Five Little Peppers And How They Grew

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"Oh!--oh!--oo-h!" and then the sounds that answered her, as with
smothered whoops of expectation they one and all flew into their
clothes!

Quick as a flash Joel and Davie were down and dancing around the
chimney.

"Mammy! mammy!" screamed Phronsie, hugging her stocking,
which Ben lifted her up to unhook from the big nail, "Santy did
come, he did!" and then she spun around in the middle of the floor,
not stopping to look in it.

"Well, open it, Phronsie," called Davie, deep in the exploring of
his own; "oh! isn't that a splendid wind-mill, Joe?"

"Yes," said that individual, who, having found a big piece of
molasses candy, was so engaged in enjoying a huge bite that,
regardless alike of his other gifts or of the smearing his face was
getting, he gave himself wholly up to its delights.

"Oh, Joey," cried Polly, laughingly, "molasses candy for
breakfast!"

"That's prime!" cried Joel, swallowing the last morsel. "Now rm
going to see what's this--oh, Dave, see here! see here!" he cried in
intense excitement, pulling out a nice little parcel which, unrolled,
proved to be a bright pair of stout mittens. "See if you've got
some--look quick!"

"Yes, I have," said David, picking up a parcel about as big. "No,
that's molasses candy."

"Just the same as I had," said Joel; "do look for the mittens. P'r'aps
Santa Claus thought you had some--oh, dear!"

"Here they are!" screamed Davie. "I have got some, Joe, just
exactly like yours! See, Joe!"

"Goody!" said Joel, immensely relieved; for now he could quite
enjoy his to see a pair on Davie's hands, also. "Look at Phron," he
cried, "she hasn't got only half of her things out!"

To tell the truth, Phronsie was so bewildered by her riches that she
sat on the floor with the little red stocking in her lap, laughing and
cooing to herself amid the few things she had drawn out. When she
came to Seraphina's bonnet she was quite overcome. She turned it
over and over, and smoothed out the little white feather that had
once adorned one of Grandma Bascom's chickens, until the two
boys~ with their stockings, and the others sitting around in a group
on the floor watching them, laughed in glee to see her enjoyment.

"Oh, dear," said Joel, at last, shaking his stocking; "I've got all
there is. I wish there were forty Christmases coming!"

"I haven't!" screamed Davie; "there's some thing in the toe."

"It's an apple, I guess," said Joel; "turn it up, Dave."

"'Tisn't an apple," exclaimed Davie, "tisn't round--it's long and thin;
here 'tis." And he pulled out a splendid long whistle on which he
blew a blast long and terrible, and Joel immediately following, all
quiet was broken up, and the wildest hilarity reigned.

"I don't know as you'll want any breakfast," at last said

Mrs. Pepper, when she had got Phronsie a little sobered down.

"I do, I do!" cried Joel.

"Dear me! after your candy?" said Polly.

"That's all gone," said Joel, tooting around the table on his whistle.
"What are we going to have for breakfast?"

"Same as ever," said his mother; "it can't be Christmas all the
time."

"I wish 'twas," said little Davie; "forever and ever!"

"Forever an' ever," echoed little Phronsie, flying up, her cheeks
like two pinks, and Seraphina in her arms with her bonnet on
upside down.

"Dear, dear," said Polly, pinching Ben to keep still as they tumbled
down the little rickety steps to the Provision Room, after breakfast.
The children, content in their treasures, were holding high carnival
in the kitchen. "Suppose they should find it out now--I declare I
should feel most awfully. Isn't it elegant?" she asked, in a subdued
whisper, going all around and around the tree, magnificent in its
dress of bright red and yellow balls, white festoons, and little
candle-ends all ready for lighting. "Oh, Ben, did you lock the
door?"

"Yes," he said. "That's a mouse," he added, as a little rustling noise
made Polly stop where she stood back of the tree and prick up her
ears in great distress of mind. "'Tis elegant," he said, turning
around in admiration, and taldng in the tree which, as Polly said,
was quite "gorgeous," and the evergreen branches twisted up on
the beams and rafters, and all the other festive arrangements.
"Even Jappy's isn't better, I don't believe!"

