le, or how dreadfully Mrs.
Top-knot in the dark corner had frightened the merry little crowd.

CHAPTER III.

MR. JOYCE.

Wealthy was waiting at the kitchen-door, and pounced on Eyebright the
moment she appeared. I want you to know Wealthy, so I must tell you
about her. She was very tall and very bony. Her hair, which was black
streaked with gray, was combed straight, and twisted round a hair-pin,
so as to make a tight, solid knot, about the size of a half-dollar, on
the back of her head. Her face was kind, but such a very queer face
that persons who were not used to it were a good while in finding out
the kindness. It was square and wrinkled, with small eyes, a wide
mouth, and a nose that was almost flat, as if some one had given it a
knock when Wealthy was a baby, and driven it in. She always wore dark
cotton gowns and aprons, as clean as clean could be, but made after
the pattern of Mrs. Japhet's in the Noah's arks,--straight up and
straight down, with almost no folds, so as to use as little material
as possible. She had lived in the house ever since Eyebright was a
baby, and looked upon her almost as her own child,--to be scolded,
petted, ordered about, and generally taken care of.

Eyebright could not remember any time in her life when her mother was
not ill. She found it hard to believe that mamma ever had been young
and active, and able to go about and walk and do the things which
other people did. Eyebright's very first recollections of her were of
a pale, ailing person always in bed or on the sofa, complaining of
headache and backache, and general misery,--coming downstairs once or
twice in a year perhaps, and even then being the worse for it. The
room in which she spent her life had a close, dull smell of medicines
about it, and Eyebright went past its door and down the entry on
tiptoe, hushing her footsteps without being aware that she did so, so
fixed was the habit. She was so well and strong herself that it was
not easy for her to understand what sickness is, or what it needs; but
her sympathies were quick, and though it was not hard to forget her
mother and be happy when she was rioting out-of-doors with the other
children, she never saw her without feeling pity and affection, and a
wish that she could do something to please or to make her feel better.

Tea was so nearly ready that Wealthy would not let Eyebright go
upstairs, but carried her instead into a small bedroom, opening from
the kitch