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Updated: June 21, 2025
"You're giving her a pretty specimen of 'em, Bill," said another boy. "For shame, William!" cried little Ellen Chauncey; "didn't I tell you she was one of grandpapa's guests? Come here, Ellen, I'll take you somewhere else." She seized Ellen's hand and pulled her towards the door, but suddenly stopped again.
So Phronsie called them, and in a few minutes there was quite a big group around Grandpapa's steamer chair; for when the other children saw what was going on, they stopped, too, and before he knew, there he was perfectly surrounded. "I should very much like to hear what it is all about." Mrs. Vanderburgh's soft voice broke into a pause, when old Mr. King stopped to rest a bit.
But Phronsie thought the time had never dragged so in all her small life; and, although she went about hanging to Grandpapa's hand as sweet and patient as ever, all her mind was on the donkeys; and whenever she saw one, and the street was full, especially at morning and in the late afternoon, of the little beasts of burden, clattering up the stony roads, she would beg to just go and pat one of the noses, if by chance one of the beasts should stand still long enough to admit of such attention.
After the tap came a kind of little pattering and scratching, like baby taps, not quite sure of their own existence; then, had Grandpapa's and Grandmamma's ears been a very little sharper, they could not but have heard a small duel in words. "You, bruvver, my fingers' bones is tired." "I told you, sister," reproachfully, "us should always bring old Neddy's nose downstairs with us.
She little knew what she was about; both babies burst into howling distress, and were not to be quieted even when the unlucky beads were taken away; no, indeed, they only cried the more. Grandmamma and Nurse were at their wits' end, and Grandpapa's superior intelligence had at last to be appealed to. And not in vain. "They must each have one," said Grandpapa solemnly. And so it had to be.
I discovered that if I maintained certain outward forms of respect and courtesy, so as not to shock my grandpapa's standard of good manners, I might make almost any demands on his patience and good-nature. Children and pet animals make such discoveries very quickly, and are apt to use their power somewhat tyrannically. I fear I was no exception to the rule.
"No," said Fred, "according to Aunt Geoffrey, there are two suns in one sphere: Queen Bee is grandpapa's pet, Uncle Geoffrey grandmamma's. It must be great fun to see them." "Happy people!" said Mrs. Langford. "Henrietta says," proceeded Fred, "that there is a house to be let at Knight Sutton."
Grandmamma," she went on, suddenly changing the subject, "what does a 'charge' mean, 'a great charge?" "Yes," said Marmaduke, who heard what she said, "'a very great charge." Grandpapa's eyes grew brighter. "Can they be speaking of a field of battle?" he said quickly. But Duke turned his large wistful blue eyes on him before Grandmamma had time to answer.
King stood up, with quite a regal air, and Phronsie had a little blue and white paper bonnet tied under her chin by Grandpapa's own hand. And caps were flying on to all the heads, and each right hand held a tinkling little bell that had swung right merrily on a green branch-tip.
Susie is saucy to her mamma, and her mamma's friend reprovingly remarks to the little girl that she is pained and surprised to hear her speak so naughtily to her dear mamma. Children resent this, and are far more keen and observant of these matters than their elders think. Little four-year-old and his mamma were spending the day at grandpapa's last week.
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