THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 The srood-Tmhired Giant
 
 THE 
 
 TWO STORY MITTENS 
 
 LITTLE PLAT MITTENS 
 
 THE FOUETH BOOK OF THE SERIES. 
 
 \Ah r 
 AUNT FANNY, 
 
 A0THOB OF THE BIX HIGHTCAP BOOKS, ETO. 
 
 NEW YOEK : 
 D, APPLETON AND COMPANY, 
 
 443 & 445 BROADWAY. 
 LONDON: 16 LITTLE BRITAIN.
 
 Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1862, by 
 
 FANNY BAEEOW, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Southern District, of New York.
 
 I DEDICATE 
 
 TWO STOEIE8 ATST> THIS LITTLE PLAT 
 TO MY FRIEND 
 
 ME. FKANK A , 
 
 who makes fun of me before my face and speaks well 
 of me behind my back. 
 
 I don't mind the first a bit ; and as long as he con- 
 tinues to practise the second, we will fight under the 
 
 LONG MAY IT AND HE WAVE! 
 
 5f\*l 
 J .s e 
 
 EDUCATION
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAOB 
 
 MORE ABOUT THE MITTENS, . ... 7 
 
 THE PARTY LILLIE GAVE FOR MISS FLORENCE, 12 
 
 THE FAIRY BENEVOLENCE, . . 45 
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL 80 
 
 THE LITTLE PLAY MITTENS, 189
 
 MOKE ABOUT THE MITTENS. 
 
 THE mittens were coming bravely on. 
 Some evenings, Aunt Fanny could not 
 send a story ; and then the little mother 
 read an entertaining book, or chatted 
 pleasantly with her children. 
 
 There had been twelve pairs finished, 
 during the reading of the third book, and 
 several more were on the way. George 
 had written the most delightful letters, 
 each of which was read to his eagerly- 
 listening sisters and brothers several times, 
 for they were never tired of hearing about 
 life in camp. 
 
 This evening, the mother drew another 
 letter, received that day, out of her pocket. 
 The very sight of the envelope, with the
 
 8 MORE ABOUT THE MITTENS. 
 
 precious flag in the corner, caused their 
 eyes to sparkle, and their fingers to fly at 
 their patriotic and loving work. 
 
 " Attention ! " said the mother in a 
 severe, military tone. Everybody burst 
 out laughing, choked it off, immediately 
 straightened themselves up as stiff as ram- 
 rods, and she began : 
 
 " DEAR MOTHER, CAPTAIN, AND ALL THE 
 BELOVED SQUAD : Our camp is splendid ! 
 "We call it Camp Ellsworth. It covers 
 the westward slope of a beautiful hill. 
 The air is pure and fresh, and our streets 
 (for we have real ones) are kept as clean 
 as a pin. Not an end of a cigar, or an 
 inch of potato peeling, dare to show them- 
 selves. Directly back of the camp strong 
 earthworks have been thrown up, with 
 rifle pits in front ; and these are manned 
 by four artillery companies from New 
 York. Our commissary is a very good fel-
 
 MOKE ABOUT THE MITTENS. 9 
 
 low, but I wish lie would buy pork with 
 less fat. I am like the boy in school, who 
 wrote home to his mother, his face all 
 puckered up with disgust : " They make 
 us eat p-h-a-t ! ! " When I swizzle it (or 
 whatever you call that kind of cooking) in 
 a pan over the fire, there is nothing left 
 of a large slice, but a little shrivelled 
 brown bit, swimming in about half a pint 
 of melted lard, not quarter enough to sat- 
 isfy a great robin redbreast like me ; but 
 I make the most of it, by pointing my 
 bread for some time at it, and then eating 
 a lot of bread before I begin at the pork. 
 The pointing, you see, gives the bread a 
 favor." 
 
 The children screamed with laughter 
 at this, and wanted to have some salt pork 
 cooked immediately to try the " pointing " 
 flavor. Their mother promised to have 
 some for breakfast, and went on reading : 
 
 " "We are very busy at drills. I give the 
 
 IV.-l*
 
 10 MOEE ABOin: THE MITTENS. 
 
 boys plenty of field exercise, quick step, 
 skirmishes, double quick, and all manner 
 of manoeuvres. After drill, we sing songs, 
 tell jokes, and play jokes upon each other, 
 but we don't forget, in doing this, that we 
 are gentlemen. 
 
 " Oh dear mother, I am crazy to be in 
 action ! I am afraid, if we don't have a 
 battle soon, I shall get motheaten. Our 
 General is a glorious fellow, and is just 
 as anxious as we are to have it over; 
 peace will come all the sooner. Hollo ! 
 Here comes " Tapp," and I must blow out 
 my half inch of tallow candle, and go to 
 bed. 
 
 " Good-by, all my dear ones. Lovi 
 and pray for your affectionate son and 
 brother, GEOKGE." 
 
 " Ah ! " sighed the children, as the 
 mother folded up the letter. Then they 
 were silent, thinking of the dear brother
 
 MOKE ABOUT THE MITTENS. 11 
 
 who wanted so much to be in the dread- 
 ful battle ; and the little mother was 
 looking very mournful when there came 
 a ring at the bell. 
 
 The servant handed in a package, which 
 proved to be a story from " Aunt Fanny." 
 It came very fortunately ; and the mittens 
 grew fast, as the little mother read the 
 interesting history of 
 
 THE PAETY LTLLTE GAVE FOE Miss 
 FLOEENCE.
 
 THE PARTY LILLIE GAVE FOR 
 MISS FLORENCE. 
 
 " Oh, mamma, please do buy me a new 
 doll," said Lillie, one day in June. 
 
 " Why, how you talk ! " answered her 
 mother. " What has become of your large 
 family?" 
 
 " Oh, mamma ! Minnie, the china doll, 
 has only one leg, and my three wax dolls 
 are no better. Fanny has only one arm ; 
 both Julia's eyes are out ; and the kitten 
 scratched off Maria's wig the other day, 
 and she has the most dreadful-looking, 
 bald pate you ever saw ! Instead of its 
 being made of nice white wax, it is noth- 
 ing but old brown paper ! I think it is
 
 THE PARTY LILLIE GAVE. 13 
 
 very mean not to make dolls' bald heads 
 like other people's ! Then I could have 
 dressed Maria up in pantaloons, and made 
 a grandfather of her. But now she is fit 
 for nothing but to be put in a cornfield 
 to scare away the crows." 
 
 Lillie's mother laughed, and kissed her 
 lovely daughter, who had not met with 
 any of the terrible misfortunes that had 
 befallen her wax and china family. She 
 had both her round and chubby white 
 arms ; and two pretty and active legs, that 
 made themselves very useful in skipping 
 and jumping from morning till night ; and 
 just the prettiest golden brown wig you 
 ever saw. It was fastened on so tight ; 
 that the kitten, with all her scratchings, 
 could never twitch it off; in fact, every 
 single hair was fastened by a root in her 
 dear little head, and fell in soft, natural 
 curls over her dimpled cheeks. 
 
 That very afternoon, her mother went
 
 14 THE TWO STORY MITTENS. 
 
 out stopping; and looking in at a toy 
 shop window, she saw a splendid wax 
 doll nearly three feet long. It was dressed 
 up in all manner of furbelows, but the 
 dress did not look half so fresh and lovely 
 as the doll. The arms and hands were 
 all wax, round, pinky-white, and beauti- 
 fully shaped, with two cunning dimples 
 in the elbows, and four little dimples in 
 the back of each hand. She had dark 
 curling hair, large blue eyes, and very 
 small feet. 
 
 " "Well," said the loving mother to her- 
 self, " I really must try to get this splendid 
 doll for my darling Lillie." Her own 
 gentle blue eyes quite sparkled at the 
 thought of the happiness such a pres- 
 ent would bring with it. So she walked 
 quickly in, and asked the price. 
 
 Oh dear ! It was twenty dollars ! 
 
 This was more than the mother thought 
 right to give for the doll ; and she told
 
 THE PAETT IILLIE GAVE. 15 
 
 the man so, very politely. He was a very 
 wise man, and what is more and better, 
 kept a toy shop, because he loved children 
 dearly; so he put his head on one side, 
 and thought ; then he looked out of the 
 corner of his eye at the lady, and saw what 
 a pleasant, sweet expression was on her 
 face ; then he thought again this time, 
 how disappointed the sweet little girl at 
 borne would be, if she knew her mother 
 was out looking for a doll for her, and 
 came home without one ; and then he 
 said, "What do you think the doll is 
 worth ? " 
 
 Lillie's mother told him what she con- 
 sidered a fair price, and the darling, good 
 toyman spoke up as quick as a flash, 
 " You shall have it, ma'am ! Here, John, 
 put this doll in paper, and take it to l No. 
 13 Clinton Place.' " 
 
 Lillie's sister Helen was going to spend 
 the summer with her dear grandmamma in
 
 16 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 Middletown. A splendid idea came into the 
 kind mother's head. Taking Helen into a 
 room alone, she said, " My dear, you will 
 want some sewing to do, while you are 
 away; suppose you take the beautiful 
 doll and make up several suits of clothes 
 for her, just as neatly as possible. I am 
 sure your grandmamma will help you; 
 and when you return, we will have a de- 
 lightful surprise for Lillie." 
 
 The darling, good sister, was just as 
 pleased as possible with this plan : indeed, 
 she had not got past liking to play with 
 dolls herself; and she was very different 
 from some elder sisters, who take an 
 unamiable pleasure in teasing the younger 
 ones, instead of joining in their plays, 
 and doing everything to add to their 
 happiness. So the doll and all sorts 
 of pretty muslins and silks, and materials 
 for under garments, were mysteriously 
 packed away in Helen's trunk, and she
 
 Hcli-n's Heturn Home.
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 17 
 
 went off to her grandmother's pleasant 
 country house, without Lillie's having the 
 slightest suspicion of what she was going 
 to do. She was very busy all summer 
 making the clothes, with her grand- 
 mamma's help. Many of the pleasant morn- 
 ings she sat on the steps of the door, listen- 
 ing to the singing of the birds as she sewed. 
 
 And now this is a very good place to 
 tell you about Lillie and her sisters ; for 
 she had three dear sisters Helen, Mary, 
 
 IT.-2
 
 18 THE TWOSTOEY MITTENS. 
 
 and sweet little Maggie ; and no brother 
 at all. The only one she ever had, went 
 to live with Jesus in heaven, after staying 
 only fifteen months here in this world. 
 
 You know already what a kind mother 
 the children had ; and I am very certain 
 their papa loved them just as much. 
 When he is with them, his dark, bright, 
 and piercing eyes droop and soften into 
 an expression of so much affection, that 
 one day, when I was visiting at his house, 
 I caught myself repeating the words of a 
 perfect little poem, which seemed to have 
 been written expressly for him. It is so 
 beautiful, and describes the children so 
 well, with the change of one or two words, 
 that I have ventured to copy it here for 
 you. It was written 'by Gerald Massey. 
 
 " There be four maidens ; four loving maidens ; 
 
 Four bonny maidens, mine ; 
 Four precious jewels are set in Life's crown, 
 On prayer-lifted brows to shine.
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 19 
 
 Eight starry eyes, all love-luminous, 
 Look out of our heaven so tender ; 
 
 Since the honeymoon glowing and glorious 
 Arose in its ripening splendor. 
 
 " There's Lillie bell, the duchess of wonderland, 
 
 "With her dance of life, dimples and curls ; 
 Whose bud of a mouth into sweet kisses bursts, 
 
 A-smile with the little white pearls : 
 And Mary our rosily-gqldening peach, 
 
 On the sunniest side of the wall ; 
 'And Helen mother's own darling, 
 
 And Maggie, the baby of all." 
 
 The summer was passed Tby our dear 
 little Lillie in playing and frolicking, and 
 sometimes tearing her frocks ; which last, 
 her mother minded not the least bit, as 
 long as it was an accident. I don't, either. 
 Children had better tear their frocks a 
 little, jumping, climbing over fences, and 
 getting fat and healthy, than to sit in 
 the house, looking pale and miserable. 
 My Alice often comes in, a perfect object 
 to behold ! I sometimes wonder the rag-
 
 20 THE TWO STORY MITTENS. 
 
 man, who drives the old cart with a 
 row of jingling bells strung over the top, 
 don't mistake her for a bundle of rags 
 gone out for a walk. I don't feel worried 
 about it ; for if he should happen to make 
 this mistake, and pop her in his cart some 
 day, Alice would make one of her cele- 
 brated Indian " yoops," as she calls it, and 
 I rather think he would pop her out, 
 quicker than she went in. 
 
 When September had come, Helen 
 returned home ; and soon after, the mother 
 said, " Lillie, there is a young lady in town, 
 who wishes to make your acquaintance. 
 She is quite grand and fashionable in her 
 ideas, so w& must make a little flourish for 
 her. What do you think of having a 
 party to receive her ? " 
 
 " A party ! " screamed Lillie, clapping 
 her hands with delight; "I would like 
 that very much; and oh! please have 
 candy, and oranges, and oh! mottoes
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 21 
 
 lots of snapping mottoes for the party ! 
 That would be most delightful! And 
 please ask Nattie, and Kittie, and Lina, 
 and Emily, and oh ! everybody." 
 
 "You must ask them yourself. See, 
 here is a quantity of pretty buff and pink 
 note paper, and here is a nice new pen : 
 sit down and write your invitations." 
 
 This was a tremendous business ! and 
 Lillie, spreading herself in great grandeur, 
 with her head on one side, took the pen 
 and wrote very nicely, for Jier, all the 
 notes, in this way : 
 
 " Miss Lillie B wishes you To 
 
 Come to A party to-morrow to Meet A 
 young Lady. Her name Is i Don't 
 Know Yet. Please Come At Seven-o- 
 Clock. LILLIE." 
 
 Then she doubled them up into little 
 squares, and put them into the envelopes ;
 
 22 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 and Margery, the maid, who loved Lillie 
 dearly, and would have rode off with the 
 notes on a broomstick to Jerusalem, if her 
 little lady had wanted her to trotted 
 about all the morning, leaving them at 
 the children's houses, telling the waiters 
 who answered the doors, on no account to 
 stop a single moment, but rush right up 
 stairs with them, as they were of the 
 greatest importance. 
 
 The next morning, Lillie got all the 
 answers. I should think there were about 
 twenty little notes, all directed to her. 
 Was ever anything known to equal it? 
 A lady getting so many letters at once ! 
 It was almost too much happiness. They 
 did not all come at once, which was 
 very lucky ; for I do believe Lillie would 
 have gone crazy with delight. She open- 
 ed the first with trembling eagerness, 
 dancing up and down the whole time, 
 and read these enchanting words :
 
 THE PAKTY LILLIE GAVE. 23 
 
 " dear lillie- 
 
 "i will come, i shall wear my best 
 frock what a funny name the young lady 
 has. miss don't know yet 
 
 " good bye. yours, NATTLE." 
 
 " Oh, mamma," she cried, laughing, 
 " Nattie thinks the young lady's name is 
 ' Miss Don't Know Yet ! ' How funny ! 
 But really, what is her name, mamma ? " 
 
 " She will tell you that herself, when 
 she comes. She wants to surprise you." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Lillie ; and just then an- 
 other note was handed to her, and she 
 read this : 
 
 LILLIE: Mamma is writing 
 this note for me, and she says I accept 
 your invitation with much pleasure. So I 
 do, certainly. What delightful fun it is 
 to go to a party ! I wish you would have 
 one every week. 
 
 " Your loving friend, KITTY."
 
