 
 78 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 Punny. ' Oh yes, rare ! let us ! ' 
 Ferky. ' All right ; come on, twins ! ' 
 Mary. ' Won't nurse be angry ? ' 
 Punny. ' Ha ! she's afraid of the cows ! ' 
 Mary. ' No indeed, I'm not ! ' 
 Mitty. ' Where are Jessie and Alice ? ' 
 Ferky. 'Oh, we don't want them ! come, 
 if you're coming.' 
 
 And he ran off, followed by Punny, and 
 climbed over the gate into the lower meadow. 
 
 Mary and Milly ran too, and they all raced 
 together down the steep bank of the meadow 
 so fast that they could only just stop them- 
 selves as they reached the river. Then they 
 went along the brink a little way, to find a 
 shallow place for paddling. 
 
 At last they came to a part of the river 
 which Ferky, as leader of the rest, declared to 
 be 'quite safe,' and they all sat down on the 
 bank, and took off their boots and stockings. 
 
 ' Let us put them all together in a heap by 
 this bush,' said Mary. 'Then we shall know 
 where they are, and the water won't reach 
 them.' 
 
 Then the children stepped into the river one 
 after the other. Mary and Milly gave little
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 79 
 
 shrieks as the cold water rippled up over their 
 ankles, and their feet slid about on the slippery 
 stones. Funny and Ferky pretended to be 
 very brave, and went plunging and splashing 
 about, until they both very nearly tumbled 
 over. 
 
 ' I'm rather afraid,' said Mary to Milly, as 
 they stood in the middle of the river, holding 
 by each other's hands. 
 
 'What of? 'asked Milly. 
 
 ' Suppose the fishes should bite my toes ! ' 
 said Mary. 
 
 'Hark at Mary,' cried Ferky; 'she's afraid 
 the fishes will bite her ! ' 
 
 ' Oh, what a Molly ! ' cried Funny. 
 
 ' Look, look at all those cows ! ' exclaimed 
 Milly, with a face of terror. ' They're coming 
 down to the river ! ' 
 
 The children turned to look, and saw a 
 number of cows running down the slope 
 towards them. 
 
 Mary and Milly screamed ; the valiant 
 Ferky set off as fast as his legs would take 
 him towards a little island in the bed of the 
 river; but Funny caught hold of. the twins, 
 and dragged them after him to the river's
 
 80 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 bank, a little way up, where they got behind 
 a tree. 
 
 It was the best thing he could have done ; 
 for the cows, being hot, and teased by the flies, 
 galloped into the water at once, and went 
 straight to the little island, round which they 
 stood in the water under the shade of the trees. 
 Ferky was cowed now ! 
 
 How fast the little girls' hearts did beat ! 
 They were dreadfully afraid of cows at all 
 times ; but now, when they knew they were 
 doing wrong, they felt much more fear, 
 because they thought perhaps the cows might 
 be allowed to toss them for a punishment. 
 
 They stayed under the tree on the bank for 
 some time, and then, finding that the cows did 
 not come out of the river, they crept along to 
 get their stockings and boots. They did not 
 want to paddle any more. 
 
 ' This is the place ! ' cried Mary. 
 
 ' They are not here, then,' said Milly. 
 
 ' Are you sure this was where you put them ?' 
 asked Funny. 
 
 ' Certain,' said Mary. 
 
 ' The cows must have eaten them,' said 
 Milly.
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 8 1 
 
 ' Nonsense ! cows don't eat boots/ answered 
 Punny. 
 
 'Where can they be, then ?' asked Milly. 
 
 'You must have made a mistake/ said 
 Punny. 
 
 ' No, I am sure it was this place/ said Mary, 
 ' for I know it by that white stone. They were 
 close to it' 
 
 ' What can have become of them ? ' said 
 Punny. 
 
 'The cows have taken them!' cried Milly, 
 looking down the bank. ' I see a boot it's 
 yours, Pun, I think just down there, close to 
 the water ; and there's another in the river, do 
 you see, by that stone ? And this is where the 
 cows came down/ 
 
 The children looked at one another in alarm. 
 The cows must have dragged the boots and 
 stockings with them as they rushed down the 
 bank. 
 
 ' There's one of the red stockings, Ferky's or 
 yours/ said Mary, ' caught on that stick. Don't 
 you see it flopping about in the water ? There 
 it is going now, going, gone ! ' as the stream 
 carried it away. 
 
 Punny crept down the bank and picked up
 
 82 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 his one boot, all trodden into the mud ; and 
 then made a dart into the river after the other, 
 which turned out to be one of Milly's. But no 
 more were to be found. 
 
 Milly seated herself on the bank and cried, 
 and Mary did the same. 
 
 1 You stupids ! ' said Funny. ' What's the 
 good of crying ? It won't get back your 
 stockings ! ' 
 
 ' Oh, what will nursey say ? Oh dear ! oh 
 dear ! what shall we do ? ' wept the little 
 girls. 
 
 'We must do as the pilgrims used to do,' 
 said Punny, determined to make the best 
 of it. 
 
 ' What was that ? ' asked the twins hope- 
 fully. 
 
 ' Walk barefoot,' said Punny, who had heard 
 this somewhere. ' I assure you they were very 
 noble people, and they walked barefoot over 
 all the lands.' 
 
 ' But we are not noble,' said Mary sadly. ' It 
 isn't noble to be naughty, so I don't think 
 nurse will take us for pilgrims. Oh dear, I'm 
 afraid to go back ! ' 
 
 ' What did the pilgrims do about the thorns? '
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 83 
 
 asked Milly. 'We shall get thorns into our 
 feet as we go back.' 
 
 ' Oh, they didn't mind,' said Punny ; ' neither 
 must you.' 
 
 Just at that moment the children heard a 
 voice behind them. 
 
 ' Oh, there you are ! ' cried Edmund, as he 
 ran towards them. ' How could you think of 
 going there, where you know you mustn't! 
 How very naughty ! Come away directly ! 
 Where's Ferky ? ' 
 
 ' On the island, guarded by dragons,' said 
 Punny, pointing to the cows. 
 
 ' Very naughty children ! you'll pay for this ! ' 
 said Edmund. ' Ferky ! Ferky ! come here, 
 sir, directly ! ' 
 
 Ferky was afraid to disobey. In great fear 
 and trembling, he made his way through the 
 cows to the shore. 
 
 ' Where are my boots ? ' he asked, as he 
 climbed up to the others. 
 
 Punny pointed to the river, which, as it flowed 
 on, was carrying them farther and farther 
 away. 
 
 'What!' exclaimed Ferky, with a look of 
 dismay. ' You don't mean ? '
 
 84 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 Funny nodded his head. 'Yes, I do,' he 
 answered. ' Gone ! ' 
 
 ' How ? ' asked Ferky. 
 
 ' Cows,' answered Punny. 
 
 ' Come along,' said Edmund gravely, tak- 
 ing a hand of each of the little girls, who 
 picked their way tenderly, and thought of the 
 pilgrims. 
 
 Punny and Ferky followed in silence. 
 
 When they reached the grove they saw nurse 
 and Sarah sitting at one end of the table-cloth, 
 Violet lying close by, and Alice and Jessie all 
 at their tea. 
 
 ' O Eddy ! do beg for us,' whispered the little 
 girls, sobbing. 
 
 ' Do, do, Eddy ! there's a brick ! ' whispered 
 two more little voices behind. 
 
 The barefooted ones came into the grove 
 ashamed and silent. Nurse's glance at their 
 feet told her all. 
 
 I don't know what she would have done, if 
 Edmund and Violet, and Alice and Jessie 
 had not all begged and prayed her to forgive 
 them. 
 
 She did forgive them so far as to allow them 
 to have their tea with the rest ; and kind Violet
 
 IN THE HAY MEADOWS. 
 
 gave them her shawl to sit upon. But directly 
 after tea, instead of staying out to have a nice 
 game in the cool of the evening, they had to go 
 to bed in the broad daylight.
 
 CHAPTER VII I. 
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 
 
 1 T ESSIE dear, what makes you look so un- 
 j happy?' asked Violet, looking up from her 
 book as Jessie came into the room and threw 
 herself into a chair. 
 
 ' I don't know, I'm sure. I'm wretched ! ' and 
 Jessie burst out crying. 
 
 ' Have they been teasing you ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' No. Leave me alone, Violet. I'm wretched, 
 I tell you ! ' 
 
 ' I'm so sorry,' said Violet kindly. She did 
 not know what else to say. She went on read- 
 ing her book in silence. 
 
 ' How unkind you are ! ' exclaimed Jessie 
 presently. ' Didn't I tell you I was wretched ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, dear,' said Violet. ' Can I do anything 
 for you ? ' 
 
 ' Of course you can't ! ' said Jessie peevishly. 
 
 86
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 87 
 
 Again Violet was silent, turning over in her 
 mind what she could possibly say to Jessie to 
 prevent her being wretched. 
 
 ' Would you like to hear this tale about the 
 ugly duck ? ' she asked at last. ' I'll begin it 
 again if you would. It's so pretty.' 
 
 ' No, my head aches,' said Jessie crossly. 
 
 ' Hadn't you better lie down ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' I can't,' said Jessie. ' How you tease ! Oh 
 dear, I feel so sick ! ' 
 
 ' I think you must be ill,' said Violet gently. 
 
 ' Of course I am ! ' answered Jessie. ' You 
 might know that ! ' 
 
 ' Won't you tell mamma ? ' 
 
 ' What ! and have a horrid dose ? No, thank 
 you ! ' 
 
 ' I'm sure you ought,' said Violet. 
 
 1 Uo be quiet ! ' returned Jessie fractiously. 
 'Oh dear, I feel so wretched ! What shall I do ! 
 
 She looked flushed, and her eyes were dull 
 and heavy. Every few minutes she kept sneez- 
 ing, and then she cried because ^she couldn't 
 help it, and it was so tiresome ! 
 
 Her mamma came in soon, to Violet's great 
 relief. She saw at once that Jessie was not 
 well, and sent for nurse.
 
 88 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' She has been sneezing all this morning like 
 this, ma'am/ said nurse. ' I think she must be 
 sickening for measles. They're very much 
 about.' 
 
 Mamma gave a sigh as she thought of the 
 sick house there would be if this were the case. 
 Edmund was the only one who had had the 
 measles, so all the rest would, most likely take 
 them. 
 
 ' You had better put Miss Jessie to bed,' she 
 said to nurse. 
 
 'Why, mamma?' whined Jessie. 'I don't 
 want to go to bed.' 
 
 ' It is better for you,' said her mamma ; ' and 
 I wish it that is enough,' and she went out of 
 the room. 
 
 Jessie set up a howl. 'I don't want to go/ 
 she cried. ' I don't want to go ! ' 
 
 ' Come, Miss Jessie/ said nurse. ' Be a good 
 child, now. You are so poorly you don't know 
 what to do. You will be much better in bed.' 
 And she took hold of Jessie's hand. 
 
 Jessie pulled away from her, and struggled, 
 and screamed, ' I shan't ! I shan't ! ' but nurse 
 caught her up, and carried her off. 
 
