CHAPTER IV. THE GORDON FAMILY.

hereyes,andshakingherhead:— "'Whatifweweartherichestvest,— Peacocksandfliesarebetterdrest Thisflesh,withallitsgloriousforms, Mustdroptoearth,andfeedtheworms.'" "Aunt,Idothinkyouhavethemosthorrid,disgustingsetofhymns,allaboutworms,anddust,andsuchthings!" "It'smyduty,child,whenIseeyousomuchtakenupwithsuchsinfulfinery." "Why,aunt,doyouthinkartificialflowersaresinful?" "Yes,deartheyareasinfulwasteoftimeandmoney,andtakeoffourmindfrommoreimportantthings." "Well,aunt,thenwhatdidtheLordmakesweetpeas,androses,andorange-blossomsfor?I'msureit'sonlydoingashedoes,tomakeflowers.Hedon'tmakeeverythinggray,orstone-color.Now,ifyouonlywouldcomeoutinthegarden,thismorning,andseetheoleanders,andthecrapemyrtle,andthepinks,theroses,andthetulips,andthehyacinths,I'msureitwoulddoyougood." "Oh,Ishouldcertainlycatchcold,child,ifIwentoutdoors.Millyleftacrackopenedinthewindow,lastnight,andI'vesneezedthreeorfourtimessince.Itwillneverdoformetogooutinthegardenthefeelingofthegroundstrikingupthroughmyshoesisveryunhealthy." "Well,atanyrate,aunt,Ishouldthink,iftheLorddidn'twishustowearrosesandjessamines,hewouldnothavemadethem.Anditisthemostnaturalthingintheworldtowanttowearflowers." "Itonlyfeedsvanityandaloveofdisplay,mydear." "Idon'tthinkit'svanity,oraloveofdisplay.Ishouldwanttodressprettily,ifIweretheonlypersonintheworld.Iloveprettythingsbecausetheyarepretty.Iliketowearthembecausetheymakemelookpretty." "Thereitis,childyouwanttodressupyourpoorperishingbodytolookpretty—that'sthething!" "TobesureIdo.Whyshouldn'tI?ImeantolookasprettyasIcan,aslongasIlive." "Youseemtohavequiteaconceitofyourbeauty!"saidAuntNesbit. "Well,IknowIampretty.I'mnotgoingtopretendIdon't.Ilikemyownlooks,now,that'safact.I'mnotlikeoneofyourGreekstatues,Iknow.I'mnotwonderfullyhandsome,norlikelytosettheworldonfirewithmybeauty.I'mjustaprettylittlethingandIlikeflowersandlaces,andallofthosethingsandImeantolikethem,andIdon'tthinkthere'llbeabitofreligioninmynotlikingthemandasforallthatdisagreeablestuffabouttheworms,thatyouarealwaystellingme,Idon'tthinkitdoesmeaparticleofgood.And,ifreligionisgoingtomakemesopoky,IshallputitoffaslongIcan." "Iusedtofeeljustasyoudo,dear,butI'veseenthefollyofit!" "IfI'vegottolosemyloveforeverythingthatisbright,everythingthatislively,andeverythingthatispretty,andliketoreadsuchhorridstupidbooks,why,I'dratherbeburied,anddonewithit!" "That'stheoppositionofthenaturalheart,mydear." Theconversationwashereinterruptedbytheentranceofabright,curly-headedmulattoboy,bearingMrs.Nesbit'sdailyluncheon. "Oh,herecomesTomtit,"saidNina"nowforascene.Let'sseewhathehasforgotten,now." Tomtitwas,inhisway,agreatcharacterinthemansion.HeandhisgrandmotherwerethepropertyofMrs.Nesbit.HistruenamewasnolessrespectableandmethodicalthanthatofThomasbut,ashewasoneofthoserestlessandeffervescentsprites,whoseemtobebornfortheconfusionofquietpeople,NinahadrechristenedhimTomtit,whichsobriquetwasimmediatelyrecognizedbythewholehouseholdasbeingeminentlydescriptiveandappropriate.Aconstantrippleandeddyofdrolleryseemedtopervadehiswholebeinghislarge,saucyblackeyeshadalwaysalaughingfireinthem,thatitwasimpossibletomeetwithoutasmileinreturn.Slaveandpropertythoughhewas,yetthefirstsentimentofreverenceforanycreatedthingseemedyetwhollyunawakenedinhiscurlypate.Breezy,idle,careless,flighty,ashiswoodlandnamesake,lifetohimseemedonlyarepressedandpent-upebullitionofanimalenjoymentandalmosttheonlyexcitementofMrs.Nesbit'squietlifewasherchroniccontroversywithTomtit.Fortyorfiftytimesadaydidtheoldbodyassurehim"thatshewasastonishedathisconduct"andasmanytimeswouldhereplybyshowingthewholesetofhishandsometeeth,onthebroadgrin,whollyinconsiderateofthestateofdespairintowhichhethusreducedher. Onthepresentoccasion,asheenteredtheroom,hiseyewascaughtbythegreatdisplayoffineryonthebedand,hastilydumpingthewaiteronthefirstchairthatoccurred,withaflirtandaspringaslitheasthatofasquirrel,hewasseatedinamomentastridethefoot-board,indulginginaburstofmerriment. "Goodlaw,MissNina,wharonearthdeseyercomefrom?Goodlaw,someon'emforme,isn't'er?" "Youseethatchild!"nowsaidMrs.Nesbit,rockingbackinherchairwiththeairofamartyr."Afterallmytalkingstohim!Nina,yououghtnottoallowthatitjustencourageshim!" "Tom,getdown,younaughtycreatureyou,andgetthestandandputthewaiteronit.Mindyourself,now!"saidNina,laughing. Tomtitcutasomersetfromthefoot-boardtothefloor,and,strikingup,onaveryhighkey,"I'llbetmymoneyonabobtailnag,"hedancedoutasmalltable,asifithadbeenapartner,anddepositedit,withajerk,atthesideofMrs.Nesbit,whoaimedacuffathisearsbut,asheadroitlyduckedhishead,theintendedblowcamedownuponthetablewithmoreforcethanwascomfortabletotheinflictor. "Ibelievethatchildismadeofair!—Inevercanhithim!"saidthegoodlady,waxingredintheface."Heisenoughtoprovokeasaint!" "Soheis,auntenoughtoprovoketwosaintslikeyouandme.Tomtit,yourogue,"saidshe,givingagentlepulltoahandfulofhiscurlyhair,"begood,now,andI'llshowyoutheprettythings,byandby.Come,putthewaiteronthetable,nowseeifyoucan'twalk,foronce!" Castingdownhiseyeswithanirresistiblelookofmocksolemnity,Tomtitmarchedwiththewaiter,andplaceditbyhismistress. Thegoodlady,afterdrawingoffherglovesandmakingsundrylittledecorouspreparations,saidashortgraceoverhermeal,duringwhichtimeTomtitseemedtobeholdinghissideswithrepressedmerrimentthen,gravelylayingholdofthehandleoftheteapotshestoppedshort,gaveanexclamation,andflirtedherfingers,asshefeltitalmostscaldinghot. "Tomtit,Idobelieveyouintendtoburnmetodeath,someday!" "Laws,missus,datarehot?Oh,sureIwasticklertosetthenoseroundtothefire." "No,youdidn't!Youstuckthehandlerightintothefireasyou'realwaysdoing!" "Laws,now,wonderifIdid,"saidTomtit,assuminganabstractedappearance."'Pearsasifnevercan'memberwhichdemdareisnose,andwhichhandle.Now,I'sastuddinondatdaremostalldemorning—wasso,"saidhe,gatheringconfidence,ashesaw,byNina'sdancingeyes,howgreatlyshewasamused. "Youneedasoundwhipping,sir—that'swhatyouneed!"saidMrs.Nesbit,kindlingupinsuddenwrath. "Oh,Iknowsit,"saidTomtit."We'sunprofitableservants,allonus.Lord'smarcythatwean't'sumed,allonus!" NinawassocompletelyovercomebythisnovelapplicationofthetextwhichshehadheardherauntlaboriouslydrummingintoTomtit,theSabbathbefore,thatshelaughedaloud,withratheruproariousmerriment. "Oh,aunt,there'snouse!Hedon'tknowanything!He'snothingbutanincarnatejoke,awalkinghoax!" "No,Idoesn'tknownothing,MissNina,"saidTomtit,atthesametimelookingoutfromunderhislongeyelashes."Don'tknownothingatall—nevercan." "Well,now,Tomtit,"saidMrs.Nesbit,drawingoutalittlebluecowhidefromunderherchair,andlookingathimresolutely,"yousee,ifthisteapothandleishotagain,I'llgiveittoyou!Doyouhear?" "Yes,missis,"saidTomtit,withthatindescribablesing-songofindifference,whichissocommonandsoprovokinginhisclass. "And,now,Tomtit,yougodownstairsandclea