Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

The Road to Providence by Maria Thompson Daviess
page 50 of 185 (27%)
"Oh, Maw have gone across the Nob to Aunt Elviry's and left Susie
May and Bud being punished. They can't go outen the gate and I ain't
a-going to no circus with my little brother and sister being
punished, and I won't let Billy and Ez go either." By this time the
whole group was in different stages of grief, for the viewing of a
circus without the company of Eliza Pike had the flavor of dead sea
fruit in all their small mouths. From the heart in Eliza's small
bosom radiated the force that vivified the lives of the whole small-
fry congregation, and a circus not seen through her eyes would be
but a dreary vision.

"Now ain't that too bad!" said Mother Mayberry with compassion and
irritation striving in her voice. "What did they do and just what
did she say?"

"Susie hurted Aunt Prissy's feelings, by taking the last biscuit
when they wasn't one left for her, and Maw said she would have to
stay in the yard until she learned to be kind and respectful to
Paw's sister, She didn't mean to be bad." And Eliza presented the
case of her small sister with hopelessness in every tone.

"Well, Susie," said Mother Mayberry, "don't you feel kind to her
yet?" There was a note of hope in Mother's voice that silenced all
the wails, and they all fixed large and expectant eyes upon this
friend who never failed them. By this time the Deacon had joined the
group and his gentle old eyes were also fixed on Mother Mayberry's
face, with the same confident hope that the children's expressed.

"I've done been kind to her," sniffed the culprit. "I let her cut
all my finger-nails and wash my ears and never said a word. She have
DigitalOcean Referral Badge