Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Read online

  JOLLY DAYS

  "Oh Ben," cried Jasper, overtaking him by a smart run as he was turningin at the little brown gate one morning three days after, "do wait."

  "Halloa!" cried Ben, turning around, and setting down his load--a bag ofsalt and a basket of potatoes--and viewing Jasper and Prince with greatsatisfaction.

  "Yes, here I am," said Jasper. "And how I've run; that fellow on thestage was awful slow in getting here--oh, you're so good," he saidand his eyes, brimful of gladness, beamed on Ben. "The cakes were justprime, and 'twas great fun to get your letter."

  "Did you like it?" asked Ben, the color up all over his brownface--"Like it!" cried Jasper. "Why 'twas just splendid; and the cakeswere royal! Isn't Polly smart though, to bake like that!" he addedadmiringly.

  "I guess she is," said Ben, drawing himself up to his very tallestdimensions. "She knows how to do everything, Jasper King!"

  "I should think she did," responded the boy quickly. "I wish she was mysister," he finished longingly.

  "Well, I don't," quickly replied Ben, "for then she wouldn't be mine;and I couldn't think of being without Polly! Was your father angryabout--about--'the gingerbread boy'?" he asked timidly, trembling for ananswer.

  "Oh dear," cried Jasper, tumbling over on the grass, "don't, don't! Ishan't be good for anything if you make me laugh! oh! wasn't it funny;"and he rolled over and over, shaking with glee.

  "Yes," said Ben, immensely relieved to find that no offence had beentaken. "But she would send it; Polly tried not to have her, and shemost cried when Phronsie was so determined, cause she said your fathernever'd let you come again--"

  "Twas just lovely in Phronsie," said the boy, sitting up and wiping hiseyes, "but oh it was so funny! you ought to have seen my father, BenPepper."

  "Oh, then he was angry," cried Ben.

  "No indeed he wasn't!" said Jasper; "don't you think it! do you know itdid him lots of good, for he'd been feeling real badly that morning, hehadn't eaten any breakfast, and when he saw that gingerbread boy--"here Jasper rolled over again with a peal of laughter--"and heard themessage, he just put back his head, and he laughed--why, I never heardhim laugh as he did then! the room shook all over; and he ate a bigdinner, and all that afternoon he felt as good as could be. But he sayshe's coming to see the little girl that baked it for him before we gohome."

  Ben nearly tumbled over by the side of Jasper at these words--"Coming tosee us!" he gasped.

  "Yes," said Jasper, who had scarcely got over his own astonishment aboutit, for if the roof had suddenly whisked off on to the church steeple,he couldn't have been more amazed than when he heard his father saycheerily: "Well, Jasper my boy, I guess I shall have to drive over andsee your little girl, since she's been polite enough to bake me this,"pointing to the wild-looking "gingerbread boy."

  "Come in and tell 'em about it," cried Ben, radiantly, picking up hispotatoes and salt. "It's all right, Polly!" he said in a jubilant voice,"for here's Jasper, and he'll tell you so himself."

  "Hush!" said Jasper warningly, "don't let Phronsie hear; well, here'smy pet now," and after bobbing lovingly to the others, with eyes beamingover with fun, he caught up the little girl who was screaming--"Oh,here's Jasper! and my beyew-ti-ful doggie!"

  "Now Phronsie," he cried, "give me a kiss; you haven't any soft soapto-day, have you? no; that's a good, nice one, now; your 'gingerbreadboy' was just splendid!"

  "Did he eat it?" asked the child in grave delight.

  "Well--no--he hasn't eaten it yet," said Jasper, smiling on the others;"he's keeping it to look at, Phronsie."

  "I should think so!" groaned Polly.

  "Never mind, Polly," Ben whispered; "Jasper's been a-tellin' me aboutit; his father liked it--he did truly."

  "Oh!" said Polly, "I'm so glad!"

  "He had eyes," said Phronsie, going back to the charms of the"gingerbread boy."

  "I know it," said Jasper admiringly; "so he did."

  "Rather deep sunk, one of 'em was," muttered Ben.

  "And I'll bake you one, Jasper," said the child as he put her down; "Iwill very truly--some day."

