Read Ebook: Norman Vallery; or How to Overcome Evil with Good by Kingston William Henry Giles

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Ebook has 1577 lines and 69689 words, and 32 pages

"I am afraid that he might refuse," answered Mrs Vallery, "he is not always as obedient as I could desire."

Mrs Vallery hurried out to Norman.

"My dear child, what is the matter?" she exclaimed, as she saw him still flourishing his whip and looking very angry and red in the face.

"The hen flew at me, and the dog barked, and I threw the jar at their heads, and Fanny has been scolding ever since, and I will not stand it," shouted Norman.

"Come in with me, my dear child," said Mrs Vallery soothingly. "I am sure Fanny did not intend to scold you."

"Indeed, I did not, mamma," cried Fanny, running up and kissing Norman. "Trusty barked only in play, and I am sure would not hurt him for the world. You must make friends with Trusty, Norman, and he will then do anything you tell him, and will never bark at you again."

At length Norman, becoming calmer, consented to accompany his mamma into the house. Fanny ran upstairs and brought down one of the picture-books with the pictures, in which she tried to amuse him by telling him stories about them, for she found that he was unable to read the descriptions which were placed below them, or on the opposite pages.

At last she saw that he had fallen asleep in the arm-chair on which he was seated, so she put a cushion under his head that he might rest more comfortably, and finding that he was not likely to awake, she stole out that she might gather some more flowers instead of those which had been scattered on the ground when Norman broke the vase, and which he had trampled on while he was angrily stamping about on the gravel walk.

She watched for an opportunity while her papa was out of his room, and placed the fresh bouquet on his mantelpiece.

The day passed away without any other adventure, and as Norman having slept but little on board the steamer was very tired, Mrs Vallery carried him up to bed at an early hour.

"Now, my dear child, kneel down and say your prayers," she said when she had undressed him.

"No, I won't!" answered Norman, "I am too tired, I want to go to sleep."

His mamma knew that it would be useless to argue with him, so with a sigh she placed him in his bed, and kneeling down, prayed that God would change him, for her love did not prevent her from seeing that his present heart was hard and bad, and that none of the qualities she desired him to possess could spring out of it.

She sat by his bedside till he was asleep, and then went back to Mrs Leslie.

Sweet Fanny felt sadly hurt and disappointed at the behaviour of her young brother, whom she had naturally expected to find as loving, and gentle, and ready to be pleased as she was. She consoled herself, however, with the thought that he was tired and out of sorts after his long journey, and hoped that the next day he would become more amiable and more like what she had fancied him to be.

Sleep soon visited her eyelids and as she was a brisk active little girl, she was awake betimes.

She had said her prayers and read a chapter in the Bible, which she did every morning to herself, and was waiting for Susan to assist her in putting on her frock when her mamma came into her room.

"My dear Fanny, I shall be so much obliged to you if you will assist Norman to dress; I am afraid that I shall be late for breakfast if I attempt to do so, as he is apt to dawdle over the business when I go to him," said Mrs Vallery, giving her a kiss and admiring her fresh and blooming countenance. "He has been awake for some time, and as he does not know how to amuse himself he may perhaps be doing some mischief," she continued. "He misses his ayah, his native nurse, who declined accompanying us farther than Alexandria, so you must be prepared to find him a little troublesome, but I hope he will improve."

"Oh, I shall be delighted, mamma, to help Norman, and I daresay I shall have nothing to complain of," answered Fanny, and without waiting to put on her frock she accompanied her mamma to the door of Norman's room.

"You will be a good boy, and let Fanny help you dress, my dear," said Mrs Vallery, putting in her head.

Fanny entered as her mamma withdrew, and having kissed Norman, arranged his clothes in readiness to put them on. She then poured out some water for him to wash his face.

"Shall I help you?" she asked, getting a towel ready.

"No, I can do it myself," he answered, snatching the towel from her hand. "I don't like to have my nose rubbed up the wrong way, and my eyes filled with soapsuds. I can wash my face as much as it wants. It isn't dirty, I should think," and dipping a corner of the towel in the water he began to dab himself all over with it cautiously as if he was afraid of rubbing off his skin.

"There, that will do," he said, drying himself much in the same fashion. "I am ready to put on my clothes."

"But you have not washed your neck or shoulders at all," said Fanny, "and if you will let me, and bend down your head over the basin, I will pour the water upon it and give you a pleasant shower-bath this warm morning."

