“Good for you, girls!” cried Patty, clapping her hands; “I’ve always said the Harts were the nicest girls I know, except that they were so snippy toward each other. Goodness me! I believe this society is going to make angels of us all. Now, Mary Sargent, it’s your turn. What’s your thrilling tale?”
“It isn’t very thrilling,” said Mary, “but it’s the best I could do. You see we live in an apartment hotel, too, and I haven’t anybody that needs cheering up. But one day I noticed that the chambermaid was a most sad and forlorn-looking individual. So when she comes into the rooms mornings now I laugh and joke with her a little, and it seems to do her good. She’s pleasanter in every way and even if she comes in glum she always goes out smiling. She’s a Swede, or something like that, and I can’t always understand what she says, but the other day I gave her a calendar I had with funny pictures on it, and to-day she told me that she looks over the whole twelve every morning and then when she thinks of them through the day it makes her laugh.”
“That’s a rudimentary sense of humour,” said Clementine, laughing, “but it seems to be a step in the right direction. Let the good work go on, Mary; I thought you’d take it more seriously than the rest of us and very likely you’ll accomplish the most.”
Mary Sargent was a shy girl and she blushed at Clementine’s praise, but her eyes twinkled with humour, and Clementine said she was a dear and the very merriest Grig of them all.
CHAPTER XII
A VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL
“Well,” said Hilda, “I’m not sure that I ought to be president of the Grigs, after all, for I have to confess that I couldn’t find anybody to make fun for except our old cat. But if you could see her, I’m sure you’d agree that she’s a worthy object. She’s so old that she’s both blind and deaf; and she’s so melancholy that it’s enough to make you weep to look at her. I amused her and played with her and tried to make her think she was a kitten again; but it was no go, and I finally had to resort to one of those patent catnip-balls. That worked like a charm, and in a few moments she was rolling around in glee and cutting up all sorts of antics. So you see what perseverance will accomplish.”
“Far be it from me,” said Patty, “to criticise the deeds of our worthy president; and I suppose cats want some fun in their lives as well as people.”
“They ought to have nine times as much,” said Hilda, “for they have nine lives and we have only one.”
“I’ve nothing more to say,” said Patty; “our president has quite justified herself, and her effort was nine times as meritorious as any of ours.”
“Well, I think the whole thing is fun,” said Clementine, “and next week I mean to do something startling. I think I’ll go and call on our minister. He is the solemnest man I know and I’d just like to see if he could laugh. I’ll take ‘Alice In Wonderland,’ and read aloud to him, and see if I can make him smile.”