Eight Cousins (Bedtime Story) Chapter 20

Eight Cousins tells the story of 13 year old orphan Rose, who moves to live with her eccentric doctor uncle Alec. The novel is filled with the antics and adventures of Rose and her cousins, each of whom has a distinct personality. For instance, Archie is the responsible eldest cousin, while Charlie, nicknamed "Prince," is charming but reckless. As the only girl among the eight, Rose initially struggles with her role but eventually finds her place in the family, growing closer to her cousins and developing a special bond with each of them.

Transcript

Chapter 20 Under the Mistletoe Rose made Phoebe promise that she would bring her stocking into the bower as she caught her pretty room on Christmas morning because that first delicious rummage loses half its charm if two little nightcaps at least do not meet over the treasures and two happy voices O and R together.

So when Rose opened her eyes that they fell upon,

Faithful Phoebe rode up in a shawl,

Sitting on the rug before a blazing fire,

With her untouched stocking laid beside her.

''Merry Christmas,

'' cried the little mistress,

Smiling gaily.

''Merry Christmas,

'' answered the little maid so heartily that it did one good to hear her.

''Bring the stockings right away,

Phoebe,

And let's see what we've got,

'' said Rose,

Sitting up among the pillows and looking as eager as a child.

A pair of long,

Knobby holes were laid out upon the coverlet,

And their contents examined with delight,

Though each knew every blessed thing that had been put into the other stockings.

Never mind what they were,

It is evident that they were quite satisfactory,

For as Rose leaned back,

She said with a luxurious sigh of satisfaction,

''Now I believe I've got everything in the world that I want,

'' and Phoebe answered,

Smiling over a lap full of treasure.

''This is the most splendid Christmas I've ever had since I was born,

'' then she added with an important air,

''to wish for something else because I happen to know of two more presents outside the door this minute.

''Oh me,

What richness!

'' cried Rose,

Much excited.

''I used to wish for a pair of glass slippers,

Like Cinderella's,

But as I can't have them,

I really don't know what to ask for.

'' Phoebe clapped her hand as she skipped off the bed and ran to the door,

Saying merrily,

''One of them is for your feet anyway.

I don't know what you'll say to the other,

But I think it is elegant.

'' So did Rose when a shining pair of skates and a fine sled appeared.

''Uncle sent those,

I know he did,

And now I see them.

I remember that I did want to skate and coast.

Isn't it a beauty?

'' ''See,

They fit nicely,

'' and sitting on the new sled,

Rose tried to skate on her little bare foot,

While Phoebe stood by admiring the pretty tableau.

''Now we must hurry and get dressed,

For there is a deal to do today,

And I want to get through in time to try my sled before dinner.

'' ''Gracious me,

And I ought to be dust in my parlours this blessed minute!

'' And mistress and maid separated with such happy faces that anyone would have known what day it was without being told.

''Burnham Wood has come to Dunsinane,

Rosie,

'' said Dr.

Alec as he left the breakfast table to open the door for a procession of holly,

Hemlock,

And cedar,

Bows that came marching up the steps.

Snowballs and Merry Christmases flew about pretty briskly for several minutes.

Then all fell to work trimming the old house,

For the family always dined together there on that day.

''I rode miles and miles,

As Ben says,

To get this fine bit,

And I am going to hang it there as the last touch to the ring of my duning,

'' said Charlie,

As he fastened the dull green branch to the chandelier in the front parlour.

''It isn't very pretty,

'' said Rose,

Who was trimming the chimney piece with a glossy holly sprays.

''Never mind that,

It's a mistletoe,

And anyone who stands under it will get kissed,

Whether they like it or not.

'' ''Now's your time,

Ladies,

'' answered the saucy prince,

Keeping his place and looking sentimentally at the girls who retired from the dangerous spot.

''You won't catch me,

'' said Rose with great dignity.

''See if I don't.

I've got my eye on Phoebe,

'' observed Will,

In a patronizing tone that made them all laugh.

''Bless the dear,

I shan't mind a bit,

'' answered Phoebe,

With such a maternal air that Will's budding gantry was chilled to death.

''Oh,

The mistletoe bow,

'' sang Rose.

''Oh,

The mistletoe bow,

'' echoed all the boys,

And the teasing ended in the plaintive ballad they all liked so well.

There was plenty of time to try the new skates before dinner,

And then Rose took her first lesson on the little bay,

Which seemed to have frozen over for that expressed purpose.

She found tumbling down and getting up again warm work for a time,

But with six boys to teach her,

She managed at last to stand alone,

And satisfied with that success,

She refreshed herself with a dozen Grand Coast on the Amazon,

As her sled was called.

