Dick and Dolly

“You’re the worst children I ever saw!” she exclaimed; “the very worst! At nine years old you should know better than to cut up such naughty, wicked tricks! You must be severely punished. Rachel, if you don’t punish them, I shall do so myself!”

Now Dick and Dolly were quite unaccustomed to this sort of scolding. Aunt Rachel, though severe in principle, was very lenient in practice, and Aunt Abbie was gentleness itself. So it was with real curiosity that the twins drew nearer, to look at the reddening face and flashing black eyes of their great-aunt, and Dick said, very seriously:

“We were naughty, Aunt Nine; and if you punish us, how are you going to do it?”

The question was not at all impertinent, Dick’s round little face showed only a justifiable interest, and Aunt Penninah looked a little baffled, as both twins waited eagerly for her answer.

“Do just what you please in the matter, Aunt Nine,” said Miss Rachel, who had never quite outlived her youthful awe of the stern old lady. Miss Abbie clasped her hands in alarm, as if fearing the twins would be subjected to torture, and they all awaited Miss Penninah’s dictum.

“I think,” said the old lady, slowly, – and then she paused, a little disconcerted at the earnest gaze of the four brown eyes, that were so like those of the children’s father, her favourite nephew.

“I think,” she went on, more gently, “that I shall forbid you to go outside the house all day to-morrow.”

She didn’t say that she had had a far more severe punishment in mind, but had been deterred from inflicting it by those appealing eyes.

“Whew!” cried Dick, “stay in the house a whole day!”

“Yes,” said Aunt Nine, her ire returning as she noted the other aunts’ sorrowful looks, and Delia’s woe-begone face. “You children need discipline. It’s terrible the way you’re let to run wild! Rachel, you’ve no idea of training children properly, and as for you, Abbie, you’re simply a tool in their hands!”

Dolly took a step nearer to the old lady.

“Aunt Nine!” she cried, with flashing eyes, “don’t you talk like that about my Aunt Abbie, or my Aunt Rachel, either! They know how to bring up children just splendid! And they’re doing the best they can with me and Dick, but, as you know yourself, we’re the worst children ever, – so what can you ’spect?”

“Yes,” said Dick, taking his sister’s part, as usual. “We’ll do your old punishment, and we’re sorry we were naughty; – but you can’t jump on our aunties like that!”

The youngest inheritors of the celebrated Dana “spunk,” faced bravely the oldest member of the proud old family, and she realised the justice of their reproof.

“The children are partly right,” she said, turning to her older nieces with a short, sharp laugh; “and the matter must not be discussed further in their presence. Dick and Dolly, you will obey my orders about to-morrow, and now come and kiss me, and we will drop the subject.”

Dick stared at his aunt and hesitated, but quicker-witted Dolly appreciated that, in Aunt Penninah’s mind, the coming punishment wiped out even remembrance of the fault, and she willingly kissed her. Not the spontaneous, loving sort of embraces they gave the other aunties, but a whole-hearted, honest kiss of truce.

Dick followed her example, and then the twins were excused, and they raced out in the kitchen after Delia.

“The intherferin’ ould lady!” cried Delia, as she snatched the children in her arms. “Sorra the day I iver wint to Miss Rachel wid thim clo’es; but I was that put about, Miss Dolly, dear.”

“Oh, pooh, Delia,” cried Dick; “you were all right, and we’ve come to ’pollergize for spoilin’ your wash all up. We’re awful sorry.”

“Yes,” chimed in Dolly, as Delia embraced them both; “we’ll never do it again; but, truly, Delia, we didn’t think!”

“Av coorse ye didn’t, ye blissid babies! Shure ye niver think! An’ what’s a wash, more or less? I wish ould Miss Penninah had to do it hersilf fur teasin’ ye.”

“Now, Delia,” said Dick, “you mustn’t talk that way. Aunt Nine is our aunt, and we must love and respect her just as we do the other aunties.”

“It’s a thrue Dana ye are, Masther Dick; both of yez. An’ ye’re right, too. Miss Penninah is the grand old lady, and the rale head of the fambly. So do yez take yer punishment like the shwate childher ye be.”

And having duly made good their reputation as “true Danas” Dick and Dolly trotted off to bed.

The next day proved to be the very loveliest day of the whole Spring.

The sun incessantly winked an invitation for the twins to come out and play. The blue sky smiled the same plea, and the soft breeze whispered it again and again.

The flowers nodded at them as they looked out of the windows, and the trees spread their branches, as in a welcoming embrace.

The birds twittered, “Come, come!” and, though too far away to be heard, Dolly knew, her pet chicken was peeping the same words.

But worst of all was to see Pat watering their own flower-beds, – their pansies and daffodils that had never drank from any hands save the twins’ own!

This sight nearly made the tears come, but Dick said bravely:

“We must make the best of it, Dollums. There’s no use of getting all weepy-waily when it won’t do any good.”

“No, but Dick, don’t you s’pose she’d just let us go and water our plants, – if we came right back?”

“Sha’n’t ask her; and don’t you ask that, either. Now we’ll both do our practising, – I guess I’ll practise another hour while you’re doing your old sewing, – and then let’s go up in the attic to play.”

Dolly brightened a little. “All right; we’ve always been going to fish around up there, and we never had a good chance before.”

So Dolly went to one piano, and Dick to the other, and they practised so diligently and painstakingly, that Aunt Penninah, who listened at the doors, was greatly pleased with their thorough work.

“There’s good stuff in those children, Rachel,” she said; “if you don’t spoil them by your foolish leniency and over-indulgence.”

“I don’t mean to, Aunt Nine,” said Miss Rachel, a little meekly, “but you know they’re never purposely mischievous. The Danas are all impulsive and thoughtless, and Dick is exactly like his father was at his age.”

“Yes, I know all that; but they need a strong hand to rule them, and though you and Abbie are firm enough in some ways, you give right in to those twins. Now, I don’t!”

“No,” said Miss Rachel, grimly, “you don’t. How long are you going to stay this time, Aunt Nine?”

“I planned to stay only a day or two; but as I’ve become interested in John’s children, I shall remain a week at least. I want to learn their natures, and, incidentally, I can help you with my judgment and advice.”

Miss Rachel groaned in spirit, but made no audible objection to her aunt’s decree.

Dolly’s sewing hour that day was devoted to mending the clothes she and her little friends had torn, and by dint of much instruction from the three aunts, and honest industry on her own part, she achieved some very creditable darns and patches.

During the sewing hour, Aunt Penninah sought out Dick, and had a talk with him. She was rather severe, but the clan feeling was strong in both, and after their conversation Dick felt a loyalty and respect toward the old lady, if not a deep affection.

Then, Dolly’s sewing hour being over, the twins scampered for the attic.

“It’s horrid,” said Dick, “to be shut up in this stuffy old place on a day like this; but let’s get all the fun we can out of it.”

“Let’s,” agreed Dolly, and as a starter they rambled through the old, unused rooms, and looked at the old pictures and discarded furniture stored there.

“Awful poky!” said Dick as they sat down on a haircloth sofa, and stared at each other.

“Yes,” said Dolly, with a scowl. “I think Aunt Nine is a horrid – ”

“Don’t talk that way, Doll,” said Dick, remembering his conversation with the old lady; “just forget it, – forget outdoors and flowers and everything, – and let’s play something nice.”

“What can we play?” asked Dolly, disconsolately.