r sewing and darning with Aunt Izzie, which she hated extremely, there were always so many delightful schemes rioting in her brains, that all she wished for was ten pairs of hands to carry them out. These same active brains got her into perpetual scrapes. She was fond of building castles in the air, and dreaming of the time when something she had done would make her famous, so that everybody would hear of her, and want to know her. I don't think she had made up her mind what this wonderful thing was to be; but while thinking about it she often forgot to learn a lesson, or to lace her boots, and then she had a bad mark, or a scolding from Aunt Izzie. At such times she consoled herself with planning how, by and by, she would be beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel. A great deal was to happen to Katy before that time came. Her eyes, which were black, were to turn blue; her nose was to lengthen and straighten, and her mouth, quite too large at present to suit the part of a heroine, was to be made over i
them, as well as correct theevil and repress them, would be the duty of society and governments,if less noble thoughts did not occupy their attention. The evil isthat the indolence in the Philippines is a magnified indolence, anindolence of the snowball type, if we may be permitted the expression,an evil that increases in direct proportion to the square of theperiods of time, an effect of misgovernment and of backwardness,as we said, and not a cause thereof. Others will hold the contraryopinion, especially those who have a hand in the misgovernment, butwe do not care; we have made an assertion and are going to prove it.
II
When in consequence of a long chronic illness the condition of thepatient is examined, the question may arise whether the weakeningof the fibers and the debility of the organs are the cause of themalady's continuing or the effect of the bad treatment that prolongsits action. The attending physician attributes the entire failure ofhis skill to the poor constitution o
, and presently the sewing lay on Mrs. Darling's lap. Then her head nodded, oh, so gracefully. She was asleep. Look at the four of them, Wendy and Michael over there, John here, and Mrs. Darling by the fire. There should have been a fourth night-light.
While she slept she had a dream. She dreamt that the Neverland had come too near and that a strange boy had broken through from it. He did not alarm her, for she thought she had seen him before in the faces of many women who have no children. Perhaps he is to be found in the faces of some mothers also. But in her dream he had rent the film that obscures the Neverland, and she saw Wendy and John and Michael peeping through the gap.
The dream by itself would have been a trifle, but while she was dreaming the window of the nursery blew open, and a boy did drop on the floor. He was accompanied by a strange light, no bigger than your fist, which darted about the room like a living thing; and I think it must have been this light that wakened Mrs. Darlin
ut onemonth; in winter, when about three months old, on pleasant days, beingkept in, the sun and out of the wind.
What are the best hours for airing out of doors?
In summer and early autumn a child may be out almost any time betweenseven in the morning and sunset; in winter and early spring, a youngchild only between 10 or 11 A.M. and 3 P.M., although this dependssomewhat upon the climate. In New York and along the Atlantic coastthe early mornings are apt to be damp and the afternoons raw andcloudy.
On what kind of days should a baby not go out?
In sharp winds, when the ground is covered with melting snow, and whenit is extremely cold. A child under four months old should not usuallygo out if the thermometer is below freezing point; nor one under eightmonths old if it is below 20° F.
_What are the most important things to be attended to when the childis out in its carriage?_
To see that the wind never blows in its face, that its feet areproperly covered and warm
is eyes. He breathed hard. At last he said, "Dear Father in Heaven, I live. Thou hast saved me. I thank Thee."
VII
THE FIRST NIGHT ON LAND
"Where are my companions?" That was his first thought. He began to call and halloo: "Where are you?" "Come here!" But no one answered. Then he wished to see if anyone lived on the land, and he cried, "Is there no one here? Hello!" but all remained still.
All at once he drew himself together and shrank back. He heard a bush rustle and the thought came like a flash, "That is a wild animal that will pounce upon me and tear my flesh with his teeth and claws. How shall I save myself? Where shall I fly for safety? Where shall I turn? I have nothing but my clothes and my life saved from the water. All that I had the waves have swallowed up."
And then hunger and thirst began to trouble him. He had eaten nothing the whole day and the salt water had made him sick.
