Mistress Mary
Mistress Mary
Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With dingle bells and cockle shells
And cowslips, all in a row.
High upon a cliff that overlooked the sea was a little white cottage,
in which dwelt a sailor and his wife, with their two strong sons and a
little girl. The sons were also sailors, and had made several voyages
with their father in a pretty ship called the "Skylark." Their names
were Hobart and Robart. The little girl's name was Mary, and she was
very happy indeed when her father and her brothers were at home, for
they petted her and played games with her and loved her very dearly
But when the "Skylark" went to sea, and her mother and herself were
left alone in the little white cottage, the hours were very dull and
tedious, and Mary counted the days until the sailors came home again.
One spring, just as the grasses began to grow green upon the cliff and
the trees were dressing their stiff, barren branches in robes of
delicate foliage, the father and brothers bade good-bye to Mary and
her mother, for they were starting upon a voyage to the Black Sea.
"And how long will you be gone, papa?" asked Mary, who was perched
upon her father's knee, where she could nestle her soft cheek against
his bushy whiskers.
"How long?" he repeated, stroking her curls tenderly as he spoke;
"well, well, my darling, it will be a long time indeed! Do you know
the cowslips that grow in the pastures, Mary?"
"Oh, yes; I watch for them every spring," she answered.
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