''Oh,

That fatal color,

It breaks my heart to see it,

'' crowed Aunt Myra,

As Rose came down a little late,

With cheeks almost as ruddy as the holly berries on the wall,

And every curl as smooth as Phoebe's careful hands could make it.

''I am glad to see that Alec allows the poor child to make herself pretty,

In spite of his absurd notions,

'' added Aunt Clara,

Taking infinite satisfaction in the fact that Rose's blue silk dress had three frills on it.

''She is very intelligent child,

And has a nice little manner of her own,

'' observed Aunt Jane,

With unusual affability,

For Rose had just handed Mac a screen to guard his eyes from the brilliant fire.

''If I had a daughter like that to show my gem when he gets home,

I should be a very proud and happy woman,

'' thought Aunt Jessie,

And then reproached herself for not being perfectly satisfied with her four brave lads.

Aunt Blendy was too absorbed in the dinner to have an eye for anything else,

If she had not been,

She would have seen what an effect her new cap produced upon the boys.

The good lady owned that she did love a dressy cap,

And on this occasion her headgear was magnificent,

For the towering structure of lace was adorned with buff ribbons to such an extent that it looked as if a flock of yellow butterflies had settled on her dear old head.

When she trotted about the rooms,

The rutches quivered,

The little boughs all stood erect,

And the streamers waved in the breeze so comically that it was absolutely necessary for Archie to smother the brats in the curtains till they had had their first laugh out.

Uncle Mac had brought Fancy to dinner,

And it was a mercy he did for the older lads for an event for their merriment in choking the young Chinaman on his improved appearance.

He was in American costume now,

With a cropped head,

And spoke remarkably good English after six months at school,

But for all that,

His face and beady eyes made a curious contrast to the blonde camels all about him.

Will called him the Typhoon,

And the name stuck to him in his great disgust.

Aunt Peace was brought down and set in the chair of state at table,

For she never failed to join the family on this day,

And sat smiling at them all,

Like an embodiment of peace on earth,

Uncle Alex said,

As he took his place beside her,

While Uncle Mac supported Aunt Plenty at the other end.

I ate hardly any breakfast,

And I've done everything I know to make myself extra hungry,

But I really don't think I can eat straight through unless I burst my buttons off,

Whispered Geordie to Will,

As he surveyed the stores before him with a hopeless sigh.

A fellow never knows what he can do till he tries,

Answered Will,

Attacking his heaped-up plate with an evident intention of doing his duty like a man.

Everybody knows what a Christmas dinner is,

So we need waste no words in describing this one.

But hasten at once.

The end,

By the way,

Was so long in coming that the gas was lighted before desert was over,

For a snow flurry had come,

And the winter daylight faded fast,

But that only made it all the jollier in the warm,

Bright rooms full of happy souls.

Everyone was very merry,

But Archie seemed particularly uplifted.

So much that Charlie confided to Rose that he was afraid the chief had been at the decanders,

Rose indignantly denying insinuation.

For when helts were drunk in the good old-fashioned way to suit the elders,

She had observed that Aunt Jessie's boys filled their glasses with water,

And had done the same herself in spite of the prince's jokes about the Rosie.

But Archie certainly was unusually excited,

And when somebody remembered that it was the anniversary of Uncle Jem's wedding,

And wished he was there to make a speech,

His son electrified the family by trying to do it for him.

It was rather incoherent and flowery,

As maiden speeches are apt to be,

But the end was considered superb,

For turning to his mother with a queer little joke in his voice,

He said that she deserved to be blessed with peace and plenty,

To be crowned with roses and lad's love,

And to receive the cargo of happiness sailing home to her,

In spite of wind or tide,

To add another Jem to the family jewels.

That allusion to the captain,

Now on his return trip,

Made Mrs.

Jessie sob in her napkin,

And said the boys cheering.

Then,

As if that was not sensation enough,

Archie suddenly dashed out the room,

As if he had lost his wits.

Too bashful to stay and be praised,

Began Charlie,

Excusing the peculiarities of his chief in duty bound.

Phoebe beckoned to him.

I saw her,

Cried Rose,

Staring hard at the door.

It is more present coming,

Asked Jamie,

Chanced as his brother reappeared,

Looking more excited than ever.

Yes,

A present for mother,

And here it is,

Wrote Archie,

Flinging.

White the door,

To let in a tall man who cried out,

Where is my little woman?

The first kiss for her.

Then the rest may come on as fast as they like.

