Marjorie's New Friend Read online

  MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND

  BY

  CAROLYN WELLS

  Author of the "Patty" Books

  "'HERE'S THE BOOK', SAID MISS HART.... 'HOW MANY LEAVESHAS IT!'"]

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I. A BOTHERSOME BAG

  II. A WELCOME CHRISTMAS GIFT

  III. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

  IV. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

  V. A TEARFUL TIME

  VI. THE GOING OF GLADYS

  VII. THE COMING OF DELIGHT

  VIII. A VISIT TO CINDERELLA

  IX. A STRAW-RIDE

  X. MAKING VALENTINES

  XI. MARJORIE CAPTIVE

  XII. MISS HART HELPS

  XIII. GOLDFISH AND KITTENS

  XIV. A PLEASANT SCHOOL

  XV. A SEA TRIP

  XVI. A VALENTINE PARTY

  XVII. A JINKS AUCTION

  XVIII. HONEST CONFESSION

  XIX. A VISIT FROM GLADYS

  XX. CHESSY CATS

  CHAPTER I

  A BOTHERSOME BAG

  "Mother, are you there?"

  "Yes, Marjorie; what is it, dear?"

  "Nothing. I just wanted to know. Is Kitty there?"

  "No; I'm alone, except for Baby Rosy. Are you bothered?"

  "Yes, awfully. Please tell me the minute Kitty comes. I want to see her."

  "Yes, dearie. I wish I could help you."

  "Oh, I _wish_ you could! You'd be just the one!"

  This somewhat unintelligible conversation is explained by the fact thatwhile Mrs. Maynard sat by a table in the large, well-lighted living-room,and Rosy Posy was playing near her on the floor, Marjorie was concealedbehind a large folding screen in a distant corner.

  The four Japanese panels of the screen were adjusted so that theyenclosed the corner as a tiny room, and in it sat Marjorie, looking verymuch troubled, and staring blankly at a rather hopeless-looking mass ofbrocaded silk and light-green satin, on which she had been sewing. Themore she looked at it, and the more she endeavored to pull it into shape,the more perplexed she became.

  "I never saw such a thing!" she murmured, to herself. "You turn itstraight, and then it's wrong side out,--and then you turn it back, andstill it's wrong side out! I wish I could ask Mother about it!"

  The exasperating silk affair was a fancy work-bag which Marjorie wastrying to make for her mother's Christmas present. And that her mothershould not know of the gift, which was to be a surprise, of course,Marjorie worked on it while sitting behind the screen. It was a mostuseful arrangement, for often Kitty, and, sometimes, even Kingdon, tookrefuge behind its concealing panels, when making or wrapping up gifts foreach other that must not be seen until Christmas Day.

  Indeed, at this hour, between dusk and dinner time, the screened offcorner was rarely unoccupied.

  It was a carefully-kept rule that no one was to intrude if any one elsewas in there, unless, of course, by invitation of the one in possession.Marjorie did not like to sew, and was not very adept at it, but she hadtried very hard to make this bag neatly, that it might be presentableenough for her mother to carry when she went anywhere and carried herwork.

  So Midget had bought a lovely pattern of brocaded silk for the outside,and a dainty pale green satin for the lining. She had seamed up the twomaterials separately, and then had joined them at the top, thinking thatwhen she turned them, the bag would be neatly lined, and ready for theintroduction of a pretty ribbon that should gather it at the top. But,instead, when she sewed her two bags together, they did not turn intoeach other right at all. She had done her sewing with both bags wrongside out, thinking they would turn in such a way as to conceal all theseams. But instead of that, not only were all the seams on the outside,but only the wrong sides of the pretty materials showed, and turn andtwist it as she would, Marjorie could not make it come right.

  Her mother could have shown her where the trouble lay, but Marjoriecouldn't consult her as to her own surprise, so she sat and stared at theexasperating bag until Kitty came.

  "Come in here, Kit," called Midget, and Kitty carefully squeezed herselfinside the screen.

  "What's the matter, Mopsy? Oh, is it Mother's--"

  "Sh!" said Marjorie warningly, for Kitty was apt to speak outthoughtlessly, and Mrs. Maynard was easily within hearing.

  "I can't make it turn right," she whispered; "see if you can."

  Kitty obligingly took the bag, but the more she turned and twisted it,the more obstinately it refused to get right side out.

  "You've sewed it wrong," she whispered back.

  "I know that,--but what's the way to sew it right. I can't see where Imade the mistake."

  "No, nor I. You'd think it would turn, wouldn't you?"

  Kitty kept turning the bag, now brocaded side out, now lining side out,but always the seams were outside, and the right side of the materialsinvisible.

  "I never saw anything so queer," said Kitty; "it's bewitched! Maybe Kingcould help us."

  Kingdon had just come in, so they called him to the consultation.

