The Two Elsies Page 14

  CHAPTER XIV.

  "How poor are they that have not patience!"

  SHAKESPEARE.

  The next morning's mail brought a letter from Isadore Keith to hercousin, Mrs. Elsie Travilla. It was dated "Viamede Parsonage," andwritten in a cheerful strain; for Isa was very happy in her married life.

  She wrote rejoicingly of the prospect of seeing the Ion family atViamede; the relatives of her husband who were now staying with them alsourged an early arrival.

  "We long to have you all here for the whole season," she said; "Molly andI are looking eagerly forward to your coming; and the old servants at themansion beg for a Christmas with the family in the house. Cannot Ionspare you to Viamede this year at that season?

  "I know your and uncle's kind hearts would make you both rejoice inadding to our happiness, and theirs also. And I have an additionalinducement to offer. A fine school has been opened lately in theneighborhood, near enough to all our homes for our children to attend.Mine, of course, are still far too young, but I rejoice in the prospectfor the future.

  "It is both a boarding and day school, principally for girls of all agesfrom six or eight to eighteen or twenty; but they take a few boys,brothers of the girls who attend.

  "A gentleman and his wife are the principals, two daughters assist, andthere are French and music masters, etc. You will hear all about it whenyou come; but I am pretty certain you will find it a suitable school forall your numerous flock of children; and so uncle may take a rest fromhis labor of love, for such I know it has been."

  The remainder of the letter was occupied with other matters not importantto our story.

  The greater part of the missive Elsie read aloud to the assembled familyin the parlor, where they had gathered on leaving the breakfast-table;then turning to her father,

  "Well, papa, what do you think of it?" she asked. "I am rejoiced at theprospect of seeing you left to take your ease, as you surely have a rightto at your age."

  "Am I actually growing so extremely old?" he asked with a comicallyrueful look. "Really, I had flattered myself that I was still a vigorousman, capable of a great deal of exertion."

  "So you seem to be, Cousin Horace," said Mr. Keith, "and certainly youare quite youthful compared to Marcia and myself."

  "Oh fie, Uncle Keith," laughed Zoe, "to insinuate that a lady is so veryancient!"

  "But, my dear child, people often come, toward the close of life, to beproud of their age, and perhaps sometimes are tempted to make it appeargreater than it is."

  "When they get up in the hundreds, for instance?" Edward said halfinquiringly.

  "Yes," said Mr. Keith, with an amused smile; "though I must not beunderstood as acknowledging that either my wife or myself has yet arrivedat that stage."

  "But we hope you will live to reach it," Elsie said, with an affectionateglance from one to the other.

  "Would you keep us so long from home, my sweet cousin?" Mrs. Keith asked,something in her placid face seeming to tell of longing desire to be nearand like her Lord."

  "Only for the sake of those to whom you are so dear, Aunt Marcia," Elsieanswered, her eyes glistening.

  "I shall keep them as long as ever I can," said Annis.

  There was a moment's silence; then Edward asked, "Now what about Isa'srequest?"

  "What do you say, Elsie?" Mr. Dinsmore queried, looking at his daughter.

  "That I am quite satisfied to go at whatever time will best suit theothers; particularly our guests and yourself, papa."

  "What do you say, Marcia?" he inquired of his cousin.

  "That I find it delightful here, and feel assured it will not be less soat Viamede; so am ready to go at once, or to stay longer, as you please."

  Mrs. Dinsmore, Mr. Keith, and Annis expressed themselves in like manner.

  "I think you would probably have pleasanter weather for travelling nowthan some weeks later in the season," remarked Edward; "and whatever elsemay be said of my opinion, it is at least disinterested, as I shall bethe loser if you are influenced by it."

  "Why, what do you mean, Ned?" asked Zoe, in surprise. "Are we not goingtoo?"

  "Not I, my dear; at least not for the winter: business requires mypresence here. I hope, though, to be able to join you all for perhaps twoor three weeks."

  "Not me; for I shall not go till you do," she said with decision. "Youknow you couldn't spare me, don't you?"

  "I know I should miss you sadly," he acknowledged, furtively passing hisarm round her waist, for, as usual, they were seated side by sideon a sofa; "but I know how you have been looking forward for months tothis winter at Viamede, and I don't intend you shall miss it for mysake."

  "But what have your intentions to do with it?" she asked, with a twinkleof fun in her eye and a saucy little toss of her pretty head.

  "The question to be decided is what I intend; and I answer, 'Never toleave my husband, but to go when he goes and stay when he stays!' What doyou say to that?"

  "That I am blest with the dearest of little wives," he whispered close toher ear, and tightening his clasp of her waist.

  They had nearly forgotten the presence of the others, who were too busyarranging the time for setting out upon their contemplated journey tonotice this bit of by-play.

  The children--Lulu included--were all in the room and listening withintense interest to the consultation of their elders.

  At length it was settled that they would leave in a few days, and Rosie,Max, Grace, and Walter burst into exclamations of delight; but Lulu stolequietly and unobserved from the room and hurried to her own.