  "Will you," smiled Jasper; "well then," and there was a whisperedconference with Phronsie that somehow sent that damsel into a blissfulstate of delight. And then while Phronsie monopolized Prince, Jaspertold them all about the reception of the parcel--how very dull andforlorn he was feeling that morning, Prince and he shut up in-doors--andhow his father had had a miserable night, and had eaten scarcely nobreakfast, and just at this juncture there came a knock at the door,"and" said Jasper, "your parcel walked in, all dressed up in flowers!"

  "They weren't our flowers," said Polly, honestly. "Mrs. Blodgett put 'emon."

  "Well she couldn't have, if you hadn't sent the parcel," said Jasper ina tone of conviction.

  Then he launched out into a description of how they opened thepackage--Prince looking on, and begging for one of the cakes.

  "Oh, didn't you give him one?" cried Polly at this. "Good old Prince!"

  "Yes I did," said Jasper, "the biggest one of all."

  "The one I guess," interrupted Joel, "with the big raisin on top."

  Polly spoke up quickly to save any more remarks on Joel's part. "Nowtell us about your father--and the 'gingerbread boy.'"

  So Jasper broke out with a merry laugh, into this part of the story,and soon had them all in such a gale of merriment, that Phronsie stoppedplaying out on the door-step with Prince, and came in to see what thematter was.

  "Never mind," said Polly, trying to get her breath, just as Jasper wasrelating how Mr. King set up the "gingerbread boy" on his writing tablebefore him, while he leaned back in his chair for a hearty laugh.

  "And to make it funnier still," said Jasper "don't you think, a littlepen-wiper he has, made like a cap, hanging on the pen-rack above him,tumbled off just at this very identical minute right on the head of the'gingerbread boy,' and there it stuck!"

  "Oh!" they all screamed, "if we could only have seen it."

  "What was it?" asked Phronsie, pulling Polly's sleeve to make her hear.

  So Jasper took her in his lap, and told how funny the "gingerbread boy"looked with a cap on, and Phronsie clapped her hands, and laughed withthe rest, till the little old kitchen rang and rang again.

  And then they had the baking! and Polly tied one of her mother's ampleaprons on Jasper, as Mrs. Pepper had left directions if he should comewhile she was away; and he developed such a taste for cookery, and hadso many splendid improvements on the Peppers' simple ideas, that thechildren thought it the most fortunate thing in the world that he came;and one and all voted him a most charming companion.

  "You could cook a Thanksgiving dinner in this stove, just as easy asnot," said Jasper, putting into the oven something on a little crackedplate that would have been a pie if there were any centre; but lackingthat necessary accompaniment, probably was a short-cake. "Just as easyas not," he repeated with emphasis, slamming the door, to give point tohis remarks.

  "No, you couldn't either," said Ben at the table with equal decision;"not a bit of it, Jasper King!"

  "Why, Ben Pepper?" asked Jasper, "that oven's big enough! I should liketo know why not?"

  "'Cause there isn't anything to cook," said Ben coolly, cutting out apiece of dough for a jumble; "we don't keep Thanksgiving."

  "Not keep Thanksgiving!" said Jasper, standing quite still; "never had aThanksgiving! well, I declare," and then he stopped again.

  "Yes," answered Ben; "we had one once; 'twas last year--but that wasn'tmuch."

  "Well then," said Jasper, leaning over the table, "I'll tell you what Ishould think you'd do--try Christmas."

  "Oh, that's always worse," said Polly, setting down her rolling-pin tothink--which immediately rolled away by itself off from the table.

  "We never had a Christmas," said little Davie reflectively; "what arethey like, Jasper?"

  Jasper sat quite still, and didn't reply to this question for a momentor two.

  To be among children who didn'
t like Thanksgiving, and who "neverhad seen a Christmas," and "didn't know what it was like," was a newrevelation to him.

  "They hang up stockings," said Polly softly.

  How many, many times she had begged her mother to try it for the youngerones; but there was never anything to put in them, and the winters werecold and hard, and the strictest economy only carried them through.

  "Oh!" said little Phronsie in horror, "are their feet in 'em, Polly?"

  "No dear," said Polly; while Jasper instead of laughing, only stared.Something requiring a deal of thought was passing through the boy's mindjust then. "They shall have a Christmas!" he muttered, "I know father'lllet me." But he kept his thoughts to himself; and becoming his own gay,kindly self, he explained and told to Phronsie and the others, so manystories of past Christmases he had enjoyed, that the interest over thebaking soon dwindled away, until a horrible smell of something burningbrought them all to their senses.

