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Page 43
Mrs. Stein listened patiently to this long discourse, but her thoughts
often wandered away into the next room, to aunty and the bags. How were
they getting on all this time?
She promised Mrs. Bickel that Oscar would do what she asked, and now
she hoped the visit was coming to a close. But there was more to ask.
How many suits of clothes did she think needed for such a journey? Would
six new ones be enough? Wouldn't it be well to fill one trunk entirely
with new shirts, so that they needn't be washed away from home; hotel
laundry work was so bad. Mrs. Stein only replied that she had not so
many suits to give her children, and that Mrs. Bickel must decide such
questions for herself.
It was growing dark before the visit came to an end, and Mrs. Stein
hastened back into the other room. The packing was done, and aunty had
gone away with Oscar. The other children were complaining that they
wanted her, and they didn't see why Oscar should keep her all to
himself.
Little Rikli had been watching all the preparations with the keenest
interest, and, as it turned out, with an unfortunate effect. For mother
and aunty, having decided that the child was too young to go so far from
home, had persuaded her, by the prospect of many delightful treats and
excursions with them, to make up her mind that she would far rather stay
at home, than go on this long, uncertain journey without them. But alas!
all this delightful stir of preparation had fascinated the child, and
completely changed her views on the subject. She was seized with a
desire to go too, and she suddenly burst into a loud scream, which
increased every instant under Emma's scolding, and was only intensified
by Fred's taunting song:--
"Hanseli is a cry-baby,
Rikli is another;
She's so exactly like him,
He must be her brother."
In the midst of this hubbub, the mother entered, and at once interposed
her tranquillizing influence. She lifted Rikli from the floor, where she
sat in the midst of the luggage, and called the other two to sit quietly
down at her side. On this last evening, she said, she wanted to have a
little peaceful time with them; and Emma and Fred were very glad to
consult her about the various questions which lay on their minds, which
they had meant to ask aunty about, when Oscar so unceremoniously usurped
her.
As Rikli listened to the conversation which followed, and learned how
many things her brother and sister were in doubt about,--as to their
behavior in Mrs. Stanhope's house, and what they should say and do
there, and what they could not,--she made up her mind that it was far
better for her to stay quietly at home with her mother and aunty; and
the prospect of walks and drives with them, and of the biggest share of
all the cherry and apple cakes, seemed more attractive than the very
doubtful circumstances in which the others would be placed. So Rikli
became quite reconciled to her lot, and was in good-humor again.
Oscar had meantime led his aunt into an unused bedroom on the ground
floor, and, having locked the door for farther security from
interruption, he announced that he had something very important to
consult her about. He had been all winter hunting for suitable mottoes
for his new banner, and had pressed so many friends into the service,
that he had collected no fewer than thirty-five beautiful mottoes, any
one of which would have been perfectly satisfactory. From such wealth it
seemed impossible to choose, yet some choice must be made. One banner
would hold only one motto, and even Oscar, with all his enthusiasm,
could scarcely hope to have thirty-five banners for the sake of using
them all. Aunty must help him decide, and already before this last
afternoon they had had at least a dozen consultations on the subject, in
which they had gradually succeeded in reducing the number of candidates
to three. And now the final selection must be made, and Oscar and his
aunt could not agree upon it. His aunt wanted him to make his own
choice, but he was not willing to decide against her opinion; yet he
could not give up his own; he hoped by farther argument to bring her
over to his side.
"Now, aunty," he said, when the door was safely locked, "we must settle
this about the motto. I will repeat them all three over again, and you
really must choose. First I'll say the one you like best:--
"'Drums beat and banners fly
Our Festival to grace;
Long live all men, we cry;
But guests we forward place.'
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