  "Oh, I wonder," she sighed to herself as she shut the door and droppedinto a chair, "if I am to go too! I wouldn't be left behind for anything;and as there is a school there that I can be sent to as a day-scholar,maybe Mamma Vi will coax to have me go; she's more likely to be in favorof taking me than anybody else--unless it's Grandma Elsie."

  Just then she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, through the hall, andinto the adjoining room, and the voices of the three who were in herthoughts.

  "What do you think about it, papa?" Elsie was saying. "I should be veryglad to have the dear child enjoy all that the rest of us do; but it mustnot be at the cost of spoiling your enjoyment."

  "I shall not allow it to do so," Mr. Dinsmore answered. "Lulu is alovable child in spite of her very serious faults, and it would distressme to have her deprived of the delights of a winter at Viamede; which shehas, I believe, been looking forward to with as great eagerness as any ofthe others, children or adults."

  "I know she has; and, dear grandpa, I thank you very much for your kindwillingness to take her with us," Violet responded feelingly; her motheradding,

  "I also, papa; it would grieve me deeply to be compelled to leave herbehind; especially as it must necessarily be in a boarding-school; Edwardand Zoe being too young and inexperienced to take charge of her."

  Lulu's first emotion on hearing all this was delight that she was to go;the next, gratitude to these kind friends, mingled with a deep sense ofshame on account of her misconduct.

  Impulsively she rose from her seat, hastened to the door of communicationwith the room where they were, and, pausing on the threshold, askedtimidly, "Mamma Vi, may I come in?"

  "Yes, Lulu," Violet answered with a kindly look and smile; and the littlegirl, stepping quickly to Mr. Dinsmore's side, addressed him, with eyescast down and cheeks burning with blushes:

  "I heard what you said just now, Grandpa Dinsmore, though I wasn'tintending to be an eavesdropper, and I thank you very much for being sokind and forgiving to me when I've been so ungrateful and troublesome toyou; and it makes me feel very sorry and ashamed, because of my badbehavior. Will you please forgive me? and I'll try to be a better girl infuture," she added with an effort.

  "Surely I will, my dear child," Mr. Dinsmore responded, taking her by thehand and drawing her to him, then bending down to kiss her cheek andstroke her hair caressingly. "So well assured am I that you are trulysorry, and desirous to do be
tter, that I should say come back to theschool-room to-morrow, if we were going on with lessons as usual; but asthe time for setting out upon our journey to Viamede is so very near, Ishall give no more lessons, after to-day, until we return."

  "Ah," glancing at his watch, "I see I should be with my pupils now;" andwith that he rose and left the room.

  "Lulu, dear, you have made me quite happy," Elsie said, smilingaffectionately upon the little girl.

  "And me also," said Violet; "and I know your father would feel so too, ifhe were here."

  "You are all so kind you make me feel very much ashamed of myself,"murmured Lulu, blushing and casting down her eyes. "Mamma Vi, can I doanything to help you?"

  "If you like to amuse baby for a few minutes, it will be a help to me,"Violet answered; for she saw that just now it would give Lulu sincerepleasure to think herself of use. "Her mammy is eating her breakfast,"Violet continued, "and I want to speak to Christine and Alma about somesewing they are doing for me."

  "I'd like to, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu, holding out her hands to littleElsie, and delighted that her mute invitation was at once accepted; thesweet babe stretching out its chubby arms to her.

  "I do think she is just as pretty and smart as she can be! Aren't you,you darling little pet?" she went on, hugging and kissing the little onewith sisterly affection, while the young mother looked on with shiningeyes.

  It was a great relief to her that Lulu seemed to have entirely banishedher former jealousy of her baby-sister; and that this pleasant state ofaffairs might continue, she was careful to make her errand to thesewing-room very short, lest Lulu should begin to find her task irksome.

  Hastening back to her own apartments, she found Lulu still in highgood-humor, laughing and romping with the babe, allowing it to pat hercheeks and pull her hair with perfect impunity.

  "Mamma Vi," she said, "isn't she a darling?"

  "I think so," replied Violet; "but I fear she is hurting you, for I knowfrom experience that she can pull hair very hard."

  "Oh," said Lulu, "I don't mind such a trifling hurt, as it amuses her."

  Still she seemed quite ready to resign baby to her mother.

  "What more can I do, Mamma Vi?" she asked.

  "Don't you want to finish that pretty bracket you were at yesterday?"asked Violet.

  "Yes, ma'am; unless there is something I can do to help you."

  "Nothing at present, thank you, dear," Violet answered; and giving aparting kiss to the baby, Lulu hastened away to the work-room.

  She toiled on industriously, much interested in her carving, cheerful andhappy, but watching the clock on the mantel as the time drew near for Mr.Dinsmore's pupils to be dismissed from their tasks.

  She had not seen Evelyn since early the day before, and was longing tohave a talk with her, particularly about the delightful prospect of goingto Viamede to spend some months there together; and when at last thesound of child voices and laughter, coming up from below, told her thatlessons were over, she sprang up and ran hastily down the stairs, lookingeagerly for her friend.

