Read Online Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott - Free Book Online Page A

plainly showed their admiration of the white-gowned lady under the honeysuckles.
    The appearance of Miranda, the maid, reminded the children of their errand; and, having delivered their offerings, they were
     about to retire in some confusion, when Miss Celia said pleasantly—
    “I want to thank you for helping put things in such nice order. I see signs of busy hands and feet both inside the house and
     all about the grounds, and I am very much obliged.”
    “I raked the beds,” said Ben, proudly eyeing the neat ovals and circles.
    “I swept all the paths,” added Bab, with a reproachfulglance at several green sprigs fallen from the load of clover on the smooth walk.
    “I cleared up the porch,” and Betty’s clean pinafore rose and fell with a long sigh, as she surveyed the late summer residence
     of her exiled family.
    Miss Celia guessed the meaning of that sigh, and made haste to turn it into a smile by asking anxiously—
    “What
has
become of the playthings? I don’t see them anywhere.”
    “Ma said you wouldn’t want our duds round, so we took them all home,” answered Betty, with a wistful face.
    “But I do want them round. I like dolls and toys almost as much as ever, and quite miss the little ‘duds’ from porch and path.
     Suppose you come to tea with me tonight and bring some of them back? I should be very sorry to rob you of your pleasant play-place.”
    “Oh, yes, ’m, we’d love to come! and we’ll bring our best things.”
    “Ma always lets us have our shiny pitchers and the china poodle when we go visiting or have company at home,” said Bab and
     Betty, both speaking at once.
    “Bring what you like, and I’ll hunt up my toys, too. Ben is to come also, and
his
poodle is especially invited,” added Miss Celia, as Sancho came and begged before her, feeling that some agreeable project
     was under discussion.
    “Thank you, miss. I told them you’d be willing they should come sometimes. They like this place ever so much, and so do I,”
     said Ben, feeling that few spots combined so many advantages in the way of climbable trees, arched gates, half-a-dozen gables,
     and other charms suited to the taste of an aspiring youth who had been a flying Cupid at the age of seven.
    “So do I,” echoed Miss Celia, heartily. “Ten years ago I came here a little girl, and made lilac chains under these very bushes,
     and picked chickweed over there for my bird, and rode Thorny in his baby-wagon up and down these paths. Grandpa lived here
     then, and we had fine times; but now they are all gone except us two.”
    “We haven’t got any father, either,” said Bab, for something in Miss Celia’s face made her feel as if a cloud had come over
     the sun.
    “
I
have a first-rate father, if I only knew where he’d gone to,” said Ben, looking down the path as eagerly as if some one waited
     for him behind the locked gate.
    “You are a rich boy, and you are happy little girls to have so good a mother; I’ve found that out already,” and the sun shone
     again as the young lady nodded to the neat, rosy children before her.
    “You may have a piece of her if you want to, ‘cause you haven’t got any of your own,” said Betty, with a pitiful look which
     made her blue eyes as sweet as two wet violets.
    “So I will! and you shall be my little sisters. I never had any, and I’d love to try how it seems”; and Miss Celia took both
     the chubby hands in hers, feeling ready to love everyone this first bright morning in the new home, which she hoped to make
     a very happy one.
    Bab gave a satisfied nod, and fell to examining the rings upon the white hand that held her own. But Betty put her arms about
     the new friend’s neck, and kissed her so softly that the hungry feeling in Miss Celia’s heart felt better directly; for this
     was the food it wanted, and Thorny had not learned yet to return one half of the affection he received. Holding the child
     close, she played with the yellow braids while she