Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper and Other Stories Part 4

"Oh!" she replied, laughing, "I could go on and tell you more about bonfires, beacon-fires, signals, drift-wood fires, and gypsy-tea fires; but I have told you enough for to-day."

THE ICE-KING'S REIGN.

The sun had gone down with promises sweet, When, keen from the north, the wind Came bl.u.s.tering along on its coursers fleet, And left frozen tracks behind.

Maude stood at the window; the moon s.h.i.+mmered down On whirling leaves, stiff and dead, All piteously driven; she turned with a frown, And soft to herself she said:--

"The old tyrant Winter leaves nothing to prize, Leaves nothing that's bright or fair; He has stolen the blue from the bending skies, The warmth from the earth and air.

"The summer's dear blossoms are withered and dead; My garden is brown and bare; The chipper of birds in the nest overhead Is hushed, for no birdlings are here.

"The woodlands no longer are shady and sweet, Dry leaf.a.ge enc.u.mbers the ground; The pathways, once verdant and soft to my feet, In fetters of ice are bound.

"The pride of the barn-yard sits humped with the cold, One frozen foot under his wing; And the sheep huddle closely, for warmth, in their fold; The ice tyrant reigns as king."

She turns from this picture of ruin and death, And seeks the broad cas.e.m.e.nt again; And, lo! from the dews of her wasted breath Great forests have grown on the pane.

Such beautiful trees! such ferns! and such flowers!

Such rivers and mountains bold!

Such charming cascades! she gazes for hours, And wors.h.i.+ps the ice king cold.

MALMO, THE WOUNDED RAT.

A poor man saw, by the roadside, a large white rat. It seemed to be dead. Moving it gently he found it was alive, but had a broken leg. He took it up and carried it to his lonely home. He bound up the bruised leg, fed the poor creature, and soon it was quite well.

Sam Tills trained the rat to gentle ways, and taught it many little tricks. Malmo was the only company Sam had. He worked in a cotton mill, and took Malmo with him. He rode in his master's coat-pocket. It looked droll to see his white head peeping out.

Sundays both went to dine with Sam's sister. Malmo's funny ways made everybody laugh. When Sam said, "Malmo, go sit in my hat," he went at once. He curled himself up in it, and nodded off to sleep.

When his master said, "Malmo, we're going now; slip in," the droll pet jumped from the hat, ran up to his pocket-nest, said good-by in his own fas.h.i.+on, and was ready to start. Evenings, when Sam was reading or singing from his mother's hymn-book, Malmo had a nap on his master's head. When it was time to go to bed Sam stroked Malmo's soft fur. The rat rubbed himself against his master's hand. It was their good-night to each other. Then Malmo crept into his basket, and the candle was blown out. Soon both were fast asleep.

MAMA'S HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

It had seemed to the little Wendell children that they would have a very sad Christmas. Mama had been very ill, and papa had been so anxious about mama that he could not think of anything else.

When Christmas Day came, however, mama was so much better that she could lie on the lounge. The children all brought their stockings into her room to open them.

"You children all seem as happy as if you had had your usual Christmas tree," said mama, as they sat around her.

"Why, I NEVER had such a happy Christmas before," said sweet little Agnes. "And it's just because you are well again."

"Now I think you must all run out for the rest of the day," said the nurse, "because your mama wants to see you all again this evening."

"I wish we could get up something expressly for mama's amus.e.m.e.nt," said Agnes, when they had gone into the nursery.

"How would you like to have some tableaux in here?" asked their French governess, Miss Marcelle.

"Oh, yes," they all cried, "it would be fun, mama loves tableaux."

So all day long they were busy arranging five tableaux for the evening.

The tableaux were to be in the room which had folding-doors opening into Mrs. Wendell's sitting-room.

At the proper time Miss Marcelle stepped outside the folding-doors and made a pretty little speech. She said that some young ladies and a young gentleman had asked permission to show some tableaux to Mrs. Wendell if she would like to see them. Mrs. Wendell replied that she would be charmed.

Then mademoiselle announced the tableaux; opening the doors wide for each one. This is a list of the tableaux: First, The Sleeping Beauty; second, Little Red Riding Hood third, The Fairy Queen; fourth, Old Mother Hubbard; fifth, The Lord High Admiral.

Miss Marcelle had arranged everything so nicely, and Celeste, the French maid, helped so much with the dressing, that the pictures all went off without a single mistake.

Mama was delighted. She said she must kiss those dear young ladies, and that delightful young man who had given her such a charming surprise.

So all the children came in rosy and smiling.

"Why, didn't you know us?" asked the little Lord Admiral.

"I know this," said mama, "I am like Agnes. I NEVER had such a happy Christmas before."

CURED OF CARELESSNESS.

Mrs. Bertram sat reading a book one morning, or trying to. It was not easy to do so, for her little boy, Roger, was out in the hall playing with his drum. Suddenly the drumming ceased, and in a moment Roger rushed into the room crying as if his heart would break.

"I've burst it. I've burst it," he sobbed.

"Your drum," asked his mother. "How did you do that?"

"I was beating it with the poker and the tongs and--"

"With the poker and tongs!" exclaimed his mother. "Why, where were your drum-sticks?"

Then Roger stopped crying, and hung his head with shame.

"Where are your drum-sticks?" asked his mother, again.

"I--I--don't know," sobbed Roger.

"Have you lost those, too?" said Mrs. Bertram. She needed no words for answer. Roger's manner was quite enough. "You know, dear, what I said would happen the next time you lost anything."

"Yes," said Roger, "I you said I must give away all my toys to some little boys who would take care of them."