Aunt Amelia had gone away on a visit. She had been gone two days, and both Ellen and Uncle Henry missed her very much.
It was not a pleasure trip for Aunt Amelia. She had gone to see a friend who was ill and she meant to come home as soon as her friend grew better.
And it so happened that no sooner had Aunt Amelia stepped out of the house than who should come walking in, quite unexpectedly, for a short stay, than Uncle Henry's Aunt Mary Jane.
Ellen had never before seen Aunt Mary Jane. She found her to be a tall thin lady, whose gray hair was parted plainly down over her ears and whose black silk dress rustled crisply as she walked. Ellen found, too, that Aunt Mary Jane had a way of looking sharply at one through her shining gold spectacles. And though Ellen had promised Aunt Amelia that she would be as good as good can be, and had truly tried her best to be so, whenever Aunt Mary Jane looked at her sharply Ellen felt that she had done something wrong.
It cannot be said that Aunt Mary Jane was a comfortable person with whom to live.
Caroline in the kitchen did not find her comfortable. Perhaps it was because Aunt Mary Jane told Caroline that she wasted sugar on her blackberry shortcake.
Uncle Henry did not find her comfortable, though he said not a word to Ellen about it. Aunt Mary Jane told Uncle Henry that he drank too many cups of coffee. And just after he had been told this, Uncle Henry looked so uncomfortable that Ellen was sure he must feel so too.
The Popover family did not find Aunt Mary Jane a comfortable person to have about. For Aunt Mary Jane looked very sharply indeed through her shining gold spectacles at the Little Red Doll House and at the Popover family and then said, right out loud:
'I am surprised that Amelia has kept these childish toys so many years.'
Of course the Popovers were not pleased. They looked soberly at one another. Their feelings were very much hurt.
Now it was the morning of the fourth day that Aunt Amelia had been away. Ellen woke to the sound of rain on the roof. The sky was dark and lowering. A chilly little wind sang round the chimney. And while Ellen was putting on her shoes and stockings there was a flash of lightning and the thunder rumbled loudly overhead.
' Perhaps it will clear at noon' said Uncle Henry cheerfully at the breakfast table.
But Aunt Mary Jane shook her head.
'When there is a thunderstorm in the morning it is apt to rain all day,' said she.
'I don't mind the rain,' thought Ellen. 'I will play with the Popovers all day long.'
But after breakfast Aunt Mary Jane called Ellen into her room.
Now you must know that Ellen had pretty yellow curling hair. It grew rather long, almost to her shoulders, and Ellen was fond of standing before the mirror, brushing and combing and fluffing out her sunny locks.
Aunt Mary Jane had watched Ellen doing this, and had shaken her head once or twice as if she thought it a wrong thing for a little girl to do.
This morning when Ellen reached Aunt Mary Jane's side she was surprised to see a pair of scissors in Aunt Mary Jane's hand and still more surprised to hear her say:
'I think your hair is too long, Ellen. I am going to trim it off for you now.'
At first Ellen was too surprised to speak. Then she seized her hair in both hands.
'No, no!' she exclaimed, backing away from Aunt Mary Jane. 'My mother likes my hair this way and so does my Aunt Amelia and so do I. You mustn't touch my hair, Aunt Mary Jane. You mustn't touch my hair at all.'
But Aunt Mary Jane seemed not to understand what Ellen said.
'Turn right around, Ellen,' said she, with one of her sharpest looks. 'It would be much better if your hair were not so long. Turn around at once.' :
And Ellen did turn round. But not to have her hair cut off, oh, no! She turned round so that she might run out of the room, away from Aunt Mary Jane, as fast as she could run, down the hall, past her own bedroom, and into the playroom, where she threw herself on the floor beside the Little Red Doll House and cried as hard and as loud as ever she could.
Why, you might have thought to hear Ellen cry that she had had all her hair cut off, close to her head. And, really, nothing had happened to Ellen at all.
It is hard to say just why Ellen acted so. Perhaps it was the stormy day. Thunder and lightning so early in the morning can be rather upsetting. Perhaps it was the sight of the scissors in Aunt Mary Jane's hand and the sharp way in which she looked at Ellen through her shining gold spectacles. And there is no doubt that Ellen missed Aunt Amelia, too.
At any rate, there lay Ellen, crying on the floor beside the Little Red Doll House.
The Popovers peeped out of the window and wondered what could be the matter with their friend.
Caroline toiled slowly up from downstairs to see what was making Ellen cry.
But into the playroom came Aunt Mary Jane, walking swiftly and with a crisp rustle of her silken skirts.
