Alice and her two friends

Chapter I. A Bevy Of Schoolgirls

Sober little schoolgirl with your strap of books,

And such grave importance in your puzzled looks ;

Yet with tooth for sponge-cake, and for sugar-plums ; Reading books of romance in your bed at night,

Waking up to study in the morning light ;

Anxious as to ribbons, deft to tie a bow,

Full of contradictions — I would keep you so.

Mrs. L. C. Moulton.

A carriage and a buggy were waiting before a large brick building which bore this inscription over the door : —

Harrison Street District School.

The small city in Ohio, which had erected this handsome schoolhouse, was one of the oldest communities in that region. It had named this street

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS .

for the first President who had gone from this State to occupy the White House.

There had been showers during the day, and the air of this afternoon in May was growing cool as it drew on toward four o’clock. Yet the sun was shining and its light was reflected upward with dazzling effect from the wet cement walks.

The lady in the carriage, although young, had a delicate and careworn look. As the primary rooms were dismissed she looked eagerly for her little daughter among the rows of small children who marched rather soberly out of the wide arched doorway. Louie Robinson saw her mother and came running up to the carriage.

“ Come, get in Louie, and as soon as Mary comes out we will have a ride.”

“ Lester won’t let me get in, mamma.”

“ You may sit in behind with me and help take care of Ruth.”

“ Can’t I sit in front and drive ? ”

“Mary will do the driving, and I promised Lester he might sit on the front seat if he was a good boy and did not make his mamma any trouble. He has been very good to-day and played with Ruth when I was busy.”

Louie pouted a little; but she was a good-

A BEVY OF SCHOOLGIRLS.

tempered child, and the unusual pleasure of a ride soon overcame her disappointment at not having a front seat. She began to tell her mother in an interesting way about some incident of school.

Another buggy now came up, rapidly driven by an elderly gentleman, whose earnest, strong face appeared much more youthful than his gray hairs. He glanced over the building and then at the carriage. “ Good-evening, Mrs. Kobinson. Will it be long before the upper rooms are dismissed? I want my boy and girl, but I can hardly wait five minutes for them.”

u I think they will be out soon, Dr. Pendleton ; Louie’s room was dismissed five minutes ago. There goes the flag now.”

The doctor leaned out and glanced up at the window over the entrance. A boy was taking in a handsome flag that looked somewhat tattered, as if it had been in use for some time.

“ The flag is a good signal that the school keeps. I wish there was one over every schoolhouse in the land ” said the doctor. “ I believe it does the children good to be taught to venerate it, and to repeat their daily pledge. My children have learned a good deal about our country this year.”

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

Dr. Pendleton justly felt some pride as he looked at the building, for he had worked hard and persistently to secure its erection. His pleasure was not so much in the beautiful appearance of the great bow front of the west rooms, or in the fine lines of the tower, as in the wide windows, and in the other perfect arrangements for the comfort and health of the children.

66 Doctor, I used to hear my grandmother say ‘ The School Keeps/ ”

“ It is an old-fashioned expression. It would be a good rallying cry in these days when our public schools have so many enemies.”

But now the drum began to beat, and the sound of the triangle was heard. The tramp of many feet, keeping step with the music, came nearer and grew louder ; when the boys reached the stairs the noise was like that of a fourhorse team rattling over a long bridge. The doors flew open and the two boys at the head of the files held them back, while the children marched out. The hoys came first, four abreast, and as each one reached the door, he put on his hat or cap, and noisy talk and calls broke out, but the rank was not broken nor the step lost until the gate was passed. Only a few lingered at the

A BEVY OF SCHOOLGIRLS.

fence and these also moved away, as they caught sight of a teacher at a window.

Behind the boys came the girls, also in ranks of four. Some wore bright dresses and light jackets. Others had on red waists. Many still wore their brown or blue winter caps, but some had already put on straw hats with gay flowers. The dark blue calicoes were trimmed with rows of white braid. It was a pretty sight, like a flower garden of variegated colors. But the most pleasing part of it were the bright faces of the hoys and girls, many of them pretty, almost all of them lighted up with growing intelligence. Just now they were happy with the relief from the day’s studies and tedious sitting at their desks. This is what the doctor thought as he took in his children and drove swiftly down the street.

Mrs. Robinson was about to call Mary, who had not noticed her mother in the carriage, when her cousin, Alice Russell, a very observing child, whose quick eyes took in everything, said to her,

“ Mary Robinson, there is your mother in a carriage. Girls, wait for me at the corner, while I speak to Cousin Jennie.”