  "Oh! the house is burning!" cried Polly. "Oh get a pail of water!"

  "Tisn't either," said Jasper, snuffing wisely; "oh! I know--I forgot allabout it--I do beg your pardon." And running to the stove, he kneltdown and drew out of the oven, a black, odorous mass, which with acrest-fallen air he brought to Polly.

  "I'm no end sorry I made such a mess of it," he said, "I meant it foryou."

  "Tisn't any matter," said Polly kindly.

  "And now do you go on," cried Joel and David both in the same breath,"all about the Tree, you know."

  "Yes, yes," said the others; "if you're not tired, Jasper."

  "Oh, no," cried their accommodating friend, "I love to tell about it;only wait--let's help Polly clear up first."

  So after all traces of the frolic had been tidied up, and made nice forthe mother's return, they took seats in a circle and Jasper regaledthem with story and reminiscence, till they felt as if fairy land werenothing to it!

  "How did you ever live through it, Jasper King," said Polly, drawing thefirst long breath she had dared to indulge in. "Such an elegant time!"

  Jasper laughed. "I hope I'll live through plenty more of them," he saidmerrily. "We're going to sister Marian's again, father and I; we alwaysspend our Christmas there, you know, and she's to have all the cousins,and I don't know how many more; and a tree--but the best of all, there'sgoing to be a German carol sung by choir boys--I shall like that best ofall."

  "What are choir boys?" asked Polly who was intensely fond of music.

  "In some of the churches," explained Jasper, "the choir is all boys; andthey do chant, and sing anthems perfectly beautifully, Polly!"

  "Do you play on the piano, and sing?" asked Polly, looking at him inawe.

  "Yes," said the boy simply; "I've played ever since I was a littlefellow, no bigger'n Phronsie."

  "Oh, Jasper!" cried Polly, clasping her hands, her cheeks allaflame--"do you mean to say you do really and truly play on the piano?"

  "Why yes," said the boy, looking into her flashing eyes. "Polly'salways crazy about music," explained Ben; "she'll drum on the table, andanywhere, to make believe it's a piano."

  "There's Dr. Fisher going by," said Joel, who, now that they had gottenon the subject of music, began to find prickles running up and down hislegs from sitting so still. "I wish he'd stop."

  "Is he the one that cured your measles--and Polly's eyes?" asked Jasperrunning to the window. "I want to see him."

  "Well there he is," cried Ben, as the doctor put his head out of the gigand bowed and smiled to the little group in the window.

  "He's just lovely," cried Polly, "oh! I wish you knew him."

  "If father's sick again," said Jasper, "we'll have him--he looks nice,anyway--for father don't like the doctor over in Hingham--do you knowperhaps we'll come again next summer; wouldn't that be nice!"

  "Oh!" cried the children rapturously; "do come, Jasper, do!"

  "Well, maybe," said Jasper, "if father likes it and sister Marian andher family will come with us; they do some summers. You'd like littleDick, I know," turning to Phronsie. "And I guess all of you'd like allof them," he added, looking at the group of interested listeners. "Theywanted to come this year awfully; they said--'Oh grandpapa, do let us gowith you and Jappy, and--"

  "What!" said the children.

  "Oh," said Jasper with a laugh, "they call me Jappy--its easier to saythan Jasper; ever so many people do for short. You may if you want to,"he said looking around on them all.

  "How funny!" laughed Polly, "But I don't know as it is any worse thanPolly or Ben."

  "Or Phronsie," said Jappy. "Don't you like Jappy?" he said, bringinghis head down to her level, as she sat on the little stool at his feet,content in listening to the merry chat.

  "Is that the same as Jasper?" she asked gravely.

  "Yes, the very same," he said.

  When they parted--Jappy and the little Peppers were sworn friends; andthe boy, happy in his good times in the cheery little home, felt thehours long between the visits that his father, when he saw the changethat they wrought in his son, willingly allowed him to make.

  "Oh dear!" said Mrs. Pepper one day in the last of September--as acarriage drawn by a pair of very handsome horses, stopped at theirdoor, "here comes Mr. King I do believe; we never looked worse'n we doto-day!"

