Bessie at school

by Joanna H. Mathews

For Belle remembered quite well that she and Bessie had been forbidden to go near this fence and watch the boys at their play; for both ladies feared that the balls might come over the wall and strike the little girls and hurt them. And, more than this, Mrs. Bradford had told her she must not go out of doors with those thin shoes on. So when Belle had made up her mind to disobey her kind friends, and to go near the ball-ground in spite of the orders she had received, she had not dared to ask Miss Ashton to change her shoes, or put on her cloak and hat for her, lest she should be asked where she was going. But after waiting till the lady was busy with Maggie's music-lesson, she had run out in the little prunella gaiters which were fit only for the house, and with her cloak half fastened, for she could not put it on properly herself. Now the damp, cold air was blowing about her, and making her feel very chilly and uncomfortable.

She had not told herself that she was going to be disobedient; but had said that she would just run down to the field, and peep over the fence at the boys. When she came there, however, the fence was quite too high for her to look over, and, remembering the clump of evergreen bushes which was just beyond, she thought she would climb to the top of the wall and sit there, herself hidden by the bushes, while she could see the boys quite well. That old summer-house would hide her from the house.

So Belle had thought, saying to herself, "Aunt Margaret"—so she called Mrs. Bradford—"did not know it was very safe behind the bushes, and the balls cannot hit me there. I guess she would let me if she knew."

Something kept saying to her, "Oh no, Belle! you know Aunt Margaret would not let you. You are very naughty, little Belle. What would your papa say if he knew what you were doing?" But she would not listen.

Ah! if Belle were so sure Mrs. Bradford would let her do this, why was she so afraid of being seen?

She was already sadly punished, for she now found that the bushes which hid her from the boys also hid them from her. She could hear their voices very well, and knew that they would hear her if she cried aloud; but she could not see one of them. And that stone had hurt her foot, oh, so badly! and there she was, afraid to move either way.

But it would not do for her to be found there; and at last she slipped down from the wall, and ran as fast as she could into the old summer-house. There she climbed up on the seat, and prepared to look at the foot that was hurt.

Very slowly and carefully, for fear of knotting the lace, she unfastened her shoe and pulled it off. Next the little sock was removed, and Belle turned up her small foot so that she might see the heel.

"Ow, ow!" she said when she saw it. "There's a great piece of skin off it. Ow, ow!"

She had almost forgotten the pain in her foot while she was running from the forbidden spot; but now, when she saw how badly it looked, it seemed to feel a good deal worse. She sat and gazed at it for some moments, and then, taking up her sock, she looked in it, turned it inside out, and shook it. Next she shook out her shoe, and felt all around the inside with her hand; next she looked all about the planked floor of the summer-house.