Mary and Alice came up to the carriage together.

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

“ Mamma, are you here ? I did not expect to see you.”

“ Your father wanted me to have a ride. He was going with me early in the afternoon, but it rained then and I could not go. Now he is busy and sent the carriage for us all.”

“ Oh, how nice it will be to have a ride ; and it will do you good. Can’t we take Cousin Alice ? ”

“ 1 would like to have you go with us, Alice. I cannot promise to take you home. I was going down the river road.”

“Do come, Alice,” said Mary.

“I wish I could. It will be just fine this afternoon ; but mamma expects me to come right home to practice. That is always the way. We can’t do what we want to do even out of school. Stay in school all day and then practice.”

“ I forgot about your music. I am afraid we will not get back very early, and your mother might be worried.”

“ I would like ever so much to go, but mamma would object to my going without her permission. The girls are waiting for me — Ethel, I am coming now,” — this to the impatient group at the corner. “ Good-bye, Cousin Jennie. Thank you very much, and I hope the ride will do you good.”

A BEVY OF SCHOOLGIRLS.

u Lester, don’t whip the horse,” Mary said as she got in the carriage. “ Maybe I will bring you some flowers, Alice.”

“ Bring me some trilliums if you see any ; good-bye.”

u Good-bye,” shouted all the children.

Alice hastened to join her friends who were waiting, for warm-hearted and impulsive Alice was a favorite with all her classmates.

As she came up Ethel said :

“ Alice, did you hear about Emma Peters, why she was not at school this afternoon ? ”

“ No ! what is it ? ” she asked, noticing that all the girls were full of some news.

“ She was dreadfully burned,” said Elsie Dayton.

“ She fell on the red-hot stove. Wasn’t it awful ? ” said Rose Gaylord.

u Susie Peters just now told us,” said Laura Fullerton. “ Emma was going to the stove to take up some of the dinner and she struck her foot against something and fell on the stove. It was red-hot and her arm was burned half way up to her elbow.”

“ How sorry I am for her ! She must be suffering very much,” said Alice, whose sympathy was easily roused.

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

“ We ought to go to see her, but I can not go this evening/’ said Laura.

66 1 would not go there for anything. My mother will not permit me to go where there is such extreme agony.”

Although the girls were provoked at Ethel’s want of feeling, they could not help smiling at her grown-up expressions.

u Extreme agony ! Did you ever ? ” whispered Kose to Elsie.

“ Maybe I can get mamma to go up there to-night/’ said Alice ; “ she is always going to see the sick and unfortunate as she calls them. I am so sorry for Emma. She was sick in the winter and got behind in the class, but lately she has caught up, and came near being at the head/’ and Alice looked down at a rosette of red babyribbon, pinned on the front of her dress, which was the mark of her own rank as first in the class.

Now the conversation changed through Ethel’s desire to talk about something else. By this time the group of girls had passed the center of the city and had come to a rather quiet part of the street. Then they turned off upon another and larger street. There were just eight of them, and they were still walking in a double row,

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thoughtlessly continuing the order in which they came out of the school-room. It was not only thoughtless, it was also a rude and selfish way of walking, as it caused the people they met to turn aside to the curbstone or the fences, while the girls swept on with unbroken ranks. The girls were talking gaily and laughing with the glad sense of freedom after the long confinement of school hours. The streets, that had been so dull nearly all the day, were now bright with gay colors and cheerful with the shouts of boys and the laughter and busy hum of girls talking and calling to each other.

But one by one the group grew smaller as they reached their homes. The eight became seven, then six. On the next square three more were dropped, then another. Two only were left, and soon they stopped at a gate before a handsome house. They talked for ten minutes or more under the large maple that shaded the walk with its half -grown, vivid green May foliage.

Of the two girls, the one standing on the sidewalk was the taller by nearly two inches. She stood firmly on both feet and looked like a strong, ambitious child who usually knew well what she wished to do, and was eager in accomplishing it. One look at her face inclines to another to study

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

its attractions, and so her picture may be drawn. Her brown hair has the gleam of red gold in it as a beam of sunlight strays down through the tree and falls upon it. In her large blue eyes one sees the grace of the early spring violets, and then thinks of the depth of the June skies. A moment ago the mouth was encircled by a sweet smile that showed a pretty dimple on a rosy cheek, and the whole face was bright with some pleasing thought. But now its lines are drooping, the brightness is gone, and a line over the eyebrows gives a look of petulance and ill-liumor to this lovely girl. This is Alice Russell in whose disposition there are storms as well as sunshine, and consequently in her life will be found various kinds of weather. Her companion is Ethel Donahue, a smaller child in every way — not as tall, more slender and delicate. Standing within the gate she leaned upon it as if weary. Her dark eyes were gleaming and her fair face was lighted up with some pleasing thought, about which she was eagerly talking.

