Minnie Brown; or, The Gentle Girl — Themes and Context

Lillia was waiting for her. But she took the book she had been reading, and placed it carefully away in the bookcase. Then she put her needlework into the work basket, and carried it into the closet. After which, she took down her bonnet and shawl, and joined her playmate at the door.

Lillia had grown impatient at this little delay. She was not a very amiable girl, and did not try to control herself.

"Come, Minnie," said she, a little pettishly; "I thought you would be all day getting ready."

"O," replied Minnie, gently, "I had to put my book and work away."

"Well, come, let us make haste, now. I've got a new swing at my house."

"A new swing! Where is it fixed, Lillia?" said Minnie.

"Out in the garden, under the arbor."

"O, that is a beautiful place, it will be so nicely shaded by the grape vine."

The two girls soon arrived at the summer house. Lillia took hold of the swing, and showing the large new rope to Minnie, said,--

"Don't you think this is nice, Minnie? See how strong it is. There is no fear of its breaking down, as your old thing did last summer."

"Yes, it is a beautiful swing, indeed, Lillia. You will have a nice time with it; and--"

"Swing me," said Lillia, interrupting Minnie. She had placed herself in the seat of the swing, and was pushing herself to and fro.

Minnie obeyed her wish, and pushed the swing with right good will, until Lillia was able to touch the top of the arbor with the tips of her toes. Then she cried out,--

"Push away, Minnie! It swings nicely, don't it?"

"Yes, it's a capital swing," replied Minnie, who was almost out of breath through her labor in swinging her companion.

But Lillia kept swinging on, laughing and chatting in great glee, without once offering to give Minnie a chance to enjoy it; but whenever she failed to swing her briskly, cried out,--

"Push away, Minnie! It is capital fun!"

Minnie bore this selfish treatment a long time. But finding herself very tired, and seeing that Lillia showed no disposition to relieve her, she stopped, and began to tie on her bonnet, and to place her shawl on her shoulders.

"Where are you going, Minnie?" asked Lillia.

"I am going home," replied Minnie.

"Well, that's real hateful in you," answered the selfish Lillia. She did not seem to see that the ugliness was in her own conduct, and not in Minnie's. She had really abused her gentle companion, who had borne her selfish conduct without a word of complaint. But Minnie now thought it was time to bear this treatment no longer. So the only reply she made to Lillia's reproachful speech was to say,--

And she tripped along the garden, out at the gate, and up the street, saying to herself, "I must love Lillia, if she is selfish. I hope I shall never treat others as she has treated me."

Not long after this little incident, Minnie's father was seen with a ladder, busily employed among the branches of a grand old oak tree, which stood on the greensward in the rear of his house. While thus employed, Minnie came home from school. Seeing her father in the tree, she ran into the yard, and asked,--

"Pa, please tell me what you are doing."

"What do you think I am doing, Minnie?"

"I don't know, pa; but this coil of rope makes me think you are fixing me a swing."

"Well, suppose I am; what then?"

"O, then I shall be very happy, for I want a swing very much."

"Well, that is what I am doing, Minnie. In half an hour you will have as good a swing as you can desire."

"Thank you, dear pa. I shall love you better than ever, and I shall be so happy to have a swing."

And then Minnie jumped round upon the grass, and hummed a pretty little song. She was so pleased she hardly knew how to express her joy. So she carolled it forth like the birds, in a sweet and simple song. After some minutes spent in singing and watching her father, she said,--

"What do you want, Minnie?"

"May I go and invite Fanny, and Rhoda, and Jeannie to try my new swing when it is done?"

"Certainly, my child. Run and get them. The swing will soon be ready."