In the meantime the night had come on. Robinson was very tired. Everythin
But Johnny Chuck is lazy and does not like to go far from his own doorstep, so when Peter called the next morning Johnny refused to go, despite all Peter could say. Peter didn't waste much time arguing for he was afraid he would be late and miss something. When he reached the Green Forest he found his cousin, Jumper the Hare, and Chatterer the Red Squirrel, and Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel, already there. As soon as Peter arrived Old Mother Nature began the morning lesson.
Happy Jack," said she, "you may tell us all you know about your cousin, Chatterer."
"To begin with, he is the smallest of the Tree Squirrels," said Happy Jack. "He isn't so very much bigger than Striped Chipmunk, and that means that he is less than half as big as myself. His coat is red and his waistcoat white; his tail is about two-thirds as long as his body and flat but not very broad. Personally, I don't think it is much of a tail."
At once Chatterer's quick temper flared up and he began to scold. But Old Mother Nature silenced him and told
n battleship and each other. Minotaur's cannons were silent. He knew it was only a matter of time before it was completely destroyed.
***
From the bridge of the Imperial carrier, INF Chimera, Fleet Admiral Zackaria watched the last minutes of Minotaur's service to the Imperium unmoved. The destruction of the enormous battleship and the tremendous loss of life brought him no sadness nor regret. He turned to his second in command and spoke to him in a strange tongue. Minotaur was lost; it was useless to them. Let it burn. If they could not have this battleship, then they would just acquire another. One that was not so fragile; one that reflected the majesty of the Imperium; one that would help them to complete the Mission.
Commodore Rissard spoke his understanding of the admiral's request and moved to comply with it. Their short exchange over, Zackaria turned back to the scene of the soon to be concluded battle and continued to watch in silence.
***
"May... M...day!" Chalmers'
I had seen; and though, to satisfy my mother, we cross-questioned Fraser, it was with no result in the way of explanation. Fraser evidently knew nothing that could throw light on it, and she was quite certain that at the time I had seen the figure, both the other servants were downstairs in the kitchen. Fraser was perfectly trustworthy; we warned her not to frighten the others by speaking about the affair at all, but we could not leave off speaking about it among ourselves. We spoke about it so much for the next few days, that at last my mother lost patience, and forbade us to mention it again. At least she pretended to lose patience; in reality I believe she put a stop to the discussion because she thought it might have a bad effect on our nerves, on mine especially; for I found out afterwards that in her anxiety she even went the length of writing about it to our old doctor at home, and that it was by his advice she acted in forbidding us to talk about it any more. Poor dear mother! I don't know th
ut her eyes,squeezing the lids down, frightened. But when she thought of the lane shecould see nothing but the green banks, the three tall elms, and the redcampion pricking through the white froth of the cow's parsley; her motherstood on the garden walk in her wide, swinging gown; she was holding thered and white flowers up to her face and saying, "Look, howbeautiful they are."
She saw her all the time while Connie was telling her the secret. Shewanted to get up and go to her. Connie knew what it meant when youstiffened suddenly and made yourself tall and cold and silent. The coldsilence would frighten her and she would go away. Then, Harriett thought,she could get back to her mother and Longfellow.
Every afternoon, through the hours before her father came home, she sat inthe cool, green-lighted drawing-room reading Evangeline aloud toher mother. When they came to the beautiful places they looked at eachother and smiled.
She passed through her fourteenth year sedately,
moment, and he broke in again hastily.
"Oh, mummie, don't sit down there, that's my table," he said.
"Darling, I'm so sorry," Barbara Rackstraw answered. "Had you got anything on it?"
"Well, I was going to put the dinner things," Adrian explained. "I'll just see if the chicken's cooked. Oh, it's lovely!"
"How nice!" Barbara said abstractedly. "Is it a large chicken?"
"Not a very large one," Adrian admitted. "There's enough for me and you and my Bath auntie."
"Oh," said Barbara, startled, "is your Bath auntie here?"
"Well, she may be coming," said Adrian. "Mummie, why do I have a Bath auntie?"
"Because a baby grew up into your Bath auntie, darling," his mother said. "Unintentional but satisfactory, as far as it goes. Adrian, do you think your father will like cold sausages? Because there doesn't seem to be anything else much."
"I don't want any cold sausages," Adrian said hurriedly.
