to be a king over others.”
“Thank you, mother; I’ll remember my part of the moral. Now give
Jack his,” said Frank, who liked the dragon episode, as he had been
wrestling with his own of late, and found it hard to manage.
“He had a fine example before him in a friend, and he followed it
more reasonably till he grew able to use wisely one of the best and
noblest gifts of God–benevolence.”
“Now tell about the girl. Was there more to that part of the story?”
asked Jack, well pleased with his moral, as it took Ed in likewise.
“That is the best of all, but it seems as if I never should get to it.
After Patience made Lucy sweet and cheerful, she began to have a
curious power over those about her, and to work little miracles
herself, though she did not know it. The queen learned to love her
so dearly she could not let her go; she cheered up all her friends
when they came with their small troubles; the princes found bright
eyes, willing hands, and a kind heart always at their service, and
felt, without quite knowing why, that it was good for them to have
a gentle little creature to care for; so they softened their rough
manners, loud voices, and careless ways, for her sake, and when it
was proposed to take her away to her own home they could not
give her up, but said she must stay longer, didn’t they?”
“I’d like to see them saying anything else,” said Frank, while Jack
sat up to demand fiercely,
“Who talks about taking Jill away?”
“Lucy’s mother thought she ought to go, and said so, but the queen
told her how much good it did them all to have her there, and
begged the dear woman to let her little cottage and come and be
housekeeper in the palace, for the queen was getting lazy, and
liked to sit and read, and talk and sew with Lucy, better than to
look after things.”
“And she said she would?” cried Jill, clasping her hands in her
anxiety, for she had learned to love her cage now.
“Yes.” Mrs. Minot had no time to say more, for one of the red
slippers flew up in the air, and Jack had to clap both hands over his
mouth to suppress the “hurrah!” that nearly escaped. Frank said,
“That’s good!” and nodded with his most cordial smile at Jill who
pulled herself up with cheeks now as rosy as the red carnation, and
a little catch in her breath as she said to herself,
“It’s too lovely to be true.”
“That’s a first-rate end to a very good story,” began Jack, with
grave decision, as he put on his slipper and sat up to pat Jill’s hand,
wishing it was not quite so like a little claw.
“That’s not the end”; and Mamma’s eyes laughed more than ever as
three astonished faces turned to her, and three voices cried out,
“Still more?”
“The very best of all. You must know that, while Lucy was busy
for others, she was not forgotten, and when she was expecting to
lie on her bed through the summer, plans were being made for all
sorts of pleasant changes. First of all, she was to have a nice little
brace to support the back which was growing better every day;
then, as the warm weather came on, she was to go out, or lie on the
piazza; and by and by, when school was done, she was to go with
the queen and the princes for a month or two down to the sea-side,
where fresh air and salt water were to build her up in the most
delightful way. There, now! isn’t that the best ending of all?” and
Mamma paused to read her answer in the bright faces of two of the
listeners, for Jill hid hers in the pillow, and lay quite still, as if it
was too much for her.
“That will be regularly splendid! I’ll row you all about–boating is
so much easier than riding, and I like it on salt water,” said
Frank, going to sit on the arm of the sofa, quite excited by the