 24 THE TWOSTOKY MITTENS. 
 
 " Oh, mamma " Lillie was just going 
 to ask her mother to let her have a party 
 every week when Maggie brought an- 
 other note. This was from a young gen- 
 tleman, and was as follows : 
 
 "Master Russell is coming to Your 
 
 Party ; and I will Eat all the plum Cake, 
 
 and bring A pack of Crackers In my pocket 
 
 to fire off in honor Of Miss Doughnut. 
 
 " Yours affectionately, 
 
 " SAM RUSSELL." 
 
 Lillie thought this was a splendid idea ! 
 It would be such an honor to the young 
 lady to receive her with popping a pack 
 of crackers at her, just as they fire off can- 
 non at the President when he conies to 
 town. 
 
 " Oh, how enchanting it is ! " she cried, 
 and she jumped up on a chair and jumped 
 down again three times running, she was 
 so happy.
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 25 
 
 Everybody was coining, and all wrote 
 notes very like those I have told you 
 The weather was beautiful, and, for a won- 
 der, everything went just right. 
 
 Long before seven o'clock, Lillie was 
 dressed and in the parlor waiting for her 
 little friends. She got very impatient, 
 and was just beginning to think they 
 never meant to come ; or had all been 
 naughty, and were sent to bed instead of 
 going to a party, when the door bell rang 
 then again then again and a moment 
 after a little troop of laughing, lovely 
 children skipped into the room, all talking 
 together, and all running to kiss Lillie at 
 once ; so that not a quarter of them could 
 find a place on her sweet, happy face, and 
 had to wait for their turn. 
 
 Then some nice little boys came in, 
 with their faces scrubbed so clean they 
 fairly shone, and their hair parted down 
 the middle behind so very even that the
 
 26 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 seam looked like a streak of white chalk. 
 They went up to Lillie very bashfully, and 
 shook hands ; and then all got together in 
 a corner, because you see they were afraid 
 of the girls, and imagined that they were 
 making fun of them. 
 
 But after a little while this fear seemed 
 to fly up the chimney, for boys and girls 
 were playing " turn the platter," and "hunt 
 the ring," and the larger ones were dan- 
 cing ; and everybody was having the most 
 delightful time possible. 
 
 Dear little rosebud Maggie was the 
 happiest of any, for she was to sit up 
 until every scrap of the party was over ; 
 so everybody kissed her, and played with 
 her, and showed her how to turn the 
 platter, and she skipped and danced.; and 
 that dear little chuckling, singing laugh 
 of hers was heard in every corner of the 
 room. The fact is, Little Maggie is one
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 2? 
 
 of my particular darlings. Don't tell any- 
 body. 
 
 But where was the young lady all this 
 time? 
 
 Lillie had scarcely thought of her, she 
 was so happy with the dear little friends 
 she knew and loved. Of course a stranger 
 could not expect to have the same place 
 in her loving heart, especially as she had 
 not yet had even the first peep at her. 
 
 Her sister Mary had gone out of the 
 room a little while before, and Lillie was 
 wondering why she did not return, when 
 there came a tremendous ringing at the 
 bell. 
 
 " She's coming ! " whispered Lillie to 
 herself, and her heart beat fast as the door 
 opened ; and there marched gravely in not 
 a young lady but a little old gentleman, 
 whose hair was perfectly white, though he 
 seemed to have a great deal of it, for his 
 hea<J was about the size of a half peck
 
 28 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 measure. He wore a very long-tailed coat, 
 buttoned up very tight; his pantaloons 
 only reached down to his knees ; but to 
 make up for that his stockings came up to 
 meet them, and were fastened with per- 
 fectly beautiful garters, with a big silver 
 buckle shining in the very middle ; shoes, 
 also flourishing large silver buckles, adorn- 
 ed his feet. So you see he was quite an 
 old dandy. 
 
 Leaning on his arm was a little old 
 lady. Her hair was also as white as 
 snow; and she too had so much, and it 
 was so fuzzy, that it looked for all the 
 world like a pound of cotton batting. 
 She was dressed in the most gorgeous 
 array, perfectly elegant to behold ! white 
 satin, and flowers, and furbelows ; and was 
 so very dignified and stiff in her manners 
 that Lillie thought she must have fallen 
 into a kettle of starch. 
 
 Another tremendous ring at the bell !
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 29 
 
 and the servant who answered it came 
 into the parlor and said the little old gen- 
 tleman and lady were wanted out in the 
 hall immediately. 
 
 They made each a low bow and 
 marched out of the room, while the chil- 
 dren's bright eyes grew larger and larger, 
 and they asked each other, with a little 
 hop and skip apiece, what in the world 
 was coming next. 
 
 As to Lillie, the lovely pink roses deep- 
 ened on her cheeks ; her eyes shone like 
 diamonds, and two dimples kept playing 
 hide and seek with the smiles that were 
 chasing them every instant. 
 
 It was a breathless moment ! All 
 were waiting their eyes fastened on the 
 door. The knob turned it slowly opened 
 and in marched the little old lady and 
 gentleman, holding between them by the 
 hands, the most perfectly beautiful young
 
 30 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 lady that was ever seen in the whole 
 world ! ! 
 
 She had on a white tarleton dress, with 
 two skirts trimmed with cherry-colored 
 blond lace. The waist was gathered in at 
 the belt, and finished round the neck with 
 a beautiful lace berthe. She wore a sash 
 of cherry-colored satin ribbon, and in her 
 belt was an elegant chatelaine, from which 
 hung a tiny gold watch exactly the size of 
 a five cent piece. A necklace was round 
 her neck, and a wreath of flowers upon 
 her head. She had fine open-worked 
 stockings and morocco shoes. In her right 
 hand was the cunningest 'little fan that 
 ever was seen ! and altogether she was 
 quite the belle of the evening. 
 
 All the children drew a long breath ! 
 and gazed with admiration as the three 
 strangers marched all round the room. 
 Then they stopped in the very middle, 
 and Lillie's mother, stepping up beside
 
 THE PAETT LILLIE GAVE. 31 
 
 them, gracefully waved her hand and 
 said: 
 
 " Ladies and gentlemen, let me present 
 to you Mr. and Mrs. Grey, and Miss 
 Florence Grey." 
 
 The little old gentleman put his hand 
 on his heart, and made such a low bow to 
 the company that they saw the back of his 
 bushy white head, and his long coat tails 
 stuck out behind like a pennon in a high 
 breeze ; and the little old lady put her 
 hand on Tier heart, and dropped such a 
 low courtesy that the children thought she 
 meant to sit down on the carpet ; but 
 Miss Florence looked straight before her, 
 and never took the slightest notice of any- 
 body. 
 
 Just then a queer little laugh was 
 heard ; a kind of a smothered, bursting 
 laugh. The children stared ! and there 
 was the little old gentleman stuffing his 
 pocket handkerchief into his mouth, and
 
 32 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 perfectly shaking with laughter ! ! What 
 conduct in an aged person ! ! But worse 
 was coming ! The little old lady began to 
 laugh ; then she screamed with laughter, 
 and shook so that a most dreadful thing 
 happened ! She laughed all the hair off 
 her head ! It first tumbled over side- 
 ways, and then fell on the carpet all in a 
 bunch ! 
 
 " Sister Mary ! ! sister Mary ! ! " cried 
 Lillie, running up to the little old lady, 
 who, strange to tell ! had another crop of 
 beautiful golden brown hair under the 
 other, smoothed down very close to her 
 head. 
 
 " Why, it's a wig ! " screamed the chil- 
 dren, all laughing and running up. Was 
 there ever anything so funny : " It's noth- 
 ing but Miss Mary in a wig." 
 
 At this very moment Master Sam Kus- 
 sell stepped slyly behind the little old 
 gentleman, and twitched at his bushy
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 33 
 
 white hair. It all carne off in his hand 
 amid roars of laughter ; and underneath 
 was the brown head of Harry, one of the 
 greatest fellows for fun you ever saw, and 
 a dear cousin of Lillie's. 
 
 But Miss Florence stared at it all with 
 a simpering smile on her face ; till Lillie, 
 looking close at her, caught her up in 
 her arms, and hugging her to her breast 
 screamed joyfully out " It's a new doll ! 
 a new doll ! ! Miss Florence is a new 
 doll ! ! " and began running round the 
 whole length of the two rooms, all the 
 children scampering after her, laughing 
 and shouting, till they threw themselves 
 down on the sofas and chairs, perfectly 
 breathless. 
 
 Yes, Miss Florence was a splendid 
 wax doll; and the children gathered 
 round Lillie, after just one second of rest, 
 for they could not possibly Ibe expected 
 to sit still longer than that ; and admired
 
 34 THE TWO STOKY MITTENS. 
 
 and kissed the stranger ; and " Oh, what 
 a darling ! what lovely eyes ! what pretty 
 boots ! how big she is ! and so on," was 
 heard on all sides. 
 
 A tremendous ring at the bell ! 
 Why ! were wonders never to cease.? In 
 came Margery saying there was a trunk 
 in the hall left by the expressman, who 
 said Miss Florence Grey must pay him 
 twenty-five cents, and he would not stir a 
 step till she did. 
 
 Here was a difficulty ! Lillie's money 
 never had a chance to burn a hole in Tier 
 pocket, because she spent it the very 
 moment her mamma or papa gave her 
 any; and she did not know where 
 twenty-five cents were to come from. 
 
 " Suppose you feel in Miss Florence's 
 pocket," said her mother. 
 
 " Ah ! let's see ! cried Lillie ; so she 
 poked two* of her little fingers in the 
 pocket, and sure enugh ! there was a
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 35 
 
 bright, new quarter of a dollar. She 
 rushed out and gave it to the expressman, 
 who hardly waited to say, " thank you," 
 but was on his wagon with a bound, and 
 round the corner like a flash of lightning. 
 
 Well, there in the hall was a beautiful 
 new trunk ! two of the boys brought it in 
 very politely. But it was locked. "What 
 was to be done now ? 
 
 " Feel in Miss Florence's pocket," ad- 
 vised the good mother again. 
 
 Lillie poked in two little fingers as 
 before, and said that way down in the 
 bottom there was certainly something. 
 She caught it at last, and when it was 
 fished out, it proved to be a small key. 
 
 All the children crowded round as the 
 trunk was unlocked ; and then you would 
 have given a hundred dollars, only to see 
 their faces, and hear them clap their 
 hands, and exclaim with delight as dress 
 after dress, and petticoats all tucked up,
 
 36 THE TWO STORY MITTEJSrS. 
 
 pantalettes with the most beautiful em- 
 broidery round the legs, and a round 
 straw hat, and two French bonnets, and 
 all sorts of things; and everything else 
 besides, was taken out. Oh, it was almost 
 too good to believe ! 
 
 Down sat the darlings on the carpet, 
 and spread all the articles out. The boys 
 looking on very much pleased. 
 
 " Let's try all the dresses on," said one 
 of the little girls. 
 
 No sooner said, than done ! and before 
 Miss Florence could say " Jack Robinson," 
 off came the dress she was wearing. 
 
 Did you ever! To be trying on a 
 lady's dress at a party ! ! Who ever 
 heard of such a thing ? I never did ! But 
 the best of it was, that Miss Florence did 
 not seem to care a button ; she smiled and 
 simpered, and allowed herself to be tum- 
 bled over on her nose, and never squealed 
 an atom when pins were run into her
 
 THE PARTY LILLIE GAVE. 3T 
 
 back. But no doubt she came to the 
 conclusion that it was the custom of the 
 country. At any rate, she could not help 
 loving Lillie; and for my part, I don't 
 know who could. 
 
 In the middle of the dressing, supper 
 was announced ! which was joyful news, 
 as all the romping and playing had made 
 the children as hungry as hunters ; and, at 
 the sight of a great table perfectly loaded 
 down with cakes, oranges, and mottoes, 
 instead of gravely marching in, looking as 
 solemn as owls as grown people do 
 they skipped and danced with delight : 
 and such a little, laughing, joyous party 
 was worth all the grurn old grown-up balls 
 from now to never. I wish all the children 
 would invite me to their parties ; I think 
 it is sucli fun ! The sight of so many 
 happy little faces takes nearly all the sad 
 look out of my face, and quite all the sad 
 thoughts out of my heart.
 
 38 THE TWO STOKY MITTENS. 
 
 They all ate just as much as they 
 wanted of the nice things, and the little 
 boys pulled the snapping mottoes with the 
 girls; and very politely gave the motto 
 papers, all crammed full of "love and 
 dove," and " bliss and kiss," to those they 
 liked best. 
 
 Then they played games and danced, 
 and were so perfecty happy, that when 
 the servants came to take them home, 
 they one and all declared that they would 
 not go, as their mammas had said they 
 might stay till ten o'clock ; when, would 
 you believe it ? Lillie's mother said it was 
 ten minutes after ten then ! 
 
 Where in the world had all the time 
 gone to, this evening? Just the very 
 evening, of all others, wien they wanted 
 it to last three times longer than usual ! 
 It really was too bad ; and was very un- 
 kind in the hands of the clock to scrabble 
 over such delightful hours so fast. But
 
 THE PARTY LILLIE GAVE. 39 
 
 there was no help for it now; and they 
 put on their coats, cloaks, caps, and hats, 
 and, after kissing Lillie and Miss Florence, 
 who was going to live there, they all went 
 home. 
 
 And that was the end of Miss Flor- 
 ence's party. I mean the party that was 
 given in her honor. If you should like to 
 see her, just come to me, and I will whisper 
 in your ear were she lives now ; for they 
 have moved away from Clinton Place. 
 She and Lillie have become great friends, 
 and have never been separated since that 
 celebrated evening, at the party, when the 
 children tried on all her dresses. 
 
 Oh! I forgot one thing. The white 
 wigs, you know. Well, the boys picked 
 them up to examine them ; and, what do you 
 think the queer old things were made of ? 
 Why, nothing but a sheet of white wad- 
 ding. 
 
 How they did laugh! and how sur-
 
 40 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 prised they were ! for they looked so re- 
 spectable ! just like the bushy horse hair 
 wigs you see hanging in Mr. Isabeau the 
 hair dresser's windows ; and I, for one, the 
 very next time I go to a fancy party, 
 mean to make a wig of white wadding, 
 for three cents, for that was all Henry's and 
 Mary's cost. 
 
 Won't Lillie be surprised when she 
 sees this story in print ! I'm quite certain 
 she will laugh and kiss me, and say, Why, 
 Aunt Fanny ! You were not at the party ; 
 how did you hear? Then I shall look 
 very mischievous and say, " Ah ! that's 
 telling ! " 
 
 But there's one thing I must tell, 
 though I am very nearly certain you have 
 guessed it already. Miss Florence was 
 the very doll Lillie's mother had bought 
 in the summer time, and Helen, the kind 
 sister, had made every one of the beautiful 
 things in the little trunk. To show you
 
 Portrait of Miss Florence.
 
 THE PARTY LILLTE GAVE. 41 
 
 how handsome they all were, I have 
 Miss Florence's portrait taken in an every- 
 day dress, and begged the printer to put 
 it in this book. Don't it make a nourish ? 
 And was not Helen a perfect darling of a 
 sister? Don't you wish she was yours? 
 I do. 
 
 " There ! what do you think of that 
 story ? " said the little mother, as she rolled 
 up the manuscript. 
 
 " Oh, it is the best of all ! They are 
 all the best stories ! " cried the children. 
 " How we wish we knew Lillie and her 
 beautiful doll ! " 
 
 They gathered round their mother, 
 and admired her picture, which Aunt 
 Fanny had sent with the MS. ; and count- 
 ed the flounces, and thought her feet were 
 " such darlings ! " and then exclaimed 
 again, " Oh, I wish we knew her ! " 
 
 " Wouldn't you rather know Harry,
 
 42 THE TWO STOKY MITTENS. 
 
 the little old gentleman in the "wg?" 
 asked a voice at the door. 
 
