Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

“Oh, we have blue already," said Lucy, “we want something fresh."

"I like that violet," said Martie.

"You would never see its beauty by candlelight," said her sister.

"Then, that primrose."

"Martie!" exclaimed Lucy, "what taste you have!"

"Well, I'm sure it's lovely."

"Yes, for dark people, perhaps; but it would never do for us."

"Well, that pink is pretty."

"I don't think so."

Martie turned away; she felt cross; and she said rather sharply-"Well, choose for yourself; do."

The shopman brought out a drawer of handsome plaid ribbons.

"We do a deal in plaids this winter," he said; "here are all kinds;-Rob Roy-Royal Stuarthow would this do?" he added, displaying a very handsome ribbon.

Lucy was captivated at once. Anything fashionable had great charms for her. "Look, Martie," she said: "do let's have this!"

Martie was never cross without being sorry for it directly, so, hoping to make up for her last

speech, she said, "Yes, I like that;" and so the plaid ribbon was bought.

"We must have some to match for our hair

and our lockets," said Lucy.

"Ought we, Miss Martin?" asked her sister. "By all means: your mamma said you were to have all necessary things."

Martie was but half-convinced; and she let Lucy choose narrow ribbons of the same kind, and white gloves, and little bronze slippers, without interference; but her heart was rather heavy when she found how much there was to pay.

"Well, at any rate," she thought, "I will try to be careful, and not spoil the things."

As for Lucy, she was in high spirits.

The snow had only ceased for an hour or two, and now it came down again thick and fast; and Martie uttered over and over again the wish that these were the days of coaches, and they might thus have a chance of being snowed up on their journey. She thought that to be dug out of a snow-drift would be of all things delightful; and in this sentiment most of the girls agreed.

The snow-fall continued day after day, and when Monday, the shortest day, came, and Lucy

and Martie were helping Miss Wheeler to pack their boxes by gas-light (for it was necessary to rise early to be in time), the aspect out of doors as Martie peeped behind the blind was as winterly as could be desired.

Lucy was very neat, and a great help to Miss Wheeler, and it was so pleasant to her to see the fresh white muslins lying on the bed ready for packing, that she did not object to fetching her other things from the wardrobe, and folding them neatly-though as a rule this was work she disliked.

"Now bring your grey linseys, and that will do," said Miss Wheeler.

Martie ran off for them.

"You don't mean to say we are to take them?" said Lucy,-"our old morning frocks that we've had two winters!"

"You need not wear them unless necessary, but you are sure to be out a great deal, and your grey merinoes look so nice it would be a pity to have them spoiled in the snow; besides if they get hurt you must take your best into every-day wear, and then what would you have for Sundays?"

This argument told upon Lucy: as for Martie she was only too glad to take something with

her she could not spoil-for new clothes were a burden to her and she was really so anxious to save papa's purse, and, at the same time, so exceedingly careless, that she was never so happy as when in some old faded frock, for then she could run and play to her heart's content without fear of consequences. So the old linseys were packed, and the best blues, and the white alpacas with blue stars, and the old muslins, and, last of all-the new ones. Then the breakfastbell rang, and the housemaid went up to cord the boxes.

[graphic]

CHAP. II.-NEW FRIENDS.

ISS WHEELER took the two girls to the station. They were rather late,

M

and there was barely time to take the tickets before the train came in, and as soon as it stopped out jumped Stephen and Charlie, and there was a great confusion of tongues. The girls took their seats, Martie in her hurry quite forgetting to say good-bye to Miss Wheeler, for which she was so very sorry that she wrote to tell her so as soon as she arrived at Annesley. But Miss Wheeler quite understood all about it: she was a good deal excited herself at the prospect of holidays.

"Isn't it horrid ?-not going home," said Martie, as soon as the train was off.

"Yes: no end of a nuisance; but if Annesley is a jolly place we shall do all right," said Stephen; "and I had a letter from Pater this morning;-Flo's on the mend."

« AnteriorContinuar »