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  Little Sunbeams.

  V.

  MAMIE'S WATCHWORD.

  * * * * * *

  By the Author of this Volume.

  I.

  LITTLE SUNBEAMS.

  By JOANNA H. MATHEWS, Author of the "Bessie Books."

  I. BELLE POWERS' LOCKET. 16mo $1.00 II. DORA'S MOTTO. 16mo 1.00 III. LILY NORRIS' ENEMY 1.00 IV. JESSIE'S PARROT 1.00 V. MAMIE'S WATCHWORD 1.00 VI. NELLIE'S HOUSEKEEPING 1.00

  _The Set in a neat box_, $6.00

  II.

  THE FLOWERETS.

  A series of Stories on the Commandments. 6 vols. In a box $3.60

  "It is not easy to say too good a word for this admirable series. Interesting, graphic, impressive, they teach with great distinctness the cardinal lessons which they would have the youthful reader learn."--_S. S. Times._

  III.

  THE BESSIE BOOKS.

  6 vols. In a box $7.50

  "Bessie is a very charming specimen of little girlhood. It is a lovely story of home and nursery life among a family of bright, merry little children."--_Presbyterian._

  ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS, _New York_.

  * * * * * *

  MAMIE'S WATCHWORD.

  "Thou God Seest Me."

  by

  JOANNA H. MATHEWS,

  Author of the "Bessie Books" and the "Flowerets"

  New York:Robert Carter and Brothers,530 Broadway.1882.

  Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, byRobert Carter and BrothersIn the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

  CONTENTS.

  PAGE I. THE DOLL 9 II. HOW BELLE DID IT 27 III. THE BREAKWATER 47 IV. FORBIDDEN PLEASURES 69 V. THE DUCKLING 88 VI. POOR LITTLE WAGTAIL 110 VII. THE FIRST STEP 133 VIII. DISOBEDIENCE 151 IX. ADRIFT 172 X. RESCUE 190 XI. REPENTANCE 212

  MAMIE'S WATCHWORD.

  I.

  _THE DOLL._

  "MAMMA! can I have it? Can I, mamma? Buy it for me, buy it; will you,mamma?"

  "May be so, dear. I will see about it."

  "No, not may be; not see about it, mamma! I must have it, and I knowyou can afford it!"

  The speakers were Mrs. Stone and her little daughter Mamie; the scene,Miss Ashton's broad, shady piazza, where, at this time, a little fairwas taking place.

  And what was the object on which Mamie's heart was so set; for whichshe was begging so persistently, you will ask.

  Why, just this.

  A beautiful doll; a famous, much-talked-of doll, dressed as an infantby Miss Annie Stanton, for the fair; a doll eagerly desired by all thechildren present, as any little girl will readily believe when shehears that seldom has a doll had such an outfit.

  Mamie's eyes were fixed eagerly upon her as she pleaded and entreatedwith her mother, holding fast to her hand, and almost dancing in herextreme anxiety to secure the much-coveted prize.

  "Perhaps I can, dear," said Mrs. Stone's rather languid voice, as shelooked smilingly down at her little daughter; "perhaps I can afford it;but you know, Mamie, that the doll is to be sold to whoever shall offerthe highest price for her."

  "Well, _you_ offer the highest price for her, mamma; do, oh, do! Offera great deal more than any one else, so I shall be sure to have her. Iwant her so!"

  "But it is not to be known what each one offers till the fair is over,Mamie," said her mother; "then, whoever has said they will give themost, is to take the doll."

  "Ask Miss Stanton to tell you," pleaded Mamie.

  Mrs. Stone shook her head.

  "That would not be fair, Mamie; and Miss Stanton would refuse to tellif I asked her. I will make an offer for the doll, but you will have totake your chance with the rest, my darling."

  Mamie was so little used to any opposition or contradiction from herover-indulgent mother that she did not know how to meet it; and, thoughit was made thus plain to her that it might not be within her mother'spower to give her the doll, she felt as though the possibility ofdisappointment were more than she could bear, and as if it would bealtogether mamma's fault if the longed-for toy did not fall to hershare.