 Jessie did not leave her bedroom again for a
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 89 
 
 good many days. After a day or two Alice 
 joined her there, and Mary and Mildred came 
 in before the end of the week. Nurse and 
 mamma had enough to do ; it was quite a 
 hospital. Funny's and Ferky's turn came next, 
 and last of all, Baby Bud. She was in her 
 mother's room, Funny and Ferky in the 
 nursery, and the four little girls in their room ; 
 so mamma went from one to the other in turn, 
 with her little comforts, and Edmund with 
 stories. The sick children could not settle 
 which they liked best, the lemonade and fruit, 
 or the tales. 
 
 It was curious to see how the children's 
 characters showed themselves in their illness. 
 
 Jessie, the discontented, was more fretful 
 than ever, and so cross that the others could 
 hardly speak to her. She was ill longer than 
 any of them, and both mamma and nurse 
 thought her ill-temper and wilfulness were 
 partly the cause of her getting well so slowly. 
 She grumbled and whined at everything, 
 cried when she was hungry, and cried when she 
 ate, because it hurt her to swallow, cried to 
 have a book to read, and then cried because 
 reading gave her a headache, cried to sit up,
 
 9O OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 and cried because it tired her back, and made 
 more fuss over her medicine than all the rest 
 put together. She certainly deserved the name 
 of Whiney-Piney now. 
 
 Gentle little Alice was very different. She 
 was always patient and cheerful, took her 
 medicine quietly from nurse's hand, sat up 
 directly and drank it without a word I will 
 not say without a face, for that would be 
 expecting too much. Her little weak 'Thank 
 you!' was always to be heard when anything 
 was done for her, whether she liked it or not. 
 For she remembered that everything that 
 others did for her was done to make her better, 
 and she felt grateful to them. If mamma 
 brought in the lemonade, it was 
 
 'Please give it to Milly first,' or, 'Jessie has 
 been wanting some, mamma dear ; I'm so glad 
 you're come ! ' 
 
 Alice's cough teased her dreadfully ; at night 
 it was very troublesome, and kept her awake. 
 Jessie was quite angry with poor Alice one 
 night, and scolded her for disturbing her. 
 
 The four little beds were in a row, Alice's 
 being next to Jessie's, with a chair between. 
 Alice's only answer was
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 9 1 
 
 'I'm so sorry, dear!' and then she put her 
 head under the bed-clothes, and tried to 
 smother her cough until she was nearly choking. 
 After all her care, it burst out again louder than 
 ever, and Jessie said crossly 
 
 ' Bother ! how tiresome you are ! Just as I 
 was going to sleep ! ' 
 
 ' I wish I could help it, indeed,' said Alice. 
 ' It does hurt me so ! ' 
 
 Selfish Jessie did not care about this ; she 
 only thought of her own discomfort at being 
 roused up, and of how hard it was that she 
 should be kept awake by Alice's cough. She 
 did not think anything of waking up Alice to 
 reach her the lemonade when she was thirsty 
 afterwards in the night, and Alice had just 
 dropped asleep. How selfish we may be in 
 those little ways, just for want of feeling for 
 others ! 
 
 The twins were not as ill as Jessie and Alice. 
 They had a slight attack, and were up first, 
 though not allowed to go out of the room for 
 fear of catching cold. They thought it rather 
 good fun to be ill, and to be coddled up stairs ; 
 and especially they liked having tea at the 
 little round table by the fire, and carrying it to
 
 92 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 the two invalids orf two little trays, and making 
 their toast. 
 
 One very happy day came at last, when 
 Violet, wrapped up in a large shawl, was 
 carried into the little girls' room by Edmund, 
 and laid on a sofa by the fire; and presently 
 nurse and Sarah came in, each with another 
 bundle in a blanket, out of which came Punny 
 and Ferky, who were set down in their two 
 little chairs on the other side. It was such a 
 joyful meeting ! One would have thought they 
 had been parted for a year at least ! Alice and 
 Jessie were up and dressed, and they were all 
 to have tea together. Edmund had promised 
 to come in after tea, and tell them a story, to 
 which they were all looking forward with delight. 
 
 ' How pale you look, you poor Pun ! ' said 
 Alice pityingly. 
 
 ' And how thin Ferky 's face has grown ! ' said 
 Milly. 
 
 ' How did you like having the measles ! ' 
 asked Mary. 
 
 'Oh, very well!' answered Punny. 'Ferky 
 and I played all sorts of games, you know. Of 
 course we weren't going to stop playing, just 
 because we were ill.'
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 93 
 
 ' What did you play ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' Oh, Red Riding Hood and the wolf, for 
 one thing,' said Ferky. 'Pun put on nurse's 
 night-cap ; didn't he look a guy in it, 
 just ! ' 
 
 They all laughed. 
 
 ' He hasn't eaten you, though/ said Jessie. 
 
 ' He thought I should disagree with him, 
 you see,' said Ferky. 
 
 ' Now tell us another,' said Milly. ' I wish 
 we had thought of these plays. We've been 
 so dull sometimes.' 
 
 'Well, then, we played at going to the 
 dentist,' said Punny. ' That was such fun ! I 
 cribbed the sugar-tongs, nurse's old-fashioned 
 silver ones, you know, when she wasn't looking ; 
 and how she did hunt about for them ! We 
 laughed so, we had got them under the pillow ; 
 and when she was gone into the other room 
 to look for them, I began to be Mr. Kohls, 
 and Ferky screamed so, that nurse came 
 running in, and we popped under the clothes, 
 forgetting all about the sugar-tongs, which I 
 had dropped on the bed. Didn't we catch it ! 
 She called us Turks. I always know that she 
 is very angry when she calls us that.'
 
 94 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' That's a very good play, 5 said Alice. 
 
 ' How horrid it must be to pull out teeth 
 really, though!' said Milly. 'I shouldn't like 
 to be a tooth-man.' 
 
 ' Much worse to have them pulled out,' said 
 Violet. 
 
 Mary said nothing. If you could have 
 looked at her, you would have seen that a 
 bright colour had come up in her pale face, 
 and she did not even seem amused. Would 
 you like to know why ? There was a stray 
 tooth in that little mouth which had pushed 
 itself up without being asked, where there was 
 no room for it; and Mary had heard nurse 
 say to her mamma in a low voice something 
 about going to Mr. Kohls' one day just before 
 she was ill. She had been in a fright ever 
 since. If teeth would only go down again 
 sometimes, for a change, instead of coming 
 up! She quite dreaded to get well. So now 
 you see why this history of Funny's did not 
 amuse her. 
 
 They had a very merry tea. Mamma had 
 sent them up sponge cakes and fruit ; and 
 they all agreed that it was rather a good thing 
 to be ill.
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 95 
 
 By and by Edmund's voice was heard out- 
 side 
 
 ' Open the door, open wide, that I may bring 
 a bogie inside ! ' 
 
 There was a general rush to the door, and 
 Edmund came in carrying a large box, which 
 he put down in the middle of the room. 
 
 ' O Eddy, what have you got ? What is it ? 
 Is it for us ? Where did it come from ? ' and 
 many more such questions were showered on 
 him before he had time to answer. 
 
 'All I know is, that it has just come, and is 
 directed to the Misses and Masters Douglas. 
 Some good fairy, no doubt ! ' 
 
 ' It is for us ! ' they cried. ' Open it quick, 
 Eddy, please ! What can it be ? ' 
 
 ' Mamma is coming up,' said Edmund. 'We 
 must wait for her. I will go and find a chisel 
 and hammer.' 
 
 Oh, the joy ! the impatience ! can you imagine 
 what it was like, during those few minutes 
 while Edmund was away ? They hardly knew 
 how to wait. 
 
 They were all sitting on the floor round the 
 box when he came back with their mamma. 
 She smiled to see their eagerness.
 
 96 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 The lid was quickly raised, and there appeared 
 a number of parcels of all sizes wrapped in 
 paper, and directed to the different children, 
 who all sat round watching with hungry eyes. 
 
 Mrs. Douglas took them out one by one, and 
 gave them to the children. There was such a 
 tearing off of papers, and such excitement ! 
 
 ' Here is a great palace for Alice,' said Mrs. 
 Douglas, lifting out a large box, and giving it 
 to her. 
 
 ' O mamma ! what can it be ? ' she cried, 
 delighted. 
 
 'A set of real tea things! how lovely! the 
 very thing I wished for ! I shall be able to 
 give tea-parties ! ' 
 
 All the others crowded round to admire the 
 little cups and saucers, with their pretty blue- 
 and-gold rims. 
 
 The next thing that came out was a paint- 
 box for Jessie ; then two long parcels for the 
 twins, in which they found, to their great joy, 
 two dolls, dressed exactly alike. 
 
 Now Funny and Ferky began to get rather 
 excited; their turn was coming. Funny's 
 parcel came out first It was a very small 
 one ; and he looked the least bit disappointed
 
 THE JOYS OF MEASLES. 97 
 
 to find in it only a little wooden frog, painted 
 green. 
 
 'What is it for?' he asked, turning it over 
 and over. 
 
 ' Let me look/ said his mamma. 
 
 She took it, and bent back a spring under- 
 neath it, then set it on the floor by Funny. 
 
 ' Watch it,' she said. 
 
 He stooped down over it, when all of a 
 sudden it hopped up right into his face, and he 
 screamed, ' It's alive ! ' 
 
 The children went into fits of laughter. 
 
 'Well done, Lion-heart!' cried Ferky, as 
 soon as he could speak. 
 
 ' Here's yours, Ferky,' said his mamma, 
 handing him a square parcel. It turned out 
 to be a box, which fastened with a little wire 
 hook rather tightly. Ferky opened it at last 
 with a jerk ; back flew the lid, and up sprang 
 into his face a little black grinning monkey, 
 covered with hair. The valiant Ferky shrieked, 
 and threw it down ; while all the children cried 
 out, amid screams of laughter 
 
 ' Well done, Lion-heart ! ' 
 
 'The little Violet now ! Last, but not least!' 
 said Edmund. All the rest looked eagerly ;
 
 98 OUR V7HITE VIOLET. 
 
 there was not one who did not wish Baby 
 Bud's to be the best. It was a beautiful book 
 of fairy tales, with many pictures. 
 
 'The thing I like best of all!' she said joy- 
 fully. ' This will be a treat for a long time to 
 come. To us all ! ' she added ; ' for I can read 
 them out to you ! ' 
 
 ' I wish,' said Alice, ' we knew who our good 
 fairy was, that we might thank her ! ' 
 
 Mamma smiled. 
 
 ' It is mamma ! ' cried Violet. 
 
 ' Mamma ! mamma ! mamma is our good 
 fairy ! ' cried all the children, rushing upon her, 
 and overpowering her with kisses. 
 
 Then they sang all together, led on by Funny 
 and Ferky 
 
 ' Hip, hip, hip, hurrah ! 
 
 Hip, hip, hip, hurrah ! 
 Hip, hip, hip, hurrah ! Oh what a good mamma ! 
 
 We are so very happy, 
 
 We are so very happy, 
 We are so very happy, we don't know what to do! '
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 GOING TO THE SEA. 
 
 ' \ \ 7E'RE going to the sea! we're all going 
 ' to the sea ! ' cried Alice, flying into 
 her mamma's room to tell Violet the joyful 
 news. 
 
