A Little Mother to the Others

CONTENTS.


CHAPTER

I. THE POOR INNOCENT,

II. A LITTLE MOTHER TO THE OTHERS,

III. THE ARRIVAL OF THE AUNT,

IV. RUB-A-DUB,

V. AUNT IS HER NAME,

VI. THE POOR DEAD UN'S,

VII. BUT ANN COULD NOT HELP LETTING OUT NOW AND THEN,

VIII. THE STRAW TOO MUCH,

IX. THE PUNISHMENT CHAMBER,

X. BOW AND ARROW,

XI. JOG'APHY,

XII. A BABY'S HONOR,

XIII. BIRCH ROD,

XIV. DIANA'S REVENGE,

XV. MOTHER RODESIA,

XVI. UNCLE BEN,

XVII. GREASED LIGHTNING,

XVIII. THE HEART OF THE LITTLE MOTHER,

XIX. "A PIGMY I CALL HIM",

XX. "LET'S PERTEND," SAID DIANA,

XXI. POLE STAR,

XXII. THE MILKMAN,

XXIII. FORTUNE,

XXIV. ON THE TRAIL,

XXV. FOUND,

XXVI. THE LITTLE MOTHER TO THE RESCUE,




A LITTLE MOTHER TO THE OTHERS




CHAPTER I.

THE POOR INNOCENT.


The four children had rather peculiar names. The eldest girl was
called Iris, which, as everybody ought to know, means rainbow--indeed,
there was an Iris spoken of in the old Greek legends, who was supposed
to be Hera's chief messenger, and whenever a rainbow appeared in the
sky it was said that Iris was bringing down a message from Hera. The
Iris of this story was a very pretty, thoughtful little girl, aged ten
years. Her mother often talked to her about her name, and told her the
story which was associated with it. The eldest boy was called Apollo,
which also is a Greek name, and was supposed at one time to belong to
the most beautiful boy in the world. The next girl was called Diana,
and the youngest boy's name was Orion.

When this story opens, Iris was ten years old, Apollo nine, Diana six,
and little Orion five. They were like ordinary children in appearance,
being neither particularly handsome nor particularly the reverse; but
in their minds and ways, in their habits and tastes, they seemed to
have inherited a savor of those far-off beings after whom their mother
had called them. They were, in short, very unworldly children--that
does not mean that they were specially religious--but they did not
care for fine clothes, nor the ordinary amusements which ordinary
children delight in. They loved flowers with a love which was almost a
passion, and they also knew a great deal about the stars, and often
coaxed their mother to allow them to sit up late at night to watch the
different constellations; but above all these things they adored, with
a great adoration, the entire animal kingdom.