'Stop crying this moment, Ellen' said she, 'and stand upon your feet.'
But Ellen did not stop crying and she did not stand upon her feet. She covered her head with her hands and screamed louder than before. She even kicked at Aunt Mary Jane's feet so that Aunt Mary Jane was forced to step nimbly aside. She cried and she screamed and she kicked until the Popovers were quite unstrung, and Caroline, listening on the stairs below, grew red in the face and shut her hands tight.
But presently Aunt Mary Jane leaned down and lifted Ellen to her feet.
'A naughty girl like you is better off in bed' said she.
And, sure enough, to bed Ellen went.
She lay there, crying and sobbing and holding tight to her hair. The thunderstorm broke out again. It thundered and lightened and grew dark. The rain came down in torrents. And to Ellen it didn't seem like Aunt Amelia's house at all.
In the Little Red Doll House the Popovers were talking it over.
'It is Aunt Mary Jane's fault,' said Mr. Popover, who was fond of Ellen. 'She never behaved that way until Aunt Mary Jane came.'
' Of course a little girl who kicks and screams should be put to bed,' said Mrs. Popover, with a look at Velvetina, 'but I do wish Aunt Amelia would come back and that Aunt Mary Jane would go home.'
'Perhaps we could drive her away,' suggested Mr. Popover, who had large ideas.
'I know. Let Peanut do it,' spoke up Velvetina. 'Ladies are often afraid of mice. Let Peanut tease her until she wants to go home.'
'The very thing,' said Mr. and Mrs. Popover.
So presently, when Peanut came by, he was told all that had happened and what he was to do.
In less than a twinkling he was in Aunt Mary Jane's room where she sat trying to calm her nerves after Ellen's naughty outburst.
To and fro, to and fro rocked Aunt Mary Jane.
'I am never afraid to do what is right,' thought Aunt Mary Jane, 'and Ellen's hair certainly would look much better if it were short.'
Squeak! and to Aunt Mary Jane's horror a little mouse ran across her foot.
Aunt Mary Jane gave a gentle shriek and gathered her skirts about her. There was only one thing in the world of which Aunt Mary Jane was afraid and that was a mouse.
' It cannot be,' said Aunt Mary Jane, looking about on the floor and seeing nothing there. 'Amelia would not allow mice in her house. I must have imagined it.'
To and fro, to and fro rocked Aunt Mary Jane.
But this time she knew she did not imagine it. Up the skirt of her dress ran a little grayish mouse. Over her lap he went, flicking her fingers with his long thin tail. Whisk! and the little grayish mouse ran under the bureau from which came a scratch, scratch, scratch that made Aunt Mary Jane grow cold with fear.
'I shall go home at once,' said Aunt Mary Jane, making up her mind in a trice. 'I shan't say why, but I shall go home at once.'
So Aunt Mary Jane packed her bag and put on her bonnet. And Caroline, being told by Aunt Mary Jane that she was going home, carried up an early luncheon-tray to her room.
Ellen is asleep, ma'am, I think' said Caroline.
So away went Aunt Mary Jane, without waking Ellen to say good-bye nor even peeping in at her tousled yellow head.
And her taxicab had no sooner turned the corner than up to the door drove Aunt Amelia, happy to be at home once more, but so surprised to see a red-faced little Ellen, with tumbled locks and drowsy eyes, running downstairs to meet her in her nightgown at such an hour of the day.
"Are you sick?' asked Aunt Amelia, feeling Ellen's forehead. 'Have you measles? Why is your face so red?'
But Ellen and Caroline together told all about Aunt Mary Jane and her visit, and Aunt Amelia understood just how it was, for she had known Aunt Mary Jane for a great many years.
'I am sorry you screamed and kicked Aunt Mary Jane.' said Aunt Amelia. 'That was a wrong thing to do. But we certainly will not have your hair cut off until your mother asks to have it done.'
'I would look like a boy.' said Ellen, shaking her locks until they flew. "No one would know me.'
But Ellen soon had other matters of which to think. For, first of all, she had to be dressed again. And then she went downstairs to call upon Caroline, who told her that there was to be blackberry shortcake for dinner, with plenty of sugar on it, too.
And when it cleared, as Uncle Henry had said it might, with bright sunshine and blue sky and Aunt Amelia at home again, Ellen began to feel happy once more and to forget this very strange day.
She never knew what the Popovers had done for her. But the Popovers didn't care, they were so glad that Aunt Mary Jane had gone home.
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Thursday, May 4, 2023
A Strange Day
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