Five Little Peppers And How They Grew [36]
for such a little thing--and yours is Polly, is it not?" he asked, turning around suddenly on her.
"Yes," said Polly; "no, not truly Polly; it's Mary, my real name is--but I've always been Polly."
"I like Polly best, too," declared Jasper, "it sounds so nice."
"And his name is Ben," said Polly.
"Ebenezer, you mean," said Ben, correcting her.
"Well, we call him Ben," said Polly; "it don't ever seem as if there was any Ebenezer about it."
"I should think not," laughed Jasper.
"Well, I must get Phronsie," again said Polly, running back into the bedroom, where that small damsel was busily engaged in washing "Baby" in the basin of water that she had with extreme difficulty succeeded in getting down on the floor. She had then, by means of a handful of soft soap, taken from Polly's soap-bowl during the dish-washing, and a bit of old cotton, plastered both herself and "Baby" to a comfortable degree of stickiness.
"Phronsie," said Polly--"dear me! what you doing? the big dog's out there, you know, that scared the naughty organ-man; and the boy"--but before the words were half out, Phronsie had slipped from under her hands, and to Polly's extreme dismay, clattered out into the kitchen.
"Here she is!" cried Jasper, meeting her at the door. The little soapy hands were grasped, and kissing her--"Ugh!" he said, as the soft soap plentifully spread on her face met his mouth.
"Oh, Phronsie! you shouldn't," cried Polly, and then they all burst out into a peal of laughter at Jasper's funny grimaces.
"She's been washing 'Baby," explained Polly, wiping her eyes, and looking at Phronsie who was hanging over Prince in extreme affection. Evidently Prince still regarded her as his especial property.
"Have you got a baby?" asked Jasper. "I thought she was the baby," pointing to Phronsie.
"Oh, I mean her littlest dolly; she always calls her 'Baby," said Polly. "Come, Phronsie, and have your face washed, and a clean apron on."
When Phronsie could be fairly persuaded that Prince would not run away during her absence, she allowed herself to be taken off; and soon re-appeared, her own, dainty little self. Ben, in the meantime, had been initiating Jasper into the mysteries of cutting the wood, the tool-house, and all the surroundings of the "little brown house." They had received a re-inforcement in the advent of Joel and David, who stared delightedly at Phronsie's protector, made friends with the dog, and altogether had had such a thoroughly good time, that Phronsie, coming back, clapped her hands in glee to hear them.
"I wish mammy was home," said Polly, polishing up the last cup carefully.
"Let me put it up," said Jasper, taking it from her, "it goes up here, don't it, with the rest?" reaching up to the upper-shelf of the old cupboard.
"Yes," said Polly.
"Oh, I should think you'd have real good times!" said the boy, enviously. "I haven't a single sister or brother."
"Haven't you?" said Polly, looking at him in extreme pity. "Yes, we do have real fun," she added, answering his questioning look; "the house is just brimful sometimes, even if we are poor."
"We aren't poor," said Joel, who never could bear to be pitied. Then, with a very proud air, he said in a grand way-- "At any rate, we aren't going to be, long, for something's coming!"
"What do you mean, Joey?" asked Ben, while the rest looked equally amazed.
"Our ships," said Joel confidently, as if they were right before their eyes; at which they all screamed!
"See Polly's stove!" cried Phronsie, wishing to entertain in her turn. "Here 'tis," running up to it, and pointing with her fat little finger.
"Yes, I see," cried Jasper, pretending to be greatly surprised; "it's new, isn't it?"
"Yes," said the child; "it's very all new; four yesterdays ago!"
And then Polly stopped in sweeping up and related, with many additions and explanations from the others, the history of the stove, and good Dr. Fisher (upon whom they all dilated at great length), and the dreadful measles, and everything. And Jasper sympathized, and rejoiced with
"Yes," said Polly; "no, not truly Polly; it's Mary, my real name is--but I've always been Polly."
"I like Polly best, too," declared Jasper, "it sounds so nice."
"And his name is Ben," said Polly.
"Ebenezer, you mean," said Ben, correcting her.
"Well, we call him Ben," said Polly; "it don't ever seem as if there was any Ebenezer about it."
"I should think not," laughed Jasper.
"Well, I must get Phronsie," again said Polly, running back into the bedroom, where that small damsel was busily engaged in washing "Baby" in the basin of water that she had with extreme difficulty succeeded in getting down on the floor. She had then, by means of a handful of soft soap, taken from Polly's soap-bowl during the dish-washing, and a bit of old cotton, plastered both herself and "Baby" to a comfortable degree of stickiness.
"Phronsie," said Polly--"dear me! what you doing? the big dog's out there, you know, that scared the naughty organ-man; and the boy"--but before the words were half out, Phronsie had slipped from under her hands, and to Polly's extreme dismay, clattered out into the kitchen.
"Here she is!" cried Jasper, meeting her at the door. The little soapy hands were grasped, and kissing her--"Ugh!" he said, as the soft soap plentifully spread on her face met his mouth.
"Oh, Phronsie! you shouldn't," cried Polly, and then they all burst out into a peal of laughter at Jasper's funny grimaces.
"She's been washing 'Baby," explained Polly, wiping her eyes, and looking at Phronsie who was hanging over Prince in extreme affection. Evidently Prince still regarded her as his especial property.
"Have you got a baby?" asked Jasper. "I thought she was the baby," pointing to Phronsie.
"Oh, I mean her littlest dolly; she always calls her 'Baby," said Polly. "Come, Phronsie, and have your face washed, and a clean apron on."
When Phronsie could be fairly persuaded that Prince would not run away during her absence, she allowed herself to be taken off; and soon re-appeared, her own, dainty little self. Ben, in the meantime, had been initiating Jasper into the mysteries of cutting the wood, the tool-house, and all the surroundings of the "little brown house." They had received a re-inforcement in the advent of Joel and David, who stared delightedly at Phronsie's protector, made friends with the dog, and altogether had had such a thoroughly good time, that Phronsie, coming back, clapped her hands in glee to hear them.
"I wish mammy was home," said Polly, polishing up the last cup carefully.
"Let me put it up," said Jasper, taking it from her, "it goes up here, don't it, with the rest?" reaching up to the upper-shelf of the old cupboard.
"Yes," said Polly.
"Oh, I should think you'd have real good times!" said the boy, enviously. "I haven't a single sister or brother."
"Haven't you?" said Polly, looking at him in extreme pity. "Yes, we do have real fun," she added, answering his questioning look; "the house is just brimful sometimes, even if we are poor."
"We aren't poor," said Joel, who never could bear to be pitied. Then, with a very proud air, he said in a grand way-- "At any rate, we aren't going to be, long, for something's coming!"
"What do you mean, Joey?" asked Ben, while the rest looked equally amazed.
"Our ships," said Joel confidently, as if they were right before their eyes; at which they all screamed!
"See Polly's stove!" cried Phronsie, wishing to entertain in her turn. "Here 'tis," running up to it, and pointing with her fat little finger.
"Yes, I see," cried Jasper, pretending to be greatly surprised; "it's new, isn't it?"
"Yes," said the child; "it's very all new; four yesterdays ago!"
And then Polly stopped in sweeping up and related, with many additions and explanations from the others, the history of the stove, and good Dr. Fisher (upon whom they all dilated at great length), and the dreadful measles, and everything. And Jasper sympathized, and rejoiced with