 ' Are we ? ' and Violet's pale face even got a 
 little colour in it. ' I am so glad ! I've never 
 seen the sea.' 
 
 ' You will like it so much ! And the sands ! 
 and the shells ! and the clambering on the 
 rocks ! and the donkey-rides ! ' Violet looked 
 sad. ' Ah ! I quite forgot you, dear ! I am 
 so sorry. You can't climb on the rocks, or ride, 
 or pick up shells, poor Baby Bud ! Never 
 mind ! I'll give you all I can get, and I'll sit 
 by you on the sands when the others are riding. 
 You'll be able to lie there and watch the waves, 
 you know ! '
 
 IOO OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' Are they very grand ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' Oh yes ! the sea goes sucking, sucking back, 
 and then it curls up in a great roll, and dashes 
 down, and the wave comes after you ever so 
 fast to catch your feet, and we run away from 
 it as if we were running away from a lion ; 
 but if we're not very quick it catches us, and we 
 scream out ! ' 
 
 c What fun it must be ! ' said Violet sorrow- 
 fully. ' I wish I could do that ! ' 
 
 ' You shan't make my Baby Bud sad ! Get 
 along ! ' cried Edmund, who had heard her 
 last words as he came in. ' She shall have as 
 much fun as all the rest of them put together, 
 she shall ! ' and he took her up on his lap 
 tenderly, and kissed her. She wound her arms 
 round his neck, and hid her face on his 
 shoulder, and he could hear that she was 
 crying. 
 
 ' What is it, my Bud ? ' asked Edmund. 
 
 ' Oh, nothing, nothing ! ' 
 
 ' Yes, it is something, and I think I can tell 
 what it is/ said Edmund. ' My little Bud is 
 sad because she can't run about, and do as the 
 others do. Isn't that it ? ' 
 
 'I didn't mean to cry, Eddy dear,' said
 
 GOING TO THE SEA. 101 
 
 Violet, trying to restrain herself. ' But it's 
 very hard sometimes ; I get so tired of lying 
 here.' 
 
 ' I know you must, darling,' said Edmund 
 with a sigh. ' I only wish I could bear it for 
 you.' 
 
 ' I shouldn't like that,' said Violet. ' Oh no ! 
 It is only just now and then that I mind a 
 little, and wish I could have some fun like the 
 others. But I know it can't be, and I'm not 
 going to fret. I shall be very happy lying 
 on the sands and watching the waves, Eddy 
 dear.' 
 
 Edmund kissed the little gentle patient face, 
 and could hardly keep from crying himself. 
 
 ' Let me see,' he said. ' There will be many 
 little pleasures for my dear Bud. We will get 
 her a nice easy donkey-carriage, in which she 
 can lie and go on the sands, and she shall have 
 her own little bucket and shell-basket, and we'll 
 make a collection of shells and sea-weeds, and 
 find out all their names in a book which I 
 have ; and we'll get anemones and all sorts of 
 queer things that live in the sea, and keep them 
 in a glass bowl. 'And you and I will put our 
 shells and pretty things together, my Bud, and
 
 102 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 I will make a tray for them, with little divisions 
 for each sort, and we will put pink and white 
 wool in the divisions for the shells to lie upon. 
 Won't that be nice ? ' 
 
 ' Oh yes!' cried Violet, brightening up. ' Will 
 you make the tray before we go, so that we 
 may have it all ready ? ' 
 
 ' I'll begin it to-day,' said Edmund. ' I'll go 
 down to Stevens', and get him to give me the 
 wood.' 
 
 Edmund was a good hand at carpentering, 
 and before the end of the week he had made 
 a capital tray, with little square divisions in it 
 of different sizes for the shells. Violet was 
 delighted with it. 
 
 The day came at last. Great w r as the glee 
 and excitement of the children on the journey, 
 and great the fun of having a picnic dinner in 
 the railway carriage. Violet was laid on one 
 of the soft-cushioned seats, with some pillows, 
 which made it an easy bed for her, and Funny 
 and Ferky had to sit on two carpet-bags on 
 the floor of the carriage, and were constantly 
 tumbling over, till at last papa was obliged to 
 threaten to put them under the seat if they 
 were so unruly.
 
 GOING TO THE SEA. 1 03 
 
 Violet had never travelled before, and she 
 was greatly amused. 
 
 ' The country is running away ! ' she ex- 
 claimed, as the train went swiftly on. ' Look ! 
 look ! trees, hedges, fields, how fast they go ! ' 
 
 Presently they came to a deep cutting, and 
 the sky could no longer be seen from the 
 windows. Violet's face grew paler. 
 
 ' Are we going into the heart of the earth ? ' 
 she asked, as the train entered the tunnel. 
 
 ' You goose to be frightened ! ' exclaimed 
 Funny. ' I'm not a bit ! I like tunnels ! ' and 
 he began jumping about on his carpet-bag, and 
 rolled over. 
 
 ' Out of the way, you naughty boy ! ' cried 
 Jessie. ' Mamma, he's dragged my doll out of 
 my lap, and put her in under the seat, and 
 he'll squash her, I know he will ! ' 
 
 ' Punny, you horror ! you're on my toes ! ' 
 cried Mary. 
 
 ' O Punny ! and Ferky ! Papa, they're 
 fighting ! ' cried Mildred. 
 
 Punny was caught and imprisoned in the 
 corner behind papa's seat, where he had to 
 stay for a long time. As for Ferky, mamma 
 took him upon her knee, as that was the only
 
 IO4 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 place where he was ever known to be quiet for 
 more than five minutes together. 
 
 And now they were out of the tunnel, and 
 Violet had her first sight of the sea. 
 
 ' It is grand ! ' she cried, as she saw the white 
 foaming waves dashing up against the rocks. 
 ' O Eddy ! I love it ! ' 
 
 Seaview House, to which they were going, 
 was very near the beach, facing the sea. It had 
 green verandahs running all round it, to keep 
 out the sun, and a bright little garden in front, 
 the beds of which were bordered with large 
 shining white pebbles from the beach. 
 
 The instant the children were out of the 
 carriage, it was 
 
 ' Papa ! mamma ! may we go on the sands ? ' 
 
 ' Till tea-time,' was the answer ; and off 
 scampered the delighted ones, followed by 
 nurse, full of fears for the safety of Punny 
 and Ferky. 
 
 Papa carried Violet in, Edmund coming 
 after with her pillows. Very refreshing it was, 
 after the long shaky journey, to lie on the sofa 
 by the open window, and hear the murmur of 
 the waves. 
 
 ' Edmund dear, don't stay in for me. I know
 
 GOING TO THE SEA. IO$ 
 
 you want to be out scrambling with the rest,' 
 said Violet, as Edmund seated himself on the 
 end of the sofa. ' Do go.' 
 
 ' No, my Bud, I am going to sit here now. 
 I'll go out by and by when you're in bed.' 
 
 ' I shall go to bed after tea, for I am very 
 tired,' said Violet. ' How nice it is here ! I 
 never thought it was so nice ! What a lot of 
 little children there are on the sand ! It will 
 be such fun watching them play ! I shall make 
 stories to myself about them as I lie on the 
 beach. I see two that I like very much 
 already ; they're coming this way going in to 
 their tea, I suppose. Is that a lady or a nurse 
 with them, I wonder ? I think it's a lady, 
 because she looks nice. Haven't they got dear 
 little faces, Eddy? Do look! And their 
 spades and buckets too, and great flappy hats. 
 I shall call them "the two little Flappys." 
 They are my first children in this new place.' 
 
 Violet had a way of calling all things she 
 took a fancy to, her ' children.' In the garden 
 at home, where she spent so many hours, some 
 of her favourite flowers were her 'children.' 
 Her canary, the tame rabbits, and her pets 
 among the chickens, were her ' children.' So
 
 io6 
 
 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 were some caterpillars which she kept in a 
 bottle, to see them change into chrysalises. So 
 were two or three of the little children at the 
 village school, who sometimes came up to the 
 house with a bunch of the first primroses or 
 blue-bells for ' the dear little sick lady.' 
 
 Violet had almost as much to say to nurse 
 w hen she was being put to bed, as the others 
 who came in wild with excitement, and with 
 handfuls of treasures from the sands. The last
 
 GOING TO THE SEA. 
 
 107 
 
 thing she said to Edmund when he kissed her 
 after she was in bed, was 
 
 ' I hope I shall see my two little Flappys 
 to-morrow ! '
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 
 
 they are! I see them!' cried 
 
 J- Violet excitedly, as Edmund drew up 
 her donkey-chair under the shade of a high 
 rock, where she could have a good view of the 
 sands. 
 
 ' Who, darling ? ' asked her mamma. 
 
 ' My little Flappys, mamma ! ' 
 
 'Who are your little Flappys?' asked 
 mamma. 
 
 'Those two little girls down by the water, 
 with large flapping hats. Mamma, I chose 
 them for my own last night. I like their faces 
 so.' 
 
 ' I see,' said mamma ; and she took out her 
 work, and seated herself on the rock by Violet. 
 
 ' I am going to hunt for sea-treasures, Bud,' 
 said Edmund, who had already been to the
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 1 09 
 
 shop to buy her a little green bucket and a 
 shell-basket. 
 
 He began clambering about the rocks, and 
 presently cried, 'Oh, here is a splendid 
 anemone ! I am sure it's what they call a 
 " Crass," such a thick-horned creature, in this 
 pool ! O Bud ! such a beauty ! with rose- 
 coloured eyes ! ' 
 
 ' How can you get it ? ' asked Violet eagerly. 
 ' I want to see it so ! ' 
 
 ' I must try and take it up with the stone it 
 is sticking on,' said Edmund ; ' I was reading 
 about these sea-flowers in the book I told you 
 I had, called Common Objects of the Sea-shore, 
 and it says that if the anemone is hurt in being 
 taken up, it will not live.' 
 
 ' Oh, do be careful ! ' cried Violet. 
 
 ' An ivory paper-knife is a good thing,' said 
 her mamma, ' if you cannot get away the piece 
 of rock. There is one on the table indoors.' 
 
 Edmund ran in to fetch it, and soon 
 succeeded in taking up the ' Crass,' which he 
 placed gently on some pebbles in Violet's 
 bucket. 
 
 'Now I must get a bit of live sea- weed, 
 growing on a stone, and some sea- water, or it
 
 I IO OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 will die. The live sea-weed makes fresh air 
 for it in the water isn't that funny ? I learnt 
 all about the creatures while you were asleep, 
 Bud, last night.' 
 
 'But I don't think this is so very beautiful,' 
 said Violet, in rather a disappointed tone, as 
 she gazed at the greenish, flabby lump, some- 
 thing like a ripe fig, which lay at the bottom of 
 her bucket. 
 
 'That is because it is all closed up,' said 
 Edmund. ' They always do that when they are 
 taken off the rock. It will open out again 
 presently like a beautiful flower ; and this one 
 has a regular face in the middle nose, mouth, 
 and two red eyes.' 
 
