登陆注册
5590700000064

第64章 May Baskets(2)

"I fancied it would be for Master Jack,"said her mother,wishing the excursion to be a cheerful one.

"I've another for him,but she must have the prettiest.He is going to hang it for me,and ring and run away,and she won't know who it's from till she sees this.She will remember it,for I've been turning and tending it ever so long,to make it bloom to-day.Isn't it a beauty?"and Jill held up her finest hyacinth,which seemed to ring its pale pink bells as if glad to carry its sweet message from a grateful little heart.

"Indeed it is;and you are right to give your best to her.Come away now,you must not stand any longer.Come and rest while I fetch a dish to put the flowers in till you want them";and Mrs.Pecq turned her round with her small Maying safely done.

"I didn't think I'd ever be able to do even so much,and here I am walking and sitting up,and going to drive some day.Isn't it nice that I'm not to be a poor Lucinda after all?"and Jill drew a long sigh of relief that six months instead of twenty years would probably be the end of her captivity.

"Yes,thank Heaven!I don't think I could have borne that";and the mother took Jill in her arms as if she were a baby,holding her close for a minute,and laying her down with a tender kiss that made the arms cling about her neck as her little girl returned it heartily,for all sorts of new,sweet feelings seemed to be budding in both,born of great joy and thankfulness.

Then Mrs.Pecq hurried away to see about tea for the hungry boys,and Jill watched the pleasant twilight deepen as she lay singing to herself one of the songs her friend taught her because it fitted her so well.

"A little bird I am,Shut from the fields of air,And in my cage I sit and sing To Him who placed me there:

Well pleased a prisoner to be,Because,my God,it pleases Thee!

"Naught have I else to do;

I sing the whole day long;

And He whom most I love to please Doth listen to my song,He caught and bound my wandering wing,But still He bends to hear me sing.""Now we are ready for you,so bring on your flowers,"said Molly to the boys,as she and Merry added their store of baskets to the gay show Jill had set forth on the long table ready for the evening's work.

"They wouldn't let me see one,but I guess they have had good luck,they look so jolly,"answered Jill,looking at Gus,Frank,and Jack,who stood laughing,each with a large basket in his hands.

"Fair to middling.Just look in and see";with which cheerful remark Gus tipped up his basket and displayed a few bits of green at the bottom.

"I'd id better.Now,don't all scream at once over these beauties";and Frank shook out some evergreen sprigs,half a dozen saxifrages,and two or three forlorn violets with hardly any stems.

"I don't brag,but here's the best of all the three,"chuckled Jack,producing a bunch of feathery carrot-tops,with a few half-shut dandelions trying to look brave and gay.

"Oh,boys,is that all?"

"What shall we do?"

"We've only a few house-flowers,and all those baskets to fill,"cried the girls,in despair;for Merry's contribution had been small,and Molly had only a handful of artificial flowers "to fill up,"she said.

"It isn't our fault:it is the late spring.We can't make flowers,can we?"asked Frank,in a tone of calm resignation.

"Couldn't you buy some,then?"said Molly,smoothing her crumpled morning-glories,with a sigh.

'Who ever heard of a fellow having any money left the last day of the month?"demanded Gus,severely.

"Or girls either.I spent all mine in ribbon and paper for my baskets,and now they are of no use.It's a shame!"lamented Jill,while Merry began to thin out her full baskets to fill the empty ones.

"Hold on!"cried Frank,relenting."Now,Jack,make their minds easy before they begin to weep and wail.""Left the box outside.You tell while I go for it";and Jack bolted,as if afraid the young ladies might be too demonstrative when the tale was told.

"Tell away,"said Frank,modestly passing the story along to Gus,who made short work of it.

"We rampaged all over the country,and got only that small mess of greens.Knew you'd be disgusted,and sat down to see what we could do.Then Jack piped up,and said he'd show us a place where we could get a plenty.'Come on,'said we,and after leading us a nice tramp,he brought us out at Morse's greenhouse.

So we got a few on tick,as we had but four cents among us,and there you are.Pretty clever of the little chap,wasn't it?"A chorus of delight greeted Jack as he popped his head in,was promptly seized by his elders and walked up to the table,where the box was opened,displaying gay posies enough to fill most of the baskets if distributed with great economy and much green.