And what was it all about? On the way near the school the girls passed two boys with large piles of hand-bills. To each one they handed several, and tossed a handful into the open dinner basket of Alice. One would think their task

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would soon be done, if it were to dispose of the bills as rapidly as possible without reaching a fourth part of the city with the information, but that is a way bill-boys have of shortening their labors. The bills revived interest in an entertainment for the next evening which had been discussed at school. Scraps of the talk of the two girls reached the ears of persons passing.

“ Alice, you will go, won’t you ? It will be very entertaining.”

“ I want to go ever so much, but I don’t know whether I can. I wish mamma and papa went out to more concerts. They go only to real good ones and never to plays.”

“ You must make them take you. That is the way I do. Tell them how nice it will be and tease them to go. Everybody is going. All the girls said so. And you get seats near us if you can.”

u I will try, but teasing will not do any good at our house,” Alice answered in a very disconsolate tone, and with a black frown on her face that robbed it of much of its beauty.

“ I think it will be real mean if you don’t go. It will be very aggravating.”

A smile chased away the frown, as Alice heard this long word from her friend.

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

“ If they do not care to go, ask your mother to let you go with us. And you can be my guest and stay all night with me. I would love to have you,” Ethel continued.

“ They won’t let me do that. I must go home now. Good-bye.”

“ Good-bye. Be sure to go if you can, and run down and tell me. Oh, Alice, I want to tell you something I heard to-day ; and don’t you ever tell any one I told you. W ill you promise ? ”

Alice nodded. The two little heads were drawn too close together for any one to hear, as they whispered some secrets of schoolgirl life.

“ Good-bye. Don’t you ever tell, or I’ll never forgive you.”

“ You can trust me. Good-bye.”

The girls really separated this time. Ethel went to the house, which was her home. Alice, knowing it was late, hurried on with the rapid steps of a healthy childhood. The lawns were wider and the houses farther apart as she went on for more than a quarter of a mile to her father’s house, almost out of the city.

Chapter II. Cheering A Sufferer

Is thy cruse of comfort failing ?

Rise and share it with another :

And through all the years of famine It shall serve thee and thy brother.

Love divine will fill thy storehouse,

Or thy handful still renew ;

Scanty fare for one will often Make a royal feast for two.

Mrs. Elizabeth Charles.

Soon after Alice entered the house, Mrs. Russell’s well-ordered home looked as if a mischievous sprite had entered at the same time and played some wild pranks. For as she stepped into the hall Alice dropped one overshoe in the middle of the floor, and one fell by the wall. Her umbrella she stood against a chair ; but it was an uneasy kind of an umbrella. It never liked to stand up, and it had, as it seemed, a fashion of running away and getting lost. So now it slipped to the floor, and as Alice did not pick it up, on the floor it stayed. Into the sit-

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

ting-room she hastened, laid her books on a chair, threw her hat on the table, and set her dinner basket on the piano. There was no one in the room, so she hurried into the dining-room, and here, feeling the incumbrance of her coat, she pulled it off and left it on the dining-table. Putting her head out of the door she called into the kitchen, where she heard Mary making a fire :

“ Mary, what did you have for dinner to-day ? ”

Now Mary might have told all the dishes of that nice dinner she had cooked, but knowing what Alice wanted she only said,

“ Your ma made a lovely chocolate pudding.”

“ Oh, chocolate pudding ! I hate it ; but you may get me some. Where’s mamma?”

“ She is in her room, sewing.”

Alice hurried upstairs to her mother’s room and burst out with what was in her mind.

“ Mamma, there is going to be the loveliest concert to-morrow night at the Opera House. Can’t we go ? Here is one of the programs,” — handing her a yellow hand-bill.

Mrs. Russell took it and looked it over carefully.

“ Alice, you do not want to go to that concert.”

