Welcome to sleep stories with Steph your go-to podcast.
That offers you a calm and relaxing transition to sleep.
Into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now.
And know where you need to go.
Close your eyes.
And feel yourself sink into the support beneath you.
And let all the worries of the day go.
Drift away.
This is your time.
And your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And let it out with a long sigh.
That's it!
There is nothing you need to be doing now.
And know where you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter 5 Emily,
Who had been pointedly ignored by the Murries at breakfast,
Was called into the parlour when the meal was over.
They were all there,
The whole phalanx of them,
And it occurred to Emily as she looked at Uncle Wallace sitting in the spring sunshine,
She had not just found the exact word after all to express his peculiar quality of grimness.
Aunt Elizabeth stood unsmilingly by the table with slips of paper in her hand.
Emily.
She said.
Last night we could not decide who should take you.
I may say that none of us feel very much like doing so,
For you've behaved very badly in many respects.
Oh Elizabeth!
Tested Laura.
She's our sister's child.
Elizabeth lifted her hand weakly.
I am doing this,
Laura.
Had the goodness not to interrupt me.
As I was saying,
Emily,
We could not decide as to who should have the care of you,
So we've agreed to Cousin Jimmy's suggestion we shall settle the matter by lot.
I have our names here written on these slips of paper.
You will draw one and the name who is on it will be the name of the person who will give you a home.
Aunt Elizabeth held out the slips of paper.
Emily trembled so violently at first she could not draw one.
This was terrible.
It seemed as if she must blindly settle her own fate.
Draw.
Said Aunt Elizabeth.
Emily set her teeth,
Threw back her head with the air of one who challenges destiny and drew.
Aunt Elizabeth took the slip from the little shaking hand and held it up.
On it was her own name,
Elizabeth Murray.
Laura Murray suddenly put her handkerchief to her eyes.
Well,
That's settled,
Said Uncle Wallace,
Getting up with an air of relief,
And I'm going to catch the train.
I've got to hurry.
Of course,
As far as the matter of expense goes,
Elizabeth,
I will do my share.
We are not paupers at New Moon,
Said Aunt Elizabeth rather coldly.
Since it has fallen me to take her,
I shall do all that is necessary,
Wallace.
I do not show my duty.
I am her duty.
Elizabeth.
Father said nobody ever liked a duty.
So Aunt Elizabeth will never like me.
You've got more of the Moray pride than all the rest of us put together,
Elizabeth,
" laughed Uncle Wallace.
They all followed him out,
Except Aunt Laura.
She came up to Emily,
Standing alone in the middle of the room,
And drew her into her arms.
I'm so glad,
Elizabeth.
I'm so glad.
She whispered.
Don't fret,
Dear child.
I love you already and New Moon is a nice place.
It has a pretty name,
Said Emily,
Struggling for self-control.
I've always hoped I could go with you,
Aunt Laura.
I think I'm going to cry.
But it's not because I'm sorry I'm going there.
My manners are not as bad as you may think,
Aunt Gloria,
And I wouldn't have listened last night if I'd have known that it was wrong.
Of course you wouldn't.
Shedant Glora.
But I'm not Amara,
You know.
Then our blower said a queer thing for a Murray.
Thank heaven for that.
Cousin Jimmy followed Emily out and overtook her a little in the hall.
Looking carefully around to ensure privacy,
He whispered.
Law is a great hand at making the apple turn over,
Pussy.
Elizabeth thought Apple turnover sounded nice.
Though she didn't know what it was.
She whispered back a question which she would never have dared ask Aunt Elizabeth or Aunt Laura.
Cousin Jimmy,
When they make a cake at New Moon,
Will they let me scrape out the mixing bowl and eat the scrapings?
Laura will.
Elizabeth won't.
Whispered cousin Jimmy.
Put my feet in the oven when they get cold and have a cookie before I go to bed.
Same answer as before said Cousin Jimmy.
I'll recite my poetry to you.
It's very few people I do that for.
I've composed a thousand poems.
They're not written down,
But I carry them in here.
Cousin Jimmy tapped his forehead.
Is it very hard to write poetry?
Asked Emily.
Easy as rolling off a log if you can find enough rhymes.
Said Cos and Jimmy.
They all went away that morning except the New Moon people.
Aunt Elizabeth announced they would stay up until the next day to pack and take Emily with them.
Most of the furniture belongs to the house,
She said,
So it won't take us long to get ready.
There are only Douglas Starr's books and a few personal belongings.
How shall I carry my cat?
Asked Emily anxiously.
Aunt Elizabeth stared.
Cats?