"You are the dearest boy that ever was!"began Jill,with her nose luxuriously buried in the box,though the flowers were more remarkable for color than perfume.

"No,I'm not;there's a much dearer one coming upstairs now,and he's got something that will make you howl for joy,"said Jack,ignoring his own prowess as Ed came in with a bigger box,looking as if he had done nothing but go a Maying all his days.

"Don't believe it!"cried Jill,hugging her own treasure jealously.

"It's oniy another joke.I won't look,"said Molly,still struggling to make her cambric roses bloom again.

"I know what it is!Oh,how sweet!"added Merry,sniffing,as Ed set the box before her,saying pleasantly,"You shall see first,because you had faith."Up went the cover,and a whiff of the freshest fragrance regaled the seven eager noses bent to inhale it,as a general murmur of pleasure greeted the nest of great,rosy mayflowers that lay before them.

"The dear things,how lovely they are!"and Merry looked as if greeting her cousins,so blooming and sweet was her own face.

同类推荐
  • Sylvie and Bruno

    Sylvie and Bruno

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Emerald City of Oz

    The Emerald City of Oz

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 续大唐内典录

    续大唐内典录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 菩萨道树经

    菩萨道树经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大唐大慈恩寺三藏法师传

    大唐大慈恩寺三藏法师传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 契约丑妻:帅老公别跑

    契约丑妻:帅老公别跑

    “只要你娶了这个丑女人,我保证马上资金注入你们孙氏避免破产的危险。”白富美的前女友趾高气扬并带着戏谑的在孙建安面前笑道。“娶就娶,但你要说话算话!”高富帅的孙建安牛脾气上来了,“不就是一个契约丑妻吗?晚上关上灯你和她都一样。”前女友听到这里脸都气绿了,“好,我就要看看你每天都面对着一个丑女丑妻要怎么生活的幸福又有滋味~!”<br/>??“尼玛,你们说谁丑呢?我只不过就是单眼皮厚嘴唇和趴鼻梁,又壮了点而已。嘿嘿,不过这男人可真帅,天上居然砸下了个帅老公给我,不要白不要。”刘双喜对着孙建安直流口水。<br/>
  • 高武巨擘

    高武巨擘

    热血和诡秘互搏,东方武者与西方异能者鏖战,谁可跨越荆棘,踏足巅峰?超凡的传说不曾湮灭,应信史诗与神话从未远离......
  • 感悟父爱母爱(上)

    感悟父爱母爱(上)

    人首先要认识自己,才可以认清世界。这些已经被中外智慧人士不断印证过了。他们的成功,正是因为有着矢志不移的追求;有着不可摧毁的意志;有着对痛苦等闲视之的心境。在一次次生活的坎坷与磨难中自我提升与超越,才使他们成就了自己,丰富了自己。
  • 上清九天上帝祝百神内名经

    上清九天上帝祝百神内名经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医神嫡女:盛世宠妃倾天下

    医神嫡女:盛世宠妃倾天下

    21世纪凤凰特种部队军医穿越时空来到将军府嫡女慕容夕身上,一朝穿越,慕容夕性格大变,斗姨娘庶妹,招惹皇帝王爷。传言冰山王爷不是不近女色吗?怎么见了我总是色眯眯的......情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 女配她被反派缠上了

    女配她被反派缠上了

    【新书已发「快穿撩情:嚣张boss,我宠的」求支持】炮灰攻略……女主:狂风骤雨啪啪啪!男主:和风细雨么么哒!某女邪笑:“你说啥?!”灵灵妖……【系统能量耗尽,请不要呼叫!】一只邪魅反派路过……某女一甩小皮鞭,壁咚、墙咚、草地咚全套伺候:“呦,反派,劫个色!”反派:“……”反派你好媚,反派你好美,反派人家想吃你!灵灵妖咬着小手帕:宿主你去哪里,你的攻略对象在这里!唐僧牌反派,白骨精牌女主,包君满意!么么哒~(^з^)-☆
  • 遇见陆一