"I wish Jappy was here," said Polly with a small sigh.

"Well, he isn't," said Ben; "come, we must go back into the
kitchen, or all the children will be out here. Look your last, Polly;
'twon't do to come again till it's time to light up."

"Mammy says she'd rather do the lighting up," said Polly. "Had
she?" said Ben, in surprise; "oh, I suppose she's afraid we'll set
somethin' a-fire. Well, then, we shan't come in till we have it."

"I can't bear to go," said Polly, turning reluctantly away; "it's most
beautiful--oh, Ben," and she faced him for the five-hundredth time
with the question, "is your Santa Claus dress all safe?"

"Yes," said Ben, "I'll warrant they won't find that in one hurry!
Such a time as we've had to make it!"

"I know it," laughed Polly; "don't that cotton wool look just like
bits of fur, Ben?"

"Yes," said Ben, "and when the flour's shaken over me it'll be
Santa himself"

"We've got to put back the hair into mamsie's cushion the first
thing to-morrow," whispered Polly anxiously, "and we mustn't
forget it, Bensie."

"I want to keep the wig awfully," said Ben. "You did make that just
magnificent, Polly!"

"If you could see yourself," giggled Polly; "did you put it in the
straw bed? and are you sure you pulled the ticking over it smooth?"

"Yes, sir," replied Ben, "sure's my name's Ben Pepper! if you'll
only keep them from seeing me when I'm in it till we're
ready--that's all I ask."

"Well," said Polly a little relieved, "but I hope Joe won't look."

"Come on! they're a-comin'!" whispered Ben; "quick!"

"Polly!" rang a voice dangerously near; so near that Polly, speeding
over the stairs to intercept it, nearly fell on her nose.

"Where you been?" asked one.

"Let's have a concert," put in Ben; Polly was so out of breath that
she couldn't speak. "Come, now, each take a whistle, and we'll
march round and round and see which can make the biggest
noise."

In the rattle and laughter which this procession made all mystery
was forgotten, and the two conspirators began to breathe freer.

Five o'clock! The small ones of the Pepper flock, being pretty well
tired out with noise and excitement, all gathered around Polly and
Ben, and clamored for a story.

"Do, Polly, do," begged Joel. "It's Christmas, and 'twon't come
again for a year."

"I can't," said Polly, in such a twitter that she could hardly stand
still, and for the first time in her life refusing, "I can't think of a
thing."

"I will then," said Ben; "we must do something," he whispored to
Polly.

"Tell it good," said Joel, settling himself.

So for an hour the small tyrants kept their entertainers well
employed.

"Isn't it growing awful dark?" said Davie, rousing himself at last,
as Ben paused to take breath.

Polly pinched Ben.

"Mammy's a-goin' to let us know," he whispered in reply. "We
must keep on a little longer."

"Don't stop," said Joel, lifting his head where he sat on the floor.
"What you whisperin' for, Polly?"

"I'm not," said Polly, glad to think she hadn't spoken.

"Well, do go on, Ben," said Joel, lying down again.

"Polly'll have to finish it," said Ben; "I've got to go upstairs now."

So Polly launched out into such an extravagant story that they all,
perforce, had to listen.

All this time Mrs. Pepper had been pretty busy in her way. And
now she came into the kitchen and set down her candle on the
table. "Children," she said. Everybody turned and looked at
her--her tone was so strange; and when they saw her dark eyes
shining with such a new light, little Davie skipped right out into
the middle of the room. "What's the matter, mammy?"

"You may all come into the Provision Room," said she.

"What for?" shouted Joel, in amazement; while the others jumped
to their feet, and stood staring.

Polly flew around like a general, arranging her forces. "Let's march
there," said she; "Phronsie, you take hold of Davie's hand, and go
first."

"I'm goin' first," announced Joel, squeezing up past Polly. "No, you
mustn't, Joe," said Polly decidedly; "Phronsie and David are the
youngest."