 The children turned quickly round, 
 and saw Aunt Fanny standing at the door 
 laughing at them. 
 
 They fell upon her with screams of 
 delight, and, without meaning to, imme- 
 diately upset her upon the carpet ; for she 
 is a little woman, with not a grain of 
 bodily strength ; all her strength is in her 
 heart. So there she sat, so weak from 
 laughing, that she could not help herself; 
 while the children cried, " Oh, Aunt Fan- 
 ny, we beg your pardon! did we hurt 
 you ? we only meant to love you." 
 
 Then they all got hold of her, and be- 
 gan to pull her up different ways ; in con- 
 sequence of which, down she came again, 
 and half a dozen of the children with her. 
 
 " Oh ! " she cried, " if you don't stop, 
 you will push me through the carpet and 
 floor, and make me fall plump on top of
 
 THE PAETY LILLIE GAVE. 43 
 
 the cook's head in the kitchen. Come, 
 let's all sit here, while I tell you some- 
 thing, and recover my breath." 
 
 This invitation suited them exactly. 
 Down they all dropped, with Aunt Fanny 
 in the middle. The little ones tumbled 
 over themselves, and lighted on their heads 
 at first ; but after a good deal of laughing 
 and nestling up close together, they were 
 tolerably quiet. 
 
 " Well," said Aunt Fanny, " I always 
 knew you were perfect monkeys for cut- 
 ting capers ; but I did not know till now, 
 that you were also a family of crabs." 
 
 " Crabs ! " cried the children laughing. 
 
 " Yes, pulling me up, and trying to make 
 me walk two ways at once, like a crab : 
 very good fun for a crab, but it brought me 
 flat, as you see, and has nearly frightened 
 out of my head a fine story I have heard, 
 about the consequences of an odd speech 
 your friend Harry, the little old gentle-
 
 44 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 man in the story of Lillie, made to a poor 
 little boy." 
 
 " Oh dear, do tell it ! " they cried ; " try- 
 to get it back in your head again ; we want 
 to hear it so much." 
 
 "Well, will you get up and sit in 
 chairs, and work like beavers at your mit- 
 tens, if I do?" 
 
 " Oh, yes ! yes ! " They sprang up, and 
 in a surprisingly short time the crochet 
 needles were glancing in the gas light ; 
 while the mittens grew wonderfully. 
 
 It was a new pleasure to hear a story 
 directly from her lips, especially as she 
 had brought two or three pictures to illus- 
 trate it, which added greatly to their en- 
 joyment. 
 
 It was rather late to begin one, but 
 
 the little mother for once consented to let 
 
 the small ones of the family sit up ; and 
 
 Aunt Fanny began the wonderful story of 
 
 THE FATEY BENEVOLENCE.
 
 THE FAIRY BENEVOLENCE. 
 
 THEEE never was a more loving son 
 than little Mark. He was only seven 
 years old. Yet already he was of great 
 use to his mother, who was a very poor 
 widow, as poor as could be, and she had 
 to work, without ever resting, from morn- 
 ing till night, to get food and clothes for 
 herself and her dear child. 
 
 Oh, that terrible stitch, stitch, stitch- 
 ing ! It must never stop ; for all she got 
 for making a whole shirt was ten cents, 
 and with her utmost efforts she could only 
 finish two in a day. 
 
 At last, what with crying and sitting 
 up half the nights in the cold to finish her 
 sewing, the poor widow fell very ill. What
 
 46 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 was to be done ? There was no money to 
 pay a physician, the rent was coming due, 
 and little Mark was almost crazy with 
 grief. He sat by his mother's bedside and 
 bathed her head, and did all he knew how 
 to do. 
 
 They lived in a small hut, far away 
 from the village, to which the poor 
 widow had to take her work every week, 
 from which it was conveyed to the great 
 city of New York. There the shirts were 
 sold for so much money, that the man who 
 got them made for the shamefully small 
 price of ten cents, rode in his carriage and 
 lived in splendor. Ah ! how I wish this 
 wicked man, who was starving many a poor 
 woman in the same way, could have been 
 made to feel cold, and hunger, and thirst, 
 till he nearly died. I think, after that he 
 would begin to have a conscience don't 
 you? 
 
 One afternoon, while his mother was
 
 1 Why, what is the matter, little fellow
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 4 
 
 in a troubled slumber, little Mark went 
 and sat down outside the cottage. A kind 
 farmer had been felling trees, and one of 
 these he had given to Mark's mother, 
 promising to send one of the farm lads 
 that evening to saw and split it for her. 
 Mark sat down on the log and leaned 
 sadly upon his hand, and every little while 
 he wiped away a tear that rolled down his 
 cheek. 
 
 Presently a tall, handsome boy walked 
 past. It was Harry, the one who person- 
 ated the little old gentleman in the true 
 story of " The Party Lillie gave to Miss 
 Florence." His father had a country seat 
 in the neighborhood, and Harry often took 
 long walks in search of adventures. 
 
 " Why, what is the matter, little fel- 
 low ? " he asked. 
 
 Mark raised his tearful eyes, and seeing 
 a kind face, told his pitiful story. 
 
 " Oh, don't be down-hearted," cried
 
 48 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 Harry. " "Why, don't you know the fairies 
 are not all dead yet ? Now, there's the 
 fairy Benevolence ; just you ask her, good 
 and loud, to help you, and see if she won't 
 do it ; " and he patted the little boy encoup 
 agingly on the head, slipped a quarter of a 
 dollar all the money he had with him 
 in his hand, and walked quickly away. 
 
 Harry's father was a skilful physician, 
 with one of the largest and most loving 
 hearts I ever knew ; and when Harry told 
 Mark to call upon the fairy for assistance, 
 his idea was that the fairy this time would 
 come in the shape of a rather stout gen- 
 tleman, with the pleasantest smile and 
 finest set of snow-white teeth that ever 
 were seen. He had a kind, delicate way 
 of doing a service, which made it better to 
 take, and did more good than all the medi- 
 cine in Mr. Hegeman's apothecary shop. 
 
 Very soon little Mark got up and went 
 into the cottage. His mother was still
 
 THE FAIKY BENEVOLENCE. 49 
 
 sleeping. It was now sunset, and the 
 shadows began to deepen and darken in 
 the room. Mark sat down by the bedside, 
 and commenced thinking of what Harry 
 had told him. He was a little bit of a 
 fellow, you know, and of course would be- 
 lieve what such a great boy would say. 
 So he concluded it must be true that the 
 fairies were still to be found ; and at last 
 his longing grew so intense that he cried 
 aloud, " Oh, Fairy Benevolence ! come 
 quickly, and make my poor mother well." 
 
 A sweet strain of music seemed to float 
 in the air ; the poor, whitewashed wall of 
 the cottage opened in the middle, through 
 which a beautiful lady entered, with a 
 wreath of flowers round her head, and a 
 wand of ivory in her hand. 
 
 " Well, my little friend," said she in a 
 soft voice, " what do you want of me ? " 
 
 Mark was almost speechless with as- 
 iv. 3
 
 50 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 tonishment and admiration ; but he man- 
 aged to say, " Oh, lady, if you are the 
 fairy Benevolence, save my poor mother." 
 
 " It is not in my power, my good child. 
 You must do it yourself. You can, if you 
 have the courage to go where I tell you, 
 and hunt for a certain plant. It grows on 
 the top of a mountain, and is called ' The 
 Plant of Life.' The juice of that plant 
 will cure your mother the moment she 
 tastes of it." 
 
 " I will go this instant," he cried ; " but 
 who will take care of my mother ? " 
 
 " Trust her to me, my dear boy, while 
 you are absent. She shall have every- 
 thing she wants." 
 
 " Oh, thank you," said Mark ; " now 
 I wiU go." 
 
 " But you must have great courage and 
 perseverance : there is nothing of impor- 
 tance ever gained in this world without 
 them."
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 51 
 
 " Oh, I have lots of courage ! only 
 tell me where I shall find the plant." 
 
 " Well when you get to the top of 
 the mountain, you must call the doctor 
 who has charge of the plant; tell him 
 that I sent you, and he will give you a 
 sprig." 
 
 Mark thanked the kind fairy, and 
 kissed her hand; he then leaned over 
 and softly kissed his mother, and then de- 
 parted. 
 
 He walked quickly, but found the 
 mountain further off than he expected. 
 He had hardly got a third of the way 
 when he saw a crow caught in a trap. 
 
 " Oh, poor crow ! " exclaimed the kind 
 little fellow, and he pressed down the 
 spring and released him. The crow flew 
 off with a " caw, caw," and then spoke like 
 a human being, saying, " Thank you ; I will 
 repay you." 
 
 Mark was surprised to hear a bird talk ;
 
 52 THE TWO STOKY MITTENS. 
 
 but he hurried on, and soon after he saw 
 a rooster chased by a fox. Mark caught 
 the rooster up in his arms, and concealed 
 him under his coat ; and the fox, staring, 
 surprised, in every direction, ran off disap- 
 pointed. As soon as he was out of sight 
 Mark let the rooster go, who turned and 
 said, with a grateful and very long crow, 
 " Thank you, Mark ; I will repay you." 
 
 " Why, they can all talk ! " exclaimed 
 Mark ; " they must be fairy people, turned 
 into birds ! " 
 
 He walked on a long way, and jumped 
 quickly on one side as he came up to a 
 great ugly bullfrog, who, charmed by a 
 snake, was too terrified to move. The 
 snake was just about to swallow it whole, 
 when Mark seized a large stone and threw 
 it with all his strength into the reptile's 
 wide-open mouth. Down went the stone 
 into his throat, and choked him directly. 
 
 The frog hopped joyfully into the
 
 THE FAIRY BEISTEVOLENCE. 53 
 
 ditch at the side of the road, croaking 
 out, " Thank you, Mark ; I will repay 
 you ! " 
 
 "I declare the frog said the same 
 thing," said Mark ; " it is very strange ! 
 But no doubt 'they are all fairies." 
 
 By this time he had arrived at the foot 
 of the mountain ; but, alas ! between it 
 and him flowed a deep river, and so broad 
 you could scarcely see the other side. 
 
 " Oh dear," cried Mark, " what shall I 
 do ? I can't walk on water, and there is 
 neither boat or bridge. He sat down on 
 the bank, covered his face with his hands, 
 and cried aloud, " Oh, Fairy Benevolence, 
 come and help me ! Why did you tell me 
 about the wonderful plant which would 
 save my dear mother's life, when you 
 knew very well I could never get to the 
 mountain ! " 
 
 At this instant, the rooster he had 
 saved from the fox appeared, and said,
 
 54 THE TWO STORY MITTENS. 
 
 " Listen to me, Mark ; tlie fairy Benevo- 
 lence cannot help you here. This moun- 
 tain is beyond her dominions. But you 
 have saved my life, and I am not ungrate- 
 ful : get on my back, and I promise you, 
 on the faith of an honorable rooster, I will 
 cany you to the other side of the river." 
 
 Little Mark was overjoyed to hear this. 
 He gave a spring, and was in a moment 
 astride of his comical steed, holding on by 
 two feathers. The rooster carried him as 
 smoothly and easily as a steamboat ; but 
 not quite so fast, for it took twenty-one 
 days' paddling to accomplish the journey ; 
 but at last he was landed high and dry on 
 the opposite bank of the river. 
 
 Mark now travelled for a long time, 
 but the mountain seemed to recede ; and 
 when at last he arrived at its foot, and 
 began to climb, he thought it was grow- 
 ing up in the air, like Jack's beanstalk. 
 He journeyed twenty-one days up and up,
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 55 
 
 but did not get the least bit discouraged : 
 Ms great love for Ms mother gave him 
 both patience and perseverance. " If I 
 have to walk for twenty-one years," he 
 said aloud, " I will never stop till I get to 
 the top." 
 
 "Twenty-one years," echqed a mali- 
 cious, sneering voice. "You are a very 
 conceited little chap ! Pray, what do you 
 want ? " and out came, from a cave in the 
 mountain, a little man with one eye in 
 the middle of his face, and two noses side 
 by side. 
 
 " I wish to find the plant of life, sir," 
 answered Mark, with a bow. 
 
 " Oh, you do ! Pray, whom for ? " 
 
 "For my dear mother, who is lying 
 very ill at home." 
 
 " Oh, well you look like a tolerably 
 good boy, and I believe I will permit you 
 to go, under certain conditions. I am a 
 genie ; so, you see, I could cook and eat
 
 56 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 you, if I liked. You must reap all my 
 wheat, thrash out the grains, grind them 
 into flour, and knead the flour into loaves, 
 and bake them. You will find all the 
 tools you want in the cave. When all is 
 done, you can call me ; but till you have 
 finished, you shall not stir a step." So 
 saying, he disappeared in a streak of blue 
 smoke. 
 
 Mark had listened in terror, and, when 
 the genie was out of sight, he looked all 
 round him. On every side were immense 
 fields of wheat. He raised his arms, then 
 dropped them in despair, and, covering his 
 face with his hands, cried out, " Oh, fairy 
 Benevolence, come and help me ! " 
 
 " Go to work, Mark," said a soft voice 
 close to his ear. 
 
 Mark, upon this, took up a scythe and 
 began to cut the wheat. This took five 
 times twenty-one days ; four times twenty- 
 one days were spent in thrashing the
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 57 
 
 grain; three times twenty-one days in 
 grinding it into flour ; and twice twenty- 
 one days in making it into loaves, and 
 baking them. 
 
 As fast as the loaves were taken out of 
 the oven, they arranged themselves in even 
 rows, like books on the shelves. 
 
 When all was done, Mark called the 
 gknie, saying, " Here they are, sir, smoking 
 hot." 
 
 The little man appeared immediately, 
 and counted them five hundred thou- 
 sand loaves. He tasted a bit from the first 
 and last loaf, smacked his lips, and said 
 they were " prime." Then he took a snuff 
 box from his pocket, and said to Mark, 
 " Here, take this, and when you return 
 home, you will find it filled with a new 
 kind of snuff." 
 
 Mark thanked the genie, who imme- 
 diately disappeared in a streak of brown 
 
 smoke. 
 
 iv. 3*
 
 58 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 He went on climbing the mountain, 
 but had not got far, when he came sud- 
 denly upon a giant sitting at the mouth 
 of a cave. He seemed a jolly, good-natured 
 old fellow, with a pipe, and a bundle of 
 cigars, and a bag of money on a sort of 
 table before him. 
 
 Mark was not very much afraid of 
 him, and, making a low bow, said, " Please, 
 sir, tell me if I am near the place where 
 the plant of life grows." 
 
 " It is not very far off, youngster ; but 
 you don't stir a step farther, until you 
 gather all my grapes, and make wine of 
 them. So be in a hurry." 
 
 Poor little Mark! He looked round 
 and saw grape vines, with the fruit weigh- 
 ing them down in every direction. It took 
 three times twenty-one days to gather 
 them, and twice the same time to make 
 the wine and put it into casks.
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 59 
 
 When all was done, he called out, " It's 
 all done, Mr. Giant." 
 
 The giant tasted the wine, from the 
 first and last cask, smacked his lips, and 
 said, "That's what I call good! Here, 
 monkey, take this thistle ; when you reach 
 home you will find in it everything you 
 wish." In an instant, giant, casks, and 
 all had disappeared. 
 
 But little Mark, holding fast to his 
 thistle, journeyed on. Soon he came to a 
 wide ravine. It was impossible to jump 
 across, and so deep that the bottom could 
 not be seen. He walked along the edge 
 for a long time, but it grew wider and 
 more precipitous. " Oh ! " cried Mark in 
 despair, "no sooner do I overcome one 
 obstacle, than another rises in its place. 
 How shall I ever get past this dreadful 
 ravine? He covered his face with his 
 hands, and murmured, " Oh, fairy Benev- 
 olence, must my mother die ! "
 
 60 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 Hardly was the last word spoken, 
 when a wolf appeared, and asked in a 
 rough voice what he wanted in his do- 
 mains. 
 