  "I don't care," said Polly, flying out of the bedroom. "Jappy's withhim, mamma, and it'll be nice I guess. At any rate, Phronsie's clean asa pink," she thought to herself looking at the little maiden, busy with"baby" to whom she was teaching deportment in the corner. But there wasno time to "fix up;" for a tall, portly gentleman, leaning on hisheavy gold cane, was walking up from the little brown gate to the bigflat-stone that served as a step. Jasper and Prince followed decorously.

  "Is this little Miss Pepper?" he asked pompously of Polly, who answeredhis rap on the door. Now whether she was little "Miss Pepper" she neverhad stopped to consider.

  "I don't know sir; I'm Polly." And then she blushed bright as a rose,and the laughing brown eyes looked beyond to Jasper, who stood on thewalk, and smiled encouragingly.

  "Is your mother in?" asked the old gentleman, who was so tall he couldscarcely enter the low door. And then Mrs. Pepper came forward, andJasper introduced her, and the old gentleman bowed, and sat down inthe seat Polly placed for him. And Mrs. Pepper thanked him with a heartoverflowing with gratitude, through lips that would tremble eventhen, for all that Jasper had done for them. And the old gentlemansaid--"Humph!" but he looked at his son, and something shone in his eyejust for a moment.

  Phronsie had retreated with "baby" in her arms behind the door on thenew arrival. But seeing everything progressing finely, and overcome byher extreme desire to see Jappy and Prince, she began by peeping outwith big eyes to observe how things were going on. Just then the oldgentleman happened to say, "Well, where is my little girl that baked mea cake so kindly?"

  Then Phronsie, forgetting all else but her "poor sick man," who also was"Jasper's father," rushed out from behind the door, and coming up to thestately old gentleman in the chair, she looked up pityingly, and said,shaking her yellow head, "Poor, sick man, was my boy good?"

  After that there was no more gravity and ceremony. In a moment, Phronsiewas perched upon old Mr. King's knee, and playing with his watch;while the others, freed from all restraint, were chatting and laughinghappily, till some of the cheeriness overflowed and warmed the heart ofthe old gentleman.

  "We go to-morrow," he said, rising, and looking at his watch. "Why, isit possible that we have been here an hour! there, my little girl,will you give me a kiss?" and he bent his handsome old head down to thechildish face upturned to his confidingly.

  "Don't go," said the child, as she put up her little lips in graveconfidence. "I do like you--I do!"

  "Oh, Phronsie," began Mrs. Pepper.

  "Don't reprove her, madam," said the old gentleman, who liked itimmensely. "Yes, we go to-morrow," he said, looking around on the groupto whom this was a blow they little expected. They had surely thoughtJasper was to stay a week longer
.

  "I received a telegram this morning, that I must be in the city onThursday. And besides, madam," he said, addressing Mrs. Pepper, "I thinkthe climate is bad for me now, as it induces rheumatism. The hotel isalso getting unpleasant; there are many annoyances that I cannot put upwith; so that altogether, I do not regret it."

  Mrs. Pepper, not knowing exactly what to say to this, wisely saidnothing. Meantime, Jappy and the little Peppers were having a sorry timeover in the corner by themselves.

  "Well, I'll write," cried Jasper, not liking to look at Polly just then,as he was sure he shouldn't want anyone to look at him, if he felt likecrying. "And you must answer 'em all."

  "Oh, we will! we will!" they cried. "And Jappy, do come next summer,"said Joel.

  "If father'll only say yes, we will, I tell you!" he responded eagerly.

  "Come, my boy," said his father the third time; and Jasper knew by thetone that there must be no delay.

  Mr. King had been nervously putting his hand in his pocket during thelast few moments that the children were together; but when he glancedat Mrs. Pepper's eyes, something made him draw it out again hastily,as empty as he put it in. "No, 'twouldn't do," he said to himself; "sheisn't the kind of woman to whom one could offer money."

  The children crowded back their tears, and hastily said their lastgood-bye, some of them hanging on to Prince till the last moment.

  And then the carriage door shut with a bang, Jasper giving them a brightparting smile, and they were gone.

  And the Peppers went into their little brown house, and shut the door.