Aunts -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Friendship -- Juvenile fiction; Siblings -- Juvenile fiction
Some of them _were_ got in, but others had to be left behind--put away
in the nursery cupboard for the whole winter. It seemed to Susan just
the same thing as putting them away for ever. She chose, after careful
thought, among her family of dolls the one to be taken with her; not the
newest one, or the most smartly dressed, but one she had always been
fond of, because she secretly considered her rather like Mother,
especially when she plaited up her hair. It was a wax doll called
Grace, with very blue eyes and yellow curls. After Grace's wardrobe had
been looked through and packed up in a work-box, there was another very
important thing to be finished, and that was a parting present for
mother. As she was not to know of it, this had to be done in secret
corners, and hastily hidden whenever she came near, so it had taken a
good deal of time. It was a tiny pink silk pin-cushion in the shape of
a heart, which Maria had cut out and fixed for her, and when it was done
the letters "SI" were to be marked on it with pins, and it was to be put
on mother's dressing-table on Sunday-night. There was more than one
small speck of blood on it, where Susan had pricked her hot little
fingers in a too earnest effort to take very small stitches, which was a
pity; perhaps, however, as it was _pink_ silk they would not show much,
and mother would not notice. Monday came; every one in the house was in
a greater bustle than ever, and every minute there was a fresh question
to be asked about something--about the journey to-day, or the journey
to-morrow, and so many small details, that a wearied frown gathered on
Mr Ingram's forehead and remained there; added to these troubles
Freddie had one of his bad headaches, and would hardly let his mother
leave him for a moment. Susan had scarcely spoken to her that morning,
and now she stood in the nursery ready for her journey, clasping Grace
in one arm, and a warm little cloak in the other. It was almost time to
start, all her other farewells had been said, but she hesitated.
"Now, Miss Susan, my lamb," said Nurse kissing her again, "you've just
time to run down and say good-bye to Missis and Master Freddie, and then
you must be off."
She went down-stairs and softly into the room. It was darkened; Freddie
was lying on his couch with a wet bandage on his forehead, and there was
a strong smell of eau de Cologne. Mother stood near and changed the
bandage now and then for a fresh one; she looked round, and held up her
finger when she heard the door open.
"Ah, it's you dear," she said in a low voice; "be very quiet. Is it
time for you to go? Is the cab there? Where's Maria?"
Susan walked up to the sofa; she had promised not to cry, and her throat
felt so funny that she thought she had better not speak, so she did not
answer any of these questions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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