 " Oh, Mr. "Wolf," said Mark trembling, 
 " I seek the plant of life for my mother." 
 
 " Well," growled the wolf, " you must 
 first Mil all the game in my forests, and 
 make them into game pies. Here are a 
 bow and arrows, and here is a fire in this 
 hole ; not a step shall you stir till you 
 have finished." 
 
 Mark took the bow and arrows, and 
 tried to shoot the birds, but he could not 
 hit a single one. Just then the crow ap- 
 peared, and, with a polite " caw, caw," said, 
 " You have saved my life : now I will 
 show you my gratitude." So saying, she 
 killed all the game for him. It took four 
 times twenty-one days, and he killed five 
 hundred thousand, of all sorts and sizes, 
 woodcocks, partridges, quails, chip birds,
 
 THE FAIRY BENEVOLENCE. 61 
 
 robins, and cat birds, for a wolf likes all 
 varieties. As fast as the crow killed, 
 Mark cooked, and when it was all done, 
 he called out, " Mr. "Wolf, here are your 
 pies with plenty of pepper and salt." 
 
 The wolf tasted the first and last, 
 smacked his lips, and exclaimed, "My! 
 how nice ! " He then gave Mark a stick, 
 saying, " When you have found the plant 
 of life, and want to go home, get astride of 
 this stick ; but now get on my back." 
 
 Mark obeyed, somewhat frightened, 
 and holding fast to his steed's ears; the 
 wolf went to the edge of the ravine, gave 
 a prodigious jump ; and, lo and behold ! 
 Mark was safely over. 
 
 And now, at last, the high wall of the 
 garden appeared, in which grew the plant 
 of life. In the distance was a tall tower, 
 from the window of which a pretty little 
 girl was watching him. 
 
 Mark uttered a thankful exclamation,
 
 62 THE TWO STOKY MITTENS. 
 
 but alas ! before lie could get inside the 
 garden, there was a deep moat to cross. 
 He walked along the edge, hoping to come 
 to a bridge ; but found none. Still the 
 brave, determined boy was not in the 
 least discouraged, but said aloud, " I won't 
 stir from this place until I find some way 
 of getting across." 
 
 Hardly had he uttered these words 
 before he saw an enormous cat, who, giv- 
 ing a loud " mew," by way of clearing her 
 voice, asked him what he wanted there. 
 
 Mark repeated his story, and the cat, 
 with another mew, said, " You cannot go 
 across without you catch all the fish in the 
 moat, and fry them with parsley and cat- 
 sup. You will find a fishing rod and bait 
 on the sand. Come ! begin ! while I set 
 the table." 
 
 "Oh!" said little Mark, "how can I 
 catch all these fish! Oh, fairy Benevo- 
 lence ! come to me."
 
 The Cat shot up in the air.
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 63 
 
 " I will help you," said a sweet voice. 
 He turned, and there stood beside him the 
 very little girl he saw looking out of the 
 window in the tower. How she got there 
 nobody knows ; and what Mr. Nobody 
 knows he never tells ; but the dear little 
 maiden said, " I am called ' Little Goody.' 
 The old cat shall have the fish, and you 
 shall have the plant of life ; but she shan't 
 stay here to tease you." 
 
 So she clapped her hands and cried, 
 scat ! ! so suddenly, that the cat, catching 
 up the table cloth, shot up in the air like 
 a sky rocket, screaming like forty steam 
 whistles. 
 
 Then Goody stamped her little foot on 
 the ground, and up started a bull frog, 
 who said right away, " How do you do, 
 Mr. Mark ? I don't forget that you have 
 saved my life, and I am not an ungrateful 
 frog. I will caich the fish for you." 
 
 It took three times twenty-one days
 
 64 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 to catch all the fish, and twice twenty-one 
 days to cook them. Then Mark called the 
 cat, saying, " Come, Mrs. Cat, come and 
 look at your dinner." Down came the cat, 
 with the table cloth still on her shoulders, 
 tasted the first and last fish, smacked her 
 lips, flourished her whiskers and tail, and 
 cried, "Catipal! How many kinds you 
 have caught ! I must make a catalogue of 
 them ; " and then, to Mark's great amaze- 
 ment, she took the carving knife and cut 
 off one of her paws, and handed it to him, 
 saying, " Take this cat's paw : when you 
 feel ill, weary, or are growing old, touch 
 this paw to the end of your nose with the 
 claws spread out, and all illness and weari- 
 ness will disappear over your left shoul- 
 der." 
 
 Mark took it, and thanked the cat 
 heartily. He thought he would try it 
 then, and sure enough, he felt the fatigue 
 walking over his left shoulder, just as he
 
 THE FAIEY BENEVOLENCE. 65 
 
 had been told. The little girl stood look- 
 ing on with an amiable expression, and 
 then the cat said, " Get on my tail." 
 
 Mark did not like to step on the cat's 
 tail. He knew by experience that a cat 
 is apt to claw anybody well who ven- 
 tures on such a caper; but the little 
 Goody laughed out, and stepping on it 
 herself, invited Mark to her side. 
 
 Thus encouraged, the boy got on ; and 
 then the tail began to grow, till the top 
 of it reached the garden gate, to which it 
 fastened itelf ; and Mark and his pretty 
 companion walked merrily over this new- 
 fashioned bridge. 
 
 At the entrance, Goody took an affec- 
 tionate leave of him, first pointing to a 
 little clump of bushes with emerald green 
 leaves, saying, "Never mind asking my 
 father, the doctor. There is the plant of 
 life, Mark ; pluck it quickly, and off for 
 home and your mother."
 
 66 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 Oh, what joy lie felt ! He gathered 
 several sprigs of the precious talisman, 
 mounted the stick which the wolf had 
 given him, and presto! in an instant 
 was at the door of his mother's cot- 
 tage. 
 
 Quickly he entered, and running up to 
 her, pressed the plant to her lips. She 
 brightened up immediately, hugged him 
 to her heart, and exclaimed, " Oh, how 
 rejoiced I am to have you again! You 
 have been gone two years, seven months, 
 'and twenty-one days! How you have 
 grown, and how rejoiced I am, my darling ! 
 my own boy ! " 
 
 At this moment, the wall of the room 
 opened, and the beautiful fairy Benevo- 
 lence entered. She related to the happy 
 mother all Mark's adventures, and the 
 courage, patience, and goodness which he 
 had shown. Then she told the brave boy 
 that he might make use of the presents
 
 THE FAIEY BEJSEVOLENCE. 67 
 
 given to him by the little old man and 
 the giant. 
 
 Mark opened the snuff box, and out 
 sprang a number of workmen about the 
 size of bees, who set to work with such 
 good will and diligence, that in an hour 
 they had built a pretty little house, and 
 furnished it completely, not forgetting a 
 book case filled with excellent books, some 
 fine engravings, and a few paintings on 
 the walls. Mark was especially delighted 
 at this, for he wanted of all things to learn 
 to read and write ; and the pictures 
 charmed him even more, for he had a nat- 
 ural taste for such things. 
 
 Then he opened the thistle. Dear me ! 
 It was crammed full of clothes for himself 
 and his mother, with sheets, tablecloths, 
 and napkins, all of fine linen. Was there 
 ever anything known like it ! 
 
 While they were admiring these won- 
 ders, the busy-bee-men, who had popped
 
 68 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 out of the snuff box, had prepared an ex- 
 cellent dinner of roast beef and pumpkin 
 pie ; and while Mark and his mother were 
 eating it, what should march past the 
 pretty bay window, which opened to the 
 floor, but two fine cows, one fine horse, a 
 great rooster, and twenty hens ; turkeys, 
 geese, and ducks ; all lowing and neigh- 
 ing, and crowing, and cackling, and gob- 
 bling, and hissing, and quacking, enough 
 to take your head off; but Mark and his 
 mother and the fairy seemed to like it, for 
 they clapped their hands and laughed so 
 loud that 
 
 " Why, Mark ! " cried a cheery, laugh- 
 ing voice, " do you mean to sleep a week ? " 
 
 Mark started up wildly and looked 
 about him. What did it mean ? He was 
 in his own little bed, in his own little 
 room!
 
 THE FAIRY BENEVOLENCE. 69 
 
 "Where is the fairy Benevolence?" 
 he said, looking perfectly bewildered. 
 
 Harry shouted with laughter. " Why, 
 Mark, are you cracked ? What has made 
 you sleep so soundly ? Father and I came 
 here last evening, about an hour after dark, 
 and found you fast asleep, sitting at your 
 mother's bedside. 
 
 " ' Poor, tired little chap, he has watched 
 with his mother, till he is worn out,' said 
 father; and he took you gently in his 
 arms and laid you down here. Then he 
 sat by your mother's bedside some time, 
 to watch the effect of some famous medi- 
 cine he gave her ; and when she was in a 
 pleasant sleep, he and I went home. 
 
 " But we came here this morning early, 
 and found your mother much better, and 
 you, you little monkey, still as sound as 
 a top. 
 
 " I've been making your mother's room 
 more comfortable; and Betty, mamma's
 
 TO THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 maid, has brought a great basket full of all 
 sorts of nice things for her. Come and 
 see her ; she looks real bright ! she is get- 
 ting well already." 
 
 Little Mark had listened, with his 
 senses getting clearer every minute, and 
 at last he understood, with a sigh of dis- 
 appointment, that his wonderful adven- 
 tures and the fairy Benevolence were only 
 a dream. He was almost crying as he 
 said, " Oh, Mr. Harry, if you knew what 
 I had been dreaming, you would be sorry 
 for me. I was so sure it was all true 
 about the fairy Benevolence." 
 
 " So it is," laughed Harry ; " only the 
 fairy has got whiskers. Come along." 
 
 Mark suffered Harry to lead him into 
 the other room ; and then, forgetting every- 
 thing and. everybody, he rushed up to his 
 mother, and bursting into tears on her 
 neck, sobbed out, " Oh, mother ! if it only 
 could have been true, you would have been
 
 THE FAIRY BENEVOLENCE. Tl 
 
 cured, and we should have been living in 
 such a nice house ! with cows, and hens, 
 and turkeys, and all oh ! oh ! " 
 
 His mother was sitting up in the bed, 
 and Harry's father was mixing a pleasant 
 drink for her. Mark looked up as Harry 
 said : " Come, Mark, don't cry so : here is 
 a fairy who will help you, and your 
 mother too." When the little boy saw 
 the genial, kindly smile of the doctor, he 
 felt comforted; and sitting down on the 
 side of the bed, he told his wonderful 
 dream. 
 
 It was listened to with the deepest in- 
 terest ; and when he had finished, the doc- 
 tor patted him on the head, and said, 
 " Never mind, my fine little fellow ! if we 
 can't give you a grand house and a snuff 
 box full of servants, and a thistle which 
 drops out of it all the clothes you want, I 
 think we can cure your mother ; and when 
 she is well, we will find her something bet-
 
 2 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 ter to do than making shirts at ten cents 
 apiece; and you shall go to school, and 
 learn to be a great scholar ; and I don't 
 see the first thing to prevent your having 
 a good chance to become, one of these 
 days, the President of the United States. 
 So hurrah!" 
 
 The kind doctor was as good as his 
 word. The poor widow recovered rapidly 
 under his excellent care, which did her 
 heart more good than her body, for it was 
 both sweet and strange to receive so much 
 kindness. Good Samaritans are very scarce 
 nowadays. 
 
 When she was well enough to go out, 
 she found that her rent was paid, a load 
 of wood was piled away in the wood shed, 
 half a barrel of flour was in the pantry, 
 and some nice hams were hanging up. 
 Plenty of work at good prices soon poured 
 in. Little Mark was sent to the district 
 school, for now he had comfortable clothes
 
 THE DELIGHTFUL PBOPOSAL. 73 
 
 and shoes on his poor little feet ; and 
 really, as he told his mother one happy 
 evening " After all, dear mother, I like 
 my waking fairy Benevolence best whis- 
 kers and all ! " 
 
 A few evenings after the 'last story 
 had "been read, the little mother drew 
 from her pocket quite a thick roll of 
 paper, saying : " Here is something from 
 Aunt Fanny, with a proposal that will 
 surprise you." 
 
 " What can it be ? " cried the children 
 with eagerness. 
 
 a She wants you to act a play." 
 
 " We act a play ! Who ever heard of 
 such a thing ? " 
 
 " Yes ; she has partly written, partly 
 translated a little play, and here is her 
 letter with it."
 
 4 THE TWO STORY MITTENS. 
 
 " MY DARLING CHILDREN : 
 
 "Don't you wish you could get on 
 faster than ever with your mittens ? Well, 
 here, is a plan that came into my head a 
 few days ago, and I have been arranging 
 it very industriously. 
 
 " You must go right to work to learn 
 the parts in this little play. I do not ap- 
 prove of some parts of it, because a deceit 
 was practised to bring one of the boys to 
 a sense of his selfish and undutiful con- 
 duct. This was 'doing evil that good 
 may come,' and was very wrong. If your 
 mother were to punish you by deceiving 
 you, you would doubt her ever after ; and 
 for a child to doubt a parent is, I should 
 think, one of the most miserable feelings 
 in the world. 
 
 " With this very important exception, 
 the little play is pretty good. And this is 
 what your mother and I will do : When 
 you are perfect in your parts, we will have
 
 THE DELIGHTFUL PKOPOSAL. 75 
 
 a private rehearsal. Then we will invite 
 about fifty of our friends to witness this 
 elegant entertainment, for which they must 
 pay one pair of mittens apiece for the brave 
 soldiers. We will give them one week to 
 make them, which will be abundance of 
 time ; and I have no doubt but what they 
 will think it very cheap pay for so much 
 pleasure." 
 
 A long pause took place when the let- 
 ter was finished ; the children were so as- 
 tonished, as well as delighted, at the new 
 work prepared for them. 
 
 "Well!" cried Harry at last, "what 
 would George say, if he knew the monkeys 
 and crabs would turn actors next ? " 
 
 "He would think it splendid," an- 
 swered Anna. " You know the poor sol- 
 diers, who were made prisoners at that 
 dreadful Bull Run battle, acted plays in 
 their prisons, to keep themselves from dy- 
 in^ of honie-sickness."
 
 (T6 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 " I want to act," said Willie. 
 
 " I want to act," echoed Bennie. 
 
 "Well," said the Little Mother, "let 
 us see how many characters there are." 
 
 They all crowded round while she un- 
 rolled the paper. " Here is the mother, 
 Mrs. Langdon. You must take that, Anna ; 
 and Harry will be Edward, your son." 
 
 " If he is the bad boy," said Anna, 
 laughing, " I'll give him a thrashing every 
 morning before breakfast." 
 
 " That will give you an excellent appe- 
 tite," returned Harry; "for I shall run 
 away, and you will have to catch me, 
 first." 
 
 "Clara must be Mary Brown, Ed- 
 ward's nurse." 
 
 "Oh, dear little fellow," said Clara, 
 patting Harry, " old nursey will buy you 
 a stick of candy." 
 
 "Ago-o-o," said Harry, like a little 
 baby, which set them all laughing.
 
 THE DELIGHTFUL PEOPOSAL. 7*7 
 
 " Johnny shall be Mr. Sherwood, the 
 tutor, because he is naturally such a sober 
 little fellow," said the mother; and we 
 will invite Gus Averill, Harry's friend, to 
 be Morris, because he and Harry are of 
 the same age and height, and that will be 
 excellent. Minnie can do Jane, the 
 maid, very nicely ; and Willie and Bennie 
 can be Patrick and Andrew, the waiter 
 and gardener." 
 
