Some Little People Part 3

She had much better been picking beans that afternoon, to put in her own mouth, but people who are not contented with doing the right thing in the right place, often fall into worse places than the hogshead's mouth, and get into more business than they care to find.

"Please to tell me what I'm going to do?" inquired 'Lisbeth.

"You are going to run home and mind Trotty," replied neighbor Gilham.

'Lisbeth was indignant enough.

"d.i.c.kon can mind Trotty; he's mind'n her now. I'm not a minder."

"I thought you did not look like a minder. Sheep-boys are all minders, every one of them, so run home."

'Lisbeth stood looking at him over her shoulder. She was too indignant for words.

"If you want to grow rich," said neighbor Gilham, a little bit sorry for her--a little bit sorry not to help her in getting into business--"if you want to get rich, go hunt in all the flowers between here and home; maybe you'll find one with a gold heart."

'Lisbeth looked over her shoulder at him again very fiercely, and did not say a word; then she walked down the path. She would not let neighbor Gilham see her hold up the flower cups and look in, or unroll the buds to peep toward the heart; she would not let him see her, but she did it for all that.

When she began she did not know when to stop. She hunted and hunted and looked and looked. She found the sweetest bells among the gra.s.s, but she never knew that they were sweet at all, she was only looking in every bell for gold. She found the brightest flower faces looking up at her, but never knew that they were bright. She tossed them away from her. She found neither pence nor pounds. She found the prettiest flower-lips trying to speak to her, as she bent over them, but she heard nothing that they said, she heard not a breath; she scarcely saw that the lips were pretty at all. Had she heard they would have told her to be content with the flower hearts, just as she found them; that they would give her themselves with their bright faces and patient hearts, which were better than hard hearts of gold. They would have told her to be content with growing where she was, and never to think about the world beyond the mile-stone, for contentment is better than gold itself. They would have told her to mind Trotty, and pick beans, and help mother, which was the dearest, best, and happiest work she could ever find; but 'Lisbeth would not hear, she would not hear at all.

She did not know that neighbor Gilham could see her from the hill. She forgot all about Gilham; she forgot all about mother and Trotty; forgot everything which she should have remembered, though she found no gold.

Neighbor Gilham should never have sent her hunting for what he knew she could not find, he should not have told her to hunt for gold in the flower-hearts; he should have rather told her to listen to the lesson of the flowers and be content.

But neighbor Gilham did not tell her this, and she did not think of it, and though she came home no richer, she was hustled to bed before twilight and for her supper had neither porridge with nor porridge without the beans.

CHAPTER VI.

When 'Lisbeth's mother came home from the mill and found out how matters were going; when 'Lisbeth came home in d.i.c.kon's suit, from hunting for gold, she felt very certain that 'Lisbeth was not as good as many little girls were, and this made her sigh very deeply. Then she tried to think how to make her better; she scarcely knew how to begin, but she thought the best way, perhaps, would be to send her to school with Gorham, and let d.i.c.kon, who was a better "minder" than 'Lisbeth, take care of Trotty.

'Lisbeth was not pleased at all. She did not think she would like to go to school, but her mother did not ask her opinion; it was not worth while.

'Lisbeth went to school the next morning. The school teacher smiled at 'Lisbeth when she came in. 'Lisbeth did not smile; she looked very serious indeed.

"How do you do, my dear?" said the teacher.

"I do what I like, ma'am, most times," said 'Lisbeth. This was very improper, but 'Lisbeth did not know it; she believed she had answered correctly.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Miss Pritchet was not pleased, she only said, "Sit down, my dear," and 'Lisbeth sat down.

By and by Miss Pritchet told 'Lisbeth to come stand by her, and 'Lisbeth came.

"What have you been learning, little girl?" inquired Miss Pritchet.

"I've been learning the way all around the country, and how to spike minnows in the mill race, and--"

"Tut, tut!" said Miss Pritchet. "I mean have you been learning to read and write and spell?"

"No 'm, I never learned those at all, only to spell."

"Then you will like to learn I know; you will like to learn lessons."

"Is there anything about London in 'm?"

"About London?"

"Yes 'm. London is a hundred miles away. I learned that a time ago."

"When you can read you can learn more about London if you wish to; you will find it in the books."

"Yes 'm I want to," said Lisbeth. "I wish to live there."

"You must learn to be satisfied where you are," said Miss Pritchet; "you must not want to go to London."

"I mean to."

"I thought you were a good little girl; good little girls are satisfied here."

"Are they?"

"Yes, they are; you must be satisfied here."

"But I don't mean to be."

"Oh!" said Miss Pritchet.

"I mean to get to London very fast," continued 'Lisbeth.

"Little girls who do not like to live where they find themselves often come to great trouble," said Miss Pritchet, with the corners of her mouth all drawn down.

"Maybe I may like to grow where I find myself when I get to London,"

said 'Lisbeth a little despairingly.

"You are not a very good little girl, I am afraid," said Miss Pritchet, but 'Lisbeth could not think why Miss Pritchet said such a thing.

"Get your book now and come spell."

"Yes 'm," said 'Lisbeth, like the best little girl that ever was.

"Can you spell?"

"Yes 'm. Is London in this book? it begins with an L."

"Tut! tut!" said Miss Pritchet, "let me hear you spell that line."