BETTER THAN PLAY.
By
MABEL QUILLER-COUCH.
Author of "A waif and a Welcome," "Zach and Debby,""The Story of Jessie," etc.
1911
This etext prepared from a version published in 1911.
LONDON
THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY
4 Bouverie Street and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard, E.C.4
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
WASHING DAY TEMPERS.
Down at the Henders' cottage all was misery and discomfort; the house wasfull of bad temper, steam, and the smell of soap-suds. It waswashing-day, and the children hated washing-day. For one thing, Aunt Emmawas always very cross, and for another, they never knew what to do withthemselves. They were not allowed indoors, for they "choked up theplace," she said, "and there wasn't room to move,"; so they had to stayoutside; but they must make no noise, for she could not bear it, and theymust not wander away to play, for they might be wanted at any minute, torun an errand, or chop up a few sticks. Bella, too, the eldest of themall, was needed every now and again to hang a few things on the bushes;but that was all the break they had in the weary day.
Bella often wished her aunt would let her do more to help her. She wassure she could, and it would have been ever so much more pleasant thanstanding around seeing everything go wrong, yet doing nothing.
Her aunt was always scolding her for being idle, and grumbling at theamount of work she herself had to do; yet,