Growing Up (Vorse)/Chapter 31
OH, no, Sara," said her grandmother, "that's not what you must do. You must buy one good thing with this."
"Then," said Sara, putting the real question, "can I do what I want with what belongs to me?"
"Yes, indeed, darling, anything you like."
"Then," resumed Sara, "I'm going to get two hundred pennies, bright ones, and I'm going"
"Hush, Sara," said her mother, "talk no more about what you are going to do till we get to the store, and then grandma will tell you what you can get." She added in a hasty aside, "I know that's not what you mean, but it'll do for the time being until she gets over this two hundred pennies idea."
There was so much to be done. Alice walked as rapidly as circumstances permitted, steering her child, towing her mother-in-law until Sara came to a full stop.
"Clothes!" she cried, pointing to a counter, "clothes for dolls. Clothes for my children." Her voice grew shriller. "Clothes is what I want! Clothes for my Georgiana, clothes for my Lilietta. Winter coats is what they need."
No mother of experience could have been more definite. Sara was expressing the wish of her heart. In her emphasis she conveyed to Alice how absolutely two little coats filled her heart with joy to overflowing.
"How much are they?" inquired grandma.
They proved to be a dollar each.
"A dollar each!" cried the outraged grandmother. "A dollar each! To pay that for dolls' coats when you can get a whole splendid doll all ready dressed for a dollar!"
"Ready-made dolls' clothes are a luxury," said Alice.
"I should say they are! They're awfully cunning though."
"A coat apiece!" cried Sara.
"I said you could get just one thing," responded Sara's grandmother with heavenly patience; "one beautiful thing!"
"Coats!" cried Sara, "coats for my children! Winter coats!"
"We'll come back to them later," said Alice with finality. "Sara has to get shoes now. It was specially to have her fitted with proper shoes that I brought her in."
"Coats!" mourned Sara; but led skillfully by Alice—shamelessly some would have thought—Sara let her mind now dwell on the joys of personal adornment, on white shoes and brown shoes and black shoes, and prattled like a brook about stockings that matched.
"The books are right over here," said Mrs. Marcey, senior, in a stage whisper. "Let's show her picture books. Sara darling, don't you like to look at picture books?"
Of course Sara loved to look at picture books.
"Wouldn't you like to buy a picture book, darling Sara?" said her grandmother ingratiatingly. "Look here. Alice, see this beautiful Hans Christian Andersen, and you said the other day that your children hadn't such a thing in the house. Now a little girl who really wanted to spend her money on this book would seem to me the cleverest little girl I'd ever seen. Everybody who ever heard of a little girl buying this lovely book would think that little girl was one who has good sense enough to buy something that will last for years and years. Her grandma will read her stories."
Sara's head was craned eagerly forward.
"And would her father read to her too?"
"Oh, yes, her father would surely."
"And would her mother read to her?"
"Yes, indeed. Wouldn't you, Alice?"
"Then everybody would read to me?"
"Lovely fairy tales," supplemented her crafty grandmother.
"Can I buy it?" Sara asked.
"Of course you can." Her grandmother winked several times, winks that meant, "See what a wonder I am for managing children when I set my mind to it!"
"Now, Sara, take the two dollars and give it to the lady there. Now you have bought your lovely book. Shall I have it sent?"
"I want it now!" cried Sara.
"Let her have it now," said Alice wearily.
"Yes, bless her little heart, she shall have it! Can you carry that heavy book all the way, Sara?"
"Of course I can," Sara assented proudly.
"We'll have everything else sent," said Alice; "we can manage it between us."
"And now," said Sara, with her book clasped to her bosom, "now we'll go get the winter coats, one for Liletta and one for Georgiana!" She smiled confidently at her two elders. Alice's heart smote her. She had known all the time what was coming, yet how stop the current of events?