  The eager face clouded over, a frown gathered between her eyes, and anugly pout upon her lips.

  Oh, if little children who like to appear well only knew how such poutsand frowns disfigure the faces which God has made to be so pleasantand so fair, they would surely beware how they let Discontent set hishateful mark upon them!

  "But I want it so; and I must have it," Mamie muttered fretfully.

  "Yes, dear; we shall see," was Mrs. Stone's answer, as she went forwardto the table where the baby doll lay in her glory.

  "Tell me what you are going to give," said Mamie, as her mother bentforward with a smile, and whispered her offer to Miss Stanton.

  "Ah! but that is a secret, Mamie," said the young lady, drawing forththe paper on which she wrote the names of would-be purchasers with thesum each one proposed to give; and putting down Mrs. Stone's, and theamount she had offered for the doll. "No one is to be told till thisevening."

  "Did you offer the _most_, mamma?" repeated Mamie, upon whose mind itseemed impossible to impress the fact that no one would know this tillthe appointed time.

  "I doubt if any one will give more than I will," said Mrs. Stone, whothought that she had really offered more than the value of the doll, asindeed perhaps she had done, so anxious was she to gratify her littledaughter.

  Mamie's face cleared a little.

  "I do want it so," she said less fretfully, but still with much energyin her tone.

  "Yes, I believe the children all do," laughed Miss Annie Stanton; "atleast, I can answer for several, Maggie and Bessie among them."

  "I don't believe anybody wants it so much as I do," persisted Mamie."I've been thinking about it and thinking about it till I feel as if Icould not bear to give it up. Oh, I must have that doll, I must!"

  Somebody who was passing paused at her side as she spoke, and turningher eyes from the doll, they met those of Miss Ashton fixed ratheranxiously upon her. Mamie's color deepened, and she looked a littleashamed, for she hardly knew herself how much she valued the goodopinion of her teacher, and now it seemed to her that her last speechhad been rather obstinate and selfish.

  "I mean if I could have it quite fairly, Miss Ashton," she said, as ifin answer to the lady's look, for she had spoken no word.

  "Of course," said Miss Ashton, smiling; "we would not believe youwished to do what was unfair, even to gain the doll, Mamie."

  "No," answered Mamie half reluctantly; "but you can't think how much Iwant it, Miss Ashton. I'm sure none of the others care as much as I doabout it."

  "I do not know about that," said Miss Ashton. "Look at Belle, Mamie.How do you think she feels?"

  Mamie turned and looked at Belle.

  Her little schoolmate stood beside the doll, quite absorbed inregarding its beauties,--not that they were new to her, for she hadwatched the progress of its magnificent wardrobe from the verycommencement,--her eyes wandering from one pretty trifle to anotherwith longing, almost loving, interest; her fingers touching them nowand then, but so daintily and so carefully that there was no fear theywould come to harm through her handling. Miss Stanton had found itnecessary to warn off more than one little pair of hands that day, lestthey should mar the splendor of that wardrobe, or its mistress; butthere was no need of this with Belle, so gently and delicately did shesmooth and touch them
. Her face was very wistful as Mamie looked ather, showing plainly that her desire for the beautiful doll was quiteas great as Mamie's own, and that her disappointment would be quite assevere if it did not fall to her lot.

  Mamie watched her for a moment, and then, leaving her mother's side,walked slowly over to the corner of the table where Belle stood.

  "Isn't she lovely?" she said, meaning the doll.

  "Yes," answered Belle. "I should think she is! Oh, I want her so! Don'tyou, Mamie?"

  "Indeed, I do," said Mamie with quite as much emphasis as Belle hadused. "Indeed, I do."

  "But I don't s'pose you want her as much as I do," said Belle; "least Idon't s'pose you need her so much."

  "Why not?" asked Mamie, half resenting such a supposition.

  "'Cause you have your little sister to play with," said Belle, "andI have no sister, nor any mamma to play with me," she added with ahalf-smothered sigh.

  That appeal seldom failed to touch the hearts of Belle's playmates andcompanions; the child's longing for her lost mother was so great, hersense of loneliness, at times, so pitiful; and the years which hadpassed since her mother's death seemed to have little or no power toweaken these in her loyal little heart.

