“Is a circumstance a story?” interrupted Sweetest Susan.

 

“Oh, you mustn’t mind my country talk,” replied Mrs. Meadows, laughing. “It was a trick of my tongue. I didn’t want to say ‘story’ because you might be disappointed. But I reckon I may as well call it a story. Well, as I was saying, the three bobbins remind me of a story that was partly about a little girl.”

 

“I know it must be a nice story,” cried Sweetest Susan enthusiastically.

 

But Mrs. Meadows shook her head. “From all I can hear,” she said, “matters and things in general are a great deal nicer in books than they are outside of books. Folks are folks, anyway you can fix them, I don’t care what the books say. But I’ll not deny that in my day and time [Pg 186] I have seen folks mighty¹ near as nice and as pretty as those you read about in the books, and one of these was the little girl I am going to tell you about.

 

“Once upon a time, in the country where I then lived,—and I’ve lived in a good many countries, for wherever you find mountains, hills, and rivers, there you’ll find the Meadows family,—there was a little girl who was both beautiful and good. She was not as good nor as beautiful as those you read about in the books, but she was good enough for the people who knew her. For a wonder she didn’t have long golden hair. Her hair was black, and curled about her head in the loveliest way; and her eyes were large and brown, and her skin creamy white, with just the shadow of rose color in her face. Her parents were rich and proud, but they were prouder of their little girl than they were of their money, as well they might be, seeing that she was the smartest and most beautiful child to be found in all the country round.”

 

“Were there no princes and castles in that country?” inquired Sweetest Susan.

 

“Oh, dear, no!” replied Mrs. Meadows. [Pg 187] “The folks were just plain, common, every-day people. Those that were fortunate enough to be honest and contented² were much better off than any princes you ever heard of; and a hut where happiness lives is a much finer place than the finest castle.

 

“Well, as I was telling you, the parents of this little girl with black curly hair were very proud of her. They watched over her very carefully, and neglected nothing that would make her happy and contented. Some little girls that I have known would have been spoiled by so much kindness and attention, but this little girl with the black curly hair wasn’t spoiled at all. She was as good as she was beautiful.

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