Liz and Anna Maria.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue XXIII, 7 December 1901, Page 1107

Liz and Anna Maria.

It was a bright summer morning; the birds were singing, the cuckoo calling, while crake, crake, went on from the meadows. And little Lizzy Wood was going out for a long ramble with her sister Phoebe in wood and field. They were the children of the village carpenter, and lived in a cottage just outside of the village. There were big brothers and sisters, but Lizzie—or Liz, as she was called — was the youngest and the pet, with her gentle ways and bright face. Timid herself, she was always taking care of bird or beast that was helpless, and trying to keep Jack, her next brother, from hurting them. Lizzy had been laid up with some childish ailment, and this was her first long day out. “Mind her well. Phoebe, and don’t let her get tired or hot,” said Mrs Wood, and Phoebe laughed and promised. When had she not minded Liz, though there were but four years between them? And it was only when Liz was minding Anna Maria that she could do without Phoebe, Anna Maria wanted so much help! Anna Maria was a pretty doll, and a birthday present from Miss Alice, the Squire’s daughter. It had been such a comfort to the child, while she was sick, to have her head on the pillow, close to her own restless one. to see her black eyes looking at her as the morning light came in, and to feel quite, quite sure that Alina Maria would never tell the secrets whispered to her by Liz in the night. The last was about the robin’s nest.

“It’s such a cunning hiding-place, Anna Maria, under all that ivy round the old tree. You and I never would have known, only we sat so still by the brook that day for fear of frightening the little fishes. I think it wa's you saw Mr Robin come hopping along first—you have such bright eyes, darling. And he saw us, but he was not afraid, but just slipped into the ivy, and nobody knows but only us two. Mind. Jack must not guess. But Jack suspected. He had shaken Lizzy to make her tell where the robin's nest was only the night before, and when mother came in and sent him to bed as punishment, he had gone off muttering threats. But Lizzy forgot all about this. She was going with Phoebe to look if the bee orchis was out. She had found this bee orchis “her own self” the summer before, on a track that the rabbits had made darting in and out of the fir wood. She had looked at it a long time, wondering how still was the bee; then, coming close cautiously—Lizzy had been stung by a bee and was afraid of them—found it was no bee, but the very image of one, with its brown coat and gold

bands. Her father knew all about the bee orchis, and told her. He thought it would blow again when the time came, and now this was her first journey to look.

They were setting off, when Liz remembered Anna Maria. “She would like to come too, poor dear,” she said, and trotted back to get her. She came running in a few mo-

ments. “I cannot find her anywhere, Phoebe,” she said; “she must be stolen.” “Oh, no! She has got hid in a corner,” said Phoebe, going back to search; but no Anna Maria was to be found. Jack was grinning, his hands in his pockets. At last he said, “Anna Maria is out in the lane; I saw her.” “In the lane! Whatever brought her there? And why did you not say so before?” cried Phoebe. Rut Lizzy darted off. followed slowly by Jack. A moment later, and Phoebe heard a scream, and ran after them. There was Anna Maria, broken in two, her head and shoulders torn off, and flung on the ground. “Oh! oh! oh!” wailed Lizzy. “You did it. Jack.” Then she turned and ran crying bitterly to Phoebe, hiding her face in her arms, and sobbing as if her heart would break. “You would not tell me where the robin’s nest was—so there now!” said Jack. “You are a coward,” said Phoebe: “and you would not dare, only Father and George are away. And you’ve spoiled a happy day- for Liz, because she would not let you torment one of God’s birds. And Liz was so fond of Anna Maria! Oh, Jack, how could you?” she cried, as she felt how the child was shaken with sobs. He tried to bully it out. but in his heart he was feeling ashamed and sorry. But he went off whistling loudly for Punch, a young terrier which he had got as a pup. and loved dearly.

“Is he gone?” said Lizzy, raising her head. “Oh. Phoebe, what shall I do—what shall I do? I’m so miserable.”

“Father will get you a new doll.” said Phoebe; picking up the pieces very tenderly. “No, no; I only want Anna Maria,” wailed Lizzy. “And he’s hurted her too badly. She’s quite, quite dead.”

“Mother will take care of her,” said Phoebe; and she gathered up Anna Maria’s remains, and brought them in to Mrs. Wood.