You'll take no cats,
Mace.
I must take Mike and Saucy Sal,
I can't leave them behind,
Cried Emily wildly.
I just can't live without a cat.
Nonsense.
There are barn cats in New Moon,
But they're never allowed in the house.
Don't you like cats?
Asked Emily wonderingly.
No,
I do not.
Don't you like the feel of a nice soft fat cat?
No,
I would soon as touch a snake.
There's a lovely old wax doll of your mother's up there,
" said Aunt Laura.
I'll dress it up for you.
I don't like dolls,
They can't talk!
Neither can cats.
Oh,
Can't they?
My consortie sal can.
I must take them.
Please,
Aunt Elizabeth.
I love those cats.
They're the only things left in the world that love me,
Please!
What's a cat more or less or two hundred acres?
" said Cousin Jimmy,
Pulling his forked beard.
Take him along,
Elizabeth.
Aren't Elizabeth considered for a moment?
She couldn't understand why anybody should want a cat.
Aunt Elizabeth was one of those people who never do understand anything unless it's told them in plain language and hammered into their head.
And even then they only understand it with their brains and not with their hearts.
You may take one of your cats,
" she said at last,
With the air of a person making a great concession.
One and no more.
Don't argue.
You may as well learn first as last,
Emily,
That when I say a thing,
I mean it.
That's enough,
Jimmy.
Cousin Jimmy bit off something he tried to say,
Stuck his hands in his pockets and whistled at the ceiling.
This was indeed a problem.
Emily wrestled all day with it,
Her heart bursting.
She liked Mike best,
There was no doubt of that.
But she couldn't leave saucy Sal to Ellen's tender mercies.
And had always hated soul.
But she rather liked Mike and she would be good to him.
Ellen was going back to her own little house in Maywood Village and she wanted a cat.
So at last in the evening,
Emily made a bitter decision.
She would take saucy Sal.
What's this?
" said Aunt Elizabeth suddenly,
Pausing for a moment in her packing.
Emily looked up and saw with dismay Aunt Elizabeth had in her hands the old account book.
And she was opening it and reading in it.
Emily sprang across the floor and snatched up the book.
You mustn't read that,
Aunt Elizabeth.
She cried indignantly,
That's mine,
My own private property!
Hoity-toity,
Miss Star,
" said Aunt Elizabeth,
Staring.
I have a right to read your books.
I am responsible for you now and I'm not going to have anything hidden or underhanded.
Understand that.
Now give me that book!
Back at once.
No,
Cried Emily,
And she turned and ran.
Elizabeth is cold and hoity,
And she's not fair,
She said to herself.
The next morning,
While Cousin Jimmy was tying the boxes at the back of the double-seated buggy and Aunt Elizabeth was giving Ellen her final instructions.
.
.
Emily said goodbye to everything.
Then she went upstairs to the window of her own little room.
There might be another Emily in the glass at New Moon.
But she wouldn't be the same one as the Emily in the glass in her house.
She unpinned from the wall and stowed away in her pocket the picture of the ball dress she'd cut from a fashion sheet.
It was such a wonderful dress.
Or white lace and reeds of rosebuds with a long,
Long train of lace flounces that must reach clear across a room.
Emily had pictured herself a thousand times wearing that dress,
Sweeping a Queen of Beauty across a bookroom floor.
Then downstairs she went.
Will you be very good to Mike?
" she asked Ellen.
I believe you'll feel worse overleaving that cat than you'll ever do overleaving me.
Sniff Talon.
Of course I will.
Said Emily,
Amazed there could be any question about it.
And it took all her resolution not to cry when she bade farewell to Mike,
Who was curled up on the sun-warm grass at the back door.
Then they were off in the double-seated buggy with its fringed canopy,
Always affected by the murries of New Moon.
Emily had never driven in anything so splendid before.
She had never had many drives.
Once or twice her father had borrowed Mr.
Hubbard's old bog board and grey pony and driven to Charlottetown.
But she had never had many drives.
Cousin Jimmy and Aunt Elizabeth sat in front,
The latter very imposing in black lace bonnet and mantle.
Aunt Laura and Emily occupied the seat behind,
With saucy Sal between them in a basket,
Shrieking piteously.
Emily glanced back as they drove up the grassy lane and thought the little old brown house in the hollow had a broken-hearted look.
She longed to run back and comfort it.
Then Aunt Laura put a kid-gloved hand across Sal's basket and caught Emily's in a close understanding squeeze.
Oh,
I just love you,
Aunt Laura.
Whispered Emily.
And Toglor's eyes were very,
Very blue and deep.
And kind.
