This scene discovered Annette Snow in bed, evidently very ill; MissJenny was her anxious mamma, and her merry conversation amused theaudience till Mac came in as a physician, and made great fun with hisbig watch, pompous manner, and absurd questions. He prescribed onepellet with an unpronounceable name, and left after demanding twentydollars for his brief visit.
The pellet was administered, and such awful agonies immediately set inthat the distracted mamma bade a sympathetic neighbour run for MotherKnow-all. The neighbour ran, and in came a brisk little old lady incap and specs, with a bundle of herbs under her arm, which she at onceapplied in all sorts of funny ways, explaining their virtues as sheclapped a plantain poultice here, put a pounded catnip plaster there,or tied a couple of mullein leaves round the sufferer's throat. Instantrelief ensued, the dying child sat up and demanded baked beans. Thegrateful parent offered fifty dollars; but Mother Know-all indignantlyrefused it and went smiling away, declaring that a neighbourly turnneeded no reward, and a doctor's fee was all a humbug.
The audience were in fits of laughter over this scene, for Rose imitatedMrs. Atkinson capitally, and the herb cure was a good hit at theexcellent lady's belief that "yarbs" would save mankind if properlyapplied. No one enjoyed it more than herself, and the saucy childrenprepared for the grand finale in high feather.
This closing scene was brief but striking, for two trains of carswhizzed in from opposite sides, met with a terrible collision inthe middle of the stage, and a general smash-up completed the wordcatastrophe.
"Now let us act a proverb. I've got one all ready," said Rose, who wasdying to distinguish herself in some way before Uncle Alec.
So everyone but Mac, the gay Westerner, and Rose, took their places onthe rocky seats and discussed the late beautiful and varied charade, inwhich Pokey frankly pronounced her own scene the "bestest of all."
In five minutes the curtain was lifted; nothing appeared but a verylarge sheet of brown paper pinned to a tree, and on it was drawn aclock-face, the hands pointing to four. A small note below informed thepublic that 4 A.M. was the time. Hardly had the audience grasped thisimportant fact when a long waterproof serpent was seen uncoilingitself from behind a stump. An inch-worm, perhaps, would be a betterdescription, for it travelled in the same humpy way as that pleasingreptile. Suddenly a very wide-awake and active fowl advanced, pecking,chirping, and scratching vigorously. A tuft of green leaves waved uponhis crest, a larger tuft of brakes made an umbrageous tail, and a shawlof many colours formed his flapping wings. A truly noble bird, whoselegs had the genuine strut, whose eyes shone watchfully, and whose voicehad a ring that evidently struck terror into the catterpillar's soul, ifit was a catterpillar. He squirmed, he wriggled, he humped as fast ashe could, trying to escape; but all in vain. The tufted bird espiedhim, gave one warbling sort of crow, pounced upon him, and flappedtriumphantly away.
"That early bird got such a big worm he could hardly carry him off,"laughed Aunt Jessie, as the children shouted over the joke suggested byMac's nickname.
"That is one of uncle's favourite proverbs, so I got it up for hisespecial benefit," said Rose, coming up with the two-legged worm besideher.
"Very clever; what next?" asked Dr. Alec as she sat down beside him.
"The Dove boys are going to give us an 'Incident in the Life ofNapoleon,' as they call it; the children think it very splendid, and thelittle fellows do it rather nicely," answered Mac with condescension.
A tent appeared, and pacing to and fro before it was a little sentinel,who, in a brief soliloquy, informed the observers that the elements werein a great state of confusion, that he had marched some hundred milesor so that day, and that he was dying for want of sleep. Then hepaused, leaned upon his gun, and seemed to doze; dropped slowly down,overpowered with slumber, and finally lay flat, with his gun beside him,a faithless little sentinel. Enter Napoleon, cocked hat, gray coat, highboots, folded arms, grim mouth, and a melodramatic stride. Freddy Dovealways covered himself with glory in this part, and "took the stage"with a Napoleonic attitude that brought down the house; for thebig-headed boy, with solemn, dark eyes and square brow, was "the verymoral of that rascal, Boneyparty," Mother Atkinson said.
Some great scheme was evidently brewing in his mighty mind a trip acrossthe Alps, a bonfire at Moscow, or a little skirmish at Waterloo perhaps,for he marched in silent majesty till suddenly a gentle snore disturbedthe imperial reverie. He saw the sleeping soldier and glared upon him,saying in an awful tone,
"Ha! asleep at his post! Death is the penalty he must die!"
Picking up the musket, he is about to execute summary justice, asemperors are in the habit of doing, when something in the face of theweary sentinel appears to touch him. And well it might, for a mostengaging little warrior was Jack as he lay with his shako half off, hischildish face trying to keep sober, and a great black moustache over hisrosy mouth. It would have softened the heart of any Napoleon, and theLittle Corporal proved himself a man by relenting, and saying, with alofty gesture of forgiveness,
"Brave fellow, he is worn out; I will let him sleep, and mount guard inhis place."
