how long you can keep them. Let me count two hearts, four red
fishes, three barley-sugar horses, nine almonds, and a dozen
chocolate drops. Do you agree to that?” asked sly Mrs. Jo, popping
the sweeties into her little spool-bag.
“Yes,” said Stuffy, with a sigh; and pocketing the forbidden fruit,
he went away to give Bess the present, that won a smile from her,
and permission to escort her round the garden.
“Poor Stuffy’s heart has really got the better of his stomach at last,
and his efforts will be much encouraged by the rewards Bess gives
him,” said Mrs. Jo.
“Happy is the man who can put temptation in his pocket and learn
self-denial from so sweet a little teacher!” added Mr. Bhaer, as the
children passed the window, Stuffy’s fat face full of placid
satisfaction, and Goldilocks surveying her sugar-rose with polite
interest, though she would have preferred a real flower with a
“pitty smell.”
When her father came to take her home, a universal wail arose,
and the parting gifts showered upon her increased her luggage to
such an extent that Mr. Laurie proposed having out the big wagon
to take it into town. Every one had given her something; and it was
found difficult to pack white mice, cake, a parcel of shells, apples,
a rabbit kicking violently in a bag, a large cabbage for his
refreshment, a bottle of minnows, and a mammoth bouquet. The
farewell scene was moving, for the Princess sat upon the
hall-table, surrounded by her subjects. She kissed her cousins, and
held out her hand to the other boys, who shook it gently with
various soft speeches, for they were taught not to be ashamed of
showing their emotions.
“Come again soon, little dear,” whispered Dan, fastening his best
green-and-gold beetle in her hat.
“Don’t forget me, Princess, whatever you do,” said the engaging
Tommy, taking a last stroke of the pretty hair.
“I am coming to your house next week, and then I shall see you,
Bess,” added Nat, as if he found consolation in the thought.
“Do shake hands now,” cried Jack, offering a smooth paw.
“Here are two nice new ones to remember us by,” said Dick and
Dolly, presenting fresh whistles, quite unconscious that seven old
ones had been privately deposited in the kitchen-stove.
“My little precious! I shall work you a book-mark right away, and
you must keep it always,” said Nan, with a warm embrace.
But of all the farewells, poor Billy’s was the most pathetic, for the
thought that she was really going became so unbearable that he
cast himself down before her, hugging her little blue boots and
blubbering despairingly, “Don’t go away! oh, don’t!” Goldilocks
was so touched by this burst of feeling, that she leaned over and
lifting the poor lad’s head, said, in her soft, little voice,
“Don’t cry, poor Billy! I will tiss you and tum adain soon.”
This promise consoled Billy, and he fell back beaming with pride
at the unusual honor conferred upon him.
“Me too! me too!” clamored Dick and Dolly, feeling that their
devotion deserved some return. The others looked as if they would
like to join in the cry; and something in the kind, merry faces
about her moved the Princess to stretch out her arms and say, with
reckless condescension,
“I will tiss evvybody!”
Like a swarm of bees about a very sweet flower, the affectionate
lads surrounded their pretty playmate, and kissed her till she
looked like a little rose, not roughly, but so enthusiastically that
nothing but the crown of her hat was visible for a moment. Then
her father rescued her, and she drove away still smiling and
waving her hands, while the boys sat on the fence screaming like a
flock of guinea-fowls, “Come back! come back!” till she was out
of sight.
They all missed her, and each dimly felt that he was better for
having known a creature so lovely, delicate, and sweet; for little
Bess appealed to the chivalrous instinct in them as something to
love, admire, and protect with a tender sort of reverence. Many a
man remembers some pretty child who has made a place in his