 So it was all settled; and the next 
 morning the children began to study their 
 parts the larger ones assisting the little 
 ones so that they learned as quickly as 
 the best. In the evening they repeated 
 what they knew to their mother, working 
 at the same time on their mittens, and 
 were just as busy and happy as good and 
 industrious children always are. 
 
 It was really surprising how soon they 
 became perfect, and the rehearsal went off 
 with complete success. Harry and Anna
 
 78 THE TWO STOEY MITTENS. 
 
 kept their faces very well ; and only Ben- 
 nie and Willie grinned a little when they 
 first came on the stage, which was the back 
 parlor. 
 
 The company were to sit in the front 
 parlor, and some curtains were hung up 
 between that and the back room, and 
 made to draw quickly aside, and drop just 
 as quickly. 
 
 The invitations had been sent out, and 
 were every one accepted. This is one of 
 them: 
 
 " An Entertainment for the Benefit 
 
 OP THE SOLDIEES: 
 AT THE LITTLE MOTHER'S HOUSE, 
 
 Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1861. 
 
 ADMISSION, ONE PAIB OF MITTENS." 
 
 The great evening came ; and the chil- 
 dren, ready dressed for their parts, were 
 in a tremendous flutter. Even the little 
 wee ones were to do something. They
 
 THE DELIGHTFUL PEOPOSAL. T9 
 
 were stationed at the parlor door with 
 baskets, and charged not to let a soul 
 come in, unless the pair of mittens were 
 paid into one of the baskets. I warrant 
 you they took very good care of that, for 
 their eyes were as sharp as needles ; and 
 the moment the door was opened they 
 would all cry " Mitten money ! mitten 
 money ! pay your mitten money ! " which 
 made the company laugh so they could 
 hardly get the "mitten money" out of 
 their pockets. 
 
 After they had all arrived, and were 
 comfortably seated, each with a beautifully 
 written play bill, with the names of the 
 actors upon it, the entertainment began.
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL; 
 
 OR, DO AS YOU WOULD BE DONE BY. 
 
 A LITTLE PLAY. 
 
 CHAEACTEES. 
 
 MBS. LANGDON. By Anna. 
 
 EDWARD, her son, thirteen years of age. By Harry. 
 
 MART BROWN, his nurse. By Clara. 
 
 MORRIS, Mary's son, of the same age as Edward. By 
 
 Master Augustus Averill, a friend of Harry's. 
 Mr. SHERWOOD, Edward's tutor. By Johnnie. 
 JANE, his mother's maid. By Minnie. 
 PATRICK, the waiter. By Willie. 
 ANDREW, the gardener. By Bennie. 
 
 SCENE A jme House in the Country. 
 Parlor opening into the Garden.
 
 81 
 
 SCENE I MKS. LANGDON and ME. 
 SHEEWOOD. 
 
 ME. SHEEWOOD. No, madam ; I have 
 come to bid you adieu. It is impossible. 
 I cannot, I will not stay here another day. 
 
 MES. LANGDON. But, Mr. Sherwood, 
 
 listen a moment ! 
 
 ME. S. No! I have made up my mind ! 
 I am tired of losing my time and pains with 
 Edward ! 
 
 MES. L. Please have a little patience. 
 Try him once more. 
 
 ME. S. He has already abused my pa- 
 tience beyond all bounds. He is wilful, 
 
 ungrateful, idle, and stupid ; and all the 
 iv. 4*
 
 82 LITTLE PLAT MITTENS. 
 
 blame will fall on me, whom you have em- 
 ployed to educate him. 
 
 MRS. L. Can you believe that I would 
 blame you, who have been so kind to my 
 son ? Remember, that when my husband 
 died, you promised me to devote yourself 
 to my fatherless boy. Will you leave your 
 work undone ? He has talents, a good 
 heart 
 
 MR. S. No, madam ; you deceive your- 
 self. His heart is bad ; his character 
 unamiable ; he is proud, vain, selfish, 
 wicked. 
 
 MRS. L. What ! wicked ! 
 
 MR. S. Yes, madam. Does he not 
 treat your servants as if they were slaves ? 
 Does not everybody hate him ? 
 
 MRS. L. Oh, how severe you are ! My 
 dear son is young : he has pride, to be sure ; 
 and that very pride once caused you to 
 say that you would make a great and good 
 man of him.
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 83 
 
 MR. S. Yes, I said so ; and perhaps 1 
 might have succeeded without you 
 
 MRS. L. Without me ! Why, what 
 can you mean ? 
 
 MR, S. Do you wish me to be frank 
 with you?. 
 
 MRS. L. Certainly. I shall feel obliged 
 to you. 
 
 MR. S. Well ; it is you who spoil the 
 effect of all my lessons. It is you who 
 spoil Edward. Excuse me, but I must 
 say it. 
 
 MRS. L. I, Mr. Sherwood ! I confess 
 I love him above all other earthly pos- 
 sessions ; but that is surely excusable. He 
 is the image of a husband taken away from 
 me in the first year of our marriage. You 
 remember my grief was so excessive that 
 I could not nourish my poor child ; and 
 by the advice and entreaties of my rela- 
 tives and physician, I consented that he 
 should be taken into the country by my
 
 84 LITTLE PLAY MITTEN'S. 
 
 humble, faithful friend, Mary Brown, who 
 nursed him for eighteen months with her 
 own child, while I was sent to the West 
 Indies, and afterward to Europe, to re- 
 cover my health. Edward is all I have. 
 
 ME. S. If you love him so much, send 
 him to boarding school. 
 
 MES. L. Impossible! I cannot part 
 with him. But I will put him entirely 
 under your control. Only stay, and you 
 shall govern him just as you like. 
 
 SCENE n. Enter PATEICK. 
 
 MES. L. Patrick, where is my son ? 
 
 PATEICK. I don't know, ma'am. 
 
 MES. L. What ? You don't know ? 
 
 PATEICK. No, ma'am. After taking 
 his lessons this morning, he made me dress 
 him three times. Yes, ma'am, three times ! 
 and by way of paying me for my trouble, 
 he hit me a blow on the side of my head,
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 85 
 
 and crying, " Take that, old bog-trotter " 
 he ran off laughing ; and five minutes after 
 that, when I was talking with Andrew on 
 the edge of the hill at the back of the 
 house, he came suddenly up behind and up- 
 set us both. My back is all but cracked. 
 [.Rubs his back. 
 
 MR. S. You see how he treats your 
 servants ! 
 
 MRS. L. Well ! but he did it laugh- 
 ing, It was only his fun, dear little fel- 
 low ! Patrick, go find him, and bring him 
 here. 
 
 PATRICK. And suppose, ma'am, he 
 won't come ? 
 
 MRS. L. Tell him his mother wants 
 him. 
 
 SCENE III. Enter ANDREW. 
 
 PATRICK (going out, to Andrew}. "Where 
 am I to find him ? Have you seen him ? 
 ANDREW. Seen who ?
 
 86 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 PATRICK. Master Ned. 
 
 ANDREW. Yes, I have seen Mm ; I see 
 a great deal too much of him ; he has just 
 chased me out of the garden with a hay 
 fork. 
 
 PATRICK. Is he there now ? 
 
 ANDREW. Oh yes ; he tied an old hen 
 fast by the leg to the fence, and is shooting 
 at her with his bow and arrows. 
 
 MRS. L. What a boy ! how thought- 
 less ! Patrick, go and get him. 
 
 [He goes out. 
 
 SCENE IV. 'Miter JANE. 
 
 ANDREW (twisting liis liat about, and 
 standing first on one leg, then on the other). 
 Mrs. Langdon 
 
 MRS. L. Well, Andrew, what is it ? 
 
 ANDREW. I am your gardener, ma'am ; 
 am I not ? 
 
 MRS. L. Yes, Andrew.
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 87 
 
 ANDREW. I have always tried to give 
 you satisfaction ? 
 
 MRS. L. Certainly. You have been 
 very faithful. 
 
 ANDREW. You have fed me well, 
 paid me well, and, what is far better, you 
 are good and kind to me, which I like 
 more than money, because the one you 
 owe me, and the other you give me of your 
 own free will. 
 
 MRS. L. "Well, Andrew 
 
 ANDREW. Well, Mrs. Langdon, I am 
 going to leave you against my own desire. 
 You are an excellent mistress, and I don't 
 want to leave you, but it must be 
 
 MRS. L. Andrew, I am surprised ! 
 Why do you wish to leave me? Have 
 you anything to complain of? Have I 
 done you any injustice ? 
 
 ANDREW. Oh no, ma'am ! You are 
 all kindness and goodness ; neither proud,
 
 88 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 scolding, nor brutal ; but everybody is not 
 like you. 
 
 MRS. L. Do the other servants im- 
 pose upon you ? 
 
 ANDEEW. Oh dear, no, ma'am ! they 
 are good and honest. 
 
 MES. L. What do you complain of, 
 then? 
 
 ANDEEW, Why, ma'am, since I have 
 begun, I will go on. Every man who 
 respects himself, takes a pride in his work. 
 If he is a gardener, he likes to hear people 
 say, " There is_a capital garden ! Those 
 vegetable beds are very nicely kept ! " 
 Well, it makes me mad to see your money 
 and my work all wasted and destroyed. 
 
 MES. L. But how ? 
 
 AJTOREW. That's just it. I know 
 how, and you don't . 
 
 MES. L. Will you tell me ? 
 
 AKDEEW. Well, it's Master Ned. 
 
 MES. L. Master Ned 2
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TRIAL. 89 
 
 ANDREW. Yes, ma'am. He is a perfect 
 little Satan ; he keeps me running after 
 him, till I am out of breath, and perfectly 
 hoarse with talking. 
 
 MRS. L. "Why ! What has he done ? 
 
 AITDREW. The same he does every 
 day : ten ground moles, fifteen chickens, 
 twenty pigs, would do less injury in a 
 year than he does in one day. He upsets 
 the planks, tears up the walks, breaks the 
 windows of the hot beds, tramples on the 
 flowers, breaks down the pear trees, plays 
 the mischief in the vegetable garden, and 
 runs off with my tools. I can't stop him ; 
 and when I say, " Master Ned, you must 
 not hinder me so in my work ; if you want 
 to turn double somersets, go and do it in 
 your dear mamma's parlor ; go and plague 
 Mr. Sherwood, or Patrick, or, still better, 
 torment Jane, and leave me to plant my 
 cabbages." Do you know how he an- 
 swers? By cracking me over the shoul-
 
 90 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 ders witli his switch, and ciying out, " Look 
 out, old potato top, or I'll tumble you into 
 the pond." I might as well ask the river 
 to run up hill. And look here, ma'am, 
 see this picture (shows picture) he drew 
 of me, watering the garden in a thunder 
 storm, as if I ever did such a thing ! or 
 looked like that, either ! " 
 
 ME. S. In a short time, no one will 
 be able to live with him. 
 
 MES. L. Dear me ! It is nothing but 
 his high spirits and love of mischief ! But 
 I own you are not unreasonable, An- 
 drew. I don't want my son to tease you, 
 much less ill-treat you. I will forbid him, 
 before you, from going in the garden. 
 
 AITOEEW. Good ! Only do that, and 
 I will give him my finest flowers, and my 
 best fruits, if he will only keep away. 
 
 MES. L. (sighing). I seem to have 
 made twenty excuses for my son in ten 
 minutes ; but you shall be satisfied.
 
 The Cr "catiire Edward drew of the Gardener.
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TEIAL. 91 
 
 JANE. Mrs. Langdon, I must also 
 speak to you about Master Ned. 
 
 MRS. L. Well. 
 
 JANE. This morning lie opened the 
 cage door and let your canary fly away, 
 and twisted poor Poll's neck because she 
 said, Bad boy ! " 
 
 MRS. L. Oh ! oh ! my parrot's neck ! 
 
 JANE. Yes, ma'am. 
 
 ME. S. Now, madam, this is not 
 thoughtlessness : it is a case of actual bad- 
 ness. 
 
 JANE. Yes, and he does something 
 as bad every day. 
 
 ANDREW. Why, he is worse than 
 Lucifer ! 
 
 JANE. Every morning, ma'am, he 
 overturns your toilet table, spills the 
 cologne water, upsets your work box, 
 makes your finest letter paper into boats, 
 and puts the kitten to sleep in the crown 
 of your best bonnet ; and then, when I beg
 
 92 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 Mm to behave, lie calls me an old cat, and 
 a buzzard, and a red-headed crab. 
 
 MES. L. Why have you not told me 
 this before ? 
 
 JANE. Why, ma'am, I have ; but it has 
 always ended by his being excused and 
 I scolded. 
 
 MES. L. Stay here. You shall see 
 if I excuse him! He might change his 
 clothes ten times, pull up a plant or two, 
 pick a few flowers, or even trouble you at 
 your work. I don't see anything so very 
 dreadful in all that. But to twist my 
 parrot's neck ! Oh ! 
 
 SCENE V. Enter PATEICK. 
 
 MES. L. Well, Patrick 
 
 PATEICK (rvMng his legs and making 
 wry faces). He is coming, ma'am 
 
 MES. L. What's the matter ? 
 
 PATEICK. Master Ned has been break- 
 ing a stick over my legs.
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 93 
 
 MES. L. (very angry). The child's a 
 demon ! I am outrageous ! I am furious ! 
 
 ME. S. Control yourself, madam ! do 
 not fly so suddenly from extreme in- 
 dulgence to severity; do not correct a 
 child when you are in a passion. 
 
 MES. L. You may be right, sir, but I 
 shall punish him as he deserves. 
 
 ANDEEW. Please don't beat him, 
 ma'am. Here he comes. 
 
 SCENE VI. Enter EDWAED, who runs u/p 
 to his mother, and is about to kiss her. 
 
 EDWAED. Were you asking for me, 
 mamma ? dear, pretty mamma ! 
 
 MES. L. Stand back, sir ! I don't kiss 
 a bad boy ! 
 
 EDWAED. A bad boy ! Why, mamma, 
 what have I done ? 
 
 MES. L. Do you dare to pretend that 
 you do not know? Look at Andrew, 
 Patrick, and Jane !
 
 94 . LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 EDWAED. I see them. Have they been 
 complaining of me ? 
 
 MRS. L. Yes, and I am astonished at 
 what they tell me. 
 
 EDWAED. The mean things ! Mamma, 
 they 
 
 MES. L. Take care, sir ! Don't add 
 lying to your other crimes. 
 
 EDWAED (looking angry). But what 
 do they say I have done ? You scamp of 
 a turnip top, Andrew ! is it you who are 
 trying to rob me of my mother's love ? 
 Such a good boy as I am, too ! 
 
 AISTDEEW. You a good boy ! about 
 as much as the old gray donkey is a robin 
 redbreast. No ! you are a nuisance, and 
 ought to live up in the air in a balloon 
 by yourself. You have ruined my gar- 
 den ; and whenever I beg you to stop, you 
 answer me with your switch over my legs. 
 
 EDWAED. Oh, mamma, that is too 
 cruel ! I only wish to make you a bou-
 
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 95 
 
 quet, when Andrew comes up, yelling like 
 a tiger, " Don't touch those violets ! Let 
 that pansy alone ! Stop ! you shan't take 
 a rose ! " Well, what can I do ? So I 
 dug up a little plot, pulling out a few 
 vegetables, so as to raise some flowers for 
 you myself. Then Andrew screams out, 
 " What have you done ? You have pulled 
 out all my onions ! " Then I take another 
 place, and old Sourcrout bawls, "The 
 beets are planted there." I declare it's 
 too bad ! I wish to cultivate the earth, 
 because Mr. Sherwood says the most re- 
 spectable men in the world are farmers ; 
 and Andrew, mad as fury, comes and 
 drives me away. Suppose I do spoil some 
 of his stupid cabbages ; if I could present 
 you with a flower raised by my own 
 hand, it would be worth all his cabbage 
 heads, and his own too. 
 