  "It is queer," he said, after the situation was noiselessly explained tohim. "It's just like my skatebag, that Mother made, only the seams ofthat don't show."

  "Go get it, King," said Marjorie hopefully. "Maybe I can get this rightthen. Don't let Mother see it."

  So King went for his skatebag, and with it stuffed inside his jacket,returned to his perplexed sisters.

  "No; I don't see how she did it," declared Marjorie, at last, after aclose inspection of the neatly-made bag, with all its seams properly outof sight, and its material and lining both showing their right sides."I'll have to give it to her this way"

  "You can't!" said Kitty, looking at the absurd thing.

  "But what can I do, Kit? It's only a week till Christmas now, and I can'tbegin anything else for Mother. I've lots of things to finish yet."

  "Here's Father," said Kitty, as she heard his voice outside; "perhaps hecan fix it."

  "Men don't know about fancy work," said Marjorie, but even as she spokehope rose in her heart, for Mr. Maynard had often proved knowing inmatters supposed to be outside his ken.

  "Oh, Father, come in here, please; in behind the screen. You go out, Kingand Kitty, so there'll be room."

  Those invited to leave did so, and Mr. Maynard came in and smiled at hiseldest daughter's despairing face.

  "What's the trouble, Mopsy midget? Oh, millinery? You don't expect me tohemstitch, do you? What's that you're making, a young sofa-cushion?"

  "Don't speak so loud, Father. It's a Christmas present I'm making forMother, and it won't go right. If you can't help me, I don't know whatI'll do. I've tried every way, but it's always wrong side out!"

  "What a hateful disposition it must have! But what _is_ it?"

  Marjorie put her lips to her father's ear, and whispered; "It's a bag; Imean it's meant to be one, for Mother to carry to sewing society. I cansew it well enough, but I can't make it get right side out!"

  "Now, Mopsy, dear, you know I'd do anything in the world to help you thatI possibly can; but I'm afraid this is a huckleberry above mypersimmons!"

  "But, Father, here's King's skatebag. Mother made it, and can't you seeby that how it's to go?"

  "H'm,--let me see. I suppose if I must pull you out of this slough ofdespond, I must. Now all these seams are turned in, and all yours areoutside."

  "Yes; and how can we get them inside? There's no place to turn them to."

  Mr. Maynard examined both bags minutely.

  "Aha!" he said at last; "do you know how they put the milk in thecoconut, Marjorie?"

  "No, sir."

  "Well, neither do I. Bu
t I see a way to get these seams inside and letyour pretty silks put their best face foremost. Have you a pair ofscissors?"

  "Yes, here they are."

  Mr. Maynard deftly ripped a few stitches, leaving an opening of a coupleof inches in one of the seams of the lining. Through this opening hecarefully pulled the whole of both materials, thus reversing the wholething. When it had all come through, he pulled and patted it smooth, and,behold! the bag was all as it should be, and there remained only thetiny opening he had ripped in the lining to be sewed up again.

  "That you must cat-stitch, or whatever you call it," he said, "as neatlyas you can. And it will never show, on a galloping horse on a darknight."

  "Blindstitch, you mean," said Marjorie; "yes, I can do that. Oh, Father,how clever you are! How did you know how to do it?"

  "Well, to be honest, I saw a similar place in the lining of the skatebag. So I concluded that was the most approved way to make bags. Can youfinish it now?"

  "Oh, yes; I've only to stitch a sort of casing and run a ribbon in forthe strings. Thank you lots, Father dear. You always help me out. But Iwas afraid this was out of your line."

  "It isn't exactly in my day's work, as a rule; but I'm always glad toassist a fair lady in distress. Any other orders, mademoiselle?"

  "Not to-night, brave sir. But you might call in, any time you'repassing."

  "Suppose I should pop in when you're engaged on a token of regard andesteem for my noble self?"

  "No danger! Your Christmas present is all done and put away. I hadMother's help on that."

  "Well, then it's sure to be satisfactory. Then I will bid you adieu,trusting to meet you again at dinner."

  "All right," said Marjorie, who had neatly; blindstitched the littleripped place, and was now making the casing for the ribbons.

  By dinner time the bag was nearly done, and she went to the table with alight heart, knowing that she could finish her mother's present thatevening.

  "Who is the dinner for this year?" asked Mr. Maynard, as the family satround their own dinner table.

  "Oh, the Simpsons," said Marjorie, in a tone of decision. "You know Mr.Simpson is still in the hospital, and they're awfully poor."

  It was the Maynards' habit to send, every Christmas, a generous dinner tosome poor family in the town, and this year the children had decided onthe Simpsons. In addition to the dinner, they always made up a box oftoys, clothing, and gifts of all sorts. These were not always entirelynew, but were none the less welcome for that.

  "A large family, isn't it?" said Mr. Maynard.

