The Uninvited Guest

 EFFIE was quite in distress¹ about the spare room in her doll’s-house, because she had no “visitor doll.”

 

All the other rooms were occupied, for there were two smart maids in the kitchen who were beginning to cook the dinner; then in the dining-room there was a “mamma” sitting on the blue sofa, gazing at the bowl of gold-fish. In the nursery, the three children were already put to bed, and the poor, tired nurse rested by the bright coal-scuttle on the floor. In the drawing-room, two gay dolls in ball-dresses sat by the piano; but there was no one for the spare room!

 

“It seems a great pity,” said Mamma, “because you put all the nicest things in this room, Effie—the wax candles, the pretty box of chocolates, the lace² curtains to the bed, and the dumb-bells; we must try and think of someone to come and stay here.”

 

“Mamma, do you think Rosie would lend me one of her dolls?” suggested Effie.

 

“Supposing you write and ask her,” said Mamma.

 

Effie seemed to think this a good idea, but then she would have to wait a few days, because her friend was away, staying at a farmhouse³.

 

“Shall we put the china baby in,” said Mamma, “or is he quite one of the family?”

 

“Oh, Mummy, he’s the youngest child of all!” replied Effie, shaking her head.

 

“I am afraid he is too much of a baby,” said Mamma, looking into the spare room, “and he might get into the shower-bath or open the door of the bird-cage—perhaps it would be unsafe.”

 

Effie nodded.

 

“We will write to Rosie, then,” said Mamma encouragingly.

 

That night, when Effie was fast asleep, a little grey mouse peeped through a crack in the nursery floor, and seeing that the room was empty, she hurried into every corner to find some chance crumb⁴ of cake or bread, but alas⁵ for her! the room had been too carefully swept, so the hungry little mouse could find nothing for her supper.

 

Suddenly, she saw the dolls’-house, so she squeezed through the glass door, which Effie had not quite shut, and very soon found her way into the spare room.

 

“The very thing!” cried she to herself, whisking her tail with joy. “Here is a nice little bed to sleep in, and a wax candle on the dressing-table for supper! How lucky I am! this is indeed a nice house to visit!”

 

The next morning, Effie ran to her dolls’-house and gave a little scream. “Mummy, look! there’s been a mouse in the spare room! It’s eaten two of the candles—look!”

 

“That is not quite the guest you hoped for, is it, Effie?” said Mamma.

 

“No, but do you think it will come again to-night? Oh! I should like to see it in the morning!” said Effie.

 

Emily Bennett.

1 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

2 lace   

n.饰带，花边，缎带；v.结带子，饰以花边

参考例句：

• She let a piece of lace into her dress.她在衣服上镶了一块花边。
• The bride is wearing a wedding dress made of lace.新娘穿一件蕾丝婚纱。

3 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

4 crumb   

n.饼屑，面包屑，小量

参考例句：

• It was the only crumb of comfort he could salvage from the ordeal.这是他从这场磨难里能找到的唯一的少许安慰。
• Ruth nearly choked on the last crumb of her pastry.鲁斯几乎被糕点的最后一块碎屑所噎住。

5 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。