 MES. L. The darling ! How he loves 
 me ! Andrew, you are a brute !
 
 96 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 ANDREW. Thank you, ma'am. That's 
 what I call justice. 
 
 MRS. L. My dear son was only seek- 
 ing to gratify me, and you did very 
 wrong to hinder him. Dear child ! he 
 was willing to work like a farmer to 
 please me. 
 
 ANDREW. I'm dumb ! If you wish 
 it, he may scratch up the whole garden, 
 and empty it into the duck pond; he 
 may break down fifty trees a day; he 
 may have a mass meeting of the dogs, pigs, 
 chickens, ducks, turkeys, and the old gray 
 donkey, in the best flower beds ; and end 
 by inviting Farmer Green's bull Sampson 
 to dance a hornpipe through the glass into 
 the conservatory. Nothing now will as- 
 tonish me. 
 
 MES. L. That will do. My son, I for- 
 give your capers in the garden, but I have 
 a more serious charge against you. How 
 can you excuse yourself for letting my
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 97 
 
 canary fly away ? and above all, why did 
 you twist my poor Poll's neck ? 
 
 EDWARD. Well, mamma, you would 
 have done the same. I did open the door 
 of the canary's cage. He was poking his 
 poor little bill through the bars, and I was 
 so sorry for him ! I thought he wanted 
 to go to his mother, who, perhaps, might 
 be perched up in the tree opposite, and so 
 I gave him his liberty. Mr. Sherwood 
 has often told me that kindness to animals 
 is one of the finest virtues. 
 
 MRS. L. Oh ! was twisting my par- 
 rot's neck another proof of your kindness ? 
 What had the poor bird done to you ? 
 
 EDWARD. Nothing to me, mamma ; but 
 the wicked little squinting thing had bit- 
 ten Jane's finger, when she was kindly 
 giving him some sugar ; and she cried, and 
 seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks, 
 I got very angry, quite in a rage. I am 
 
 very sorry, but I did not think that 
 iv. 5
 
 98 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 Jane would have been the one to accuse 
 me. 
 
 MKS. L. There, Jane ! you are an un- 
 grateful creature! You have tried to 
 poison my mind against my son ! 
 
 JANE. But, Mrs. Langdon 
 
 MKS. L. Be silent! Your affair is 
 settled. But, Edward, when Patrick came 
 to call you, why did you break a stick 
 over his legs ? 
 
 EDWAKD. It was very wrong in rne, 
 mamma ; but I had just gathered some 
 splendid roses for you : they were on the 
 ground, and the clumsy fellow trampled 
 upon them without seeing them. It put me 
 in such a passion, I did whack him once 
 or twice. I beg his pardon, mamma. 
 
 MES. L. He should ask yours, you 
 dear boy ! I order you all to apologize 
 to my son, or I shall discharge you. You 
 first, Jane. My son would not for twenty 
 gardens, or poll parrots, do a mean thing
 
 99 
 
 or tell a lie; lie shall be respected and 
 obeyed as I am ; and those who don't like 
 it can leave. 
 
 AISDEEW (ironically). I beg your 
 pardon, Master Edward, for the good 
 switching you so kindly gave me ; I beg 
 your pardon for the damage you did to 
 the garden ; you will oblige me by con- 
 tinuing to tumble everything topsy-turvy, 
 and break all the rest. 
 
 PATEICK. Forgive me, Master Edward, 
 for all the pretty little capers you cut up. 
 
 EDWAED. Oh, certainly. Mamma, 
 they are good sort of people, after all ; and 
 I hope you will excuse their coming to 
 complain of me. 
 
 MES. L. To oblige you, my dear son, 
 I will. You see, all of you, how amiable 
 he is. And now remember, the very first 
 complaint he makes of you, I will discharge 
 you. Leave the room. 
 
 ANDEEW to PATEICK (going out).
 
 100 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 Here's a pretty how-d'ye-do ! He lias made 
 his mother believe that black is white. 
 
 SCENE VII. 
 
 MES. L. You see, my son, though I 
 do not wish the servants to be disrespect- 
 ful to you, I require you to treat them 
 with kindness. They are human beings 
 like you. 
 
 EDWAED (contemptuously). Like me ! 
 I should think not. 
 
 ME. S. Yes, sir ! They are not rich, 
 to be sure, or born of a high family, 
 nor is it likely that their heads will 
 ever burst with the knowledge a fine, 
 thorough education gives ; but they are 
 capable of every good and noble quality 
 of the heart. Do you understand ? 
 
 EDWAED. Yes, Mr. Sherwood. 
 
 MES. L. Try to make everybody love 
 you. 
 
 EDWAED. Dear mamma, I don't care 
 for any love but yours.
 
 
 101 
 
 ME. S. But you must care for the 
 respect and friendship of others ; which, as 
 Addison says, " improves happiness and 
 abates misery, by doubling our joys and 
 dividing our griefs." 
 
 EDWAED (sneeringly). He talks like 
 a book, don't he, mamma 3 
 
 MES. L. He does, indeed ; and if you 
 love me, you will profit by his advice and 
 lessons. Perhaps you owe more to him 
 than to me. Love him, and be grateful to 
 him, for his constant endeavor to cultivate 
 your virtues and talents. 
 
 EDWAED. Love him I cannot prom- 
 ise that. 
 
 MES. L. Why not, my son ? 
 
 EDWAED. Because I have given all my 
 love to my dear mamma (kissing lier). 
 
 MES. L. You darling ! kiss me again ! 
 Ah, Mr. Sherwood ! can you blame me if 
 I almost adore him \ [Exit MES. L.
 
 102 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 SCENE yni. 
 
 MR. SHERWOOD. You are ungrateful, 
 to vex and grieve a mother who loves you 
 so dearly. If you loved her as much, you 
 would obey her if she only held up her 
 little finger ; but it seems to me a cat-o'- 
 nine-tails nourished before you might have 
 a very good effect. 
 
 EDWARD. I am sorry that 
 
 MR. S. Did you take your writing 
 lesson to-day ? 
 
 EDWARD. No, sir. I don't like writing 
 lessons. They are a perfect plague. They 
 give me the cramp in my thumb, and 
 kinks in my fingers. 
 
 MR. S. Essence of switch on the fin- 
 gers is good for taking out kinks. Has 
 your dancing master been here ? 
 
 EDWARD. Oh yes ! I love him dear- 
 ly, he is so funny ! He tells me comical 
 stories, and can imitate everybody in the
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 103 
 
 house. Andrew's lumbering, poking walk, 
 Jane's prinking ways, and even you, with 
 your long dismal face, your eyes staring at 
 a book like a cat looking at a fish, and 
 your solemn walk, oh, it would make you 
 die a-laughing ! His lessons always seem 
 too short. 
 
 MR. S. What is that sticking out of 
 your pocket ? 
 
 EDWARD {pulling it out and looking at 
 it). Oh ! ha, ha ! It's a portrait I drew 
 of you, as you look when I don't know 
 my lessons. 
 
 MR. S. Give it to me. 
 (He takes tlie caricature 
 and looks at it, but shows 
 no anger.) So you pre 
 fer to spend your time in 
 an unamiable, contempt- 
 ible occupation like this, 
 to acquiring useful les- 
 sons.
 
 104 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 EDWAED (looking a little ashamed). 
 Well, I like to be amused. It was only 
 a little fun. It was not meant for you 
 to see. 
 
 ME. S. Will you give me an account 
 of your reading to-day ? 
 
 EDWAED. I I have not been read- 
 ing, sir. 
 
 ME. S. Not reading ? Why ? 
 
 EDWAED. Because the book you gave 
 me had so many long, stupid words, that 
 I couldn't understand what it was all 
 about, so I just pitched it out of the win- 
 dow. 
 
 ME. S. You call a book stupid which 
 has such a thrilling account of the bom- 
 bardment of Vera Cruz, with a fine en- 
 graving showing you the great General 
 Scott and his brave soldiers ? I wonder 
 at you ! You have a head, and so has a 
 drum ; both empty.
 
 Bombardment of Vera Cruz.
 
 105 
 
 SCENE IX. Enter MRS. LANGDON, MAEY 
 BROWN, and MORRIS, her son. 
 
 MRS. L. See, my son, I bring you one 
 of your best friends your dear old nurse 
 Mary, and her son, who is almost your 
 brother. 
 
 MARY Running up to kiss liini). How 
 do you do, dear, dear child ! how hand- 
 some you are ! Here's your old play- 
 fellow, Morris ; don't you remember him ? 
 
 EDWARD. No ! 
 
 MORRIS (w7io has a nice little cream 
 cheese wrapped up in a napkin). I re- 
 member you. You're my dear brother Ed- 
 ward. See I have brought you this 
 cream cheese ; my mother made it on 
 purpose for you take it don't you know 
 me now ? 
 
 EDWARD (who recoils, and takes twenty- 
 five cents out of his pocket). Here, take 
 
 this, Morris, 
 iv. 5*
 
 106 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 MOEEIS (coloring indignantly). I did 
 not ask you for money ; I don't want it ; 
 I am not a beggar. 
 
 EDWAED. But I ought to pay you for 
 the cheese. 
 
 MOEEIS (with emotion). Do you think 
 I brought it to you for money ? I would 
 rather have thrown it out of the window. 
 
 MES. L. Never mind, Morris, take the 
 cheese home to your father ; it will do him 
 good to eat it. 
 
 MOEEIS (taking it and giving it to his 
 mother, and saying, in a disappointed tone), 
 Well, take it, mother. 
 
 MAEY (looking lovingly at Edward). 
 How handsome he is ! how he has grown ! 
 My heart warms to him. 
 
 MES. L. Well, Edward, your kind 
 nurse must have some lunch go and order 
 some. 
 
 * EDWAED (scornfully). Isn't Patrick 
 here ?
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 10*7 
 
 MARY. No, my son. I asked him to 
 give my old pony some water. 
 
 MRS. L. Go, my son, go ; it will grat- 
 ify me. 
 
 EDWARD. On! then I will fly. What 
 shall I order ? 
 
 MRS. L. The very best in the house. 
 
 MORRIS (running after him). Wait, 
 Edward, I will go with you, and help you 
 give the order. I know what my mother 
 likes. 
 
 SCENE X. 
 
 MRS. L. Well, dear nurse, how do you 
 get on since you have moved into your 
 new cottage ? 
 
 MARY. Oh ! capitally, ma'am. 
 
 MRS. L. And your husband, big Peter 
 is he pleased and contented ? 
 
 MARY. He is so, ma'am, as happy as 
 a king ! Daisy that's our cow, ma'am 
 has just given us a beautiful calf; we have
 
 108 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 fifty chickens, twenty geese, and a good 
 old pony who carries our vegetables to the 
 railroad station for the New York market. 
 I thank God, and you who have been so 
 good to us. 
 
 MES. L. Is big Peter industrious, and 
 does he bring up Morris in the right way ? 
 
 MAEY. Oh ! thank God again for all 
 his mercies. I am not proud ; but my boy 
 is the best boy in the whole neighborhood, 
 and so smart ! he reads in the biggest 
 books ; he does the most terrible long 
 sums, almos.t like a flash of lightning his 
 schoolmaster is astonished at his quick- 
 ness ; his head is just as full as it can hold 
 of learning, and his heart is just as full 
 of love for his father and mother. (SJie 
 falters, and tlie tears rush into her eyes). 
 
 MES. L. (very 'kindly). I am delighted 
 to hear this ; he will always be a comfort 
 to you if he is so good now. But here he 
 comes he looks distressed.
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 109 
 
 SCEXE XI. MRS. LANGDOK, MARY, MR. 
 SHERWOOD, and MORRIS. 
 
 MORRIS (crying and rubbing liis eyes). 
 Oh, dear ! 
 
 MARY. What's the matter, my son? 
 Have you had a tumble ? 
 
 MORRIS. No, mother ; never mind. 
 
 MARY. But tell me, what has hap- 
 pened ? 
 
 MORRIS (trying to lead her away). 
 Come, mother, let us go away. 
 
 MRS. L. Where is Edward ? 
 
 MORRIS. In the garden, ma'am. Come, 
 mother, come ; I want to go home. I don't 
 like this place. 
 
 MRS. L. No doubt Edward is picking 
 a basket of fruit for you. 
 
 MORRIS. I rather think not. Mother, 
 I beg you to let us leave at once. I have 
 my reasons. 
 
 MR. S. And I can guess them. Ed-
 
 110 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 ward lias been beating you has lie 
 not? 
 
 MES. L. Impossible ! ! ! 
 
 MOEEIS. Yery possible, indeed. In 
 fact, quite certain. 
 
 MES. L. Dear nie ! did he hurt you 
 much? 
 
 MOEEIS. It is not the pain. I could 
 have beaten him twice as hard if I wanted 
 to. What hurts me most is what he said. 
 
 MES. L. And, pray, what did he say ? 
 
 MOEEIS. Well, ma'am, when I wanted 
 to hug old Beppo, he told me to take my 
 paws from the dog's neck ; that I was a 
 country bumpkin, and a big clumsy booby, 
 and no brother of his ; and the sooner I 
 skedaddled home the better he should be 
 pleased. 
 
 MAEY. Oh ! the unnatural, wicked 
 boy ! You are right, my son ; we will go 
 home, where we are not despised. Good 
 bye, Mrs. Langdon ; Master Edward is your
 
 MASTEK EDWARD'S TRIAL. Ill 
 
 son ; but I no longer think of him as the 
 child I fed at my breast, and loved nearly 
 as my own. He has struck his brother ! 
 Come, my son, you are not his equal; 
 therefore you cannot be his friend. 
 
 MRS. L. But listen one moment, Mary. 
 
 MART. No, ma'am ; we will not stay 
 where we have been so humbled ; we are 
 plain country folks, but we have hearts 
 and feelings, and your son has neither. 
 God will never bless him. Such pride has 
 no place in heaven. 
 
 MRS. L. You are right, Mary; but 
 perhaps Morris offended him. You have 
 not heard both sides. 
 
 MORRIS. Yes, I offended him. I put 
 my arms round his neck to hug him, when 
 he threw me off; and when I said that 
 that was not the way to treat a brother, 
 he struck me ! more than once, too ! 
 and said those mean, cruel things. 
 
 MARY. Oh, the little villain !
 
 112 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 ME. S. Are your eyes still blinded, 
 Mrs. Langdon? Can you still find ex- 
 cuses ? Will you praise his good heart 
 when he dares to ill-treat and strike his 
 nurse's son ? 
 
 MES. L. (weeping). No, I cannot ex- 
 cuse him ; his ingratitude and wicked con- 
 duct have nearly broken my heart. What 
 shaU I do ? 
 
 ME. S. I have just thought of a plan, 
 madam. It is a desperate remedy ; but I 
 know of nothing else in the wide world 
 that will cure him. 
 
 MES. L. Tell me what is it ? 
 
 ME. S. (aside). Nurse, send away your 
 son for a few moments ; he must not know 
 what I am about to say. 
 
 MAEY. I understand, sir. Morris, go 
 to the stable, and see if old Whitenose has 
 eaten all he wants. 
 
 MOEEIS (jumping up witli animation). 
 I am to put him to the wagon, am I not ?
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 113 
 
 and tlien we are to go home. Oh, I am so 
 very glad. [Exit. 
 
 SCENE XII. 
 