"They're always the youngest," said Joel, falling back with Polly to
the rear.

"Forward! MARCH!" sang Polly. "Follow mamsie!"

Down the stairs they went with military step, and into the
Provision Room. And then, with one wild look, the little battalion
broke ranks, and tumbling one over the other in decidedly
unmilitary style, presented a very queer appearance!

And Captain Polly was the queerest of all; for she just gave one
gaze at the tree, and then sat right down on the floor, and said,
"On! OH!"

Mrs. Pepper was flying around delightedly, and saying, "Please to
come right in," and "How do you do?"

And before anybody knew it, there were the laughing faces of Mrs.
Henderson and the Parson himself, Doctor Fisher and old Grandma
Bascom; while the two Henderson boys, unwilling to be defrauded
of any of the fun, were squeezing themselves in between
everybody else, and coming up to Polly every third minute, and
saying, "There--aren't you surprised?"

"It's Fairyland!" cried little Davie, out of his wits with joy; "Oh!
aren't we in Fairyland, ma?"

The whole room was in one buzz of chatter and fun; and
everybody beamed on everybody else; and nobody knew what they
said, till Mrs. Pepper called, "Hush! Santa Claus is coming!"

A rattle at the little old window made everybody look there, just as
a great snow-white head popped up over the sill.

"Oh!" screamed Joel, "'tis Santy!"

"He's a-comin' in!" cried Davie in chorus, which sent Phronsie
flying to Polly. In jumped a little old man, quite spry for his years;
with a jolly, red face and a pack on his back, and flew into their
midst, prepared to do his duty; but what should he do, instead of
making his speech, "this jolly Old Saint"--but first fly up to Mrs.
Pepper, and say--"Oh, mammy how did you do it?"

"It's Ben!" screamed Phronsie; but the little Old Saint didn't hear,
for he and Polly took hold of hands, and pranced around that tree
while everybody laughed till they cried to see them go!

And then it all came out!

"Order!" said Parson Henderson in his deepest tones; and then he
put into Santa Claus' hands a letter, which he requested him to
read. And the jolly Old Saint, although he was very old, didn't need
any spectacles, but piped out in Ben's loudest tones:

"Dear Friends--A Merry Christmas to you all! And that you'll have
a good time, and enjoy it all as much as I've enjoyed my good
times at your house, is the wish of your friend,

JASPER ELYOT KING"

"Hurrah for Jappy!" cried Santa Claus, pulling his beard; and
"Hurrah for Jasper!" went all around the room; and this ended in
three good cheers--Phronsie coming in too late with her little
crow--which was just as well, however!

"Do your duty now, Santa Claus!" commanded Dr. Fisher as
master of ceremonies; and everything was as still as a mouse!

And the first thing she knew, a lovely brass cage, with a dear little
bird with two astonished black eyes dropped down into Polly's
hands. The card on it said: "For Miss Polly Pepper, to give her
music everyday in the year."

"Mammy," said Polly; and then she did the queerest thing of the
whole! she just burst into tears! "I never thought I should have a
bird for my very own!"

"Hulloa!" said Santa Claus, "I've got something myself!"

"Santa Claus' clothes are too old," laughed Dr. Fisher, holding up a
stout, warm suit that a boy about as big as Ben would delight in.

And then that wonderful tree just rained down all manner of lovely
fruit. Gifts came flying thick and fast, till the air seemed full, and
each one was greeted with a shout of glee, as it was put into the
hands of its owner. A shawl flew down on Mrs. Pepper's shoulders;
and a work-basket tumbled on Polly's head; and tops and balls and
fishing poles, sent Joel and David into a corner with howls of
delight!

But the climax was reached when a large wax doll in a very gay
pink silk dress, was put into Phronsie's hands, and Dr. Fisher,
stooping down, read in loud tones: "FOR PHRONSIE, FROM
ONE WHO ENJOYED HER GINGERBREAD BOY."

After that, nobody had anything to say! Books jumped down
unnoticed, and gay boxes of candy. Only Polly peeped into one of
her books, and saw in Jappy's plain hand--"I hope we'll both read
this next summer." And turning over to the title-page, she saw "A
Complete Manual of Cookery."