 ' How funny ! ' said Violet. ' This shall be 
 another of my children, mamma, and I shall 
 call her Rose. Look, mamma! my two little 
 Flappys are coming this way with their 
 mamma, or aunt, or governess, I wonder 
 which, now! I think I shall say that she 
 is their aunt. They are looking at me. I 
 daresay they wonder why I am lying on this 
 little carriage. There they come, nearer and 
 nearer. I like the face of that little one, with 
 the long pale hair. Look, mamma, the aunt
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 1 1 I 
 
 is sitting down under that rock near us. She 
 is saying, " My dears, go and play while I read, 
 and don't disturb me." I am sure that is 
 what she says, for they are going a little 
 way from her. Oh, they are coming this 
 way ! how nice ! now I shall hear what they 
 call each other.' 
 
 Violet lay watching her"; little Flappys 
 intently. The little Flappys looked wistfully 
 at her, and drew nearer and nearer. The 
 face of the smallest little Flappy looked full 
 of pity. Presently the elder one said to her 
 in a low voice 
 
 'May, dear, we mustn't stare so. It's not 
 kind.' 
 
 'You leave off first, and then I will,' was the 
 answer, ' for you're the eldest.' 
 
 ' Therefore I ought to have the longest look,' 
 said the other little Flappy, laughing. ' Let us 
 come and climb on that rock, and perhaps we 
 shall hear what the poor sick little girl's name 
 is. I should like to know.' 
 
 ' I wonder what is the matter with her ! ' 
 said [May. ' I wish I could give her all my 
 shells.' 
 
 Violet lost sight of her little Flappys behind
 
 1 1 2 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 the rock. By and by she was startled by 
 hearing one of them cry out, close to her 
 
 ' O Gerty ! I've found a hermit crab ! ' 
 
 ' Have you ? ' cried Gerty. ' O May dear, 
 how nice ! Let us run and show it to Aunt 
 Emmie ! ' 
 
 ' It is an aunt ! ' whispered Violet to her 
 mamma, in delight. 'And their names are 
 Gerty and May. How nice! What pretty 
 names ! I wish I could see a hermit-crab ! ' 
 she added out loud. 
 
 Gerty and May heard these last words as 
 they were getting down off the rock. They 
 looked at one another. 
 
 ' Shall we ? ' whispered May. 
 
 ' Let us ask Aunt Emmie first,' answered 
 Gerty. 
 
 'They are gone to show their hermit-crab 
 to their aunt,' said Violet. ' How kindly she 
 looks at them ! Now she nods her head. She 
 is saying, " Yes, my dears, very pretty." Now 
 they are coming back this way to find 
 another hermit-crab, I suppose. Oh, look, 
 mamma, I think they are coming to speak 
 to me. They look so shy ! , My dear little 
 Flappys ! '
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 1 1 3 
 
 Gerty and May drew near, rather slowly 
 and shyly, looking up at Violet with a smile, 
 and holding out the bucket towards her. 
 
 Violet smiled at them again. 
 
 ' Would you like to see our hermit-crab ? ' 
 asked Gerty kindly. 
 
 ' Yes, very much, thank you ! ' said Violet. 
 Gerty held it up to her, and May stood by 
 and took hold of one of Violet's little thin 
 white hands, and stroked it tenderly. She 
 felt so sorry for the poor little girl who could 
 not run about on the sands. She and Gerty 
 had settled between them as they came back 
 that they would offer her their treasure. 
 
 Violet was very much amused at the fierce 
 antics of the little soldier-crab, as he darted 
 his claws out of the big whelk-shell in which 
 he had taken up his abode, and seemed to look 
 about angrily for some foe. 
 
 ' Would you like to keep him ? ' asked May, 
 when the little girls had laughed together, and 
 begun to feel rather less shy. 
 
 'Oh, thank you!' said Violet. 'How kind 
 you are ! It will amuse me so to watch 
 him!' 
 
 'Are you always ill ?' whispered May to her.
 
 I 14 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' Yes,' said Violet. 
 
 ' How sad for you ! ' said May. ' Would 
 you like to see my best shells ? I keep them 
 in a drawer at home. I will bring them, to 
 show you, if you like.' 
 
 ' I should like very much. Where do you 
 live ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' At " The Cottage," that little house near 
 the church, do you see, up there on the hill ? ' 
 said Gerty. 'We live with Aunt Emmie.' 
 
 ' That's Aunt Emmie by the rock,' said May, 
 pointing. 
 
 ' She's beckoning to us to come,' said Gerty. 
 ' Good-bye.' 
 
 'Good-bye/ said Violet. 'Will you come 
 and speak to me another day ? ' 
 
 ' If we may/ and Gerty and May ran to 
 their aunt, and went away with her. 
 
 Edmund now came back, surrounded by the 
 tribe of children, all laden with shells, sea- 
 weeds, sea-eggs, and little crabs and shrimps, 
 with which last Punny and Ferky tormented 
 their sisters, making them crawl and jump 
 about them, and very naughtily enjoying their 
 little shrieks and screams. Baby Bud was 
 the only one who was free from these teasing
 
 GCUTY OFFERING TO SHOW VIOLET THE HERMIT CRAB. PAGEII3.
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 1 1/ 
 
 ways. Punny and Ferky, dearly as they 
 loved mischief, never thought of plaguing her, 
 and would have been very angry with any 
 one who dared to do so. Now the children 
 crowded round Violet, offering her the best 
 of their newly-found treasures. 
 
 ' Choose what you like, Baby Bud dear, from 
 mine ! ' 
 
 ( And mine ! ' 
 
 ' And mine 1 ' 
 
 'Baby Bud, you must have this lovely 
 pair ! ' 
 
 ' And this fan, Baby Bud ! ' 
 
 ' And these dear little dinky shells ! I 
 picked them up on purpose for you ! ' 
 
 Jessie was the only one whose voice was 
 not heard. 
 
 How was that ? Her bucket was full of 
 treasures. I am afraid she was selfish, poor 
 little girl. She could not make up her mind 
 to part with them. They did not seem to 
 give her pleasure, however. She grumbled all 
 the way home, because it was so hot, and 
 because her boot pinched her, and because she 
 couldn't stay out longer, and because Ferky 
 put a crab on her neck, and because Punny
 
 I 1 8 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 laughed at her for being cross. She certainly 
 was the least happy of them all ; and that is 
 ^generally the reward of selfishness. 
 
 1 Baby Bud, what do you think ! mamma 
 has found out that she knows the aunt of 
 your two little Flappys ! She saw her name 
 on the list in the paper at the library: "Miss 
 Tudor, The Cottage ; " and she is sure it is 
 the same she was at school with, because her 
 name is Emily " Aunt Emmie," you know. 
 And she is going to see her this afternoon, so 
 we shall know the little Flappys, and be able 
 to play with them ! ' 
 
 Alice stopped, quite out of breath with her 
 news. 
 
 ' How nice ! ' said Violet. ( Do you know, 
 Ally, I took them for my children the very day 
 we came here ? I like them so much ! ' 
 
 ' Mamma says she will take you in the 
 carriage, if , "you like, Baby Bud,' said Alice, 
 who had given up the pleasure of a drive 
 which had been offered her, in order that Baby 
 Bud might go ; for as she would have to lie 
 upon the seat, there would be no room for any 
 one else on it. 
 
 ' / wanted to go ! ' exclaimed Jessie, who
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 1 19 
 
 was washing her shells at the table. ' It's my 
 turn ! mamma said I should go with her next 
 time ! ' 
 
 Alice went up to Jessie, and whispered to 
 her 
 
 ' Mamma said Violet could go if you and I 
 gave up, and I was sure you would.' 
 
 ' I can't/ said Jessie ; ' it's not fair ! ' 
 
 Violet heard, and though she would have 
 liked extremely to see where Gerty and May 
 lived, she made up her mind at once that she 
 would not go, but would let Jessie and Alice 
 have the pleasure. 
 
 'Jessie dear,' she said, 'I am going on the 
 beach with Edmund this afternoon, and you 
 and Alice can go in the carriage with mamma. 
 I should like you to go and see the little Flappys.' 
 
 ' It is my turn,' said Jessie ungraciously. 
 
 ' I know,' said Violet. ' I should not be 
 happy to take it from you, so run and get 
 ready, dear, and I'll wipe your shells for you, 
 if you'll put them by me.' 
 
 I cannot help thinking that Jessie must have 
 felt rather ashamed. She gave Violet a kiss 
 as she put the basin and towel on the table 
 by her sofa, and said
 
 120 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 'How kind you are!' and then ran away to 
 dress. 
 
 ' Not ready, Baby Bud ! how is that ? ' asked 
 Edmund, as the carriage stood at the door, 
 and he came in to carry her to it. 
 
 If Violet had been like some little children, 
 she would have answered 
 
 ' Because Jessie is so cross and selfish, and 
 she wants to go herself instead of me.' But 
 Baby Bud only said 
 
 ' I want you to take me on the sands, Eddy 
 dear. Will you ? ' 
 
 ' Would you rather ? ' asked Edmund. 
 
 ' Yes, to-day,' said Violet. 
 
 'I'll go and see after your chariot at once, 
 then/ said Edmund. He ran off, and presently 
 returned with the donkey-carriage, and they 
 went down to the sands together. 
 
 Violet was no sooner placed in her favourite 
 corner under the rock, than she saw the little 
 Flappys coming towards her. This time they 
 did not come shyly ; they ran, May swinging 
 a little bag to and fro, and Gerty carrying a 
 beautiful wax doll. Their nurse Lettice was 
 behind ; she seated herself under the rock a 
 little way off, and took out her work.
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 121 
 
 ' Here are your Flappers, as you call them/ 
 said Edmund. ' I shall go and see if I can 
 find some more anemones for'your bowl, Baby 
 Bud.' 
 
 ' Do try and get me a white one,' said Violet. 
 
 ' All right,' answered Edmund. 
 
 May had picked out all the prettiest and 
 rarest of her shells, and put them in her bag, 
 to offer to the 'poor little sick child/ whose 
 pale face moved her heart. 
 
 'Auntie said I might give them to you, 
 she whispered, as she poured them out into 
 Violet's lap. 
 
 'This is a whelk, and this is a razor-shell, 
 and this is a cowrie, and these are periwinkles/ 
 said Gerty, who was a little proud of knowing 
 all the names. 'And these dinky ones we 
 call the little babies, and the cockles are the 
 nurses, who have to carry them.' May went 
 on, ' And we make stories about naughty little 
 boys and girls, and little fairies, with them.' 
 
 'Do you?' said Violet. 'That is just what 
 I do. I make stories about my anemones too. 
 It is so funny how they open and shut, and 
 swell themselves out. When they puff out 
 their skins I say they are in a bad temper.'
 
 122 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 May laughed. ' How many have you ? ' 
 asked Gerty. 
 
 'Seven,' said Violet. 'They have all got 
 names.' 
 
 ' Tell us their names,' said May. 
 
 'Well, first Sunny, because he has rays and 
 a sort of face, as you see the sun drawn in 
 pictures ; and Pouter, because he swells out 
 his skin so often he's the naughtiest of them 
 all. Buffy is another she's a dear little 
 gentle one, all buff colour, and her horns are 
 like feathers. Then there's Mossy, because 
 she's green ; and Bogie, big and greedy ; and 
 Rose, she has rose-coloured tips ; and then 
 there's Squirt he's a very lively one. We 
 called him Squirt because when he was taken 
 off the rock he actually squirted water up 
 out of his horns into Eddy's face ! ' 
 
 Gerty and May laughed very much at 
 this. 
 