  Mamie stood silent. The doll was not yet hers to give up; but she nowhad a feeling as if she ought to wish that Belle, rather than herself,should be the fortunate possessor.

  "I b'lieve if I had a little sister I should not care so much aboutdolls," continued Belle, with an air of deep consideration; "but thisdoll does seem so very _real_ and live; doesn't she, Mamie?"

  Mamie assented, with a half impatient, though unspoken wish that Belledid not care so very much about the doll.

  "Belle," she said, "if I do have her, I will let you play with her agreat deal; and sometimes I'll let you take her to your own house, ifyou'll be careful of her."

  Belle shook her head.

  "That wouldn't be like having her for my very own, Mamie; I'd like tomake believe that she was my sister if I had her, she's such a veryreal doll."

  "S'pose none of us have her; but somebody who is a stranger to theschool," said Lily Norris, who had just drawn near, and who easilyguessed what the other children were talking about. "Wouldn't that be ashocking occurrence?"

  "Yes," said Belle, giving a long sigh at the possibility of such acatastrophe. "Shocking! But we'll have to bear it, perhaps."

  "Belle!" called Bessie Bradford from the other end of the piazzawhere she stood behind the flower-table; "Belle, how long you've beenaway from our table!" and recalled thus to a sense of her duties assaleswoman, Belle ran back to her post, which she had been tempted toquit for a closer view of the coveted doll, so often seen, but of whoseperfections she never tired.

  "I hope Mr. Powers will be the one to give the most for the doll, soBelle can have it," said Lily to Mamie, when Belle had left them.

  "Don't you want it yourself?" asked Mamie.

  "Yes," answered Lily; "but I think I'd 'most rather Belle would have itthan any one. She seems to feel as if it would be a kind of companyfor her; and she's very lonesome sometimes. She don't have such largefamilies as we do, you know; nothing but herself and her papa. Yes, Ithink I would rather Belle should have it than to have it myself."

  Mamie felt that she could not make up her mind to be as generous asLily, were the opportunity offered to her; and still she wished thatshe could be so. Lily was not "one bit selfish," she saw; neither wasBelle, spite of her intense desire to possess the doll, at all inclinedto be jealous or ill-tempered about it, as Mamie felt she might beherself if another child carried off the prize.

  "Belle used to fret and cry like every thing if she didn't have whatshe wanted," she said to herself; "but she doesn't now. I wonder why;"and again there came a disagreeable consciousness to Mamie that she hadnot improved in this respect as much as her little schoolmate.

  The excitement and anxiety respecting the doll increased rather thanlessened as the day wore on and the fair drew near its close. Everypapa and mamma, grandmamma, uncle, or aunt, who came in, was introducedto the young lady, and besought to "offer a whole lot for her."

  But none were as eager as Belle and Mamie, though the former did notshow the impatience Mamie had displayed. Her papa was seized upon themoment he entered the fair, it is true; and begged to offer so much forthe doll that he should be sure to gain it for his little daughter;but she did not insist that she _would_ have it, as Mamie had done, orworry and fret her father.

  And somehow, she scarcely knew why, this seemed to keep Mamie a littlein check. It really appeared as if Belle, lonely little Belle, neededthe doll more than she did. True, Belle had "lots of toys," but so hadshe; and then she had a baby sister at home, and Belle had none, and"no mother;" and Mamie really caught herself wondering if she couldresolve to wish that Belle, rather than herself, might have the doll,and if she ever could be so generous as to give it up to her if it werein her power to do so.

  The day passed on, evening came, the fair was drawing to its close,having proved a most triumphant success, and the time for announcingthe name of the doll's purchaser had arrived. This was proclaimed byMr. Stanton's voice from his sister's table at the end of the piazza,and instantly every little saleswoman had deserted her stand, and theyall flocked to the place of interest.

  "I hope it is you, papa; oh, I hope it's you! I could almost pray itmight be you," said Belle, holding fast to her father's hand, andsqueezing it tight in breathless expectation, as all waited to hear thename of the happy owner.