<f Oh, yes, I do,” said Alice, a little encouraged

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by this answer. u Ever so many of the girls are going.”

u You must be mistaken. They may wish to go, but I do not think their parents will approve of such a performance. That company has been here before and will not draw a first-class house. The music is inferior ; those comic songs are coarse, and it ends with a very poor play.”

“ But Ethel is going. They have tickets ; and, mamma, I want to go. It will be so much fun. Ethel says you laugh all the time when that actor, Joe, takes part or sings.”

u Y ery likely ; but I cannot let you go to hear him. When he was here the last time Katrina went — she was living here then. She said she was very glad her company did not understand German for that actor said some words in German that were unfit to be heard.”

“ Oh, mamma, you know how I love music, and we do not hear much good music in this town, only the recitals when the girls play.”

“ There were two nice concerts and the Quintette club last winter. And don’t you remember what a delightful time you had in Columbus, when your father took you to hear the Symphony Concert? For a young girl I think you have had a good many opportunities of hearing good

ALICE AND HER TWO FRIENDS.

music this year. My daughter, you must trust our judgment in seeking for you the best pleasures.”

Mrs. Bussell smiled upon Alice, but it was plain from her manner that the child was very much disappointed. Her mother rose and they went downstairs.

“ Why, my daughter, pick up your things at once. I thought you were learning to be more orderly. And now get your lunch.”

Alice did as her mother requested, but while she was eating she remembered the new dress her little friend had shown her that morning, and taking her saucer of pudding she sat down by her mother.

“ Ethel has a new dress, a perfectly elegant dress. She is going to wear it to-morrow evening.”

“ I know it. I saw her trying it on at the dressmaker’s.”

“ Isn’t it lovely ? W on’t you get me one like it ? Please do.”

“ It is very handsome material, but too rich and dressy for you. And then it is too costly.”

“ I wish we had as much money as they have. Ethel has such beautiful rings, and so many pretty things in her room.”

CHEERING A SUFFERER.

“ Alice, my dear, let us talk of something else. It is not good for you to be wishing for new dresses and ornaments all the time. How did you get along in geography to-day ? ”

“ But, mamma, I want a new dress,” said Alice, ignoring her mother’s question.

“No, Alice, you do not need any more dresses at present. As soon as you have finished your practicing you may go with me to ride. There will be time before tea for us to go to Meyer’s and get some plants for that new flower bed near the gate. You may help me choose them.”

This pleased Alice very much, who delighted in flowers. The playing on the piano also helped to drive away her petulance and discontent. Often when she was in such a mood she would sit down at the piano, and the music would charm away the evil spirit that possessed her. When she had finished her exercises she thought of Emma, and told her mother about her sad accident.

Mrs. Russell was very much concerned about Emma, and at once her sympathy took the active form of doing something to comfort and help her. She thought a great deal of this eldest daughter of a poor widow with five children. She admired her faithfulness at home, although she was so anxious to go on as rapidly as she could with her

ALICE AND HER TIVO FRIENDS .

studies. Therefore, Mrs. Russell decided to drive to Mrs. Peters’, and to put off the trip to the florist’s until the next day. Alice asked if she could not take Emma something.

“Yes;” said her mother, “there are some bananas in the dining-room.”

“ I will make her eat one while I am there ; for if I leave them she will divide them with all the little Peterses, and keep only a small piece for herself. They are the hungriest children you ever saw, always eating and always wanting more.”

“ They are like some older girls, who should know better, and who have many things, but are not satisfied and want more. Is it as bad to be hungry for more to eat, as to be wishing for new dresses when one has a good many ? ”

Alice hung her head at this close application of her own remark, only muttering in a low voice, that she did not think it was quite the same. Her mother took no notice of this, being sure she would think about it.

After they had started, Alice said :

“ Louie Robinson thinks Susie Peters steals her lunch at school.”

“ Don’t believe it, Alice. Mrs. Peters’ children are not of that kind. She has brought them up very carefully, that they should be truthful

CHEERING A SUFFERER.

and honest. I know it. She is doing well in these hard times to have plenty for them to eat and wear. She works hard, and does everything so neatly that people are glad to have her help, and so she gets plenty to do.”

