Little Susy's Little Servants Part 3

By and by, judging by the silence that something wrong was going on, nurse got up and went to look. There lay Robbie with his clothes all off, while Susy was trying to squeeze one of his arms into her doll's night-gown. The patient little fellow held a block fast in one hand, as his comforter under his sorrows, for he really thought he had done something naughty and had to be put to bed.

"Pretty works, I do think!" said nurse. "Just let me call your mamma to see you, that's all."

Susy jumped up and caught nurse by her dress. "You shan't call mamma!"

said she. "Robbie is my doll, and I'm putting him to bed. Aren't you, Robbie?"

Nurse only answered by s.n.a.t.c.hing him up and kissing him.

"I do believe he would let you cut his head off, if you wanted to," said she. "Susy is a naughty girl, and her mamma will whip her."

"Naughty dirl, mamma s'ap!" repeated Robbie, showing with his little hands how mamma would do.

"If you had gone down like a good girl, and sh.e.l.led peas," said nurse, "you wouldn't have got into mischief. Where is the other stocking? On your doll's arm? Bring it to me this minute. And what have you done with Robbie's shirt? He will catch his death sitting here with nothing on.

Well! we'll see what his mamma will say!"

By this time Susy was convinced she had done something really dreadful.

So she went softly down stairs and began to sh.e.l.l peas as fast as she could. Her little thoughts were very busy.

"I guess mamma won't care. I was only playing. And I will sh.e.l.l a _lot_ of peas. I wish I knowed where I put Robbie's shirt. I guess I put it under the bed. But if he doesn't have it on, he'll catch cold." The busy fingers stopped, she slipped down from her chair, and away went the peas, rolling this way and that, about the kitchen floor.

"I wish you'd stay up stairs, where you belong," said Sarah. "See how you've wasted the peas! If I were your mamma, I would not give you any for your dinner."

"I'll pick them up," said Susy. "And mamma said I might sh.e.l.l them." She seemed so sorry that Sarah said it was no matter, she guessed six peas wouldn't be much loss. So Susy went back to the nursery to see about the missing shirt.

"If there isn't Robbie's shirt hanging out of your pocket!" said nurse.

"I declare! I never saw such a child. Well! you wait till your mamma hears of this!" As she spoke in an angry voice, Susy saw a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, that quite cheered her disconsolate little heart.

"I didn't mean to be naughty," said she. "I did not know what else to do. And I never will do so any more for a thousand years. Won't you forgive me?"

"Oh! yes, I'll forgive you. And I'll teach you a hymn, besides, about idle hands."

How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour; And gather honey all the day, From every opening flower!

How skilfully she builds her cell, How neat she spreads the wax!

And labors hard to store it well With the sweet food she makes.

In works of labor or of skill, I would be busy too; For Satan finds some mischief still, For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play, Let my first years be pa.s.sed; That I may give for every day Some good account at last.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

LITTLE SUSY'S LITTLE SERVANTS.

_SECOND SERIES._

CHAPTER I.

"I wish I knew how to sew," Susy one day said to her nurse.

"I wish so, too," said nurse. "For then you could be always making ap.r.o.ns and things for your babies. And in time, you could make a shirt for your papa."

Susy smiled at this pleasant prospect.

"I'll go and ask mamma to teach me," said she, jumping up. "And I'll make my dollies some frocks, and some ap.r.o.ns, and some cloaks and bonnets. And I'll make _you_ an ap.r.o.n, too, Robbie."

Robbie looked as if he admired Susy very much, and began to think, as he always did when pleased, what he could give her.

In the mean time their nurse had cut out a little white petticoat, and was basting it very nicely together.

"Is that for me?" cried Susy joyfully. "O Nursey!"

And Susy sat down, took the needle in her eager little fingers, and began to sew.

"Oh! you mustn't put the needle back and forth that way!" said nurse.

"See here, the point of the needle should come towards you."

"Yes, I know," said Susy, and went on sewing all sorts of ways.

"That isn't right," said nurse. "When you learn to sew you ought to learn the best way."

"This is the best way," said Susy.

"Very well. If you know so much, there's no use in my teaching you,"

said nurse, feeling rather vexed.

"Oh! dear, here's an old, ugly old knot!" said Susy. She pulled the thread angrily and it broke.

"Fix it for me, will you nurse?"

Nurse joined the thread in silence. Susy took one more st.i.tch and her needle unthreaded.

"I can't string my needle," said she.

"You must learn," said nurse. "See, this way. And you needn't talk about stringing it, as if it were a bead. Ah! well. I may as well thread it this time. But my! what st.i.tches! Why, dolly will fall through between them."

"I guess I won't learn to sew," said Susy. "It's hard. Here's the needle. I'll put it back in your cush pinion for you."