In the second sketch a number of square and triangular bodies, with
little, round heads, and long, sprawling legs and arms, were grouped
together in the wildest confusion at the two ends of the picture, which
extended the whole length of the sheet. In the middle was an object
supposed to represent a carriage, the like whereof was never contrived
by any coach-maker upon the face of the earth; while a horse, in the
same condition as the pig before mentioned,--namely, with all his
legs broken off,--lay upon the ground; his mate, looking much like a
chair turned upside down, standing by, disconsolate. But the chief
interest of the picture was intended to lie in the central figure,
in which a small child, with very short skirts and very long limbs,
was represented as dancing wildly about, with not rivers,--as in the
case of the pig,--but cataracts of tears spouting from her eyes. Two
circles, one within the other, stood for her head; the inner one,
nearly as large as the outer, being her mouth, stretched to its utmost
extent. And lest there should be any mistake as to the likeness, below
this figure was printed in large, crooked letters,--
_M A B U R L._
"That," said Belle, more sternly than before, "is a picture about
another proverb that Maggie made up on purpose to be of use to you. The
name of it is, 'All scamper away as fast as they can go from a spoiled
child;' at least, that was what she meant. Here is the spoiled child,
squealing and hollering; there is a poor horse that broke his leg; and
here are all the people in the street running away from her. These
four are policemen, and they were going to take her up; but even the
policemen would not stand her, and ran away too. Even her mother 'came
degusted at her at last, and left her; so she had not a single person
left. And she had no one to give her something to eat, and no one to
put her to bed; so she had to sleep in the gutter, and be starved, and
in the morning she was dead, and all dirty out of the gutter."
"She wasn't either," said Mabel.
"She was too," contradicted Belle.
Mabel made a snatch at the picture, which Belle as quickly drew from
her, so that between them it was torn in two; and Mabel at the same
moment set up the shriek she always gave when she was displeased.
Mr. Powers and Mrs. Walton, their conversation thus suddenly brought to
an end, turned hastily to see what was the matter.
It was a sorry sight that met their eyes. Belle stood looking at her
cousin with a face which, to do her justice, was only intended as the
expression of outraged and offended virtue; while Mabel, shrieking
with passion, was frantically tearing to bits the half of the sheet she
had secured.
"What is it, children? What are you quarrelling about now?" asked both
the parents at once.
Mabel did not, perhaps could not, answer; but Belle spoke up boldly.