“Flutey! That’s no way to leave that rheumatism behind!” reprimanded Ruth. “Now, make up your mind to walk right up and forget the nasty little pain.”
Mrs. Talmage and the Blue Birds were hovering over the railing of the Nest to advise the two at the foot of the steps. Dot Starr, with her usual bluntness and funny way of expressing herself, called down to Miss Selina:
“Flutey, you just feel those twinges in your joints because you’re spoiled. Mumzie says I am always sicker if I let myself be fussed over and spoiled. She just says, ‘Try to forget it.’ Now, if you were me, you never would be down there a second, but you’d jump here two steps at a time. So, I say like Mumzie would, forget you’re not me, and we’ll see you pop up here like magic!”
Aunt Selina felt like rebuking Dot, but the children smiled sympathetically and knew Dot was sincere in her desire to help the old lady, so the invalid replied instead,
“Dot, that is just the trouble! I can’t forget the habits of seventy years. I wish I could make-believe I was as young and spry as you are.”
“If you wish, then you can! Remember the story of Sarah Crewe?” cried Ruth, helping Miss Selina to the next step.
“I saw an old lady up in Casco Bay town last summer who was older than you and she never had time to remember her age, because she had to work all day for other folks. She said she slept like a baby every night. Daddum said one reason she looked so young was that she hadn’t time to worry about growing old,” said Dot.
“If I had had to work for others instead of being pampered until I couldn’t do a thing for myself, maybe I would feel as young as anyone,” admitted Aunt Selina.
Meantime, without being conscious of the act, the old lady was being helped up the steps by Ruth, until, at the last words, she reached the top.
“Why, I’m up and never knew it!” she laughed.