BROTHER ZIP.
There was to be a remarkable supper at grandma Parlin's, in honor of Colonel Augustus Allen, who was expected in the cars. There had been a grand excursion to welcome the soldiers, and the stage would probably be very late. Susy and Prudy had the promise of sitting up till it got in, if Dotty Dimple was only willing. But Dotty said,—
"O, no; you better go to bed when I go, Prudy, or you'll hear somebody scream."
"Let's see," said Prudy. "I've thought of something nice. Wouldn't you like to go to aunt Martha's, and stay all the afternoon and all night?"
Dotty gave a little purr, like a happy kitten.
"O, yes, if they'll let me drink choclid out o' that silver mug."
"But who'll go with you?" said Prudy. "There, I know—Abby Grant! I'll go ask mother."
Prudy thought that she herself could not possibly be spared just now to walk as far as aunt Martha's.
Abby Grant, who was supposed to be a good child, was very glad to take charge of Dotty, and called for her at two o'clock.
Aunt Louise was in the kitchen, whipping cream. "O, my suz," said Dotty, with shining eyes; "mayn't I taste o' those bubbles 'fore I go?"
Aunt Louise poured the foaming cream over some jellies, which stood in glasses.
"You shall have some to-morrow," said she, pausing to kiss Dotty, her favorite niece. Then she led the two little girls into the dining-room, where the long table was already spread for Company. Dotty could hardly keep her hands off the nice things.
"There," said aunt Louise, giving each of the children an orange, "now you may go. Abby, be sure to take good care of Dotty. Don't trust her out of your sight one minute.—Hark! there's the door-bell. You may go out of the house by the back-door."
Then Miss Louise hastened from the dining-room, without looking back to see whether the children obeyed her or not. Dotty was, in general, prompt to do as she was bidden by older people; but just now both the children found it hard to leave that tempting table. They dared not taste the dainties, but Abby thought it could surely do no harm just to touch them. But when they had gone as far as that, Abby, who was a sly, half-taught child, grew bolder, and a sudden impulse seized her to pocket a few sweetmeats, if she could only do so without being seen by Dotty's keen eyes.
"Come, Dotty Parling," said she, "you just go ask somebody to brush your hair; it's all over your head."
Dotty sighed as she cast a last glance at the table, and then, without a word, went up stairs, unwilling to be seen by aunt Martha with her "hair all over her head."
Then Abby's heart beat fast. She heard voices in the parlor, and knew that at any moment some one might enter the dining-room, and discover her. So making a hasty choice of two large pieces of jelly-cake, and half a dozen tarts, she swept out of the room just in time to escape meeting grandma Parlin.
Her pocket was stuffed quite full, and one end of a slice of cake peeped out, though she tried her best to press it down. But Abby had a hope that no one would notice it through her white apron.
As Dotty's hair was now in fine order, the two children set out on their walk. They had gone but a few steps when Zip came trotting along, with all speed, looking up in their faces as if to say, "What have I done, that I can't go too?"
"Queer what made him want to come," said Abby, tartly.
"He loves his little sister," said Dotty, stroking his nose. "He shall go, he shall; he's a darling."
The dog kept beside the children, and every now and then Abby secretly punched him with a stick, while Dotty was patting his head, and chatting with him.
It was a long way to aunt Martha's, and Abby, besides feeling guilty, and ashamed of herself, was also very anxious to eat the goodies which made such a bunch in her pocket. Zip seemed to know there was cake somewhere, and sniffed about in a way which made her rather nervous.
"Here, let's creep under this fence," said she; "what's the use to go 'round by the road? It's a great deal nearer to your aunt's house through the field."
"There, child," cried she, when they were on the other side of the fence, "now I want to go behind this clump of trees, to—to find a book I left here yesterday: but you mustn't come, Dotty."
"What for can't I? Yes, I shall, Abby Grant; you shame yourself! I'm goin' every single where you go; so, now, you'll have to give up!"
"Dot Parling, you go right along with your doggie! I'll come in a minute."
Dotty thought a girl of Abby's age had no right to command her. She stamped her little foot, but it made no sound in the soft grass.
"I isn't a-goin' to go long with my doggie, Abby Grant; 'cause—so there!"
"But you must. You know, Dot Parling," said Abby, more gently, "your grandma expects you to do just what I tell you. I'm afraid, dear, you won't get any of that bubbled cream if you don't mind, nor any tarts."
The child queen began to think it was wisest to obey; but she did so with a very ill grace.
"Well, Abby Grant, I will go long with my doggie; but it's cause I'm tired, and don't want to help you find your old book—so, there!"
"That's right. Dotty. Start quick—can't you?"
Dotty took "high ground" at once. She looked Abby full in the face.