 MES. L. We are alone now, Mr. Sher- 
 wood. Ah, if you knew how much I loved 
 my son, and how unhappy I am ! 
 
 MAET. I love him, too, in spite of his 
 bad heart. 
 
 MES. L. Well, what are you going to 
 propose ? To have him beaten black and 
 blue ? I am ready for anything. 
 
 ME. S. Don't be alarmed, madam. It 
 is his heart that is to be put to the trial ; 
 reverses and adversity often soften the 
 heart ; when one has suffered, he knows 
 better how to pity the deprivations and 
 sufferings of others. Your son has never 
 been contradicted ; he may be unkind and 
 cruel sometimes from thoughtlessness and 
 ignorance. Now, let us put his heart to a 
 severe trial. Let us pretend that he is
 
 114 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 Mary's son, and Morris is really your son. 
 Push the experiment so far as to send him 
 to live with her, until he is thoroughly 
 humbled, and his faults disappear. 
 
 MAEY (starting iij)). Oh, no ! no ! 
 Your trial may all be very fine, but I will 
 not lend myself to it. No, sir. "We are 
 not rich, but we have always been honest, 
 and I will not have anybody suppose for 
 a moment that I could have committed 
 such a dishonorable, such an unnatural 
 act. Say that Morris is not my son ? If 
 I should join in such a trick, my husband 
 would hate and despise me, and rightly too. 
 
 ME. S. But, nurse, you forget. It is 
 only supposing. 
 
 MAEY. Suppose as much as you 
 please, sir ; even the suspicion of such a 
 plot would blacken my name forever. 
 Oh! would any woman deny her own 
 child? 
 
 MES. L. Listen to me, Mary. I love
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 115 
 
 Edward as much as you do Morris. Do 
 you think I would abandon my child or 
 disgrace you ? Far from despising you, 
 I shall take care to let everybody know 
 the sacrifice you are making for my son's 
 sake; and every one will praise you for 
 helping me, and believe that love for Ed- 
 ward has alone induced you to consent to 
 this plan. If he should grow up to be a 
 man with such selfish, cruel ways, it will 
 break my heart. I should be in my grave 
 before many years, killed by the miscon- 
 duct of my only child. I have but one 
 objection to what we are about to -do. 
 We shall practise a deception. 
 
 MARY (weeping). Oh, ma'am, and 
 my son, my poor little Morris, he too must 
 be deceived ; he cannot be in the secret. 
 
 MRS. L. I will try to make him 
 happy. I will treat him like my own 
 child. Remember it is only for a week 
 or two, perhaps only for a day or two.
 
 116 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 MAEY. Oh yes, ma'am, I know you will 
 be kind ; but suppose in that week, your 
 fine house, your gay clothes, your grand 
 dinners and suppers should turn his head, 
 and ruin his loving heart for his parents. 
 If he should return to us, despising our 
 humble life, oh ! I can't bear it ! My 
 child would be worse than lost to me ! 
 
 MES. L. Fear nothing, Mary. Mor- 
 ris is an excellent boy, and not so easily 
 spoiled. I promise you, that I will so 
 arrange matters, that he shall be only too 
 glad to come back to you, and be Morris 
 again. 
 
 MARY (coming to Mrs. L. and taking 
 her hand). Are you sure? will you 
 solemnly promise this ? 
 
 MES. L. (raising her hand). I sol- 
 emnly promise. 
 
 MAEY (stiU weeping). Well, then, 
 try your trick ; but, oh ! do not let it last 
 too long.
 
 MASTER EDWARDS TRIAL. 11 
 
 MRS. L. (rings the oett ; the servant 
 appears). Call Master Edward and Mor- 
 ris here. 
 
 Miter EDWARD and MORRIS. 
 
 EDWARD. Dear mamma, do you want 
 me? 
 
 MRS. L. I told you to order some 
 luncheon for your nurse, and your 
 brother. 
 
 EDWARD. Well, I thought when they 
 were ready, they could go into the kitchen. 
 
 MRS. L. (covering Tier face). '" Oh ! 
 Edward 
 
 EDWARD. What is the matter, dear 
 mamma? 
 
 MRS. L. (aside). Oh ! how shall I say 
 it ! (Aloud.) Do not give me that sweet 
 title any more. 
 
 EDWARD. What? Mamma, what do 
 you mean ? 
 
 MRS. L. Edward, I am about to tell
 
 118 LITTLE PLAT MITTENS. 
 
 you something that will pierce your heart ; 
 turn your dear face away from me. You 
 you are not my child. 
 
 EDWAED (turning deadly pale). Not 
 your child ? 
 
 MR. S. No, sir; and perhaps what 
 seems to be so great a misfortune now 
 coming upon you, may prove a blessing 
 in disguise. 
 
 EDWAED (clasping his hands con- 
 vulsively together). Not your child ? 
 
 ME. S. Yes ; through love and am- 
 bition for their own son, Mary and her 
 husband were weak enough to change 
 you for the son of Mr. Langdon ; to change 
 the name and dress of the two infants, 
 was all that was necessary. 
 
 MES L. And now, Mary, repenting of 
 this, has made me a confession. Morris 
 -is my son and you are hers. 
 
 EDWAED. You are not my mother ? 
 
 MES. L. No, Edward ; but take heart.
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 119 
 
 I shall still love you and take care of you. 
 Corne, Morris ; come, my real son, do not 
 cry ; come to me. 
 
 MOEEIS (rushing into Mary's arms). 
 Oh, no ! no ! Mr. Edward has Ibeen your 
 son for so long ; keep him, keep him. I 
 cannot leave my mother, I must go home 
 with her (bursting into tears). 
 
 MAEY. But, Morris, he is my son. 
 
 MOEEIS. Oh no, dear mother, he will 
 never love you as I do ! do not drive me 
 from you ! do not turn your face away ! 
 kiss me, mother, and tell me you will take 
 me away with you. Oh, I see ! I must 
 believe it (wringing his hands with 
 grief}. 
 
 MES. L. Morris, you are ungrateful ! 
 Do you not see what a splendid change 
 this is for you ? 
 
 MOEEIS. Please excuse me, ma'am ; I 
 honor and respect you ; but my mother, 
 who nursed me, and has taken care of
 
 120 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 me all these years, I love her. Edward 
 is much handsomer, and far more genteel 
 than I. Oh ! keep him and let me go with 
 my mother ! (clasps his hands and kneels, 
 while large tears roll down his cheeks). 
 
 MES. L. I order you to come with me. 
 I will have it ! 
 
 ME. S. Remember, she is your mother. 
 
 MOEEIS (weeping bitterl/y). Oh, how 
 miserable I am ! \They go out. 
 
 EDWAED (who now thinks himself 
 MOEEIS, remains). 
 
 MAET. Well, Morris ; that's your name 
 now, you know what's the matter ? are 
 you sorry to have me for a mother ? I shall 
 have to sleep with one eye open, to keep 
 you out of mischief; but if you are good 
 and work hard, though I can't give you 
 such fine clothes, I will love you as much 
 as Mrs. Langdon did. 
 
 EDWAED (his lips quivering). Oh! 
 she is no longer my mother !
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 121 
 
 MAEY. Well, am I not as good? I 
 don't live in such a fine house, crammed 
 full of gimcracks ; but I've got a diction- 
 ary that you can study in, and big Peter, 
 your father, shall hang a great switch over 
 the mantelpiece, to remind you that he 
 won't stand any nonsense, or idleness, 
 from you. Dear me ! how glad he will 
 be to see you ! Come, run with a hop, 
 skip, and jump, to the stable, and harness 
 up old Whitenose: it's high time we 
 were off. 
 
 EDWAED (sighing}. Yes, mother. 
 
 MAEY. But first bid Mr. Sherwood 
 good-by, and the rest. Thank them all 
 for their kindness to you ; wait here a 
 moment, till I come back. [Exit. 
 
 ME. S. Well, Edward, or Morris I 
 should say, you see that nothing is sure 
 in this world : and I cannot but think 
 that this reverse will do you good. You 
 
 treated every one except your mother as 
 iv. 6
 
 122 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 you supposed Mrs. Langdon was with 
 harshness, insult, and insolence : perhaps 
 now you will learn, in the very strongest 
 manner, the exact meaning and intention 
 of the Golden Rule. 
 
 EDWAED. Oh, how unhappy I am! 
 The very servants are more fortunate ! 
 They at least can live with Mrs. Langdon. 
 
 ME. S. You despised and insulted 
 your own mother; you struck your 
 brother ; suppose he in return should 
 
 EDWAED (weeping). Oh stop, I beg, 
 Mr. Sherwood! 
 
 ME. S. You weep because you are 
 only the son of Mary and big Peter, a 
 poor country farmer. 
 
 EDWAED. Oh no, sir ! if they are my 
 father and mother, I will try to respect 
 them, but to leave Mrs. Langdon to be 
 no longer her son that is what is driv- 
 ing me to despair. Oh, I shall die ! I 
 shall die !
 
 123 
 
 ME. S. Do not be so distressed. Mrs. 
 Langdon will still be very kind to you. 
 She will love you still. 
 
 EDWARD. If she will only think of 
 me sometimes. Will you speak, sir, of 
 me to her, after I am gone ? Will you 
 tell her that my greatest grief, is leaving 
 her ; that I shall never, never, never forget 
 her ? Will you do this, dear Mr. Sherwood ? 
 
 ME. S. (with agitation). Yes, my dear 
 boy, I will. 
 
 EDWAED. And will you forgive me 
 for having profited so little by your les- 
 sons; and being so often disrespectful? 
 Please forgive me, sir. 
 
 ME. S. Willingly, my child. This is 
 a great change of fortune. An hour ago, 
 you were rich and well born, now you are 
 the son of a poor farmer. Try to do your 
 part well in this altered sphere ; be gentle 
 and good, and God will not desert you. 
 Good-by. [Exit.
 
 124 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 Enter JANE, with a coarse cap and jacket, 
 PATEICK following. 
 
 JANE (ironically). How do you do, 
 Mr. Morris ? 
 
 PATEICK. (ditto). Your humble ser- 
 vant, Mr. Morris. 
 
 JANE. Will Mr. Morris allow me to 
 show Mm Ms new dress ? 
 
 PATEICK. Will Mr. Morris give me 
 leave to help Mm on with Ms jacket ? 
 
 JANE. Dear me ! it fits him to a hair ! 
 and the cap too ! My ! Tm a thinking 
 you won't be so proud after this; you 
 can't treat me any more as a servant. 
 
 PATEICK. Nor me ! You won't beat 
 a double tattoo about my sMns again in 
 a hurry ! 
 
 JANE. I shan't be snubbed all day 
 long, and told that my nose is as red as 
 my hair, and my eyes as green as my 
 understanding. What a comfort !
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 125 
 
 PATEICK (cutting a caper in the air, 
 and singing). Hi fol-de-rol ! how happy 
 we shall all be ! tide-o riddle rol-de-da ! 
 
 JANE. What are you crying for, 
 Master Morris ? 
 
 EDWAED. Oh, how you treat me ! 
 
 JANE. Why ! Is not that the way 
 to read the proverb ? " As you have done 
 to others, they shall do to you." 
 
 PATEICK. You don't seem to see it. 
 We are only giving tit for tat. 
 
 EDWAED. You are right, I deserve 
 it all ! Jane, Patrick, forgive me ! I beg 
 your pardon. 
 
 JANE (looking very sorry). Poor 
 child ! poor little fellow ! 
 
 PATEICK. After all, he has not a bad 
 heart ! 
 
 EDWAED. Please forget all the injuries 
 I have done to you, and try not to hate me 
 when I am gone. Will you, dear Jane ? 
 will you Patrick 2
 
 126 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 JANE (bursting out crying). Oh ! oh ! 
 what a pity, what a pity ! 
 
 PATEICK It is dreadful ! 
 
 JA:NE. He will have to plough and 
 hoe in the ground ! 
 
 PATEICK. And kill pigs, and drive 
 the cow ! 
 
 JAISTE. Why couldn't that stupid Mary 
 hold her tongue after keeping the secret 
 thirteen years, and settle down for life 
 with that clumsy Edward. I hate the 
 sight of him ! I don't believe, but what 
 it is all a trick she is trying to play off. 
 
 TATEICK. I'll bet my head, it is ! 
 ( EDWAED. Don't insult my mother. 
 She is poor, but honest. I cannot hear 
 you accusing her. 
 
 Enter ATTDEEW with a basket, shovel, and 
 
 AEDEEW (whistles). Wheugh ! Is 
 it true then, that Master Edward is not 
 Mrs. Langdon's son ?
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 127 
 
 JAKE. Yes, indeed ! Just look at the 
 poor boy ; we are so sorry for Mm ! and 
 though he has teazed us a great deal, we 
 feel for him with all our hearts. 
 
 ANDREW. Just so with me. He has 
 put me in a rage no end of times, and 
 when I was scolded before you all, this 
 morning, I was as mad as a wasp with the 
 toothache. But since I have heard of his 
 great misfortune, I am sure, I would not 
 bear him malice for the world ; so I have 
 come to make friends with him, before he 
 goes away. 
 
 EDWARD. Dear Andrew ! (He weeps 
 again.) 
 
 ANDREW. Here ! I have brought you 
 a basket and some tools; they will be 
 useful to you in your new situation ; and 
 here is my silver watch, it goes splendid- 
 ly ! but you must not wear it every day, 
 you must save it for Sundays. I give it 
 to you, that you may remember me, and
 
 128 LITTLE PLAT MITTENS. 
 
 say, " My friend Andrew gave me this 
 watch, because he loved me." 
 
 EDWARD. How kind you are to me, 
 who have deserved it so little ! Pray for 
 give me, and forget my bad conduct. 
 
 ANDREW. I forgive you with all my 
 heart ! and now that you are in trouble, 
 I remember nothing. I will come to see 
 you next Sunday evening, and bring you 
 some nice little present. Keep up a stout 
 heart, and a stiff upper lip ; you are not 
 used to work, and at first it will come very 
 hard; ploughing is not quite so easy as 
 playing cat's cradle, and backgammon 
 in the parlor. You will have no dancing, 
 unless a mad bull gallops after you, when, 
 no doubt, you will practise double quick- 
 step to perfection. All the gay pleasures 
 you have now, will be lost to you ; but 
 there is one happiness, worth all the rest, 
 which you can keep if you please; and 
 that is a clear con-science. Serve God, love
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 129 
 
 your parents, and work faithfully, and you 
 will be sure to possess this great blessing, 
 and consequently be happy. 
 
 EDWARD. Thank you, Andrew, for 
 such good advice ; but will you all love 
 me when I am gone ? 
 
 ALL THREE AT ONCE. Yes, indeed ! 
 Always ! 
 
 EDWARD. Will you then promise, 
 sometimes to speak kindly of me to Mrs. 
 Langdon ? 
 
 ANDREW. We promise. 
 
 JAKE (crying Utterly). Oh ! oh ! this 
 is too much. I can't bear it. Good-by, 
 dear Master Morris. 
 
 EDWARD. Won't you kiss me, Jane ? 
 
 JANE. Oh, yes, with all my heart. 
 (.Kisses him.) 
 
 PATRICK. Please shake hands with 
 me, Master Morris. 
 
 ANDREW. And me too. 
 iv. 6*
 
 130 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 EDWAED. Good-by, good-by; all my 
 dear Mends ! 
 
 Enter the real MOEEIS. 
 
 EDWAED (who has turned away and 
 dorft see him). And this is the dress I am 
 always to wear. I am Morris, son of Mary 
 and big Peter ! Oh, I can bear that ; but 
 to leave Mrs. Langdon to be no longer 
 her son to have no right to her love 
 oh! oh! I shall die! 
 
 MOEEIS. Good morning, brother. 
 