  Mr. Powers smiled down at her rather sadly. He could not help a feelingof amusement, and still he did not like to see her so eager, so excitedover that which might prove a disappointment.

  Mamie, who stood near, watched her, too; curious, despite her owninterest in the grand affair of the day, to see what Belle would sayand do if another than her papa should prove to be the munificentpurchaser.

  Mr. Stanton took the list from his sister's hand, and casting his eyeover it, proclaimed aloud that Mrs. Benjamin Howard had offered thelargest sum for the doll, and hence it was hers. This was not GracieHoward's mamma, but her grandmamma; but still each young hearer feltsure that the prize would be bestowed upon Gracie or one of her littlesisters. For whom else could Grandmamma Howard want it?

  When Mrs. Howard's name was announced, Belle's face wore, for a moment,a look of blank and utter disappointment, and Mamie's was not morepleased. But still the latter kept her eye on Belle, and it seemed asif it only needed a display of temper from her to produce the same fromMamie.

  But that did not follow. Choking back her sobs, and dashing somebright drops from her eyes, Mamie saw her raise her face towards herfather, and say some words which did not reach her own ear; saw Mr.Powers smile tenderly down on his little daughter as he answered her,and presently Belle was smiling and bright again.

  Mrs. Stone was agreeably surprised that her own little spoiled childmade no loud outcry over her disappointment. It is true that Mamiecould not or did not refrain from a pout and a fretful "I declare, it'sjust too bad! I wanted it so, and--and--so did Belle."

  And she was half inclined to feel resentful towards kind old Mrs.Howard, and to think she had no right to have purchased the doll; andlater, when Maggie and Bessie came to her and said,--

  "Mamie, we feel that it would be only taking a polite interest in Mrs.Howard for us all to go and congratulate her on having the doll," sherefused to join her companions in doing so.

  But when she saw them all, even Belle, going up with cheerful andpleased faces to where the dear old lady sat, she felt ashamed tobe left out, and fell into the ranks, standing by while Lily Norrisdelivered herself of the following speech, composed on the spur of theoccasion by Maggie, who was too shy to speak it herself, and so beggedLily to be spokeswoman.

  "Dear ma'am: while we have to mourn for ourselves, we have also torejoice for you, and to congratulate you because you have the doll; andwe do it with all our hearts, 'cause you have been so kind and good tous about the f
air."

  This little oration was pronounced by Lily without the slightestembarrassment or faltering; for, although not conceited, she was aself-possessed little monkey, and now she felt that the credit of theperformance was due to Maggie, and not to herself.

  And lest there should be any mistake on this head, she added, almost inthe same breath with the concluding words of the speech, "The praise ofmaking that up is Maggie's, not mine;" and retired within the ranks ofher schoolmates.

  Their congratulations were received by Mrs. Howard with much pleasure,and by all such as heard them with some amusement; after which afarewell look was taken of the famous doll, who was now carried away byher owner.

  Mamie was petted and made much of by her not over-wise mother, becauseshe bore her disappointment so well, for it was something so new tosee her conduct herself in such a peaceable and sensible manner whenshe was crossed in any way, that Mrs. Stone was surprised as well aspleased.

  Mr. Stone, too, and even her brother Walter, had each his word ofpraise for Mamie as they drove home; and she really felt herself quitea heroine, because she had not cried and fretted like any baby.

  But in spite of this consciousness of superior virtue, which was allthe more pleasing because it was somewhat of a novelty, Mamie felt thatBelle had been, to use her own words, "even better" than she had.Belle had not shown even a shadow of sulkiness or ill temper; and yether heart had seemed to be set upon the doll even more than Mamie's own.

  "Belle is always so good now," she said to herself, "and yet she usedto be so spoiled, and to be provoked if she did not have every thingshe wanted, and cry about it just--just like me. I wish I could grow asgood as she is now. Everybody says she has improved so. I wonder howshe does it. Some time I'll ask her."

  Such were Mamie's thoughts and resolutions as she lay in her bed thatnight, and she dropped off to sleep on this last.

  The opportunity for putting it in practice came sooner than she hadsupposed probable; for it was vacation, and she did not expect to seeBelle at school every day, as was usual.