  "Loads of 'em," said King. "All ages and assorted sizes."

  "Well, I'll give shoes and mittens all round, for my share. Mother, youmust look out for the dinner and any necessities that they need.Children, you can make toys and candies for them! can't you?"

  "Yes, indeed," said Marjorie; "we've lovely things planned. We're goingto paste pictures on wood, and King is going to saw them up intopicture-puzzles. And we're going to make scrap books, and dress dolls,and heaps of things."

  "And when are you going to take these things to them?"

  "I think we'd better take them the day before Christmas," said Mrs.Maynard. "Then Mrs. Simpson can prepare her turkey and such things overnight if she wants to. I'm sure she'd like it better than to have all thethings come upon her suddenly on Christmas morning."

  "Yes, that's true," said Mr. Maynard. "And then we must find something toamuse ourselves all day Christmas."

  "I rather guess we can!" said King. "Well have our own tree Christmasmorning, and Grandma and Uncle Steve are coming, and if there's snow,we'll have a sleigh-ride, and if there's ice, we'll have skating,--oh, Ijust love Christmas!"

  "So do I," said Marjorie. "And we'll have greens all over the house, andwreaths tied with red ribbon,--"

  "And mince pie and ice cream, both!" interrupted Kitty; "oh, won't it begorgeous!"

  "And then no school for a whole week!" said Marjorie, rapturously. "Morethan a week, for Christmas is on Thursday, so New Year's Day's onThursday, too, and we have vacation on that Friday, too."

  "But Christmas and New Year's Day don't come on the same day of the weekthis year, Marjorie," said her father.

  "They don't! Why, Father, they _always_ do! It isn't leap year, is it?"

  "Ho, Mops, leap year doesn't matter," cried King. "Of course, they alwayscome on the same day of the week. What do you mean, Father?"

  "I mean just what I say; that Christmas Day and New Year's Day do notfall on the same day of the week this year."

  "Why, Daddy, you're crazy!" said Marjorie, "Isn't Christmas coming onThursday?"

  "Yes, my child."

  "Well, isn't New Year's Day the following Thursday?"

  "Yes, but that's _next_ year. New Year's Day of _this_ year was nearlytwelve months ago and was on Wednesday."

  "Oh, Father, what a sell! of course I meant this _winter_."

  "Well, you didn't say so. You said this _year_."

  "It's a good joke," said King, thinking it over. "I'll fool the boys withit, at school."

  The Maynards were a busy crowd during the short week that intervenedbefore Christmas.

  From Mr. Maynard, who was superintending plans for his own family and formany beneficiaries, down to the cook, who was making whole shelves fullof marvelous dainties, everybody was hurrying and skurrying from morningtill night.

  The children had completed their gifts for their parents and for eachother, and most of them were already tied in dainty tissue papers andholly ribbons awaiting the festal day.

  Now they were making gifts for the poor family of Simpsons, and theyseemed to enjoy it quite as much as when making the more costly presentsfor each other.

  Marjorie came home from school at one o'clock, and as Mrs. Maynard hadsaid she needn't practise her music any more until after the holidays,she had all her afternoons and the early part of the evenings to work atthe Christmas things.

  She was especially clever with scissors and paste, and made lovelyscrap-books by cutting large double leaves of heavy brown paper. On theseshe pasted post-cards or other colored pictures, also little verses orstories cut from the papers. Eight of these sheets were tied together bya bright ribbon at the back, and made a scrap-book acceptable to anychild. Then, Marjorie loved to dress paper dolls. She bought a dozen ofthe pretty ones that have movable arms and feet, and dressed them mostpicturesquely in crinkled paper and lace paper. She made little hats,cloaks and muffs for them, and the dainty array was a fine addition tothe Simpson's box.

  Kitty, too, made worsted balls for the Simpson babies, and little lacestockings, worked around with worsted, which were to be filled withcandies.

  With Mrs. Maynard's help, they dressed a doll for each Simpson girl, andKing sawed out a picture puzzle for each Simpson boy.

  Then, a few days before Christmas they all went to work and made candies.They loved to do this, and Mrs. Maynard thought home-made confectionerymore wholesome than the bought kind. So they spent one afternoon, pickingout nuts and seeding raisins, and making all possible beforehandpreparations, and the next day they made the candy. As they wanted enoughfor their own family as well as the Simpsons, the quantity, whenfinished, was rather appalling.

  Pan after pan of cream chocolates, coconut balls, caramels, cream dates,cream nuts, and chocolate-dipped dainties of many sorts filled theshelves in the cold pantry.

  And Marjorie also made some old-fashioned molasses candy with peanuts init, because it was a favorite with Uncle Steve.

  The day before Christmas the children were all allowed to stay home fromschool, for in the morning they were to pack the Christmas box for theSimpsons and, in the afternoon, take it to them.