按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Can you only manage one a day？〃 queried Dan。
〃And why before breakfast？〃 I asked。
〃Because it's easier to think on an empty stomach；〃 said Peter； in all good faith。 But Felicity shot a furious glance at him。
〃I selected that time；〃 she explained with dignity； 〃because when I'm brushing my hair before my glass in the morning I'll see my resolution and remember it。〃
〃Mr。 Marwood meant that ALL our thoughts ought to be beautiful；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃If they were； people wouldn't be afraid to say what they think。〃
〃They oughtn't to be afraid to； anyhow；〃 said Felix stoutly。 〃I'm going to make a resolution to say just what I think always。〃
〃And do you expect to get through the year alive if you do？〃 asked Dan。
〃It might be easy enough to say what you think if you could always be sure just what you DO think；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃So often I can't be sure。〃
〃How would you like it if people always said just what they think to you？〃 asked Felicity。
〃I'm not very particular what SOME people think of me；〃 rejoined Felix。
〃I notice you don't like to be told by anybody that you're fat；〃 retorted Felicity。
〃Oh； dear me； I do wish you wouldn't all say such sarcastic things to each other；〃 said poor Cecily plaintively。 〃It sounds so horrid the last night of the old year。 Dear knows where we'll all be this night next year。 Peter； it's your turn。〃
〃I will try；〃 wrote Peter； 〃to say my prayers every night regular； and not twice one night because I don't expect to have time the next；like I did the night before the party；〃 he added。
〃I s'pose you never said your prayers until we got you to go to church；〃 said Felicitywho had had no hand in inducing Peter to go to church； but had stoutly opposed it； as recorded in the first volume of our family history。
〃I did； too；〃 said Peter。 〃Aunt Jane taught me to say my prayers。 Ma hadn't time； being as father had run away； ma had to wash at night same as in day…time。〃
〃I shall learn to cook；〃 wrote the Story Girl； frowning。
〃You'd better resolve not to make puddings of〃 began Felicity； then stopped as suddenly as if she had bitten off the rest of her sentence and swallowed it。 Cecily had nudged her； so she had probably remembered the Story Girl's threat that she would never tell another story if she was ever twitted with the pudding she had made from sawdust。 But we all knew what Felicity had started to say and the Story Girl dealt her a most uncousinly glance。
〃I will not cry because mother won't starch my aprons；〃 wrote Sara Ray。
〃Better resolve not to cry about anything；〃 said Dan kindly。
Sara Ray shook her head forlornly。
〃That would be too hard to keep。 There are times when I HAVE to cry。 It's a relief。〃
〃Not to the folks who have to hear you；〃 muttered Dan aside to Cecily。
〃Oh； hush；〃 whispered Cecily back。 〃Don't go and hurt her feelings the last night of the old year。 Is it my turn again？ Well； I'll resolve not to worry because my hair is not curly。 But； oh； I'll never be able to help wishing it was。〃
〃Why don't you curl it as you used to do； then？〃 asked Dan。
〃You know very well that I've never put my hair up in curl papers since the time Peter was dying of the measles；〃 said Cecily reproachfully。 〃I resolved then I wouldn't because I wasn't sure it was quite right。〃
〃I will keep my finger…nails neat and clean；〃 I wrote。 〃There； that's four resolutions。 I'm not going to make any more。 Four's enough。〃
〃I shall always think twice before I speak；〃 wrote Felix。
〃That's an awful waste of time；〃 commented Dan； 〃but I guess you'll need to if you're always going to say what you think。〃
〃I'm going to stop with three；〃 said Peter。
〃I will have all the good times I can；〃 wrote the Story Girl。
〃THAT'S what I call sensible；〃 said Dan。
〃It's a very easy resolution to keep； anyhow；〃 commented Felix。
〃I shall try to like reading the Bible；〃 wrote Sara Ray。
〃You ought to like reading the Bible without trying to；〃 exclaimed Felicity。
〃If you had to read seven chapters of it every time you were naughty I don't believe you would like it either；〃 retorted Sara Ray with a flash of spirit。
〃I shall try to believe only half of what I hear；〃 was Cecily's concluding resolution。
〃But which half？〃 scoffed Dan。
〃The best half；〃 said sweet Cecily simply。
〃I'll try to obey mother ALWAYS；〃 wrote Sara Ray； with a tremendous sigh； as if she fully realized the difficulty of keeping such a resolution。 〃And that's all I'm going to make。〃
〃Felicity has only made one；〃 said the Story Girl。
