Pollyanna: The First Glad Book. Pollyanna Grows Up: The Second Glad Book / Поллианна. Поллианна вырастает

A familiar-looking small dog bounded up the steps to greet her, but there was a slight delay before the woman who had been hanging out the clothes opened the door.

“If you please, I’ve brought some calf’s-foot jelly for Mr. Pendleton,” smiled Pollyanna.

“Thank you,” said the woman, reaching for the bowl in the little girl’s hand. “Who shall I say sent it? And it’s calf’s-foot jelly?”

The doctor, coming into the hall at that moment, heard the woman’s words and saw the disappointed look on Pollyanna’s face.

“Ah! Some calf’s-foot jelly?” he asked genially. “That will be fine! Maybe you’d like to see our patient, eh?”

“Oh, yes, sir,” beamed Pollyanna; and the woman, in obedience to a nod from the doctor, led the way down the hall at once, though plainly with vast surprise on her face.

Behind the doctor, a young man (a trained nurse from the nearest city) gave a disturbed exclamation.

“But, Doctor, didn’t Mr. Pendleton give orders not to admit-anyone?”

“Oh, yes,” nodded the doctor, imperturbably. “But I’m giving orders now. I’ll take the risk.” Then he added whimsically: “You don’t know, of course; but that little girl is better than a six-quart bottle of tonic any day. If anything or anybody can take the grouch out of Pendleton this afternoon, she can.

“Who is she?”

For one brief moment the doctor hesitated.

“She’s the niece of one of our best known residents. Her name is Pollyanna Whittier. I–I don’t happen to enjoy a very extensive personal acquaintance with the little lady as yet; but lots of my patients do-I’m thankful to say!”

The nurse smiled.

“Indeed! And what are the special ingredients of this wonder-working-tonic of hers?”

The doctor shook his head.

“I don’t know. As near as I can find out it is an overwhelming, unquenchable gladness for everything that has happened or is going to happen. At any rate, her quaint speeches are constantly being repeated to me, and, as near as I can make out, �just being glad’ is the tenor of most of them.