Before the words were out of his mouth,

Miss Jessie was half hidden under his rough greatcoat,

And four boys were prancing about,

Clamoring for their turn.

Of course there was a joyful tumult for a time,

During which Rose slipped into the window recess,

And watched what went on,

As if it were a chapter in a Christmas story.

It was good to see bluff Uncle Jem look proudly at his tall son,

And fondly hug the little ones.

It was better still to see him shake his brother's hands,

As if he would never leave off,

And kiss all the sisters in a way that made even Solem and Myra brighten up for a minute.

But it was best of all to see him finally established,

In the grandfather's chair,

With his little woman beside him,

His three youngest boys in his lap,

And Archie hovering over him like a large-sized cherub.

That really was,

As Charlie said,

A landscape to do one's heart's good.

All hearty.

And all here,

Thank God,

Said Captain Jem,

In the first pause that came,

As he looked about him with a grateful face.

All but Rose,

Answered loyal little Jamie,

Remembering the absence.

I forgot the child.

Where is George's little girl?

As the captain,

Who had not seen her since she was a babe,

You'd better say Alex,

Great girl,

Said Uncle Mac,

Who professed to be madly jealous of his brother.

Here I am,

Sir,

And Rose appeared from behind the girth,

Looking as if she had rather have stayed there.

St.

George Sherman,

How the mite has grown,

Cried Captain Jem,

As he tumbled the boys out of his lap,

And Rose decreed the tall girl,

Like a gentleman as he was.

But somehow,

When he shook her hand,

It looked so small in his big one,

And her face reminded him so strongly of his dead brother,

That he was not satisfied with so-called a welcome.

And with the sudden softening of the keen eyes,

He took her up in his arms,

Whispering with a rough cheek against her smooth one.

God bless you,

Child.

Forgive me if I forgot you for a minute,

And be sure that not one of your kinsfolk is happier to see you here than Uncle Jem.

That made it all right.

And when he set her down,

Rose's face was so bright,

It was evident that some spell had been used to banish the feeling of neglect that had kept her mobbing behind the curtain so long,

That everyone sat around and heard and heard all about the voyage home,

How the Captain had set his heart on getting there,

In time to keep Christmas,

How everything had conspired to thwart his plan,

And how,

At the very last minute,

He had managed to do it,

And had sent a telegram to Archie,

Bidding him keep the secret and be ready for his father at any moment,

For the ship got into another port,

And he might be late.

Then Archie told how that telegram had burned in his pocket all dinner time,

How he had to take Phoebe into his confidence,

And how clever she was to keep the Captain back till the speech was over,

And he could come in,

With an effect the elders would have sat and talked all the evening.

But the young folks were bent on having their usual Christmas frolic,

So after an hour of pleasant chat,

They began to get restless,

And having consulted together in dumb show,

They devised a way to very effectively break up the family council.

Steve vanished,

And sooner than the boys imagined Dandy could get himself up,

The skirl of the bagpipe was heard in the hall,

And the bonny piper came to lead Clan Campbell to the revel.

Though it might stay thee my man,

You play uncle well,

But ye make a most infernal din,

Cried Uncle Jem,

With his hand over his ears,

For this accomplishment was new to him,

And took him all aback as he expressed it.

So Steve drowned out a highland reel as softly as he could,

And the boys danced to it in a circle of admiring relation.

Captain Jem was a true sailor,

However,

And could not stand idle while anything lively was going on.

So when the piper's breath came out,

He cut a splendid pigeon-wing into the middle of the hall,

Saying,

Who can dance afore and after,

And waiting for no reply,

Began to whistle the air so invitingly that Miss Jessie said to him laughing like a girl,

Rose and Charlie took their places behind,

And away went the four with the spirit and skill that inspired all the rest to cut in as fast as they could.

That was a grand beginning,

And they had many another dance before anyone who'd owned them were tired.

Even Fancy distinguished himself with Aunt Plenty,

Whom he greatly admired as the stoutest lady in the company,

Plumpness being considered a beauty in his country.

The merry old soul fenced herself immensely flattered by his admiration,

And the boys declared she set her cap at him,

Else he would never have dared to catch her under the mistletoe,

And rising on the tips of his own toes,

Gallantly salute her cheek.

How they all laughed at her astonishment,

And how Fancy's little black eyes twinkled over his exploit.

Charlie put him up to it,

And Charlie was so bent on catching Rose that he laid all sort of pitfalls for her,

And bribed the other lads to help him.