“Father will spank Jack for that when he comes home,” said the mother. “I wonder how he could tease poor little Liz so. Coax her away. Phoebe: she'll cry- herself sick if she

stays in.” So Phoebe coaxed her off to the meadows, where the great daisies grew, and made her a daisy chain, and told her stories. But though Liz smiled a little, she was very pale, and the tears would come welling up in her big brown eyes, and sometimes a sob would burst. It was all quite real to her; the fright and pain of her dolly, the grief that now she should be dead, while the sun was shining and the birds singing—Anna Maria used to like to walk so much!

But there was a pond with sweet little tadpoles swimming about. Oh. how funny they- did look to be sure, wriggling their tails through the water. Liz was so amused that she forgot Anna Maria for a long time as she watched.

By-and-bye the tadpoles got quiet, and Liz began to think of the bee orchis. She set off to seek it, bidding Phoebe let her go first when thev came near the fir wood. “I see

it—-I. am sure 1 see it,” Phoebe heard her cry out. But in two minutes she came flying down the path; a very angry bumblebee after her. “Oh! save me, save me, Phoebe,” she cried. “It wasn't the orchis at all. but a real bee sucking honey out of a little white flower. I put my hand on him—he is so angry!” and Liz flung herself into the shelter of Phoebe’s arms.

Phoebe was not afraid of bees, and as it is a fact that every living creature —even a bee—knows in some queer way whether you fear it, and fears you if you do not, Mr. Bee flew away after a few angry- buzzes. It was time to go home, and Liz began to fret again about poor Anna Maria.

“I won’t play with Jack ever any more,” she said.

Just then a dog’s loud yell came from the far end of the fir woods, as if it had been struck and was in great pain or fear.

There was a sound of angry voices, and one raised very high was like Jack’s. These stopped suddenly, and there came a great silence, broken only- by a dog’s pitiful whining. “Something is hurt,” said Phoebe, and she turned into the wood, followed by Liz.

The dog’s whines guided them. In the very- heart of the wood they found it crouching over a boy who lay, as if dead, at the foot of a tree. It was Jack and Punch! There was blood on Jack’s face, and a cut across his forehead. But as they knelt beside him. calling his name in their fright, he opened his eyes. “Is it you. Liz?” he said in a dazed way—“and Phoebe? Oh. I say!” and he sat up. “where is Punch? Did thev kill him?”

Punch came creeping up to lick his cheek, but one paw hung limp, and he seemed in great pain.

“The cowards!” said Jack, tears of rage and grief in his eyes. “They had traps set for the rabbits, and when they saw Punch hunting a rabbit for fun they said they’d kill him, they were son angry. And I said they slu uld not, and we fought. Two against one. the cowards!” He flushed suddenly, remembering who else had been called coward. One hand had received a blow wit’ a stick, aimed at Punch, but it was a stone which had cut his forehead and stunned him. The boys had run away in a fright when thev saw him fall.'

But if Jack was sick and sore. Punch was in worse plight. Jack found that his paw was broken. It was swelling, and poor Punch held it up in the most helpless way. howling now and then.

“Whatever shall I do?” said Jncl.. “He can’t walk, and I enn’t carry him.” He winced, for he had been trying to lift him with his bruised hand. Phoebe wet a handkerchief in the brook and bathed Jack’s wounds. With the help of Liz she managed to get Punch into her arms, without hurting him much, and to carry b home herself, while Liz walked with

Jack, who was weak and dizzy when lie 'stood up.

"Liz, I am so sorry,” he whispered, as they came near the cottage. He had been trying to say- it all the way. but there seemed a lump in his throat. Having begun, he went on. “I won’t rob the birds' nests anymore, or hurt the things. I won't, indeed, Liz.” And Liz forgave him. Jack would have given even his pocket-knife to have undone his morning’s mischief, now that he knew what pain meant, and saw how Punch was suffering. But Jack’s father wa's at home, and he set the broken paw and made Punch so comfortable that he curled himself round and fell asleep. When meal time came, there was Anna Maria, smiling at the head of the table, looking as composed and sweet as if she had not been parted in two a few hours before! Lizzy Hew to her.

“Oh. my- own dolly darling, is it you? Oh. however did you get alive again?”

Ah. well, mother knew, who had spent her precious time stitching, glueing and mending; and mother was rewarded, for it was hard to tell which of the children wa's the happiest. to see Anna Maria come to life! MARY GORGES.