 ' Is Eddy your brother ? ' asked Gerty. 
 
 ' Yes, and Punny and Ferky too,' said 
 Violet. 
 
 'We have a little brother,' said May, 'but 
 we've never seen him.' 
 
 ' Never seen him !' exclaimed Violet. ' Why ? '
 
 THE TWO LITTLE FLAPPYS. 123 
 
 ' Because he's in India,' said Gerty ; ' and 
 our papa and mamma are there too.' 
 
 ' What is his name ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' Trotty,' said May. ' He's such a dear.' 
 
 ' We've got a picture of him on a rocking- 
 horse, which papa sent us. And we have a 
 little sister there too. Some day they'll come 
 home to us.' 
 
 ' Oh dear ! I wish that day would come ! ' 
 said Gerty. 
 
 'Well,' said Violet gaily, 'you see we're 
 equal. I've got a papa and mamma to live 
 with me, but I'm always ill ; and you're well 
 and strong, but you've no papa and mamma 
 to live with you.' 
 
 ' I don't think we are equal/ said Gerty 
 thoughtfully. ' We're very happy with Aunt 
 Emmie ; now you can't be happy to be always 
 ill.' 
 
 ' Yes, I can,' said Violet. ' Sometimes I feel 
 very sorry that I can't run about, just for a 
 little ; but that is only when I forget.' 
 
 ' Forget what ? ' asked May. 
 
 ' That God wishes me to be as I am,' replied 
 Violet, 'or else it wouldn't be. Mamma says
 
 124 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 The little girls were silent, and looked grave. 
 
 'Yes/ said May. 'Aunt Emmie says that 
 when we are ill, it is because God loves us. 
 When I had the scarlatina she said it,' said 
 May. ' I used to get so tired, I could do 
 nothing but cry. And then auntie used to 
 come and cuddle me up in her lap, and tell 
 me nice comforty stories.' 
 
 ' Nothing is such a comfort "as a story, I 
 think ! ' said Violet.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE DESERT ISLAND. 
 
 HERE are Master Funny and Master 
 Ferky?' asked nurse, putting her 
 head in at the door, just before the children's 
 dinner-time. 
 
 ' I thought they came in a little while ago,' 
 said Mrs. Douglas. 
 
 ' I heard them up-stairs, I am sure,' said 
 Violet. 'And they seemed to be making a 
 great rummage about a quarter of an hour 
 ago.' 
 
 ' I've been looking high and low for them, 
 ma'am,' said nurse, 'and they are nowhere to 
 be found. They are at some of their tricks 
 again.' 
 
 ' They ought not to play you such tricks 
 as these,' said Mrs. Douglas. 'I really must 
 speak to them severely.'
 
 126 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' I shall be very glad if you will, indeed, 
 ma'am,' said nurse, 'for they have led me 
 such a life with their freaks since we came 
 here: what with tumbling into the sea, and 
 swarming up the rocks in places where there 
 is hardly room for a crow to perch they do 
 terrify me out of my very senses ; and the 
 last new boots Master Ferky had are quite 
 ruined, ma'am.' 
 
 'Very well, nurse, send them to me when 
 you find them,' said the mamma. 
 
 The one o'clock dinner-bell rang, and all 
 the children assembled except Punny and 
 Ferky. 
 
 ' Where can they be ? ' was whispered round 
 the table. 
 
 Mamma looked grave and displeased. 
 
 ' Do any of you know where they arc ? ' she 
 asked. 
 
 Alice coloured up. ' I don't exactly kno\v, 
 but I think ' she said, and stopped. 
 
 ' What do you think ? ' asked mamma. 
 
 ' I think they are on a desert island, mamma,' 
 said Alice. ' Please don't be angry with them ! ' 
 
 Mamma did not look angry; she was smil- 
 ing. So Alice went on
 
 THE DESERT ISLAND. I2/ 
 
 ' They were planning to be Robinson Crusoe 
 and his man Friday/ said she. 'And they 
 came in and got a carpet-bag, and went away 
 among the rocks ; but they didn't mean to 
 be naughty, I'm sure, for they were so happy 
 about it, and they don't know that it's dinner- 
 time very likely.' 
 
 ' They will soon find that out,' said Edmund, 
 ' if they are as hungry as I am. Doesn't this 
 air just give one an appetite ! ' 
 
 ' I think, Edmund,' said Mrs. Douglas, ' that 
 you had better go down to the beach as soon 
 as you have finished, and see if you can find 
 the boys. It is very thoughtless of them.' 
 
 ' I'll go now, mother dear, if you like,' said 
 Edmund, laying down his knife and fork. 
 
 'Oh no, don't hurry. They can very well 
 wait for their dinner.' 
 
 'Cook,' said Sarah, going into the kitchen 
 about this time, ' have you had the loaf out of 
 nurse's cupboard ? ' 
 
 ' Not I, indeed,' answered the cook, who was 
 bustling about, getting her puddings ready to 
 go up. ' I never goes near your cupboard, so 
 don't come bothering of me when I'm so busy.' 
 
 ' The loafs gone, then, and so is cur
 
 128 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 cheese,' said Sarah. ' And nurse is in a pretty 
 way about it ! ' 
 
 ' It's those boys, depend upon it ! ' said cook. 
 '/ never saw such mvzcJiemous monkeys in all 
 my days. What do you think they went and 
 did this morning? put one of these horrid 
 sea-spiders all alive into one of my vegetable 
 dishes, and when I come to lift the cover off 
 in a hurry, you know, to put my potatoes in, 
 if the great ugly creature didn't give a flink, 
 and nearly frighten the life out of me ! There ! 
 it did!' 
 
 And with that cook carried ofif her puddings. 
 
 Nurse meanwhile had been making fresh 
 discoveries in her cupboard ; her salt-cellar 
 was upset, and Ferky's white china mug 'and 
 a knife and a plate were missing from it. On 
 going into the next room she saw that it was 
 in great disorder drawers and closets open, 
 boots and clothes on the floor, and playthings 
 scattered about. What could it all mean ? 
 She had not heard about the desert island, or 
 perhaps she might have guessed, what was 
 really the case, that Punny and Ferky had 
 been packing up to go there ! 
 
 'Are the young gentlemen in the dining-
 
 THE DESERT ISLAND. 1 29 
 
 room ? ' she asked of Sarah, who was helping 
 to wait. 
 
 ' No,' was the answer. * Master Edmund is 
 now going down to the beach to seek for them. 
 Your dinner's coming up, nurse, directly.' 
 
 ' I can't think about dinner till I know 
 where they are,' said nurse. 'I've only just 
 come up from the sands, and I don't see them 
 anywhere there.' 
 
 ' Miss Alice said they were on a desert 
 high-land] replied Sarah. ' Perhaps she meant 
 up a-top of the cliffs very dangerous if they 
 are.' 
 
 ' How ignorant of you, Sarah, to talk like 
 that!' answered nurse. 'A high-land, child, 
 means a piece of land in the middle of the 
 water, rising high out of it, like ' 
 
 ' Oh, I see,' answered Sarah. ' How hot 
 and tired you look ! Do have your dinner 
 first before you go.' 
 
 ' No, no,' said nurse. ' I can't rest,' and off 
 she set to the beach again, to hunt for the 
 little good-for-nothings, who meanwhile were 
 enjoying themselves mightily on a rock that 
 stood out a little way in the sea, as nurse had 
 described, and to which they had waded with
 
 I 30 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 their knickerbockers tucked up. It did not 
 occur to them that this rock was never to be 
 seen when the tide was in, and that before 
 long it would be covered by the waves. They 
 were so full of their new idea about Robinson 
 Crusoe that all else was forgotten. A small 
 and portable bag, found by Ferky in the 
 nursery closet, came just handy, as he said, 
 to pack ; and into it went the loaf, cheese, 
 cup, plate, and knife, together with a box of 
 matches, a brush and comb, and two little 
 night-gowns, a game of Snap to pass the time, 
 a hammer and some nails to build with, and 
 a small blanket from one of the little beds. 
 It would not hold any more, and Punny, who 
 was the man Friday, and therefore had to 
 carry it, found it as much as he could lug 
 along. 
 
 They had chosen the dinner hour as being 
 the time best suited for them to make their 
 escape, and as the tide was going out, there 
 was just water enough to make it an adventure 
 to wade over to the desert island. 
 
 Desert it was truly, being only a bare rock 
 with ledges. To the farther side of this they 
 scrambled, out of sight of any one on the
 
 THE DESERT ISLAND. I 3 I 
 
 beach, and sat, facing the sea, trying" to imagine 
 themselves shipwrecked. 
 
 ' I say, it's lucky we saved some food from 
 the ship/ said Ferky. ' I'm hungry after all my 
 labours. Friday, hand us the prog.' 
 
 'Yes, sir,' said Friday, taking out the loaf. 
 ' I tell you what, Ferky, you must be Friday 
 by and by. I don't mean to be a black 
 slave all the time.' 
 
 'All right,' said Ferky. 'Friday,' in a 
 pompous tone, 'how is it there's no salt on 
 the table ? ' 
 
 ' Please, sir, the cook forgot to buy it,' began 
 Friday ; then remembering that it was a desert 
 island, and that there was no cook, he added, 
 ' I mean to say the poll parrot ate it up, 
 sir.' 
 
 'Then go and get some off the rock,' ordered 
 Robinson Crusoe grandly, which Friday pre- 
 tended to do, and returned, saying that the 
 salt had all melted into sea-water. 
 
 'We must eat our goat's cheese without,' 
 said Robinson. ' Hand it over, Friday.' 
 
 Friday proceeded to hoist the Dutch cheese 
 from the bottom of the carpet-bag, but missing 
 his hold of it just as it arrived at the top, the
 
 132 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 round ball rolled into the sea, and went down 
 with a splash. 
 
 ' And I do like Dutch cheese so ! ' cried 
 Robinson piteously as he looked after it. 
 
 ' What will nurse say ? ' exclaimed Funny. 
 
 ' You forget you're Friday I ' said Robinson. 
 ' You've got no nurse ! ' 
 
 ' Of course ! ' said Friday. ' I forgot.' 
 
 ' I do believe that's her calling us ! ' cried 
 Ferky. ' Oh dear, I hope she doesn't see us ! ' 
 
 ' Yes, it is ! ' exclaimed Punny, popping his 
 head quickly up, and more quickly down 
 again. 
 
 ' The savages ! ' whispered Robinson. 
 
 ' Oh, don't let them catch us ! ' whispered 
 Friday, in great agitation. ' They'll eat us 
 both ! ' 
 
 This was becoming delightful. 
 
 'It really is a little like the true Robinson 
 Crusoe ! ' said Ferky. 
 
 ' I wish it was anybody but nurse, though,' 
 said Punny. ' She won't understand about the 
 desert island, I'm afraid.' 
 
 ' I say, let's have the loaf,' said Punny. ' I'm 
 dreadfully hungry. It must be past dinner- 
 time a good bit.'
 
