rific
clatter on the floor, deluging me with milk from head to foot.

Terrified out of my wits, I fled to my room, jumped into bed, covered
my head with the bedclothes, and lay there panting. There was a
moment's silence, and then my grandmother's voice,--

"What was that? What has happened?" and my uncle's answer, "I'll bring
a light and see."

Alas! a light revealed wet milk tracks across the kitchen, leading to
my room. In a minute it was opened by my grandmother, who drew me out
into the kitchen, and stood me up on the hearth--uttering not a word.

I was utterly crushed; I expected I knew not what, but something more
than I could guess, and to my uncle's "Why did you do it, child?" I
could only gasp out with bursts of frantic tears, "I was so hungry!"

My grandmother, still silent, hastened to get me dry clothes, then
left me standing on the warm hearth, sobbing violently, and feeling
more and more guilty, as I saw what trouble I had made.

Then she got clean sheets and made up my bed afresh. While she was
doing this, my uncle went in and spoke to her very low. But I think I
must have heard or guessed that he said my sentence had been too
severe, and I was not so much to blame for trying to get a simple
drink of milk, for when my grandmother came out, went into the pantry
and brought me a slice of bread and butter, I was not surprised, but
fell upon it like a half-starved creature.

Then I was sent to bed again, and it being nearly morning, the maid
was called up, and I heard her scrubbing the floor and reducing the
kitchen to its usual condition of shining neatness.

I never tried to run away again; my grandmother never scolded me, but
my shame as I put on the new shoes and took the new schoolbooks was
punishment enough. I tried harder after that to please my grandmother,
and really learned a good deal of sewing, and could knit beautifully
before I went home.

* * * * *

"Poor little mamma!" said Kristy, as her mother paused, "you didn't
have much fun, did you? I can just fancy how you looked, all dripping
with milk. Tell me another."

"Well, I'll tell you something that happened to Jenny soon after that.
Jenny had often told me about an old aunt she had, whom she and her
two cousins used to go to see very often. She wanted me to go with her
sometimes, but I didn't know her aunt, and I was shy, and didn't like
to visit strangers, so I never went."

CHAPTER VII