"No, my angel, but it's the twenty-seventh of the month, an
r sewing and darning with Aunt Izzie, which she hated extremely, there were always so many delightful schemes rioting in her brains, that all she wished for was ten pairs of hands to carry them out. These same active brains got her into perpetual scrapes. She was fond of building castles in the air, and dreaming of the time when something she had done would make her famous, so that everybody would hear of her, and want to know her. I don't think she had made up her mind what this wonderful thing was to be; but while thinking about it she often forgot to learn a lesson, or to lace her boots, and then she had a bad mark, or a scolding from Aunt Izzie. At such times she consoled herself with planning how, by and by, she would be beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel. A great deal was to happen to Katy before that time came. Her eyes, which were black, were to turn blue; her nose was to lengthen and straighten, and her mouth, quite too large at present to suit the part of a heroine, was to be made over i
them, as well as correct theevil and repress them, would be the duty of society and governments,if less noble thoughts did not occupy their attention. The evil isthat the indolence in the Philippines is a magnified indolence, anindolence of the snowball type, if we may be permitted the expression,an evil that increases in direct proportion to the square of theperiods of time, an effect of misgovernment and of backwardness,as we said, and not a cause thereof. Others will hold the contraryopinion, especially those who have a hand in the misgovernment, butwe do not care; we have made an assertion and are going to prove it.
II
When in consequence of a long chronic illness the condition of thepatient is examined, the question may arise whether the weakeningof the fibers and the debility of the organs are the cause of themalady's continuing or the effect of the bad treatment that prolongsits action. The attending physician attributes the entire failure ofhis skill to the poor constitution o
, and presently the sewing lay on Mrs. Darling's lap. Then her head nodded, oh, so gracefully. She was asleep. Look at the four of them, Wendy and Michael over there, John here, and Mrs. Darling by the fire. There should have been a fourth night-light.
While she slept she had a dream. She dreamt that the Neverland had come too near and that a strange boy had broken through from it. He did not alarm her, for she thought she had seen him before in the faces of many women who have no children. Perhaps he is to be found in the faces of some mothers also. But in her dream he had rent the film that obscures the Neverland, and she saw Wendy and John and Michael peeping through the gap.
The dream by itself would have been a trifle, but while she was dreaming the window of the nursery blew open, and a boy did drop on the floor. He was accompanied by a strange light, no bigger than your fist, which darted about the room like a living thing; and I think it must have been this light that wakened Mrs. Darlin
ut onemonth; in winter, when about three months old, on pleasant days, beingkept in, the sun and out of the wind.
What are the best hours for airing out of doors?
In summer and early autumn a child may be out almost any time betweenseven in the morning and sunset; in winter and early spring, a youngchild only between 10 or 11 A.M. and 3 P.M., although this dependssomewhat upon the climate. In New York and along the Atlantic coastthe early mornings are apt to be damp and the afternoons raw andcloudy.
On what kind of days should a baby not go out?
In sharp winds, when the ground is covered with melting snow, and whenit is extremely cold. A child under four months old should not usuallygo out if the thermometer is below freezing point; nor one under eightmonths old if it is below 20° F.
_What are the most important things to be attended to when the childis out in its carriage?_
To see that the wind never blows in its face, that its feet areproperly covered and warm
is eyes. He breathed hard. At last he said, "Dear Father in Heaven, I live. Thou hast saved me. I thank Thee."
VII
THE FIRST NIGHT ON LAND
"Where are my companions?" That was his first thought. He began to call and halloo: "Where are you?" "Come here!" But no one answered. Then he wished to see if anyone lived on the land, and he cried, "Is there no one here? Hello!" but all remained still.
All at once he drew himself together and shrank back. He heard a bush rustle and the thought came like a flash, "That is a wild animal that will pounce upon me and tear my flesh with his teeth and claws. How shall I save myself? Where shall I fly for safety? Where shall I turn? I have nothing but my clothes and my life saved from the water. All that I had the waves have swallowed up."
And then hunger and thirst began to trouble him. He had eaten nothing the whole day and the salt water had made him sick.