"Do you like yourself, Abby Grant?"
"I don' know. Yes: why?"
"'Cause I shouldn't think you would! I 'spise you!"
Having freed her mind, Dotty walked on with Zip, only turning back once, to exclaim,—
"There, Abby, now you'll have to give up!"
Abby, naughty girl, ate her cake in secret, staining her white apron with the jelly, while little Miss Dimple trudged on, thinking it very strange Abby should be so long finding that book.
Perhaps for the reason that she was rather out of sorts, and thinking about Abby rather than about the road, she missed her way, and soon found herself in a narrow lane she had never seen before.
Zip looked rather uneasy, but followed close by her side. Dotty walked on and on, till the track had faded quite away. This was not the road to aunt Martha's. Why didn't Abby come?
Dotty, too proud to cry, too angry to look back, wandered till she came to the edge of the Parlin woods. Here was a little creek, tumbling over some small gray rocks; the same "creek" where Horace had sometimes gone fishing.
"True as you live," said Dotty to herself, "here's a teenty-tonty river."
There was no way of crossing the creek, and the child felt as if she had come to the very end of the world. Her courage began to fail.
"Dotty Dimple," said she, stamping her foot, "don't you cry! If you do cry, Dotty Dimple, I'll shut you up in the closet."
But, in spite of these brave words, the unhappy child felt two or three tears raining down her cheeks. She now seated herself on the grass, and screamed for Abby.
"When she comes," thought Dotty, "I'll tell her she's 'shamed herself!"
At first it seemed as if Abby were answering her; but the sound proved to be only the echo of Dotty's own voice. O, she might scream all the afternoon, and Abby wouldn't try to hear! O, dear; before anybody would come, a bear, or a wolf, or a whale might rush right out of the woods and eat her up! Then how Abby would cry! Abby's mother would whip her with a big stick, and say, "there, now; what made you go behind the trees, and let that little Parlin girl lose herself, and get ate up! I don't think you're very polite, you naughty girl!"—O, how everybody would cry!
But what was that little funny thing on the water? Forgetting her sudden fear of bears and whales, a fear which Abby herself had put into her little head, Dotty gazed at the "funny thing." Could it be a little truly sailboat? Yes, it certainly was. How it got into the creek Dotty never stopped to think; the question was, how could she get it out?
She blew it with her breath, but it only floated farther away. She waited, hoping it would turn about, and come towards her. She threw sticks at it, but in vain. The boys, who had set it sailing had gone into the woods for raspberries, would have laughed to see her efforts. Presently she took off her hat, held it by one string, and flung it in, as if it had been a fishing-net. It was all of no use; the boat acted as if it were alive, and did not choose to be caught.
Dotty had forgotten all about Abby and the visit to aunt Martha's.
"I know what I'll do," thought she, winking very fast. "I'll catch that boat; I will!"
When Dotty had made up her mind, she never stopped for trifles. She drew off her stockings and gaiters, and stepped into the creek. Boys waded in the water, why couldn't she? There was nothing to bite her! She wasn't afraid!
She had supposed the water would only cover her feet, but she found herself sadly mistaken. The creek was remarkably deep, and, more than that, the bottom was so soft that she sank down, down, at every step.
Poor child! It was hard enough to get lost; it was harder still to be drowned!
"O, papa!" she screamed; "O, mamma! O, Prudy! can't you come? I don't want to drown, and not have you drown, Prudy. Can't you come, somebody come!"
But there were no human ears near enough to hear her piteous cries. She must have drowned—there is no doubt of it—if Zip had not been close at hand. The moment he saw her sinking, he gave a low bark and swam after her.
Before he could reach the unfortunate child the water was up to her waist, and she was wringing her little helpless hands, and saying, "Now I lay me down to sleep!"
Faithful old Zip lost not a moment, but seized her skirts and dragged her to the bank, laying her on the ground as tenderly as her own mother could have done.
Now you see why it is that God had put it into Zip's loving heart to "want to come with his little sister."
Abner, who arrived a few minutes later, in order to cut some young birches for his fence, said,—
"Wasn't it lucky, that that dog happened to be right on the spot? And lucky, too, that I happened along in the nick of time, to carry the poor little girl home in my arms?"
But the truth is, in this world which our Heavenly Father watches over, nothing ever comes by chance, and events do not happen.
Abby shed many bitter tears, but they were not so much tears of sorrow for her sin, as of shame for being found out. Such weeping does no good. Indeed I am afraid it only hardened Abby's heart.
But the day ended gloriously for Dotty. She was handed about to be kissed by everybody, and was, after all, allowed to sit up till nine o'clock, and actually ate a "bubbled cream," sitting as close as she could beside Colonel Allen's elbow.