The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-03-27
The Green Glover Calico.


down tbe entry. Three sets of impa-
tient fingers fumbled at once for the
door-kDob. while another, missing its
clutch. thumped violently on the pan
mel. 4 quarfett Of voices, raised TO con-
cert MITCH, accompanied these move
ments with chorus Of Bully splendid!
O Nora, Nora, NOrap'
A second more and the door flew open,
and in poured an eager little crowd,
startling the quiet of the nursery with
their whoops and shouts. But Nora
was used to it, and only smiled as they
fiocked around her.
80, Nora, what d'you think ?u
This was Reggy, the eldest. Jack, his
series of hops, each topped off with the
word "Cricky ~ as sort of exclaua-
tion point, Jonquil, solemn girl of six
with excited red cheeks, stood in the
middle OF the room, too breathless for
more than an occasional "Ohni While
small May, the baby, who had climbed
the precipitous back of the sewing-chair.
and wound pair of fat arms round her
nurses neck, nearly strangled her with
aseries Of well-meant but uncomfortable
squeezes.
"What is it, children? That is enough,
Miss May, dear; come and sit on NV lap
instead. Master Jack, don't tangle my
thread, please; it's all wound round
your legs. Bring your little chair, JON
quili that's right. Now tell me all
about it,"
1t was wonderful TO see the effect of
her voice and manner-both full of that
happy mixture of firmness and good
humor which children are so quick to
recognize. Jack suspended his skips;
Miss Mayi descended from the chair
back. Nora was confessedly a"treasure."
'Ihe Lord knew how much / could
bear" little Mrs. Allen was wont to say,
plously; $50 when He sent a fourth
obstreperOus baby to reinforce the other
three, he sent Nora at the same time.
And how / should manage without her
| can't tell. She has much Influence
overthechildren. Why, they are as good
as gold with her, and they never think of
minding a word l say" Which eulogy
Mrs. Allen was accustomed to deliver
with clasped hands, and without a shade
Of self blamei And it was fact-the
small fry of nursery were completely
under Nora's dominion.
She was pretty girl, this treasure"
and that goes so far with children.
Pretty and sad. In spite of the ripe
bloom of DevOnshire on cheek and lip, |
and the round, almost childish contour, |
there was something in the wistful, |
earnest face that spoke deeper expert |
ence than a ehild's. The little elves 1
under her charge devined this. "Would |
you be happy if 1 loved you very hard |
indeed ?' May was once heard to ask; |
but though Nora laughed and kissed her,
she shook her head slightly as in re-
spouse to some inward thought, and
made no reply. But all this was be-
tween herself and the children. Noone
else i'm the house interested himself in
the nurses possible sorrows, or even
cared to speculate as to whether or not
she had any.
'Tll tell YOU" began Jonquil, as the
unruly groups subsidized into order.
you see tomorrow is egg-day."
80, JOnquil," interposed scandaliZed
Reggy, mot egg-day. You mean
Easter-egg day. They Arrays put
Easier first.n
do they ?" said Jonquil. "Well,
Nora, it's Easter-egg day; and mamma
says we may boil some eggs. We did
'em once before, but not last year, be-
cause that cook was real cross, and said
she'd not have us about. But the new
Ann is very kind, you know, and
mamma says she guesses it won't put
her out. Put her out where, Nora ?'
'Out OF temper, your mother meant.
Well, so you are TO have some Easter
eggs ?D
"Yes, six apiece. That makes twenty
two, or else twenty-six, / can't member
which. And we may boil them in tin
saucepan. And they're to be all cOlors-
all sorts of cOlOrs-that we can get pieces
of, you know"
"Pieces ?it
''IO rub of7'-"To tie up"-srTo wan
Il Il.
tions; but Reggy Overbore the others.
pieces of calico which don't was, Nora.
and come off on the shells when they're
boiled. Jonquil has got some already,
but we wanta great many more. Show
all you've got in your pocket, John"
Jonquil produced q small collection OF
shredsand patches from that receptacle. /
"Ain't they nice?u she said. Mamma
gave us pink one and purple and all
that green, and Aunt Emma found this
one in her trunk, and she says the little
red spots always cumed off i'm the tub.
And mamma said if you'd look in the
piece-bag you'd find lots more just as
good-no, just rs bad she said There's
my blue frock, which is most white now,
and some of Mays plaid. And Norry,
dear" coaxingly-
We'll, darling?
Don't you think perhaps there are
some teenty-weenty bits in your box? |
Once / saw inside, you know, when YOU
showed us the crooked sixpence. And /
Mfak member some bits all rolled up. |
Won't you look and see, and let us
see ?"
res dear, and welcome. Would you |
ike 10 come and look now ?'
'Oh yes-now-how jollyl Nora is 1
going 10 open her box" cried the little /
ones IN chorus as they capered down /
the long gallery. In the quiet country /
place such an event as a box-opening 1
was not of every day occurrence.
Morals room was a pleasant one, |
bright, sunny, and neatly furnished. 1
''Quite too good for a servant Mrs. |
Allen would say; "but then May sleeps |
with her, you know; and really she is 1
very superior sort of girl-sO different /
from the common sort one gets.n The /
box, not large one, that held Morals /
little treasures, was in a corner. She
turned the key, the children standing by
and peeping over the lid with a comical
mixture of awe and pleasure in their
iaces. There was nothing exciting on
tne top, only Nora's Sunday dress and
shawl, with the aspect of which they
aside
There's not much here for YOU, Miss
otquil, she said. "all the pieces Pye
sol s' are IN this little roll. and the nret-
~ s,eSo are last coiors, Pm afraid They
I,n liI-o iIIiosIiy sly English prints. They don't
lt,TH ~ me American ones.U
Jo,onji inns blue one run?'' manfred
No; but here's 4 pink whioh III,
,.IAI' 8s' Sh4 don't know but this n,''