Chapter Three

The dinner came out nicely after all; and as papa forsook his study and devoted his whole morning to the Websters, mamma was hardly missed from the parlor.

Lizzie bobbed around over the stove until the heat had made her cheeks as red as roses, and then she flew up stairs and put on a clean white apron, and came and waited on the table just as well as if she had been brought up to the business.

After the dinner dishes were all washed and wiped and put away, the kitchen swept out, and towels and dishcloths hung up to dry, mamma sent Lizzie into the yard to play with the children.

"You have been dear, good children, so far today," said mamma; "and don't spoil it by having any disputes when you are by yourselves. Be as good as you have been and mamma will be perfectly satisfied. You are all Best Helpers," said mamma. "And Lizzie," she called, as the child was flying away, "keep still! Remember Mrs. Webster and Miss Ellen, and run away out under the big tree and play, where they can't hear you."

"I don't like those old Websters!" said Lizzie with a pout, as she and Bobby and Gracie sat down under the big tree.

"Nor me neither," said Bobby.

"A'n't Miss Ellen sober!" said Gracie. "I looked for her to smile all dinner-time, when papa was telling funny stories, and she didn't even once."

"I do s'pose she can't," said Lizzie. "Her mouth wasn't made to smile, I do b'lieve. This is the way she goes. See!"

Lizzie made her mouth into such a perfect likeness of Miss Ellen's, that Gracie and Bobby forgot all about keeping still and just screamed with laughter.

"Miss Ellen! Miss Ellen! Miss Ellen!" shouted Bobby, dancing around and pointing his finger at her.

"Miss Ellen! Miss Ellen! Miss Ellen!" shouted Gracie.

"Children," said Lizzie, mimicking Miss Ellen's tones, "children, don't make such a noise! It's very wrong. I'm nervous, an I'm an old maid, and I don't like noisy children. Keep still!"

At that the delight of Bobby and Gracie knew no bounds, and they began to scream "Old maid!" and "Miss Ellen!" in turn. "Old maid!" "Miss Ellen" Old maid!" "Miss Ellen" over and over.

"Oh, hush!" said Lizzie, stopping suddenly. "There she is in the window."

And there she was, standing up with her thin, solemn face pressed close again the slats of the blind, and her grave eyes looking out at the children.

"What shall we do?" said Gracie.

Without waiting to answer her question, Lizzie and Bobby flew out the gate and down the street. Gracie followed. She found them waiting around the corner, all out of breath and too much excited to speak.

But by-and-by Lizzie found breath enough to exclaim, "I'll never, never, never show my face at home again!"

That made Bobby feel very homesick and he began to whimper.

"Not for whole hours, I mean," said Lizzie. "And I don't know what's ever going to become of us."

She spoke in a perfectly miserable tone. She threw herself right down on the grass, set her elbows into the ground and her face in her hands; and then such a dreadful look came on her face that Bobby had to cry.

"You baby!" said Lizzie. "Before I'd cry!"

Bobby's eyes were dry in a minute, and he choked back every sob.

"You ought to know better than to scream so loud anyway," said Lizzie. "it is all your two faults. Now so."

"It's all your own," said Bobby. "You beginned it, Lizzie Swallow. Me and Gracie just followed on. There!"

How cross these little children were, who had been so pleasant and happy all day. And do you see how they blamed each other instead of blaming themselves? That is because the evil spirit who likes to make children naughty had crept into their hearts and driven out love and gentleness. The Holy Spirit would have driven this other spirit out, if the children had only thought to ask him; but they did not think of it at all.

To be continued......

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