"I have washed enough, and do not intend to wash any more," answered Norman in a determined tone. "Where is my vest?"

Fanny, seeing that it would be useless to contend further on that point, assisted him to dress, and buttoned or tied the clothes which required buttoning or tying. When, however, she brought him his stockings, he took it into his head that he would not put them on.

"I can do very well without them," he exclaimed, throwing himself into an arm-chair.

"There, you stand by my side, and wait till I want you to help me, just as my ayah used to do--the wicked old thing would not come on with us because I one day spit at her and called her a name she did not like. I can talk Hindostanee as well as English, I suppose you can't," and Master Norman uttered some words which sounded in Fanny's ears very much like gibberish.

She waited patiently for some minutes, hoping that her brother would let her finish his toilet. At last, knowing that it was nearly time for her to go down and make the tea, she brought his stockings and attempted to put one of them on.

"I told you to wait till I was ready," he exclaimed, and as she determined if possible on this occasion not to be defeated, stooped down to draw on one of his stockings. He seized her by her hair, and began belabouring her with the other which he had snatched out of her hand.

Fanny, supposing him to be in play, persevered in her efforts, but he continued to pull and pull at her hair, and to beat her about the shoulders so vehemently that he began to hurt her very much. She at first only laughed and cried out--

"Pray be quiet, Norman, I shall have the stocking on in a moment."

But as her brother pulled more savagely, she could with difficulty help shrieking from the pain he inflicted.

"My dear Norman, do let go my hair," she exclaimed, "you are really hurting me very much."

"I know I am, and I intend to do so. I want to show you the way I treated my ayah when she dared to do anything I did not like, and I do not choose to let you meddle with my feet. When I want to put on my stockings I will put them on myself," and Norman pulled and kicked and struggled so much that Fanny thought it would be wiser to give up attempting to draw on the stocking in the hopes that he would then release her hair from the grasp of his fingers. He was, however, in one of his evil moods, and, believing that he had gained a victory, instead of acting the part of a generous conqueror, he cruelly continued to tug at her hair till poor Fanny could no longer help shrieking out, "Let me go! let me go, Norman!"

She might, to be sure, have grasped his arms, and holding them have released herself by force, but the idea of doing so did not enter her gentle heart, for in the attempt she must have inflicted pain, and she was ready to suffer anything rather than do that.

Her shrieks brought Susan, who had come up to fasten her frock, into the room, and she, not at all approving of the way her favourite, Miss Fanny, was being treated, quickly grasped the young gentleman's wrists, and made him open his fingers and release his sister's hair.

"You naughty boy, how dare you behave in this way?" she exclaimed indignantly, "I will take you to your mamma this moment if you do not behave better, and do as you are told."

"You had better not, or I will pull your hair, and make you wish you had let me alone," exclaimed Norman, throwing himself back in the chair, and holding on to its arms to prevent Susan from lifting him up.

"Pray allow him to remain here, Susan, and I daresay he will let me finish dressing him. He did not hurt me so very much, but I was frightened, not expecting him to behave in that way, and so I could not help crying out for a moment," said Fanny. "You will be good now, Norman, won't you? and finish dressing, and be ready to go down to breakfast."

The young gentleman made no answer, but sat as if rooted in the chair, looking defiantly at Susan and his sister.

"I see what we must do, young gentleman," said Susan, who was a sensible woman, possessing herself of the stockings which had fallen on the ground, "we must put an end to this nonsense."

Suddenly jerking up Master Norman, she seated herself in the chair, and pressing down his arms so that he could not reach her, she quickly drew on first one stocking and then the other.

"Now, Miss Fanny, please hand me the shoes," and though Norman tried to kick she held his little legs and put them on.

"Now your hair must be put to rights, young gentleman. It is in a pretty mess with your struggles. Hand me the brush please, Miss Fanny!" and while she held down his arms, though he moved his head from side to side, she managed dexterously to arrange his rich curly locks.

"Has he washed his hands?" asked Susan.

Fanny shook her head.

"No, I have not, and I don't intend to do so," growled Norman.

"We shall soon see that," cried Susan, dragging him to the basin; "there, take care you don't upset it," and forcing his hands into the water, she covered them well with soap.

Norman was so astonished at the whole proceeding, that he forgot to struggle, and only looked very red and angry. Susan made him rub his hands together till all the soap was washed off, and then dried them briskly with the towel.

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