Some of the young ladies and girls were famous swimmers , and looked very pretty in their bright red and blue costumes , with loose hair and gay stockings , as they danced into the water and floated away as fearlessly as real mermaidens . Jill had her quiet dip and good rubbing each fine day , and then lay upon the warm sand watching the pranks of the others , and longing to run and dive and shout and tumble with the rest . Now that she was among the well and active , it seemed harder to be patient than when shut up and unable to stir . She felt so much better , and had so little pain to remind her of past troubles , it was almost impossible to help forgetting the poor back and letting her recovered spirits run away with her . If Mrs. Minot had not kept good watch , she would have been off more than once , so eager was she to be `` like other girls '' again , so difficult was it to keep the restless feet quietly folded among the red cushions . One day she did yield to temptation , and took a little voyage which might have been her last , owing to the carelessness of those whom she trusted . It was a good lesson , and made her as meek as a lamb during the rest of her stay . Mrs. Minot drove to Gloucester one afternoon , leaving Jill safely established after her nap in the boat , with Gerty and Mamie making lace beside her . `` Do n't try to walk or run about , my dear . Sit on the piazza if you get tired of this , and amuse yourself quietly till I come back . I 'll not forget the worsted and the canvas , '' said Mamma , peeping over the bank for a last word as she waited for the omnibus to come along . `` Oh , do n't forget the Gibraltars ! '' cried Jill , popping her head out of the green roof . `` Nor the bananas , please ! '' added Gerty , looking round one end . `` Nor the pink and blue ribbon to tie our shell-baskets , '' called Mamie , nearly tumbling into the aquarium at the other end . Mrs. Minot laughed , and promised , and rumbled away , leaving Jill to an experience which she never forgot . For half an hour the little girls worked busily , then the boys came for Gerty and Mamie to go to the Chasm with a party of friends who were to leave next day . Off they went , and Jill felt very lonely as the gay voices died away . Every one had gone somewhere , and only little Harry Hammond and his maid were on the beach .
Two or three sand-pipers ran about among the pebbles , and XXXXX envied them their nimble legs so much , that she could not resist getting up to take a few steps .
Gerty Gibraltars Gloucester Jill Mamma Minot aquarium hour omnibus shell-baskets