exclamation: “Yes, we re a pair of heathens, and there’s no one to
save us if I don’t.”
That was true enough; for Molly’s father was a busy man, careless
of everything but his mills, Miss Bat was old and lazy, and felt as
if she might take life easy after serving the motherless children for
many years as well as she knew how. Molly was beginning to see
how much amiss things were at home, and old enough to feel
mortified, though, as yet, she had done nothing to mend the matter
except be kind to the little boy.
“You will, my dear,” answered Mrs. Pecq, encouragingly, for she
knew all about it. “Now you ve each got a mission, let us see how
well you will get on. Keep it secret, if you like, and report once a
week. I’ll be a member, and we’ll do great things yet.”
“We won’t begin till after Christmas; there is so much to do, we
never shall have time for any more. Don’t tell, and we’ll start fair
at New Year s, if not before,” said Jill, taking the lead as usual.
Then they went on with the gay ladies, who certainly were heathen
enough in dress to be in sad need of conversion to common-sense
at least.
“I feel as if I was at a party,” said Jill, after a pause occupied in
surveying her gallery with great satisfaction, for dress was her
delight, and here she had every conceivable style and color.
“Talking of parties, isn’t it too bad that we must give up our
Christmas fun? Can’t get on without you and Jack, so we are not
going to do a thing, but just have our presents,” said Merry, sadly,
as they began to fit different heads and bodies together, to try droll
effects.
“I shall be all well in a fortnight, I know; but Jack won t, for it will
take more than a month to mend his poor leg. Maybe, they will
have a dance in the boys big room, and he can look on,” suggested
Jill, with a glance at the dancing damsel on the wall, for she dearly
loved it, and never guessed how long it would be before her light
feet would keep time to music again.
“You d better give Jack a hint about the party. Send over some
smart ladies, and say they have come to his Christmas ball,”
proposed audacious Molly Loo, always ready for fun.
So they put a preposterous green bonnet, top-heavy with plumes,
on a little lady in yellow, who sat in a carriage; the lady beside her,
in winter costume of velvet pelisse and ermine boa, was fitted to a
bride’s head with its orange flowers and veil, and these works of
art were sent over to Jack, labelled “Miss Laura and Lotty Burton
going to the Minots’ Christmas balI” a piece of naughtiness on
Jill’s part, for she knew Jack liked the pretty sisters, whose gentle
manners made her own wild ways seem all the more blamable.
No answer came for a long time, and the girls had almost forgotten
their joke in a game of Letters, when “Tingle, tangle!” went the
bell, and the basket came in heavily laden. A roll of colored papers
was tied outside, and within was a box that rattled, a green and
silver horn, a roll of narrow ribbons, a spool of strong thread, some
large needles, and a note from Mrs. Minot:
“Dear Jill-I think of having a Christmas tree so that our invalids
can enjoy it, and all your elegant friends are cordially invited.
Knowing that you would like to help, I send some paper for
sugar-plum horns and some beads for necklaces. They will
brighten the tree and please the girls for themselves or their dolls.
Jack sends you a horn for a pattern, and will you make a
ladder-necklace to show him how? Let me know if you need
anything.
Yours in haste,
Anna Minot”
“She knew what the child would like, bless her kind heart,” said
Mrs. Pecq to herself, and something brighter than the most silvery
bead shone on Jack’s shirt-sleeve, as she saw the rapture of Jill