    遇见陆一

    没有了家以后,友情是否值得依靠?被爱情背叛了,下一刻又会遇见谁?她是失去双亲的孤儿,同时又被最好的朋友设计而被顶替领养,她能否承受住初恋的情感背叛?当她同时遇见“我爱上了你,在你完全不知道我的存在的时候”的男子,和一个笑容温暖如玉的男子,她会如何选择?在经历了人生的各种起伏挣扎,她是否能够“也许反而更相信爱”。
  • 我的阿尔曼道时光

    我的阿尔曼道时光

    19岁的那一年,她遇到了他们。那是最充实的年华,那是最好的19岁。后来他们走了,时光并没有把他们留下。那晚,很凉,月影摇曳。层层叠叠的海涛前推后涌的击打岸边的岩石,发出震耳欲聋的响声。桐暖合上眼睛,和着海风划过耳际的微调,听到他低沉的声音:“桐暖,忘了我吧”。心钝钝的一痛,倔强的眼里盛满了泪水。为什么我要忘了你?我哪有那么想听你的话?拼命摇头。“不会的,不会……即使我忘了,我也会再一次找到你,再一次记住你……”在意识混沌前,她清晰的听到他说:“好啊……我等你。”他骨节分明的双手拂过她的发。从此,她的生活与他无关了。脑海中不再有关于他的半点记忆。直到有一天,她在相册里翻到了那张合影……
  • 摄政王,属下慌恐

    摄政王,属下慌恐

    母亲斗不过姨娘,怒极放火,全家葬身火海?——不怕,不怕,她福大命大,逃过一劫。夫家要以正妻之礼娶平妻?——有什么了不起,她和离下堂腾位置。师父被追债躲进茅厕?——不怕,她倒卖消息,给冷酷摄政王当侍卫,赚银子还债。太后、郡主合谋整她?——不怕,你有张良计,我有摄政王这个过墙梯。晋太子劫走她,圈禁在太子府?——不怕,本姑娘嫁过人下过堂,又不是没见过男人!神马?摄政王要娶她?——怕什么怕,本姑娘嫁过人下过堂…既然诚心可见,还是考虑考虑吧…*片段一一曲终了,何清君如释重负,令狐薄意犹未尽。“再吹一曲。”“…啊?”令狐薄闪着寒光的眸子睨着她,不说话。何清君顿觉不寒而栗,心里将他车裂一百次,面上却是低眉顺目:“是。”樱唇轻启,笛曲响起,是一首《月下会》。令狐薄皱眉,这曲子欢快是欢快,只是吹曲者太过生涩,把欢快畅然的曲子吹得很是晦涩难忍,让他有种想起身捂住她嘴的冲动。“换一首。”“啊?换…噢。”换成《乐淘淘》。令狐薄眉毛一挑,“本王说换一首。”何清君汗滴滴地又换成《月下会》。令狐薄嘴角连抽数下,有点抓狂,“何姑娘,请问你会几首曲子?!”何清君讪笑,施礼,“其实…只会两首。”令狐薄顿觉一群乌鸦在头顶飞过,两首?!这也敢大言不惭叫做会吹笛?还附庸风雅地别一支玉笛在腰间唬人?*片段二令狐薄淡淡却又坚定地道:“本王要娶你。”“砰——”某人晕倒。…令狐薄坚定地站着,何清君坚定的晕着。“何清君,你是本王的护卫,我们天天相伴,你能逃避到几时?”“…”能逃到几时算几时。“何清君,本王既非断袖,亦无隐疾,是个正常的男人。”“…”她又没验过,谁知道正不正常?“本王至今未娶的原因,是个隐秘,只能告诉本王的嫡王妃。”“…”那就去告诉你的嫡王妃,不要打扰她继续晕。
  • 在城市里逃亡

    在城市里逃亡

    欢迎来到微阅读的世界,请每天给我100秒的时间,感受心灵与心灵的互动,在这个快节奏的时代,不忘让自己感动在一个又一个的微故事里微阅读,是指借手机短消息、网文和短文体生存的一种新兴的阅读方式。微阅读是阅读领域的快餐,口袋书、手机报、微博,都代表微阅读。等车时,习惯拿出手机看新闻;走路时,喜欢戴上耳机“听”小说;陪老婆逛街,看电子书打发等待等待时间;如果有这些行为,那说明你已在不知不觉中成为“微阅读”的忠实执行者了。