The fact that I do not and cannot knit leads into my Louisa May Alcott knitting reference, which is not about knitting. Maybe it is because I sprained my ankle in first grade and remember my mother wrapping my ankle in an Ace Bandage, and I remember holding the skein of yarn for my mother while she wound the ball of yarn that whenever I remembered this Alcott passage I replaced the bandage with a ball of yarn.
In Eight Cousins Rose has pined after losing her parents, and finds a new home with two aunts and nearby relatives who provide boy cousins only. Her fears are relieved as she meets a housemaid who befriends her and finds her cousins to be interesting and friendly. This passage is from a chapter in Eight Cousins called "Ear-Rings":
"Well, I happen to have a little story with a moral to it in my mind, and I will tell it, though it is intended for younger children than you,"...
...once upon a time, a little girl went to see a young lady who was very fond of her. Now, the young lady happened to be lame, and had to have her foot bandaged up every day; so she kept a basketful of bandages, all nicely rolled and ready. The little girl liked to play with this basket, and one day, when she thought no one saw her, she took one of the rolls without asking leave, and put it in her pocket."
Here Pokey, who had been peering lovingly down at the five warm nuts that lay at the bottom of her tiny pocket, suddenly looked up and said, "Oh!" in a startled tone, as if the moral tale had become intensely interesting all at once...
"But an eye did see this naughty little girl, and whose eye do you think it was?"
"Eye of Dod," murmured conscience-sticken Pokey, spreading two chubby little hands before the round face, which they were not half big enough to hide.
Rose was rather taken aback by this reply, but, feeling that she was producing a good effect, she added, seriously, -
"Yes, God saw her, and so did the young lady, but she did not say any thing; she waited to see what the little girl would do about it. She had been very happy before she took the bandage, but when it was in her pocket she seemed troubled, and pretty soon stopped playing and sat down in a corner, looking very sober. She thought a few minutes, and went and put back the roll very softly, and her face cleared up, and she was a happy child again. The young lady was glad to see that, and wondered what made the little girl put it back."
"Tonscience p'icked her," murmured a contrite voice from behind the small hands pressed tightly over Pokey's red face.
"And why did she take it, do you suppose?" asked Rose, in a school-marmish tone, feeling that all the listeners were interested in her tale and its unexpected application.
"It was so nice a wound, and she wanted it deffly," answered the little voice.
"Well, I'm glad she hadsuch a good conscience. The moral is that people who steal don't enjoy what they take, and are not happy till they put it back. What makes that little girl hide her face?" asked Rose, as she concluded.
"Me's so 'shamed of Pokey," sobbed the small culprit, quite overcome by remorse and confusion at this awful disclosure...
"Come Rose, it's too bad to tell her little tricks before every one, and preach at her in that way; you wouldn't like it yourself," began Dr. Alec, taking the weeper on his knee and administering consolation in the shape of kisses and nuts.
Before Rose could express her regret, Jamie, who had been reddening and ruffling like a little turkey-cock for several minutes, burst out indignanatly, bent on avenging the wound given to his beloved dolly, -
"I know something bad that you did, and I'm going to tell right out.
You thought we didn't see you, but we did, and you said uncle wouldn't like it, and the boys would tease, and you made Annabel promise not to tell, and she punched holes in your ears to put ear-rings in. So now! and that's much badder than to take an old piece of rag; and I hate you for making my Pokey cry."
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