〃I think it better to make just one and keep it than make a lot and break them；〃 said Felicity loftily。
She had the last word on the subject； for it was time for Sara Ray to go； and our circle broke up。 Sara and Felix departed and we watched them down the lane in the moonlightSara walking demurely in one runner track； and Felix stalking grimly along in the other。 I fear the romantic beauty of that silver shining night was entirely thrown away on my mischievous brother。
And it was； as I remember it； a most exquisite nighta white poem； a frosty； starry lyric of light。 It was one of those nights on which one might fall asleep and dream happy dreams of gardens of mirth and song； feeling all the while through one's sleep the soft splendour and radiance of the white moon…world outside； as one hears soft； far…away music sounding through the thoughts and words that are born of it。
As a matter of fact； however； Cecily dreamed that night that she saw three full moons in the sky； and wakened up crying with the horror of it。
CHAPTER V
THE FIRST NUMBER OF Our Magazine
The first number of Our Magazine was ready on New Year's Day； and we read it that evening in the kitchen。 All our staff had worked nobly and we were enormously proud of the result； although Dan still continued to scoff at a paper that wasn't printed。 The Story Girl and I read it turnabout while the others； except Felix； ate apples。 It opened with a short
EDITORIAL
With this number Our Magazine makes its first bow to the public。 All the editors have done their best and the various departments are full of valuable information and amusement。 The tastefully designed cover is by a famous artist； Mr。 Blair Stanley； who sent it to us all the way from Europe at the request of his daughter。 Mr。 Peter Craig； our enterprising literary editor； contributes a touching love story。 （Peter； aside； in a gratified pig's whisper： 〃I never was called 'Mr。' before。〃） Miss Felicity King's essays on Shakespeare is none the worse for being an old school composition； as it is new to most of our readers。 Miss Cecily King contributes a thrilling article of adventure。 The various departments are ably edited； and we feel that we have reason to be proud of Our Magazine。 But we shall not rest on our oars。 〃Excelsior〃 shall ever be our motto。 We trust that each succeeding issue will be better than the one that went before。 We are well aware of many defects； but it is easier to see them than to remedy them。 Any suggestion that would tend to the improvement of Our Magazine will be thankfully received； but we trust that no criticism will be made that will hurt anyone's feelings。 Let us all work together in harmony； and strive to make Our Magazine an influence for good and a source of innocent pleasure； and let us always remember the words of the poet。
〃The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight； But they； while their companions slept； Were toiling upwards in the night。〃
（Peter； IMPRESSIVELY：〃I've read many a worse editorial in the Enterprise。〃）
ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare's full name was William Shakespeare。 He did not always spell it the same way。 He lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth and wrote a great many plays。 His plays are written in dialogue form。 Some people think they were not written by Shakespeare but by another man of the same name。 I have read some of them because our school teacher says everybody ought to read them； but I did not care much for them。 There are some things in them I cannot understand。 I like the stories of Valeria H。 Montague in the Family Guide ever so much better。 They are more exciting and truer to life。 Romeo and Juliet was one of the plays I read。 It was very sad。 Juliet dies and I don't like stories where people die。 I like it better when they all get married especially to dukes and earls。 Shakespeare himself was married to Anne Hatheway。 They are both dead now。 They have been dead a good while。 He was a very famous man。
FELICITY KING。
（PETER； MODESTLY： 〃I don't know much about Shakespeare myself but I've got a book of his plays that belonged to my Aunt Jane； and I guess I'll have to tackle him as soon as I finish with the Bible。〃）
THE STORY OF AN ELOPEMENT FROM CHURCH
This is a true story。 It happened in Markdale to an uncle of my mothers。 He wanted to marry Miss Jemima Parr。 Felicity says Jemima is not a romantic name for a heroin of a story but I cant help it in this case because it is a true story and her name realy was Jemima。 My mothers uncle was named Thomas Taylor