PETERSON’S MAGAZINE.
MRS. SETON'S
CROSS
BY THE AUTHOR OF " SUSY L
MRS. SETON was cross this morning. I knew she was before I went down, for the house was still; as it always is when she, its mistress is cross, as it never is at any other time. I would have known she was cross, when I saw pale little Johnny, if I had not before. He was on the landing standing with his hand on the balustrade, as if to support himself. For Johnny is never strong; is always sensitive and easily made faint and afraid. The breakfast-bell had rung; but he was standing as if dreading to go down.
"Good morning," he said, when I spoke to him; but there was no spirit in the accost.
He went down with me.
Mr. Seton said, "Good morning," with what cheerfulness he could. Mrs. Seton said, "Good morning," but faintly, without looking up, with her lips held together. Mr. Seton tried to talk a little about our national affairs. But he did not care much for the affairs of the nation, this morning; his own domestic affairs filled his thoughts.
Mrs. Seton, meanwhile, had not spoken; but by-and-by, still without looking up, she said, "That Nora does try me so, is so cross I can't bear it any longer! It puts me all out of sorts, having her so; I haven't the least patience with anybody, or anything, when she has one of her cross spells."
"Perhaps Nora has the same excuse," began Mr. Seton.
"No, she hasn't; she can't have!"
Why, perhaps somebody vexed her, as she vexes you; and she lost her patience perhaps, and was cross, and thought she couldn't help it."
"I don't care for that. Nora is a good girl in everything else, but I can't keep a girl that has her cross fit once a month, or once a week, and I shall tell her she may go. Johnny, take your arms off the table; eat as you ought to!"
VOL. XLI.- 23
I thought she wasn't eating exactly as she ought; but I suppose no such idea occurred to her.
"I hope we shall have our vegetables in better season to-day than we did yesterday," she went on, speaking to her husband. "It tries me ! Nora was up twice yesterday, before they got here, to know what she should do. It just spoils my comfort when things go so. I wish you would charge them to come earlier, else not come at all. "
"Good morning," said I to Nora afterward, as I was going through to the garden.
"Good morning!" a high inflexion on "good,” the word exploded on a great sigh.
"Pleasant, this morning," added I.
"It isn't very pleasant ter me."
"But it is pleasant, for all that."
"Doesn't seem pleasant ter me." She was scraping a basin with right good will. "And this is the reason, Mrs. Seton is cross this morning-as she is a good many mornings, if the truth is told."
"Weren't you cross first?"
"Perhaps I was; but if I was, I couldn't help it; fer airly, when I was swapin' the ar'a, an' do'n' no one any harm, a man struck his board agin' me an' a'most knocked me down, an' told me I must keep out o' his way then; an' ef I felt cross after that, wus I ter blame, ma'am? fer I couldn't help it!"
Perhaps I hardly need tell my readers that little Johnny, in his turn, has been cross to baby to-day; that, soon after breakfast, he began with snatching his tin horse away from him, and going to throw it behind the bookcase, saying, "Shan't have it! it's mine!"
Baby looked up wonderingly a moment, then crept laboriously toward another plaything; but just as his little hand was ready to touch it, Johnny sprang forward and carried that off. Again baby looked up; looked longer this time
367