"The best is to come," said Mrs. Henderson in her gentle way.
When there was a lull in the gale, she took Polly's hand, and led
her to a little stand of flowers in the corner concealed by a sheet--
pinks and geraniums, heliotropes and roses, blooming away,
and nodding their pretty heads at the happy sight--Polly had her
flowers.

"Why didn't we know?" cried the children at last, when everybody
was tying on their hoods, and getting their hats to leave the festive
scene, "how could you keep it secret, mammy?"

"They all went to Mrs. Henderson's," said Mrs. Pepper; "Jasper
wrote me, and asked where to send 'em, and Mrs. Henderson was
so kind as to say that they might come there. And we brought 'em
over last evening, when you were all abed. I couldn't have done it,"
she said, bowing to the Parson and his wife, "if 'twasn't for their
kindness--never, in all this world!"

"And I'm sure," said the minister, looking around on the bright
group, "if we can help along a bit of happiness like this, it is a
blessed thing!"

And here Joel had the last word. "You said 'twan't goin' to be
Christmas always, mammy. I say," looking around on the overflow
of treasures and the happy faces--"it'll be just forever!"

EDUCATION AHEAD

After that they couldn't thank Jasper enough! They tried to,
lovingly, and an elaborate letter of thanks, headed by Mrs. Pepper,
was drawn up and sent with a box of the results of Polly's diligent
study of Jasper's book. Polly stripped off recklessly her choicest
buds and blossoms from the gay little stand of flowers in the
corner, that had already begun to blossom, and tucked them into
every little nook in the box that could possibly hold a posy. But as
for thanking him enough!

"We can't do it, mammy," said Polly, looking around on all the
happy faces, and then up at Cherry, who was singing in the
window, and who immediately swelled up his little throat and
poured out such a merry burst of song that she had to wait for him
to finish. "No, not if we tried a thousand years!"

"I'm a-goin'," said Joel, who was busy as a bee with his new tools
that the tree had shaken down for him, "to make Jappy the
splendidest box you ever saw, Polly! I guess that'll thank him!"

"Do," cried Polly; "he'd be so pleased, Joey."

"And I," said Phronsie, over in the corner with her children, "I'm
goin' to see my poor sick man sometime, Polly, lam!"

"Oh, dear!" cried Polly, whirling around, and looking at her mother
in dismay. "She'll be goin' to-morrow! Oh, no, Phronsie, you can't;
he lives miles and miles away--oh, ever so far!"

"Does he live as far as the moon?" asked little Phronsie, carefully
laying Seraphina down, and looking up at Polly, anxiously.

"Oh, I don't know," said Polly, giving Cherry a piece of bread, and
laughing to see how cunning he looked. "Oh, no, of course not, but
it's an awful long ways, Phronsie."

"I don't care," said Phronsie, determinedly, giving the new doll a
loving little pat, "I'm goin' sometime, Polly, to thank my poor sick
man, yes, I am!"

"You'll see him next summer, Phronsie," sang Polly skipping
around the kitchen, "and Jappy's sister Marian, the lovely lady, and
all the boys. Won't that be nice?" and Polly stopped to pat the
yellow head bending in motherly attentions over her array of dolls.

"Ye-es," said Phronsie, slowly; "the whole of 'em, Polly?"

"Yes, indeed!" said Polly, gayly; "the whole of 'em, Phronsie!

"Hooray!" shouted the two boys, while Phronsie only gave a long
sigh, and clasped her hands.

"Better not be looking for summer," said Mrs. Pepper, "until you
do your duty by the winter; then you can enjoy it," and she took a
fresh needleful of thread.

"Mamsie's right," said Ben, smiling over at her. And he threw
down his book and jumped for his cap. "Now for a good chop!" he
cried, and snatching a kiss from Phronsie, he rushed out of the
door to his work, whistling as he went.

"Warn't Mr. Henderson good, ma," asked Polly, watching his
retreating figure, "to give Ben learning?"

