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Page 77
Grandma Sherwood began to realize that there had been not only
mischief but real danger in this latest escapade.
"Molly," she said, "you may go home, and tell your mother about
it, and I will talk it over with Marjorie. I think you were
equally to blame, for, though Molly proposed the plan, Marjorie
ought not to have consented."
So Molly went home and Mrs. Sherwood had a long and serious talk
with her little granddaughter. She did not scold,--Grandma
Sherwood never scolded,--but she explained to Marjorie that,
unless she curbed her impulsive inclinations to do reckless
things, she would certainly make serious trouble for herself and
her friends.
"It doesn't matter at all," she said, "who proposes the mischief.
You do just as wrong in consenting to take part, as if you
invented the plan yourself."
"But, Grandma, truly I didn't see any harm in going down the well
to get cooled off. The buckets are big and the chains are very
strong, and I thought we would just go down slowly and swing
around awhile and pull ourselves up again."
"Oh, Midget, will you never learn commonsense? I know you're only
twelve, but it seems as if you ought to know better than to do
such absurd things."
"It does seem so, Grandma, and I'll try to learn. Perhaps if you
punish me for this I'll grow better. Punishment most always does
me good."
Grandma Sherwood suppressed a smile.
"I always punish you, Midget, when you do wrong through
forgetfulness, because I think punishment helps your memory. But I
don't think you'll ever FORGET that you're not to go down the well
again. But next time it will be some other dreadful thing;
something totally different, and something that it would never
occur to me to warn you against. However, I do want you to
remember not to do things that endanger your life, so I think I
shall punish you for this morning's performance. You may remain in
your own room all the afternoon,--at least, until Uncle Steve
comes home."
Grandma's command was not so much for the sake of punishing
Marjorie as the thought that the child really needed a quiet
afternoon of rest after her experience of the morning.
Marjorie sighed a little, but accepted her fate, and after dinner
went to her room to spend the afternoon. It was not a great
hardship, for there was plenty of entertainment there, and had it
been a rainy day, she could have occupied herself happily. But the
knowledge that she was there as a punishment weighed on her mind,
and depressed her spirits; and she wandered idly about the room,
unable to take an interest in her books or toys.
Grandma looked in from time to time and gave her an encouraging
smile and a few words of comfort; for, though intending to be
strict with Midget, like all other grandmas, Mrs. Sherwood greatly
preferred to be indulgent.
After a while Molly came over, and, as she seemed so penitent and
full of remorse, Mrs. Sherwood told her that, if she chose, she
might go up to Marjorie's room and share her imprisonment.
Nothing loath, Molly trotted upstairs, and the lonesome Marjorie
was glad, indeed, to see her. After a short discussion of the
affair of the morning, Marjorie said, with her usual inclination
to keep away from disagreeable subjects: "Don't let's talk about
it any more. Let's have some good fun up here. I'm so glad Grandma
let you come up."
"All right," said Molly, "what shall we do?"
"Let's make paper dresses. Here's a stack of newspapers Grandma
was going to throw away, and I saved them."
"Goody! What fun! Shall we pin or sew?"
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