Mrs. Peters lived not very far from Mrs. Russell, and a few minutes’ ride brought them there. Her home was a little brown house of four rooms below, and a half-story above divided into two rooms. The best thing Mr. Peters had done for his family was buying this place, and saving his money carefully until he had made the last payment on it but a short time before he died. It had never been painted until Ned Peters, who was a lad of fifteen, two and a half years older than Emma, spent his summer evenings covering up the cracked and warped boards with a pretty coat of brown. Ned was an industrious boy. He worked in the woolen factory from the day he was fourteen years old. As Mrs. Russell and Alice drove up, they saw him busy in the garden. The factory was running on half time now, and Ned had plenty of time for gardening. The lot around the house was a large one, and Ned had it nearly all planted with potatoes, onions, cabbages, and some summer vegetables. His mother laughingly complained that he had not left her room to

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hang up her clothes line. He had his little brother Johnnie at work helping him by picking up the weeds he was hoeing out. Alice heard him say, as he threw out a dandelion :

u Here’s another little green man ; we will boil him for dinner to-morrow. And here’s a brownie ; he is no good. Put him in the basket, and Will will give him to the pig to eat.”

But Johnnie was not there. He had gone to the gate to see who was coming ; and Ned came, too, for a few minutes, and then went back to his work.

When Mrs. Russell and Alice went in, they found Emma’s arm was not burned very much, but her hand and wrist were seriously injured. She was lying on the bed with her left hand and arm covered with a large white cloth.

As Mrs. Peters was lifting the cloth Mrs. Russell said,

“ Do not disturb her.”

But she went on removing it. On the child’s hand and wrist were pieces of thin cloth saturated with some cooling application that would keep out the air and allay the inflammation. Her face was drawn with pain as her mother gently laid the cloth over her hand again, and a groan escaped, although she evidently tried to suppress it.

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“ I am so sorry, Emma. How did it happen ? ” asked Alice.

Mrs. Peters was beginning to tell about it when Emma said,

“ Mother, send Willie out to Ned,” pointing to her youngest brother, about three years old.

When he was gone Emma told how she was hurt. She was hurrying to the stove to take up the dinner, when she saw Willie had caught hold of a cup of boiling water on the table and was dragging it off. Turning to catch it before he could scald himself, her foot slipped, and as she fell her hand struck against the stove where it was very hot.

u It was very awkward of me.”

“ No ! no ! ” said Mrs. Russell. “ My dear girl, it was very kind and thoughtful to try to save your little brother without thinking of yourself. You could not help it.”

“ Hear that blessed child blaming herself, when there’s no telling what a dreadful burn Willie might have got, and she saved him from it. The next minute he would have had the hot water all over him,” said her mother.

“ No doubt of it, Mrs. Peters. Dear Emma, don’t think of blaming yourself in any way,” said Alice.

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“ It will be harder for mother, and she had a hard enough time before. I can’t help her till my hand gets well again.”

“ Never mind about your mother, we will take care of her. When she can leave you she will find work every day now. And you can take care of Willie while she is gone. Don’t you see ? you can be useful while you are staying at home ; and you can study at home too.”

u So I can. Thank you, Mrs. Russell, you make me feel better already.”

“ You are a brave little girl, and you will see that you have a good many friends.”

Alice now opened the basket they had brought, and gave Emma the bananas, and, as she had said she would, persuaded Emma to eat one then.

“I brought you some old muslin and linen, Mrs. Peters, for I thought you might need it,” said Mrs. Russell, handing her the basket.

“ Thank you ; it will be very handy. I have very little fit to use in the house. The children wear everything completely out before they get done with old things. But I think cloth would not make this basket so heavy, Mrs. Russell. Look at these nice things, Emma.” And Mrs. Peters took out a can of fruit and two glasses of

CHEERING A SUFFERER.

Susie’s eyes were dancing and a broad smile spread over her face.

Alice said,

“ The jelly is for you, Emma.”

The smile on Susie’s face went in doors again, but Mrs. Russell noticing it all said,

“ There will be some more when that is gone, Susie.”

Soon after this Alice and her mother went home, leaving Emma much encouraged by their visit and kind words.

That evening Alice said she wanted to give Emma something to comfort her while she was suffering so much. Mrs. Russell saw that their visit had done Alice herself some good,

“ For the heart grows rich in giving,

All its wealth is living again.”

The kindly sympathy for Emma was reacting upon Alice and lifting her up out of her selfish, envious thoughts of that afternoon. As she saw Emma’s patience in such severe pain, and knew that she had not a word of blame for the little meddler who had thoughtlessly caused it, she was filled with a great admiration for her loving, self-sacrificing spirit. She did not say anything more that evening about the dress or the concert, but she told her father and Edgar and Mary all

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