In the meantime the night had come on. Robinson was very tired. Everythin
But Johnny Chuck is lazy and does not like to go far from his own doorstep, so when Peter called the next morning Johnny refused to go, despite all Peter could say. Peter didn't waste much time arguing for he was afraid he would be late and miss something. When he reached the Green Forest he found his cousin, Jumper the Hare, and Chatterer the Red Squirrel, and Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel, already there. As soon as Peter arrived Old Mother Nature began the morning lesson.
Happy Jack," said she, "you may tell us all you know about your cousin, Chatterer."
"To begin with, he is the smallest of the Tree Squirrels," said Happy Jack. "He isn't so very much bigger than Striped Chipmunk, and that means that he is less than half as big as myself. His coat is red and his waistcoat white; his tail is about two-thirds as long as his body and flat but not very broad. Personally, I don't think it is much of a tail."
At once Chatterer's quick temper flared up and he began to scold. But Old Mother Nature silenced him and told
n battleship and each other. Minotaur's cannons were silent. He knew it was only a matter of time before it was completely destroyed.
***
From the bridge of the Imperial carrier, INF Chimera, Fleet Admiral Zackaria watched the last minutes of Minotaur's service to the Imperium unmoved. The destruction of the enormous battleship and the tremendous loss of life brought him no sadness nor regret. He turned to his second in command and spoke to him in a strange tongue. Minotaur was lost; it was useless to them. Let it burn. If they could not have this battleship, then they would just acquire another. One that was not so fragile; one that reflected the majesty of the Imperium; one that would help them to complete the Mission.
Commodore Rissard spoke his understanding of the admiral's request and moved to comply with it. Their short exchange over, Zackaria turned back to the scene of the soon to be concluded battle and continued to watch in silence.
***
"May... M...day!" Chalmers'
I had seen; and though, to satisfy my mother, we cross-questioned Fraser, it was with no result in the way of explanation. Fraser evidently knew nothing that could throw light on it, and she was quite certain that at the time I had seen the figure, both the other servants were downstairs in the kitchen. Fraser was perfectly trustworthy; we warned her not to frighten the others by speaking about the affair at all, but we could not leave off speaking about it among ourselves. We spoke about it so much for the next few days, that at last my mother lost patience, and forbade us to mention it again. At least she pretended to lose patience; in reality I believe she put a stop to the discussion because she thought it might have a bad effect on our nerves, on mine especially; for I found out afterwards that in her anxiety she even went the length of writing about it to our old doctor at home, and that it was by his advice she acted in forbidding us to talk about it any more. Poor dear mother! I don't know th
ut her eyes,squeezing the lids down, frightened. But when she thought of the lane shecould see nothing but the green banks, the three tall elms, and the redcampion pricking through the white froth of the cow's parsley; her motherstood on the garden walk in her wide, swinging gown; she was holding thered and white flowers up to her face and saying, "Look, howbeautiful they are."
She saw her all the time while Connie was telling her the secret. Shewanted to get up and go to her. Connie knew what it meant when youstiffened suddenly and made yourself tall and cold and silent. The coldsilence would frighten her and she would go away. Then, Harriett thought,she could get back to her mother and Longfellow.
Every afternoon, through the hours before her father came home, she sat inthe cool, green-lighted drawing-room reading Evangeline aloud toher mother. When they came to the beautiful places they looked at eachother and smiled.
She passed through her fourteenth year sedately,
moment, and he broke in again hastily.
"Oh, mummie, don't sit down there, that's my table," he said.
"Darling, I'm so sorry," Barbara Rackstraw answered. "Had you got anything on it?"
"Well, I was going to put the dinner things," Adrian explained. "I'll just see if the chicken's cooked. Oh, it's lovely!"
"How nice!" Barbara said abstractedly. "Is it a large chicken?"
"Not a very large one," Adrian admitted. "There's enough for me and you and my Bath auntie."
"Oh," said Barbara, startled, "is your Bath auntie here?"
"Well, she may be coming," said Adrian. "Mummie, why do I have a Bath auntie?"
"Because a baby grew up into your Bath auntie, darling," his mother said. "Unintentional but satisfactory, as far as it goes. Adrian, do you think your father will like cold sausages? Because there doesn't seem to be anything else much."
"I don't want any cold sausages," Adrian said hurriedly.
"No, my angel, but it's the twenty-seventh of the month, an