Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

some day”; and Mrs. Pecq looked longingly at the English ship,

though it was evidently outward bound. Then, as if reproaching

herself for discontent, she added: “It looks like those I used to see

going off to India with a load of missionaries. I came near going

myself once, with a lady bound for Siam; but I went to Canada

with her sister, and here I am.”

“I’d like to be a missionary and go where folks throw their babies

to the crocodiles. I’d watch and fish them out, and have a school,

and bring them up, and convert all the people till they knew

better,” said warm-hearted Molly Loo, who befriended every

abused animal and forlorn child she met.

“We needn’t go to Africa to be missionaries; they have ’em nearer

home and need ’em, too. In all the big cities there are a many, and

they have their hands full with the poor, the wicked, and the

helpless. One can find that sort of work anywhere, if one has a

mind,” said Mrs. Pecq.

“I wish we had some to do here. I’d so like to go round with

baskets of tea and rice, and give out tracts and talk to people.

Wouldn’t you, girls?” asked Molly, much taken with the new idea.

“It would be rather nice to have a society all to ourselves, and have

meetings and resolutions and things,” answered Merry, who was

fond of little ceremonies, and always went to the sewing circle

with her mother.

“We wouldn’t let the boys come in. We d have it a secret society,

as they’d o their temperance lodge, and we d have badges and

pass-words and grips. It would be fun if we can only get some

heathen to work at!” cried Jill, ready for fresh enterprises of every

sort.

“I can tell you someone to begin on right away,” said her mother,

nodding at her. “As wild a little savage as I’d wish to see. Take

her in hand, and make a pretty-mannered lady of her. Begin at

home, my lass, and you’ll find missionary work enough for a

while.”

“Now, Mammy, you mean me! Well, I will begin; and I’ll be so

good, folks won’t know me. Being sick makes naughty children

behave in story-books, I’ll see if live ones can t”; and Jill put on

such a sanctified face that the girls laughed and asked for their

missions also, thinking they would be the same.

“You, Merry, might do a deal at home helping mother, and setting

the big brothers a good example. One little girl in a house can do

pretty much as she will, especially if she has a mind to make plain

things nice and comfortable, and not long for castles before she

knows how to do her own tasks well,” was the first unexpected

reply.

Merry colored, but took the reproof sweetly, resolving to do what

she could, and surprised to find how many ways seemed open to

her after a few minutes thought.

“Where shall I begin? I’m not afraid of a dozen crocodiles after

Miss Bat”; and Molly Loo looked about her with a fierce air,

having had practice in battles with the old lady who kept her

father’s house.

“Well, dear, you haven’t far to look for as nice a little heathen as

you d wish”; and Mrs. Pecq glanced at Boo, who sat on the floor

staring hard at them, attracted by the dread word “crocodile.” He

had a cold and no handkerchief, his little hands were red with

chilblains, his clothes shabby, he had untidy darns in the knees of

his stockings, and a head of tight curls that evidently had not been

combed for some time.

“Yes, I know he is, and I try to keep him decent, but I forget, and

he hates to be fixed, and Miss Bat doesn’t care, and father laughs

when I talk about it.”

Poor Molly Loo looked much ashamed as she made excuses, trying

at the same time to mend matters by seizing Boo and dusting him

all over with her handkerchief, giving a pull at his hair as if ringing

bells, and then dumping him down again with the despairing

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