"Yes, he was," replied Mrs. Pepper, enthusiastically. "We've got a
parson, if anybody has in this world!"

"And Ben's learning," said Polly, swelling with pride, as she sat
down by her mother, and began to sew rapidly, "so that he'll be a
big man right off! Oh, dear," as a thought made her needle pause a
minute in its quick flying in and out.

"What is it, Polly?" Mrs. Pepper looked keenly at the troubled face
and downcast eyes.

"Why--" began Polly, and then she finished very slowly, "I sha n t
know anything, and Ben 11 be ashamed of me.

"Yes, you will!" cried Mrs. Pepper, energetically, "you keep on
trying, and the Lord'll send some way; don't you go to bothering
your head about it now, Polly--it'll come when it's time."

"Will it?" asked Polly, doubtfully, taking up her needle again.

"Yes, indeed!" cried Mrs. Pepper, briskly; "come fly at your
sewing; that's your learning now."

"So 'tis," said Polly, with a little laugh. "Now let's see which'll get
their seam done first, mamsie?"

And now letters flew thick and fast from the city to the little brown
house, and back again, warming Jasper's heart, and filling the
tedious months of that winter with more of jollity and fun than the
lad ever enjoyed before; and never was fun and jollity more
needed than now; for Mr. King, having nothing to do, and each
year finding himself less inclined to exercise any thoughtful energy
for others, began to look at life something in the light of a serious
bore, and accordingly made it decidedly disagreeable for all
around him, and particularly for Jasper who was his constant
companion. But the boy was looking forward to summer, and so
held on bravely.

"I do verily believe, Polly," he wrote, "that Badgertown'll see the
gayest times it ever knew! Sister Marian wants to go, so that's all
right. Now, hurrah for a good time--it's surely coming!"

But alas! for Jasper! as spring advanced, his father took a decided
aversion to Hingham, Badgertown, and all other places that could
be mentioned in that vicinity.

"It's a wretched climate," he asserted, over and over; "and the
foundation of all my ill feelings this winter was laid, I'm
convinced, in Hingham last summer."

No use to urge the contrary; and all Jasper's pleadings were equally
vain. At last, sister Marian, who was kind-hearted to a fault, sorry
to see her brother's dismay and disappointment said, one day,
"Why not have one of the children come here? I should like it very
much--do invite Ben."

"I don't want Ben," said Jasper gloomily, "I want Polly." He added
this in much the same tone as Phronsie's when she had rushed up
to him the day she was lost, declaring, "I want Polly!"

"Very well, then," said sister Marian, laughing, "I'm sure I didn't
mean to dictate which one; let it be Polly then; yes, I should prefer
Polly myself, I think, as we've enough boys now," smiling to think
of her own brood of wide awake youngsters.

"If you only will, father, I'll try to be ever so good!" said Jasper,
turning suddenly to his father.

"Jasper needs some change," said sister Marian kindly, "he really
has grown very pale and thin."

"Hey!" said Mr. King, sharply, looking at him over his eyeglasses.
"The boy's well enough; well enough!" But he twisted uneasily in
his chair, all the same. At last he flung down his paper, twitched
his fingers through his hair two or three times, and then burst out--
"Well, why don't you send for her? I'm sure I don't care-- I'll write
myself, and I had better do it now. Tell Thomas to be ready to take
it right down; it must get into this mail."

When Mr. King had made up his mind to do anything, everybody
else must immediately give up their individual plans, and stand out
of the way for him to execute his at just that particular moment!
Accordingly Thomas was dragged from his work to post the letter,
while the old gentleman occupied the time in pulling out his watch
every third second until the slightly-out-of-breath Thomas reported
on his return that the letter did get in. Then Mr. King settled down
satisfied, and everything went on smoothly as before.

But Polly didn't come! A grateful, appreciative letter, expressed in
Mrs. Pepper's own stiff way, plainly showed the determination of
that good woman not to accept what was such a favor to her child.