 EDWAED (without turning round). Good 
 morning, Master Edward. 
 
 MOEEIS. You seem angry with me; 
 but you are wrong. If I have injured 
 you, it is not my fault. I did not do it 
 of my own will ; and yet I have come to 
 beg your pardon. 
 
 EDWAED. It is not your fault. 
 
 MOEEIS. But^-don't you love me ? 
 
 EDWAED. Why do you ask, sir ?
 
 MASTEE EDWAED'S TEIAL. 131 
 
 MOEEIS. I call you " brother? and you 
 call me " sir" 
 
 EDWAED (with effort). Well, if you 
 wish it, I will call you brother. 
 
 MOEEIS. And love me like one ? 
 
 EDWAED. Yes. 
 
 MOEEIS. Well, now, I'm going to try 
 you. Here, do you see these things ? I 
 found them in your pockets. This gold 
 watch, this pocket book full of money, this 
 yellow pin, with a little ball in the middle 
 of it, ' which looks like glass I really 
 thought it was glass, and the pin copper, 
 but they say it is a diamond set in gold, 
 and worth more than all the rest. Then 
 I asked Mrs. Langdon if she had given me 
 all these grand things to do just as I 
 pleased with. She said, " Certainly " and 
 I have come as fast as ever I could with 
 them to you ! take them ! 
 
 EDWAED. Thank you. I'd rather you 
 kept them.
 
 132 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 MORRIS. Do you refuse your brother ? 
 
 EDWAED. "What could I do with such 
 finery they do not suit my humble sta- 
 tion? 
 
 MORRIS. But it is not for yourself 
 that I give them. 
 
 EDWARD. I don't understand you. 
 
 MORRIS. They are for your poor 
 mother; for your father who works so 
 hard, and is so patient and good. To 
 scrape together money enough to pay his 
 rent troubles him dreadfully ; and so the 
 very first time the landlord comes, give 
 him all these gimcracks, on condition that 
 he leaves him alone for the rest of the year. 
 
 EDWARD. Yes, I will do this; give 
 them to me. 
 
 MORRIS. Here they are. "Will you 
 promise rne one thing more 1 
 
 EDWARD. What is it ? 
 
 MORRIS. It is that you will love your 
 father and mother dearly.
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 133 
 
 EDWABD. Yes, Morris ; I will try. 
 
 MOEEIS. And tell them every day 
 that I shall never forget them ; and when 
 I am a man, and you are too, you shall all 
 come and live with me, and you and I 
 will have everything together, just like 
 two brothers will you ? 
 
 EDWAED. Yes, brother (Morris clasps 
 him in Jiis arms, and says) " Oh, how 
 happy you have made me ! " 
 
 Enter MES. LANGDOH-, ME. SHEEWOOD, and 
 MAEY. 
 
 MES. L. Ah ! that is a pleasant sight. 
 I am delighted to see you such good friends. 
 I wish you to love each other always. 
 
 MOEEIS. I promise you we will, ma'am 
 I mean, mother. We are friends and 
 brothers from this day. 
 
 MES. L. (to EDWAED). All is ready 
 for you;* departure, Morris. I would like
 
 134 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 to have kept you for some days ; but Mary 
 says she must take you with her. Be a 
 good boy ; respect and love your father 
 and mother, and help them in their work 
 all you can. Remember me ; and, be sure, 
 I shall never forget you. 
 
 EDWAED (throwing himself at Tier feet, 
 and weeping convulsively). Mamma 
 madam, grant me one favor, I implore. 
 Oh ! my heart is breaking. 
 
 MES. L. (with emotion). What is it ? 
 
 EDWAED. I cannot leave you. Keep 
 me here, for pity's sake ! I will be your 
 servant. I will wait on your son. I will 
 obey him. I will obey every one in the 
 house. Let me stay ! oh ! let me stay ! 
 
 MOEEIS (kneeling by him). Oh ! since 
 you are my mother, be his mother, too ! 
 do not send him away. See ! we ask it on 
 our knees ! You will have two sons, and 
 he shall be the best. 
 
 MES. L. (aside to ME. SHEEWOOD). This
 
 MASTER EDWARD'S TRIAL. 135 
 
 is killing me. I cannot bear it ! I must 
 speak ! (She covers her face, sobbing). 
 
 Enter ANDREW, JANE, and PATRICK. 
 
 ANDREW. Mrs. Langdon, we come to 
 make you an offer, which we beg you 
 to agree to, or else we shall all three feel 
 obliged to quit your service. 
 
 MRS. L. Well what is it, Andrew ? 
 
 ANDREW. Well, ma'am, it is that you 
 will keep this poor little fellow, Morris, 
 with you, and give us leave to treat him 
 the same as Master Edward ; and as we 
 do not want any one to lose by this, we 
 offer to have a third of our wages taken 
 off, which you will please give to Mary 
 and big Peter every month, to make up to 
 them for the loss of their son's services. 
 
 EDWARD. Oh, my kind, generous 
 friends ! never will I forget this proof of 
 your love ! 
 
 MRS. L. But only this morning you
 
 136 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 all three made terrible complaints about 
 him. 
 
 AITOEEW. But we don't bear malice, 
 and he is so unhappy ! "We have forgot- 
 ten all he did to annoy us. Please, ma'am, 
 to keep him. 
 
 EDWAED. No, Andrew ; you ^have 
 taught me what is my duty. I belong to 
 my father and mother, and I am ashamed 
 that in my misery I forgot it. The poorer 
 they are, the less I ought to leave them. 
 Good-by, all my friends : love and pro- 
 tect Mrs. Langdon and my brother, and 
 forget my many faults if you can. Good- 
 by, Edward. Come, mother, let us go. 
 
 MES. L. (weeping). Mr. Sherwood ! 
 
 ME. S. Yes, it is enough. Embrace your 
 son ! he has proved himself worthy of you ! 
 
 MES. L. (throwing Tier arms around 
 Jam). My son, my darling ! 
 
 EDWAED (amazed). You, my mother ! 
 You!!
 
 MASTER EDWAED'S TEIAL. 137 
 
 MES. L. Yes, my son. This was only 
 a plot to try you. Your heart has proved 
 good and noble ! and I am the happiest 
 of mothers. 
 
 MOEEIS (rushing to Mary's arms'). And 
 I am I your son still ? 
 
 MAEY (kissing him). Yes, my boy; 
 my own boy ! 
 
 MOEEIS. Oh, be joyful ! how happy 
 I am ! 
 
 EDWAED. But, Morris, don't you want 
 to stay with me ? 
 
 MOEEIS. No ! no ! I have been too 
 much afraid already that I should never 
 see my dear father again. What a good 
 hug I mean to give him ! 
 
 EDWAED (giving MOEEIS the watch, c&c.) 
 Here, take all these things now I give 
 them to you. 
 
 MOEEIS. Oh no, you must keep them. 
 
 EDWAED. But what about that cross 
 old landlord.?
 
 138 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 MOKKIS (laughing). You are right. 
 Give them to me. 
 
 MAEY. Is it for the rent ? Why, "big 
 Peter will dance a jig on the kitchen table 
 for joy. 
 
 ME. SHEEWOOD. Good mothers, love 
 your children with all your hearts, but do 
 not spoil them. Remember, it is education 
 and pious training which develop in their 
 hearts the seeds of good or evil ; and you, 
 Edward, do not forget the lesson you have 
 received, of " DOING UNTO OTHEES AS YOU
 
 THE LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 THE play was finished amidst a tremen- 
 dous clapping of hands, and the curtain 
 fell. 
 
 Then the company began to talk just 
 as fast as they could. They were aston- 
 ished at seeing the play so well acted, and 
 laughed over and over again when they 
 recalled the comical little gardener and 
 waiter, who wore such funny dresses, and 
 knew their parts so perfectly, and acted 
 with such serious faces. Minnie came in, 
 too, for her share of praise, indeed, every 
 one was excellent ; and when the children 
 made their appearance a few minutes after- 
 ward still dressed as they were in the 
 play they were received with more clap-
 
 140 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 ping of hands, and this time with plenty 
 of kisses too. 
 
 After that, some ice cream and cake 
 were handed round; and then the com- 
 pany went home perfectly delighted, re- 
 solving in their own minds to get up some- 
 thing themselves in behalf of the soldiers. 
 So certain is it, that one good action will 
 prompt another. 
 
 The Little Mother hastily counted over 
 the nice warm mittens with their thumbs 
 and fingers sticking out in every direction, 
 while the children, looked on with breath- 
 less interest. 
 
 "Fifty-seven pairs," said the Little 
 Mother. 
 
 " Fifty-seven pairs ! " echoed the chil- 
 dren, with a shout that made the windows 
 rattle. " Oh, goody ! goody ! goody ! how 
 glad we are ! " and they danced round the 
 pile which lay on the floor in perfect 
 ecstasies.
 
 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 141 
 
 " How glad brother George will be ! " 
 said Willie. 
 
 " Oh, if he could only have been here 
 to-night," said Clara, and her loving eyes 
 filled with tears. 
 
 The Little Mother's lip trembled. She 
 knew that her soldier boy, sooner or later, 
 must know what a battle was ; and a pray- 
 er rose in her heart that a Protecting Pow- 
 er would guard him from harm, and return 
 him safe to her loving arms. 
 
 The children kissed her softly, and 
 tenderly, and went quietly off to bed, 
 almost forgetting that Santa Glaus was to 
 come that very night, and fill their stock- 
 ings. But he did not forget ; for when 
 the bright morning sun of the clear, cold 
 Christmas day, peeped in at the nursery 
 windows, he certainly must have thought 
 that Santa Claus had considered these 
 children as pinks and patterns of perfec- 
 tion ; for there were no less than three
 
 142 LITTLE PLAT MITTENS. 
 
 new dolls; a grocery store for them to 
 shop at; two elegant workboxes with 
 "Anna" engraved on the lid of one, and 
 " Clara " on the other ; a beautiful writing 
 desk, filled with nice pens, ink, and paper, 
 for Johnny ; a mahogany tool chest, com- 
 pletely filled, for Harry ; an entire set of 
 Cousin Alice's excellent and interesting 
 books, for Bennie and Willie; a most 
 charming little book, called " Our Little 
 Girls," for Lillie ; and two others by the 
 same author, who is a minister's daughter, 
 as good as she is lovely, for Minnie. 
 These were called " A Little Leaven," and 
 " Two Little Heaps ; " and, let me tell you, 
 Minnie considers them the best books that 
 ever were written ; while little Fanny's 
 favorite was, and is, the " K. R B's. It 
 is the history of a dear little Eobin Eed- 
 breast and his family ; and Fanny says it 
 is a " darling book." 
 
 The dear absent soldier brother was
 
 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 143 
 
 not forgotten. On the table were two 
 packages directed to Mm. One of these 
 contained a dozen fine hem-stitched pocket 
 handkerchiefs, with the initials of his 
 name beautifully worked in a corner of 
 each. This had been done by Anna, who 
 was very skilful in such dainty arts. The 
 other package consisted of a complete set 
 of Dickens's works, in strong, plain, but 
 very neat bindings. 
 
 " Oh," cried Harry. " George will 
 stand on his head for joy, when he gets 
 these ; he will be so tickled ! The very 
 books he was longing to own ! 
 
 " How can he stand on his head ? " 
 asked Bennie. 
 
 " This way," answered Harry, and 
 going up to the side of the room, he 
 suddenly lifted his feet in the air, resting 
 them against the wall, and stared at Bennie 
 with his face upside down, and the top of 
 his head on the carpet.
 
 144 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 The children laughed heartily, and as 
 a matter of course, all the little brothers 
 began to practise standing on their heads, 
 till they nearly got fits of apoplexy, with 
 the blood rushing the wrong way. 
 
 After they had returned from church 
 that morning, every one of them wrote to 
 George a 'company letter, wishing him a 
 merry Christmas, telling him all the wonder- 
 ful news about the little play ; and inform- 
 ing him of the quantity of mittens which 
 were coming. They had now finished 
 eighteen pairs, to add to their fifty-seven, 
 which their friends had given them. 
 These seventy-five pairs, were to be sent 
 away the next morning; but George's 
 presents were to be carefully kept until 
 his happy return home ; for he could not 
 put all those precious books in his knap- 
 sack; and as he might move from one 
 place to another very often, the less he 
 had to carry in marching, the better.
 
 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 145 
 
 The smaller children felt an almost rev- 
 erential affection for their soldier brother, 
 who had gone away to fight for his 
 country. They regarded his letters as 
 perfect wonders, with Camp Ellsworth 
 printed on the outside of them, and such 
 superb capital D's and G's inside. The 
 little ones did not know how he could 
 make such splendid letters, sitting in a 
 tent, with the paper on his knee, ready 
 to drop it at a moment's warning, and 
 flash fire and shot out of his gun, at the 
 enemy. They were quite sure he would be 
 a General in a very short time, and Johnny 
 had serious thoughts of writing to the 
 good President Lincoln, and asking him 
 to make George one without waiting any 
 longer. Indeed, he did write : but his 
 mother thought it best not to send it : 
 though I was sure the President would 
 have liked it very much ; for he is such 
 
 a great-hearted, good man, such a pure 
 
 iv. 7
 
 146 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 patriot ; and I happen to know that he 
 loves children dearly. Here is Johnny's 
 letter. It is a simple, funny little epistle, 
 full of trust and faith. 
 
 " PRESIDENT LINCOLN : 
 
 " My Dear Friend^ Do you know 
 my big brother George ? He is such a 
 good boy! He never teazes us, or the 
 cat, or anybody. Mary O'Reilly (that's 
 our kitten) always rubs her coat against 
 his legs when he comes home ; so you see 
 that is a sign that he is never cruel to 
 animals. He once tried to teach a crab 
 at Long Branch to dance the polka, but 
 he didn't hurt it ; no, indeed ! 
 
 " Please, my dear friend, to make him a 
 General, with a long sword, saddle, 
 bridle, and a whack fol de rol ; though 
 I don't know what that is I heard a 
 soldier singing it and I will come and 
 hug and kiss you as hard as a rock.
 
 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 147 
 
 " Clara and Anna say, they will hug 
 and kiss you too, if you will make George a 
 General; only you must promise not to 
 scratch their faces with your beard, as 
 papa sometimes does just for fun, you 
 know. Besides which, my dear friend, 
 they will give you a mitten apiece. How 
 would you like that? They make lots 
 for the soldiers, out of skeins of long 
 yarn ; mamma says you are a famous fel- 
 low for spinning splendid yarns yourself. 
 Ours is dark blue; but mamma says, 
 yours are all the colors of the rainbow, 
 and a great deal of black besides; and 
 everybody is delighted with them, and 
 all the soldiers love you, and I am your 
 " affectionate friend 
 
 I should not be in the least surprised, 
 if the good President should answer this 
 letter after he sees it here ; and send his
 
 148 LITTLE PLAY MITTENS. 
 
 answer to Mr. Appleton for Johnny. If lie 
 does, I will tell you all about it, as sure 
 as my name is Aunt Fanny. Meanwhile, 
 you must know that the fifty-seven " little 
 play mittens," as the children called them, 
 and the eighteen pairs, which they had 
 made this time, and which they called 
 their " two story mittens," have gone to 
 the brave soldiers. Do tell me, my little 
 darlings, how many have been sent alto- 
 gether ; now that we have come to the 
 
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 This book is DUE on the last 
 date stamped below 
 
 3m-2,'45(3232) 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 PZ7 
 
 B27t Barrow - 
 
 The two story 
 mittens and the 
 
 little play 
 mittens. 
 
 UCLA-Young Research Library 
 
 PZ7 .B27t 
 
 L 009 521 260 1 
 
 PZ7 
 B27t