Then, shouldering the gun, this noble being strode to and fro with adignity which thrilled the younger spectators. The sentinel awakes,sees what has happened, and gives himself up for lost. But the Emperorrestores his weapon, and, with that smile which won all hearts, says,pointing to a high rock whereon a crow happens to be sitting, "Be brave,be vigilant, and remember that from yonder Pyramid generations arebeholding you," an
d with these memorable words he vanishes, leaving thegrateful soldier bolt upright, with his hand at his temple and deathlessdevotion stamped upon his youthful countenance.
The applause which followed this superb piece had hardly subsided,when a sudden splash and a shrill cry caused a general rush toward thewaterfall that went gambolling down the rocks, singing sweetly as itran. Pokey had tried to gambol also, and had tumbled into a shallowpool, whither Jamie had gallantly followed, in a vain attempt to fishher out, and both were paddling about half frightened, half pleased withthe unexpected bath.
This mishap made it necessary to get the dripping infants home as soonas possible; so the wagons were loaded up, and away they went, as merryas if the mountain air had really been "Oxygenated Sweets not Bitters,"as Dr. Alec suggested when Mac said he felt as jolly as if he had beendrinking champagne instead of the current wine that came with a greatfrosted cake wreathed with sugar roses in Aunt Plenty's hamper ofgoodies.
Rose took part in all the fun, and never betrayed by look or word thetwinges of pain she suffered in her ankle. She excused herself from thegames in the evening, however, and sat talking to Uncle Alec in a livelyway, that both amazed and delighted him; for she confided to him thatshe played horse with the children, drilled with the light infantry,climbed trees, and did other dreadful things that would have caused theaunts to cry aloud if they knew of them.
"I don't care a pin what they say if you don't mind, uncle," sheanswered, when he pictured the dismay of the good ladies.
"Ah, it's all very well to defy them, but you are getting so rampant,I'm afraid you will defy me next, and then where are we?"
"No, I won't! I shouldn't dare; because you are my guardian, and can putme in a strait-jacket if you like;" and Rose laughed in his face, evenwhile she nestled closer with a confiding gesture pleasant to see.
"Upon my word, Rosy, I begin to feel like the man who bought anelephant, and then didn't know what to do with him. I thought I had gota pet and plaything for years to come; but here you are growing up likea bean-stalk, and I shall find I've got a strong-minded little woman onmy hands before I can turn round. There's predicament for a man and anuncle!"
Dr. Alec's comic distress was mercifully relieved for the time beingby a dance of goblins on the lawn, where the children, with pumpkinlanterns on their heads, frisked about like will-o'-the-wisps, as aparting surprise.
When Rose went to bed, she found that Uncle Alec had not forgotten her;for on the table stood a delicate little easel, holding two miniaturesset in velvet. She knew them both, and stood looking at them till hereyes brimmed over with tears that were both sweet and sad; for they werethe faces of her father and mother, beautifully copied from portraitsfast fading away.
Presently, she knelt down, and, putting her arms round the littleshrine, kissed one after the other, saying with an earnest voice, "I'lltruly try to make them glad to see me by and by."
And that was Rose's little prayer on the night of her fourteenthbirthday.
Two days later the Campbells went home, a larger party than when theycame; for Dr. Alec was escort and Kitty Comet was borne in state in abasket, with a bottle of milk, some tiny sandwiches, and a doll's dishto drink out of, as well as a bit of carpet to lie on in her palace car,out of which she kept popping her head in the most fascinating manner.
There was a great kissing and cuddling, waving of handkerchiefs, andlast good-byes, as they went; and when they had started, Mother Atkinsoncame running after them, to tuck in some little pies, hot from the oven,"for the dears, who might get tired of bread and butter during that longday's travel."
Another start, and another halt; for the Snow children came shriekingup to demand the three kittens that Pokey was cooly carrying off ina travelling bag. The unhappy kits were rescued, half smothered, andrestored to their lawful owners, amid dire lamentation from the littlekidnapper, who declared that she only "tooked um 'cause they'd want togo wid their sister Tomit."
Start number three and stoppage number three, as Frank hailed themwith the luncheon basket, which had been forgotten, after everyone hadprotested that it was safely in.
All went well after that, and the long journey was pleasantly beguiledby Pokey and Pussy, who played together so prettily that they wereconsidered public benefactors.
"Rose doesn't want to go home, for she knows the aunts won't let herrampage as she did up at Cosey Corner," said Mac, as they approached theold house.
"I can't rampage if I want to for a time, at least; and I'll tell youwhy. I sprained my ankle when I tumbled off of Barkis, and it gets worseand worse; though I've done all I know to cure it and hide it, so itshouldn't trouble anyone," whispered Rose, knitting her brows with pain,as she prepared to descend, wishing her uncle would take her instead ofher bundles.
How he did it, she never knew; but Mac had her up the steps and on theparlour sofa before she could put her foot to the ground.
"There you are right side up with care; and mind, now, if your anklebothers you, and you are laid up with it, I am to be your footman. It'sonly fair, you know; for I don't forget how good you have been to me."And Mac went to call Phebe, so full of gratitude and good-will that hisvery goggles shone.