CHAPTER XII
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
CHAPTER XII.
Tunas went on, after Susy's visit to the country, pretty much as they did before.
Mrs.
Love had to send for Mr. Pain now and then, to come and give Susy a little slap on her arm, just to remind her that he was alive, and ready when he was wanted.
You see it was Mrs.
Love who was so fond of Susy, and so tender and gentle, who sent for Mr. Pain, and the reason is this.
She knew that Susy could not be happy unless she was good, and that it was easier to suffer a little from Mr. Pain now, than by and by to suffer from ill-temper, disobedience, and self-will.
One day grandmamma sent for Susy and Robbie to come and spend the day with her.
She lived in the country, not far from New York, and they all loved to go there.
Frank and Charlie, Susy's cousins, were invited, too, and they got there first.
Charlie was shy. He
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
was not used to playing with girls, and so he thought he did not like them.
When he saw Susy coming, he put on his cap and said:
"Good-by, grandma.
If girls are coming, I must go.
I can't stay where there are girls."
"You can't go without me," said Frank, "and I am sure I shan't go."
Charlie was obliged to content himself with hiding behind his grandma; but after awhile he began to peep out, and look at Susy, and at last concluded he would play with her, as it couldn't be helped.
"ve decided to play with her," said he to Frank.
"Ym sorry she's a girl, but now I've decided I shan't change my mind."
Now I ought to tell you that when this happened Charlie was between three and four years old.
Susy was a little older than Charlie, but Charlie was taller and stronger, and knew more than she did.
So they all played together, and Robbie sat on his nurse's lap and watched them, for he was not big enough to be trusted long away from her.
Susy's great doll had come to see
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grandma, with the other children.
Susy said she was sick and needed change of air.
After they had played till they were tired, Frank found a book and sat down to read.
Robbie went to take his nap, and Susy petted her doll, and began to make believe give it medicine.
Now Charlie did not like dolls, and he tried to think of some means to get Miss Peggy out of the way.
"Tf she's so sick, she'll die pretty soon," said he.
"Oh!
I guess she won't die!" said Susy.
"She's taken twenty ten pills, and ever so much castor oil, and a dose of—a dose of—well, I dou't know what it was, but something dreadful."
"Let me see her," said Charlie.
"Oh! she's dead.
She's all dead.
We'll bury her."
"Well, so we will!" cried Susy.
So they each took a stick and began to dig a hole in the midst of grandma's garden.
When they had dug a pretty large one, they squeezed Miss Peggy down into it, and covered her with leaves.
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
" Now she's dead and buried," said Charlie, "let's go and think about her.
People always sit down and think about dead folks."
So they sat down and looked very grave for some minutes, when Susy said:
"There!
Tve thoughted an hour, and now I am going to take her up."
"No, you mustn't.
She's dead.
And we ought to wear black.
I am her father, and you are her mother."
Susy was just going tocry.
"I don't want my dear dolly to be dead any longer," said she.
"Tf you are going to cry, I guess I'll go home," said Charlie.
"I don't like girls very well."
Just then, nurse, who had heard all their little talk, came down.
"Dolly isn't dead," said she.
"She's only muddy.
You mustn't bury her again."
"What for mustn't I?" asked Susy.
"Because it gets her allmuddy.
And dollies don't like to be buried.
It makes them feel quite discouraged to be buried."
"Then I won't do so again," said Susy.