But Rose was wide awake,

And escaped all his ne'er,

Fencing great contempt for such foolish customs,

For Phoebe did not fare so well,

And Archie was the only one who took a base advantage of her at innocently offering tea to Aunt Myra,

Whom she happened to meet just under the fatal bow.

If his father's arrival had not rather upset him,

I doubt if the dignified chief would have done it,

For he apologized at once,

In the handsomest manner,

And caught the tray that nearly dropped from Phoebe's hands.

Jamie boldly invited all the ladies to come and salute him,

And as for Uncle Jem,

He behaved as if the entire room was a grove of mistletoe.

Uncle Alex slyly laid a bit of it on Aunt Peece's cap,

And then softly kissed her,

Which little joke seemed to please her very much,

For she liked to have part in all the home pastimes,

And Alex was her favorite nephew.

Charlie alone failed to catch his shy bird,

And the oftener she escaped,

The more determined he was to ensnare her.

When every other while had been tried in vain,

He got Archie to propose a game with forfeits.

I understand that Dodge thought Rose,

And was on her guard so carefully,

That not one among the pilots belonged to her.

Now let us redeem them,

And play something else,

Said Weel,

Quite unconscious of the deeply laid plots all about him.

One more round,

And then we will,

Answered the prince,

But now bated his trap anew.

Just as the question came to Rose,

Jamie's voice was heard in the hall,

Crying distressfully,

Oh,

Come quick,

Quick!

Rose started up,

Missed the question,

And was greeted with a general cry of Forfeit,

Forfeit!

In which the little traitor came to join.

Now I've got her,

Thought the young rascal,

Exulting in his fun-loving soul.

Now I'm lost,

Thought Rose,

As she gave up her pink cushion,

With a sternly defiant look that would have daunted anyone but the reckless prince.

In fact,

It made even him think twice,

And resolve to let Rose off easy.

She had been so clever.

Here's a very pretty pawn,

And what shall be done to redeem it?

Asked Steve,

Holding the pink cushion over Charlie's head,

For he had insisted on being judged,

And kept that for the last,

Fine or super-fine.

Well,

She shall take old Mac under the mistletoe and kiss him prettily,

Won't he be mad?

And this bad boy chuckled over the discomfort he had caused to two harmless beings.

There was an impressive pause among the young folks in the corner,

For they all knew that Mac would be mad,

Since he hated nonsense of this sort,

And had gone to talk with the elders when the game began.

At this moment,

He was standing before the fire,

Listening to a discussion between his uncles and his father,

Looking as wise as a young owl,

And blissfully unconscious of the plots against him.

Charlie expected that Rose would say,

I won't.

Therefore,

He was,

Not to say gratified,

When after a look at the victim,

She laughed suddenly and,

Going up to the crowd of gentlemen,

Threw her uncle Mac under the mistletoe and surprised him with a hearty kiss.

Thank you,

My dear,

Said the innocent gentleman,

Looking much pleased.

How come?

That is not fair,

Began Charlie.

But Rose cut him short by saying,

As she made him a fine courtesy,

You said,

O to Mac,

And though it was very disrespectful,

I did it.

That was your last chance,

Sir,

And you've lost it.

He certainly had,

For,

As he spoke,

Rose put down the mistletoe and threw it into the fire,

While the boys cheered at the crest fallen prince and exhorted quick-witted Rose to skies.

What is the joke?

Asked young Mac,

Waked out of a brown study by the laughter in which the others joined,

But there was a regular shout when,

The matter having been explained to him,

Mac took a meditative stare at Rose through his goggles and said in a philosophical tone,

Well,

I don't think I should have minded much if she had done it.

That tickled the lads immensely and nothing but the appearance of a slight reflection would have induced them to stop shuffling the poor boy,

Who could not see anything funny in the beautiful resignation he had shown on this trying occasion.

Soon after this,

The discovery of Jamie caught up in the sofa corner,

As sound asleep as a door mouse suggested the propriety of going home and a general move was made.

They were all standing about the hall lingering over the good nights when the sound of a voice softly singing in the distance was heard.

It was Phoebe,

Poor little Phoebe,

Who never had a home,

Never knew the love of father or mother,

Brother or sister,

Who stood all alone in the wide world,

Yet was not sad nor afraid,

But took her bits of happiness gratefully and sung over her work without a thought of discontent.

I fancy the happy family standing there together remembered this and felt the beauty of it,

For when the solitary voice came to the burdened song other voices took it up and finished it so sweetly that the old house seemed to echo the word home in the ears of both the orphan girls who had just spent their first Christmas under its hospitable roof.

Reviews

Lovely family holiday, and especially lovely that Phoebe was carried into it also🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️