Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. MAKING PLAXEE HAPPY. " We thought, in the first place, my little sister had water on the brain, her head was under water so long," explained Preston to the boys; " but she has got over it now, only dreadful cross." It was a hard time for everybody when Flaxie was cross. She tried to sew, but her work acted " orfly;" the stitches were " cross-eyed," she said. "I hate my padge-work," cried she, angrily; " I hate it dead ! " " Then I wouldn't sew," said kind Ninny. " Come out to the shed, and I'll swing you." (54) That was no better. After swinging a little while, Flaxie happened to fall off a pile of boards, and ran into the house, crying out,— " I swang and I swang; up real high, most up to the sky. Hurt me orfly. Look at my stoggins and see'f I didn't." " Perhaps you'd like to hear a story," said Mrs. Gray, taking the child in her lap. " Yes, tell me a story with a long end to it. Tell about Cindrilla." Mrs. Gray began; and, when she got as far as this, — " Cinderella asked her mother, and her mother said, 'No, Cinderella, you can't go to the party,' " then Flaxie smiled. Somehow she liked to hear about Cinderella's having a hard time: she thought she had a hard time herself. But, when the story was half done, she wanted something else. "You don't tell good stories, mamma. I wish you'd never been made ! " " O, how can you talk so to your good mother ?" said Ninny, much shocked. " You'd better tell a story yourself, and see if you can do better than she does." " Well, mamma," returned Flaxie, " do you want me to tell a story?" " Yes." " Does God know I'm going to tell it ? " " Yes." "Does He know what it is?" " Yes." " Did He always know ? " "Yes." " Forever and always?" " Yes." "Well," said Flaxie...