In vain Mr. King stormed, and fretted, and begged, offering every
advantage possible--Polly should have the best foundation for a
musical education that the city could afford; also lessons in the
schoolroom under the boys' private tutor-- it was all of no avail. In
vain sister Marian sent a gentle appeal, fully showing her heart
was in it; nothing broke down Mrs. Pepper's resolve, until, at last,
the old gentleman wrote one day that Jasper, being in such failing
health, really depended on Polly to cheer him up. That removed
the last straw that made it "putting one's self under an obligation,"
which to Mrs. Pepper's independent soul, had seemed
insurmountable.

And now, it was decided that Polly was really to go! and pretty
soon all Badgertown knew that Polly Pepper was going to the big
city. And there wasn't a man, woman, or child but what greatly
rejoiced that a sunny time was coming to one of the chicks in the
little brown house. With many warm words, and some substantial
gifts, kind friends helped forward the "outing." Only one person
doubted that this delightful chance should be grasped at once--and
that one was Polly herself!

"I can't," she said, and stood quite pale and still, when the
Hendersons advised her mother's approval, and even Grandma
Bascom said, "Go." "I can't go and leave mammy to do all the
work."

"But don't you see, Polly," said Mrs. Henderson, drawing her to her
side, "that you will help your mother twice as much as you
possibly could here, by getting a good education? Think what your
music will be; only think, Polly!"

Polly drew a long breath at this and turned away.

"Oh, Polly!" cried Ben, though his voice choked, "if you give this
up, there never'll be another chance," and the boy put his arm
around her, and whispered something in her ear.

"I know," said Polly quietly--and then she burst out, "oh, but I
can't! 'tisn't right."

"Polly," said Mrs. Pepper--and never in all their lives had the
children seen such a look in mamsie's eyes as met them then; "it
does seem as if my heart would be broken if you didn't go!" And
then she burst out crying, right before them all!

"Oh mammy," cried Polly, breaking away from everybody, and
flinging herself into her arms. "I'll go--if you think I ought to. But
it's too good! don't cry--don't, mammy dear," and Polly stroked the
careworn face lovingly, and patted the smooth hair that was still so
black.

"And, Polly," said Mrs. Pepper, smiling through her tears, "just
think what a comfort you'll be to me, and us all," she added, taking
in the children who were crowding around Polly as the centre of
attraction. "Why, you'll be the making of us," she added hopefully.

"I'll do something," said Polly, her brown eyes kindling, "or I shan't
be worthy of you, mammy."

"O, you'll do it," said Mrs. Pepper, confidently, "now that you're
going."

But when Polly stepped into the stage, with her little hair trunk
strapped on behind, containing her one brown merino that Mrs.
Henderson had made over for her out of one of her own, and her
two new ginghams, her courage failed again, and she astonished
everybody, and nearly upset a mild-faced old lady who was in the
corner placidly eating doughnuts, by springing out and rushing up
through the little brown gate, past all the family, drawn up to see
her off. She flew over the old flat door-stone, and into the
bedroom, where she flung herself down between the old bed and
Phronsie's crib, in a sudden torrent of tears. "I can't go!" she
sobbed--"oh I can't!"

"Why, Polly!" cried Mrs. Pepper, hurrying in, followed by Joel and
the rest of the troops at his heels. "What are you thinking of!"

"Think of by-and-by, Polly," put in Ben, patting her on the back
with an unsteady hand, while Joel varied the proceedings by
running back and forth, screaming at the top of his lungs, "The
stage's going! your trunk'll be taken!"

"Dear me!" ejaculated Mrs. Pepper, "do stop it somebody! there,
Polly, come now! Do as mother says!"

"I'll try again," said poor Polly, choking back her sobs, and getting
on her feet.

Then Polly's tears were wiped away, her hat straightened, after
which she was kissed all round again by the whole family,
Phronsie waiting for the last two, and then was helped again into
the stage, the bags and parcels, and a box for Jappy, which, as it
wouldn't go into the trunk, Joel had insisted Polly should carry in
her hand, were again piled around her, and Mr. Tisbett mounted to
his seat, and with a crack of the whip, bore her safely off this time.

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