 THE DESERT ISLAND. 133 
 
 Ferky tried to reach the loaf off the ledge 
 on which it rested, but being afraid of sitting 
 up straight, lest he should be seen from the 
 beach, he was very nearly overbalanced, and 
 in saving himself, let go the loaf, which went 
 after the cheese. 
 
 Robinson and Friday looked at one another 
 in dismay. 
 
 ' We shall have to eat crabs/ said Robinson. 
 
 ' Alive ? ' asked Friday, with a face of blank 
 horror. 
 
 ' No ; cooked. We've got matches, you 
 know/ said Robinson. 
 
 ' Yes, but one can't cook crabs with 
 matches/ said Friday. 
 
 ' It's a bad job/ replied Robinson. ' I made 
 sure we should be able to get sticks to cook 
 our meat.' 
 
 ' On a sea-weedy rock ? ' asked Friday. 
 
 'Don't be stupid. You know it's a desert 
 island ! ' returned Robinson. 
 
 There was a pause, during which Crusoe 
 and his man Friday looked out at the sea, 
 and wished for their dinner. It began to rain. 
 Large drops fell upon the desert island, and 
 the little boys felt very wretched.
 
 I 34 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 'I don't think I care so much for this play 
 after all,' said Punny at last. 
 
 4 Neither do I,' replied Ferky. ' I believe 
 there's going to be a thunderstorm.' 
 
 Black threatening clouds had been gather- 
 ing for some time over their heads, and now, 
 as Ferky finished speaking, there came a 
 flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap 
 of thunder. 
 
 The little boys sprang up, terrified, and fled 
 from the rock homewards. Happily for them, 
 the tide had only just turned, or they would 
 have found it no easy matter to get back to 
 the beach ; as it was, they sprang into the 
 water without thought of boots, stockings, 
 or knickerbockers, leaving the carpet-bag and 
 its contents behind in their fright. Splash, 
 splash, plunge, dash, headlong on they went, 
 not even seeing Edmund before them, in their 
 haste, until they tumbled up against him. 
 
 ' Here you are, are you ! ' he exclaimed 
 sternly. ' Where have you been ? ' 
 
 ' On a desert island,' said Ferky. ' But, O 
 Eddy, take us home safe, please ! We're so 
 frightened ! ' 
 
 Flash after flash came, peal after peal of
 
 THE DESERT ISLAND. 135 
 
 thunder, and the rain poured down in torrents 
 as they hurried homewards, a hand of each 
 in Edmund's. Nothing more was said by 
 either of the culprits, until they stood dripping 
 like waterspouts before mamma and nurse. 
 
 'We are very sorry!' they cried then. 'We 
 will never play Robinson Crusoe again.' 
 
 Of course they were put to bed directly, and 
 there we will leave them. That was generally 
 the end of Funny's and Ferky's adventures, 
 and is really the only safe place for little boys.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE PICNIC. 
 
 WHEN Violet went in-doors, Jessie and 
 Alice came running to her to tell her 
 the joyful news that they were all going for a 
 picnic with Miss Tudor, and Gerty and May, 
 the next day. 
 
 ' She is mamma's friend, and she was so glad 
 to see her ! and we are going in the steamer to 
 Walden Island, and we are to have dinner and 
 tea there. Won't it be delightful ! ' 
 
 Baby Bud thought it would, indeed. 
 
 'We didn't see the little Flappys, for they 
 were out,' said Jessie, 'and I'm sorry for that. 
 They have rabbits and pigeons, and all kinds 
 of things a great dog, and a donkey. The 
 aunt said we should see them all some day 
 when Gerty and May were at home to show 
 them to us.' 
 
 jac
 
 THE PICNIC. 137 
 
 ' They were on the beach with me,' said 
 Violet. ' See the shells they gave me ! Aren't 
 they beauties ! ' 
 
 ' Oh, what loves ! I haven't any like this, nor 
 this ! ' said Jessie eagerly. 
 
 ' Take any you like, dear,' said Violet. 
 
 On which Jessie picked out the best and 
 prettiest of them all, and saying, ' Thank you, 
 dear Baby Bud,' went away to put them with 
 her own private store, which she kept in a 
 drawer up-stairs. 
 
 Alice stood by, looking quite angry. ' Bud,' 
 she said, ' she's taken all the best ones ! ' 
 
 ' I know,' replied Violet. 
 
 ' How can you be so quiet about 
 it!' 
 
 'Because of something mamma told me on 
 Sunday,' said Violet, hesitating. 
 
 ' What was that ? ' asked Alice. 
 
 ' She said they were the words of the Lord 
 Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to 
 receive" ' said Violet. ' I have been thinking 
 about it ever since. I have so few ways in 
 which I can give others pleasure. It seems to 
 me that I only receive. 1 
 
 'And of course you ought to,' said Alice.
 
 138 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' You're the sick one. We ought all to give to 
 you, darling.' 
 
 'No,' said Violet. 'Mamma said there was 
 great danger of sick people thinking that, and 
 growing selfish. I don't want to be selfish ! It's 
 so horrid to be selfish ! ' The tears stood in her 
 eyes. 
 
 ' I am sure you are not, then, dear Bud,' said 
 Alice, kissing her. ' But Jessie is.' 
 
 'Never mind that,' said Violet. 'She'll feel 
 differently some day.' 
 
 Alice could not help thinking that if any- 
 thing would teach Jessie to ' feel differently/ it 
 ought to be Baby Bud's unselfishness. 
 
 The next morning was bright and pleasant, 
 with a nice cool breeze just the very day for a 
 picnic. The children thought of nothing else 
 from the time they got up, I believe. 
 
 Sundry bags and baskets were packed early 
 by nurse and cook, and stood ready in the 
 passage. 
 
 About eleven o'clock Aunt Emmie arrived 
 with the little Flappys, and two other little 
 girls, the daughters of the clergyman, whose 
 names were Alice and Tiny. They were the 
 favourite play-fellows of Gerty and May. The
 
 THE PICNIC. 1 39 
 
 children soon made friends with them, while 
 Gerty and May posted themselves by Violet's 
 sofa, and were introduced to her anemones. 
 Aunt Emmie came to look at them too, and 
 kissed Violet tenderly, and Violet thought she 
 had never seen a sweeter face, or kinder eyes. 
 
 'They are like dove's eyes,' she said after- 
 wards to May. 
 
 The walking party set off first, with papa, to 
 go down to the steamer. Mamma and Violet, 
 with Edmund, followed in the carriage. A 
 little light moveable chair, which could unfold, 
 and become a bed, had been made for Violet, 
 and was very useful at such times as this. 
 Edmund arranged it, with its cushions, on the 
 deck of the steamer, and Baby Bud lay 
 comfortably on it, enjoying the new pleasure of 
 being on the sea. 
 
 In about twenty minutes they reached 
 Walden Island, one side of which sloped down 
 to the water, green and inviting, a kind of 
 moorland, covered with bushes and bracken, 
 and here and there turfy hollows, the largest of 
 which was chosen for their dining-room. 
 
 Nurse and Edmund dragged the hampers 
 there, and began to unpack. The children all
 
 140 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 wanted to help, but mamma said she feared 
 so many cooks would spoil the pie, and so 
 she, and papa, and Aunt Emmie, with the tribe, 
 set off to make a journey round the island, as 
 Violet begged that no one would stay with her, 
 for she should be quite amused with seeing the 
 dinner laid out. Edmund declared that nurse 
 could not get on without him, however, and 
 stayed behind. When the others came back, 
 hot and hungry, they found dinner all ready 
 for them, and Edmund lying on the grass by 
 Violet, telling her a story. 
 
 ' Oh, you should have come to the other side, 
 Edmund,' cried Mildred ; ' there's such a beau- 
 tiful cliff there, just like a wall, and a dear 
 little beach under it ' 
 
 ' And a cave, a real cave ! ' cried Punny and 
 Ferky together. ' It goes far into the rock ! ' 
 
 'And there are gulls and puffins,' said Mary. 
 ' Punny caught hold of a puffin, and it gave him 
 such a bite ! ' 
 
 ' That was because Punny did not mind 
 what he was told,' said papa. 
 
 ' I wish I could see the puffins and the cave ! ' 
 said Violet. 
 
 ' You shall, my little Bud,' said her papa. ' I
 
 THE PICNIC. 141 
 
 will carry you round there after dinner, for 
 it will be nice and shady there by that 
 time.' 
 
 Gerty and May had found some pretty 
 flowers on the cliff, which they brought to 
 Violet 
 
 The dinner was a Very merry one. Gerty 
 and May sat one on each side of Violet, and 
 waited on her. 
 
 Funny and Ferky, as usual, were like bits of 
 quicksilver, now at this corner, now at that, 
 upsetting the salt-cellar into the sugar, and 
 spilling their lemonade into their neighbours' 
 plates. Edmund said he thought they ought to 
 be corked up in two of the empty bottles. 
 
 ' Wouldn't we make the corks pop, that's all!' 
 said Funny. 
 
 After dinner, Violet's chair was taken by 
 Edmund to the other side of the island, papa 
 carrying Bud round as he had promised. She 
 enjoyed it very much, but was glad to be laid 
 down at last in the cool, and to find Edmund 
 waiting for her. He had chosen a nice shady 
 corner just outside the cave for her chair, and 
 she was greatly amused to see some eyes 
 peering out of the shawl she used for her feet.
 
 142 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 The shawl was rolled "round the creature, and 
 its face, peeping out, looked so funny ! 
 
 ' What is it, Eddy dear ? ' she cried. 
 
 ' A puffin,' said Edmund. ' Great, stupid 
 bird, there it sat, staring at me, saying, " Come 
 take me," till I came and caught it ! I took 
 good care, though, to guard against being 
 bitten, as Punny was, you see.' 
 
 ' I wonder how he likes being wrapped up in 
 a shawl ? ' said Violet. ' Poor Puffy ! ' and she 
 stroked its head. 
 
 ' Take care, he'll snap at you ! ' said Edmund, 
 not a minute too soon, for Mr. Puffin had bitten 
 a piece out of the shawl. 'We had better let 
 him go,' so Puffin took flight, seeming very glad 
 to be undressed again. 
 
 Meanwhile the rest of the party were scram- 
 bling about the island, keeping mamma in a 
 fever of anxiety lest any of them should slip 
 into the water or fall down the rocks. Papa 
 said he must go and join them, to keep an 
 eye on Punny and Ferky, who were sure to be 
 in every kind of mischief. 
 
 ' Edmund, dear, do go and amuse yourself 
 with the others/ said Violet, 'I can't bear to 
 keep you. I have a book.'
 
 THE PICNIC. 143 
 
 ' No, dear Bud, it's too hot. I would rather 
 lie here ; I like the quiet.' 
 
 ' So do I,' said Violet ; ' it's very peaceful.' 
 Then they were both silent for a long time, 
 looking out upon the wide expanse of sea, 
 bounded by the blue sky, and listening to 
 the gentle plash of the ripples on the 
 beach. 
 
