From drawings by Sol EYTINGE.
“How doth the little busy bee”
Christie
Aunt Betsey’s Interlarded Speech
Mrs. Stuart.
Hepsey
Christie as Queen of the Amazons
Mr. Philip Fletcher
Mrs. Saltonstall and Family
“No, I thank you”
Helen Carrol
Mrs. King and Miss Cotton
The Rescue
“C. Wilkins, Clear Starcher”
Lisha Wilkins
Mrs. Wilkins’ “Six Lively Infants”
Mr. Power
Mrs. Sterling
David and Christie in the Greenhouse
Mr. Power and Christie in the Strawberry Bed
A Friendly Chat
Kitty.
“One Happy Moment”
David
“Then they were married”
“Don’t mourn, dear heart, but work”
“She’s a good little gal; looks consid’able
like you”
“Each ready to do her part to hasten the coming
of the happy end”
A story of experience.
Christie.
“Aunt Betsey, there’s going
to be a new Declaration of Independence.”
“Bless and save us, what do you mean, child?”
And the startled old lady precipitated a pie into
the oven with destructive haste.
“I mean that, being of age, I’m going
to take care of myself, and not be a burden any longer.
Uncle wishes me out of the way; thinks I ought to
go, and, sooner or later, will tell me so. I don’t
intend to wait for that, but, like the people in fairy
tales, travel away into the world and seek my fortune.
I know I can find it.”
Christie emphasized her speech by energetic demonstrations
in the bread-trough, kneading the dough as if it was
her destiny, and she was shaping it to suit herself;
while Aunt Betsey stood listening, with uplifted pie-fork,
and as much astonishment as her placid face was capable
of expressing. As the girl paused, with a decided
thump, the old lady exclaimed:
“What crazy idee you got into your head now?”
“A very sane and sensible one that’s got
to be worked out, so please listen to it, ma’am.
I’ve had it a good while, I’ve thought
it over thoroughly, and I’m sure it’s
the right thing for me to do. I’m old enough
to take care of myself; and if I’d been a boy,
I should have been told to do it long ago. I
hate to be dependent; and now there’s no need
of it, I can’t bear it any longer. If you
were poor, I wouldn’t leave you; for I never
forget how kind you have been to me. But Uncle
doesn’t love or understand me; I am a burden
to him, and I must go where I can take care of myself.
I can’t be happy till I do, for there’s
nothing here for me. I’m sick of this dull
town, where the one idea is eat, drink, and get rich;
I don’t find any friends to help me as I want
to be helped, or any work that I can do well; so let
me go, Aunty, and find my place, wherever it is.”