 Presently Violet said, ' How quick the time 
 does pass ! Every day brings us nearer and 
 nearer to the End. It's a very happy thing to 
 be getting nearer and nearer to God ! ' 
 
 ' It is indeed, Bud,' said Edmund, ' if we are 
 getting ready to live with Him.' 
 
 ' I hope I am,' said Violet ; { but I feel very 
 impatient sometimes, you know,' she added 
 sorrowfully. 
 
 Edmund thought that if this was all his little 
 Bud had to grieve over, it was not much. She 
 was so seldom impatient at all, and never cross 
 with any one. He only wished he was as good. 
 But he did not say so. He lay thinking 
 and digging a great hole in the shingle with 
 his heels as he lay. 
 
 At last Violet raised her head and looked 
 round her.
 
 144 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' How lovely it is here ! ' she said. ' But 
 where are all the little rocks gone ? ' 
 
 ' What little rocks ? ' asked Edmund, raising 
 himself lazily on his elbow. 
 
 ' Those little rocks at the side, where papa 
 brought me round. Eddy ! what's the 
 matter ? ' 
 
 All the colour had gone out of Edmund's 
 face. 
 
 ' I say ! ' he exclaimed, ' the tide's coming in 
 like a race-horse ! ' 
 
 He sprang up, and began looking all round 
 the little cove in which they were. The low 
 rocks on each side were already covered, and 
 the cliff rose straight and high 'like a wall,' 
 as Mildred had said, behind. The way by 
 which they had come was all under water. 
 
 ' O Eddy ! Eddy ! how dreadful ! ' cried 
 Violet ' We shall be drowned ! ' and she began 
 to cry. 
 
 Edmund put his arms round her and kissed 
 her. ' Bud, darling, be brave ! ' His voice was 
 trembling very much. ' I will go and see if it 
 is possible to wade over the rocks.' 
 
 He ran first to one side, and then to the 
 other, to see, but the water was already too
 
 THE PICNIC. 145 
 
 deep. He came back looking very grave, and 
 knelt down by Violet. 
 
 ' Bud, dear, there is no way out/ he said. 
 
 ' Oh, what shall we do ?' cried Violet, clinging 
 to him. ' What shall we do ? ' 
 
 ' I will climb up as far as I can, and shout/ 
 said Edmund. 'Perhaps some of them will 
 hear us.' 
 
 He scrambled up to the top of the highest 
 rock within reach, and called, and shouted, and 
 screamed 'Help ! Help !' at the top of his voice, 
 till he was quite hoarse. 
 
 But no help came. 
 
 ' My darling Bud, there is only One who can 
 help us/ he said, kneeling down by her again. 
 
 ' O Eddy dear ! ' gasped Violet, ' I feel so 
 frightened ! If He only would help us ! ' and 
 she hid her face on his shoulder. 
 
 ' The sea is His, and He made it/ said 
 Edmund. ' He can save us from it, if it is His 
 will. And if it is His will to take us now, isn't 
 it a comfort to you that we should go together, 
 my darling ? ' 
 
 ' Yes/ said Violet. ' But oh, Eddy dear, I do 
 love you so ! I don't want you to be drowned ! ' 
 
 ' Let us pray/ said Edmund, ' that it will
 
 146 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 please God to send us help, and that if it 
 does not please Him to do it, we may be 
 ready for His will.' 
 
 Then Violet lay back on her pillows and put 
 her hands together, and Edmund shut his eyes 
 and said 
 
 ' O Thou who rulest the sea, look on us in 
 our need, and save us, if it be Thy holy will ; 
 and if it pleases Thee that we should die, take 
 away our fears, and send Thy holy angels to 
 carry us safely to Thee.' 
 
 Then he gave Violet a long, long kiss, and 
 she him, and her arms were round his neck a 
 long while. 
 
 When they looked up again the water had 
 come much nearer. Violet shuddered. There 
 was still the cave behind them. 
 
 ' I will carry you in there, dear Bud,' said 
 Edmund, ' up to the farthest end. It may be 
 that the tide does not come all the way in 
 there.' 
 
 'Oh, do you think so?' asked Violet, with 
 a ray of hope. 
 
 ' I cannot tell until I have examined the 
 inside,' said Edmund. ' I can soon find out.' 
 
 Then he lifted Violet gently, and laid her on
 
 THE PICNIC. 147 
 
 the little bit of beach, not more than a few feet, 
 which still remained, and carried her chair into 
 the cave, which had a large arched entrance, 
 and was about the size of a small room. He 
 placed the chair at the farther end, and as he 
 did so saw too plainly by the wet sea-weeds on 
 the rocky wall that the sea must fill the cave 
 when the tide was in. 
 
 For one minute he threw himself down in an 
 agony, burying his face in Violet's pillows. It 
 was hard to die so young! and there were so 
 many things if he only had known, he would 
 have done better. Bud, dear little, gentle, 
 innocent Bud, was fit enough ; but he -was he 
 fit ? One more earnest cry he poured forth 
 from the bottom of his soul, that all the wrong 
 things he had ever done might be forgiven, and 
 that the loving arms of his Crucified Saviour 
 might be open to him even him. 
 
 He heard Baby Bud call, and sprang up. 
 She was trembling violently. 
 
 ' The wave came over my feet,' she moaned. 
 ' O Eddy dear ! ' 
 
 He caught her up in his arms, and carried 
 her into the cave, laying her on her pillows 
 again, and then taking off her shoes and socks,
 
 14$ OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 tenderly wiped her feet with his pocket- 
 handkerchief, and wrapped them warmly up 
 in the soft shawl. 
 
 ' It doesn't matter much,' she said, trying to 
 smile. 'It's only the beginning. Do you 
 remember what I said a little while ago, about 
 every day bringing us nearer and nearer to 
 God ? Now it seems to me that every wave 
 is bringing us nearer and nearer to God. I 
 didn't think it would come so very quickly, 
 though, Eddy ! ' and she clung again to him, 
 as a great wave broke upon the entrance of 
 the cave. It came rippling in a little way, 
 then went back, returning again, not so far 
 this time, and then again coming nearer; 
 creeping, creeping on, sometimes seeming to 
 take pity, and go away altogether, and then 
 to come on faster and nearer than ever. 
 
 'The arms of JESUS will take you out of 
 the water, darling,' said Edmund, 'and you 
 will lie on His breast, for ever happy, after 
 these few hard moments are past. Try and 
 think of this, my own Bud, and don't cry so.' 
 
 ' Let me come on your lap, Eddy dear,' 
 sobbed Violet, 'that I may not see the water, 
 and I will not cry any more.'
 
 THE PICNIC. 149 
 
 He sat up on the chair, so as to be out of* 
 reach of the waves as long as possible, and took 
 Violet in his arms. She wound hers tightly 
 round him, with her face hidden in his shoulder, 
 and so they waited in silence. Violet's tears 
 ceased, and she lay quite still with her eyes 
 shut. Edmund could not close his ; he felt 
 as if he must watch the water, as it crept 
 steadily on, nearer and nearer. It was almost 
 up to the chair now. 
 
 Suddenly Violet started up. ' What was that ? 
 Was it a shout ? ' 
 
 1 It is, it is ! ' she exclaimed. ' O Eddy 
 dear, shout back again ! ' 
 
 Edmund did shout back again, with all his 
 might. Again the call was repeated, and 
 again Edmund answered, with fast beating heart. 
 
 'It's a boat! I saw the tip of it!' cried 
 Violet ; and then in anguish, ' O Eddy, 
 they're looking for us, I'm sure, and they can't 
 see us ! They will go away again ! ' 
 
 ' If you don't mind being wetted, Bud,' said 
 Edmund, ' I'll carry you to the mouth of the 
 cave. But the water must be pretty deep 
 there; which will you do, stay here or come 
 with me ? '
 
 I$0 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 ' With you, with you ! ' said Violet. ' Oh, 
 do be quick ! ' 
 
 The boat was now in sight, at some distance 
 in front of the cave; but those in the boat 
 could not of course see Violet and Edmund 
 at the back of the cave. 
 
 'I see papa and some strange people,' said 
 Violet, as Edmund waded through the water 
 carefully, hoisting her up as high as he could. 
 ' They are looking all about here. Shout again, 
 Eddy dear ! ' 
 
 Again the shout was answered, and now 
 Edmund had reached the entrance of the cave. 
 The water was up above his waist, and he 
 could scarcely stand against the violence of 
 the waves, as they dashed into the cave. 
 Violet was in the water up to her knees. 
 
 ' They see us ! ' she cried. ' They're waving. 
 Oh, how good God is ! ' 
 
 ' It will be some minutes before they get to 
 us,' said Edmund anxiously. ' I must seat you 
 up on my shoulder, Bud there ! ' He leaned 
 for support against the rock at the side of the 
 entrance. 
 
 The party in the boat were doing all they 
 could to hasten to them. Higher and higher
 
 THE PICNIC. 151 
 
 came the waves, nearly taking Edmund off his 
 feet. Now the water was up to his neck, but 
 still it must be some moments before the boat 
 could possibly reach him. Edmund felt that 
 another wave or two must carry him away. He 
 looked up in despair. Just above his head, a 
 little on one side, was a small ledge of rock 
 sticking out. He made up his mind. 
 
 ' Now Bud, be brave, and do as I tell you. 
 I am going to put you up there. There is just 
 room for you to sit firm. Sit there till they 
 come, and keep your eyes on the boat. Don't 
 look down at the water, it will make you giddy. 
 Promise me, quick ! ' 
 
 ' Yes, yes, I promise ! ' said Violet. 
 
 He gave her one kiss, and stretching up, 
 placed her safely on the ledge. 
 
 ' Now, then, look at the boat ! ' cried Edmund. 
 ' God bless you, darling ! ' 
 
 The next moment he lost his footing, and 
 was carried away by the waves.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SAVED. 
 
 VIOLET sat on the ledge, her eyes fixed on 
 the boat, as Edmund had bid her. She 
 did not stir, she was so afraid of falling. She 
 never saw him disappear under the waves. 
 
 Three minutes more they seemed long 
 minutes to her and the boat bumped against 
 the cliff close under her. 
 
 'Eddy, they're come!' she cried, and then 
 looking round for the first time, saw no 
 Edmund. She gave one scream, then her head 
 swam, and she fell ; her father caught her in his 
 arms. 
 
 She knew nothing more until she opened her 
 eyes in her own little bed at home, many hours 
 after. 
 
 ' Eddy ! ' \vas the first word she murmured. 
 
 Mamma was at her bedside in a moment.
 
 SAVED. 153 
 
 ' What is it, darling ? ' she asked. 
 
 ' Eddy ! ' repeated Violet 
 
 Her mother's eyes were full of tears. ' Not 
 now, darling,' she said, kissing Violet fondly. 
 ' The doctor says you must keep quite quiet.' 
 
 Baby Bud closed her eyes again. She did 
 not sleep, however. She was thinking of 
 Edmund, and trying to remember when she 
 had last seen him, and where. 
 
 She lay silent for some time, and at last said 
 suddenly 
 
 ' Mamma, dear, I have forgotten everything ! ' 
 
 ' Have you, dear ? Then don't trouble 
 yourself. It will all come back by and by.' 
 
 ' I seem to do nothing but hear the sea,' said 
 Violet. ' It bizzes in my ears, and bizzes, and I 
 feel to be all floating about. I wish Eddy was 
 Here, that I might hold him tight ! Where is 
 he?' 
 
 'You must be a good little girl, and not talk,' 
 said her mamma. ' It is bad for you, darling. 
 You are weak.' And she went back to her seat 
 in the window. 
 
 Then Violet lay still and quiet for a long 
 time, thinking and thinking, and trying to 
 puzzle out things she could not remember.
 
 154 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 And in the middle of this her eye fell on her 
 mother, as she sat in the easy-chair in the 
 window, and she thought she did not look as 
 she generally looked, somehow. Her face was 
 quite pale, and all round her eyes was red ; she 
 looked sad, and she sat there doing nothing, 
 which was not mamma's way at all, unless 
 she was very tired. What was it ? Violet lay 
 wondering, but did not speak, until her mamma 
 got up, and gave her some medicine. 
 
 As she stooped to kiss her afterwards, Violet 
 said 
 
 ' Mamma, darling, are you ill ? ' 
 
 ' No, my sweet,' and the eyes filled with tears 
 again. 
 
 ' Are you sad, dear mamma ? ' 
 
 'Yes, darling, but be quiet now.' And 
 mamma went away, and nurse came to stay in 
 the room. 
 
 Violet wanted to speak to nurse, but nurse 
 put her finger on her lips, and drew down the 
 blind. But before she did it, Violet saw that 
 nurse had been crying too. 
 
 The day seemed very long to her. She lay 
 trying to think of something that would not 
 come.
 
 SAVED. 1 5 5 
 
 At last it came. All in a moment she 
 remembered about the cave, and the sea, and 
 Edmund. 
 
 She started up with a scream 
 
 'Eddy ! where is he ? Eddy ! Eddy ! ' 
 
 'Hush! hush! my lamb!' said nurse, coming 
 up to the bed, and trying to soothe Violet. 
 ' My dear lamb ! don't ye, now, don't ! ' And 
 she burst into tears that she could not keep 
 back. 
 
 ' Tell me, dear nursie, do, and I will be good, 
 where is my Eddy ? ' 
 
 1 Safe in the arms of the LORD JESUS,' said 
 nurse, ' for ever and ever. Happy, oh, so 
 happy ! ' 
 
 She broke down, sobbing. 
 
 ' O nursie ! my Eddy ! my own Eddy ! Let 
 me die, and go to him ! ' 
 
 Violet was very ill after this. For some 
 weeks she hung between life and death. All 
 her cry was 
 
 ' Eddy ! Eddy ! my own Eddy ! ' 
 
 She got better slowly. Life seemed to her 
 very sad without Eddy, who had been so much 
 to her in every way. No one could brighten 
 her up. She thought she never could be quite
 
 156 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 happy again, until the day came for her to die 
 and go to him. 
 
 The day when she was, for the first time, 
 carried out again into the garden, she lay sad 
 and silent on the sofa. Nurse carried her there, 
 for papa was in town, and mamma was ill in 
 bed. The fatigue of nursing Violet, and sorrow 
 for the loss of her dear boy, had broken her 
 down at last. 
 
 ' Cheer up, my darling,' said nurse, as she 
 laid Violet down and put the shawl over her 
 feet. 'There's Miss Alice going to read you 
 a pretty story, like an angel as she is. She's 
 coming out directly. Cheer up, now, and do ye 
 let your old nursie see a smile once more ! ' 
 
 The tears filled Violet's eyes. 
 
 ' I can't help it, nursie,' she said wearily. 
 
 1 For your dear mamma's sake you should 
 try, my pet,' said nurse. ' Think of her sorrow, 
 it is greater than yours. And how sweet and 
 patient she is! Try to be a comfort to her. 
 He would have wished it. He was so unselfish 
 always, the dear ! ' 
 
 ' I know, nursie, I know,' said Violet. ' I 
 will try.' 
 
 1 That's my own Miss Bud,' said nurse. And
 
 SAVED. 157 
 
 she kissed the little pale wistful face, paler 
 and more wistful than ever now. 
 
 Violet was left alone thinking. Had she 
 been selfish in her grief for Edmund ? It 
 seemed hard to call it that. It was natural 
 she should feel his loss very, very much, it 
 made such a difference in her life. It was 
 almost too bitter to think of sometimes. But 
 was it bitter only to her ? Was it not as 
 great a sorrow, and greater, to her poor mamma 
 and papa ? She had been thinking only of 
 herself. She had fancied that all the trouble 
 was hers. And so, wrapped up in her own 
 sorrow, she was growing selfish ; yes, selfish ; 
 that very thing which she hated, which was 
 so unlike her dear Eddy. She made up her 
 mind that she would try to be more cheerful, 
 and to be a comfort to her dear mamma, whose 
 sadness was made more sad by the sight of 
 Violet's grief she would begin to-day. It 
 was what Eddy would have wished. 
 
 ' Dear, dear Eddy ! ' she murmured, half 
 aloud. ' You were such a precious ! Why 
 does not Alice come ? She is a long time 
 finding a story-book.' As Violet thought this, 
 she heard a step flying along the gravel path,
 
 158 OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 and in another minute Alice, pale and breath- 
 less, had seized both of Violet's hands. 
 
 ' Bud ! dear Bud ! ' she exclaimed, and then 
 burst out crying. 
 
 ' What is the matter ? ' asked Violet. 
 
 ' O Bud, I'm afraid you can't bear it ! 
 It's too joyful ! ' sobbed Alice. 
 
 ' And you crying ! What do you mean ? ' 
 cried Violet. ' Tell me, tell me ! ' 
 
 'Eddy!' was all Alice could gasp out. 
 ' He's alive, and ' 
 
 'Here,' said a loving voice, which Violet 
 knew only too well ; and in another minute 
 she had fainted in Eddy's arms. 
 
 It was Eddy indeed. But how, and from 
 where ? 
 
 These were the questions which Baby Bud 
 asked ,that evening as she lay with her tiny 
 hand fast locked in Eddy's, looking like a 
 Rose Bud now, instead of a 'White Violet.' 
 Her face was beaming with happiness, as were 
 all the bright faces round her. Mamma had 
 become suddenly quite well 'with joy,' said 
 Violet, and was down with them again. 
 
 'Well, it was very wonderful,' Eddy said. 
 He had floated out to sea, and had been
 
 SAVED. 
 
 159 
 
 picked up insensible by a small boat belonging 
 to a merchant ship on her way to America. 
 The captain had been very kind to him, but 
 could not turn out of his course to put him 
 on shore, as he had already been detained 
 long over his time. He promised to send 
 
 
 Edmund home by another ship as soon as he 
 reached New York. Edmund was very ill, 
 however, and had a fever, which kept him in 
 New York for two or three weeks. He had 
 been insensible many days, and not able to 
 write ; and the first day he was able to leave
 
 l6o OUR WHITE VIOLET. 
 
 his bed he had embarked on board a ship 
 for England, the good captain paying all his 
 expenses. 
 
 And here he was again, at home among his 
 dear ones. What words can tell their happi- 
 ness ! How papa and mamma sat looking at 
 their Edmund ! How the children crowded 
 round him, eager to caress, and even touch 
 him ! And how Baby Bud clung to him ! 
 How very happy she was ! 
 
 ' Bud, darling,' whispered Edmund, as he 
 carried her up to bed, 'let us pray for each 
 other, that every day of our lives may bring 
 us " nearer and nearer to God." ' 
 
 MORRISON AND GIRD, EDINBURGH, 
 IRS TO HBR MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFHCE.
 
 A SELECTION 
 
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 SHORT STORIES FOR CHIL- 
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 FOR LITTLE CHILDREN. IN W r ORDS OF ONE 
 SYLLABLE. 
 
 Illustrated by HARRISON WEIR. Handsomely bound in illuminated 
 cover, and full of pictures. 50 Cts.
 
 14 NEW AND APPROVED BOOKS 
 
 BOOKS FOR THE FAMILY 
 
 AND THE 
 
 HOME CIRCLE. 
 
 MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES 
 
 FOR HER LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS. 
 
 A series of reading lessons taken from the Bible, and adapted to the 
 capacities of very young children. With twelve engravings. 
 
 75 cts, 
 
 SHORT & SIMPLE PRAYERS, 
 
 HYMNS FOR' THE USE OF CHILDREN. 
 
 ]>y the Author of " Mamma's Bible Stories," " Fanny and her 
 Mamma," "Scripture Histories for Children," &c. Seventeenth 
 thousand ... ... ... ... ... 50 cts. 
 
 A WORD TO THE WISE. 
 
 HINTS ON CURRENT IMPROPRIETIES OF EX- 
 PRESSION IN WRITING AND SPEAKING. 
 
 By PARRY GYVYNNE. Seventeenth thousand. ... 25cts,
 
 PUBLISHED BY E. P. DUTTON AND CO. 
 
 One Dollar and Fifty Cents a Volume. 
 
 Large 121110., Cloth Elegant, Fully Illustrated. 
 
 Who did it? or, Holmwood Priory: a School- 
 boy's Tale. 
 
 By the Rev. H. C. ADAMS, Author of " Hair Breadth Es- 
 capes," "College Days at Oxford," &c., Crown 8vo., 
 with Eight Illustrations by A. W, COOPER. 
 
 " Is fully equal to anything of tke kind -which has been published since ' Tot* 
 Brown at Rugby.' . . . . "NEW YORK CHURCHMAN. 
 
 " We recant !>se)td the volume as a. healthy, interesting, extremely tuell- 
 luritten, and indeed artistic novel. . . . ." FIGARO. 
 
 In Times of Peril : a Story of India. 
 
 By G. A. HENTY, Author of "The Young Franc Tireurs," 
 "The Young Buglers," "Out on the Pampas," &c. 
 Crown 8vo., with Sixteen full-page Illustrations. 
 " The book is one of the best of its kind, and will be a most acceptable present 
 
 to lays. . . . ." CONGREGATIONALIST. 
 
 Hair Breadth Escapes. By Rev. H. c. ADAMS. 
 
 " No matter what kind of tale Mr. Adonis has to relate, he is sure to tell it 
 well, and he way be congratulated on his successful attempt to win honours. 
 " PALL MALL GAZETTE. 
 
 The Gentleman Cadet. By Lieut.-Coi. DRAYSON. 
 
 " Boys big and little iviil read Colonel Drayson's l-cok with deep interest." 
 TIMES. 
 
 The Rival Crusoes. By w. H. G. KINGSTON.. 
 
 " A well-conceived and well-told tale " SCHOOL GUARDIAN. 
 
 The Belton Scholarship. Being a Chapter 
 from the History of George Denton's 
 Life. 
 
 By BERNARD HELDMANN, Author of " Dorrincourt," 
 "Boxall School," &c. With Eight full-page Illustra- 
 tions. 
 
 A story oj School Life written in the lest style ff this -weli-known writer for 
 boys.
 
 This book is DUE on the last 
 date stamped below 
 
 RECTO 
 
 MAR 15 
 
 JAN 05 
 
 987 
 
 lOm-11,'50 (2555)470 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
 
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 Si|68o Our 1/Vhite 
 Violet. 
 
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