  She did not see Evelyn, but met Rosie face to face.

  They exchanged glances: Lulu's proud and disdainful, Rosie's merry andcareless; insultingly, so Lulu thought, considering what had passedbetween them the previous day; and drawing herself up to her full height,she said, her eyes flashing with anger, "You owe me an apology!"

  "Do I, indeed? Then I'm quite able to owe it," laughed Rosie, dancingaway, but pausing presently to throw back a parting word over hershoulder: "I'm afraid that's a very bad debt, Miss Raymond; don't youwish you could collect it?"

  Lulu's face crimsoned with anger, and she was opening her lips for acutting retort, when Evelyn, who had just stepped out of the schoolroom,where she had lingered a moment to arrange the contents of her desk,hastily threw an arm round her waist and drew her away.

  "Don't mind what Rosie says; it's not worth caring for," she whispered."She's full of her fun, don't you see? and doesn't mean any harm. Come,let us go up to the work-room and have a good talk."

  Lulu yielded in silence, struggling hard to be mistress of herself.

  Evelyn tried to help her. "Oh, Lulu, is it not delightful that we are togo so soon to that lovely Viamede?" she asked as the work-room doorclosed behind them.

  "Yes; if only one could leave temper and tormenting people behind!"sighed Lulu. "Oh, Eva, Rosie is _so_ tormenting! I'd be glad to befriends with her, but she won't let me."

  "It is trying," Evelyn admitted. "But you know, Lu," she went on, "thatwe must expect troubles and trials in this world; that they are sent orpermitted for our good; for strength grows by exercise, and if there isnothing to try our patience, how can it grow?"

  "I have none to begin with," said Lulu.

  "Oh, that's a mistake," said Evelyn; "you have great patience with yourwork yonder, and deserve a great deal of credit for it. I do think youhave much more of that kind of patience than Rosie has. But let us talkof something else."

  They talked of Viamede, each telling the other what she had heard of itsbeauties; of Magnolia Hall, too; of Molly, Isa, and the other relativesof the Dinsmores who were living in that region of country.

  It so happened that Rosie's mother, passing through the hall below at themoment, overheard her mocking words to Lulu.

  "Rosie," she called, and the little girl perceived a grieved tone in thesweet voice, "come here, daughter."

  "Yes, mamma, dear, what is it?" Rosie asked lightly, descending thestair.

  "Come into my dressing-room; I want to talk to you." Then, when they wereseated, "What was that I overheard you saying to Lulu just now?"

  Rosie repeated her words in a careless tone.

  "I desire an explanation," her mother said gently, but very gravely."What was the debt, and who owes it?"

  "I, mamma, if anybody. Lulu had just said that I owed her an apology; andI had answered that if so, I was quite able to owe it."

  "What had you done or said that she should think herself entitled to anapology?"

  Rosie replied with a truthful account of the scene of the day before inthe boy's work-room, excusing her part of it by an allusion to "Lulu'sfearful temper."

  "Are you quite sure, Rosie, that when you rouse it by exasperatingremarks you do not share the sin?" asked her mother with a grieved,troubled look.

  "No, mamma, I'm afraid I do," acknowledged Rosie, frankly.

  "Satan is called the tempter," Elsie went on, "and I fear that you aredoing his work when you wilfully tempt another to sin."

  "Oh, mamma," cried Rosie, looking shocked, "I never thought of that. Idon't want to be his servant, doing his work; I will try never to temptany one to wrong-doing again."

  "I am glad to hear you say that," said her mother. "And now that you areconscious of having harmed Lulu, are you not willing to do what lies inyour power to repair the mischief--to pay the debt she thinks you oweher?"

  Rosie's head drooped and her cheeks crimsoned. "Mamma, you are asking ahard thing of me," she said in a low, unwilling tone. "If you order me,of course I know I must obey; but I'd rather do almost anything else thanapologize to Lulu."

  "I wish you to do it of your own free will and from sense of duty, notbecause my commands are laid upon you," Elsie answered. "Is it not thenoblest course of action I am urging upon you? Is it any less mean torefuse to meet such an obligation than a moneyed one?--a thing of which Iam sure you would be heartily ashamed to be guilty."

  "Certainly I should, mamma; one might as well steal as refuse to pay whatone honestly owes; unless it be entirely out of one's power."

  "You are speaking of pecuniary obligations. Now apply the same rule tothis other: you have taken something from Lulu's peace of mind (apossession more valuable than money), and can you refuse an honestendeavor to restore it?"

  "Mamma, you have a most convincing way of putting things," Rosie said,between a smile and a sigh. "I will do as you wish, and try not to repeatthe offence which calls for so humiliating a reparation."
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  So saying, she rose and left the room, anxious to have the disagreeableduty over as soon as possible.

  Rightly conjecturing Lulu's whereabouts, she went directly to thework-room and found her and Evelyn chatting there together.

  They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but a frown suddenly darkenedLulu's brow as she turned her head at the opening of the door and saw whowas there.

  "Excuse the interruption, girls," Rosie said pleasantly. "I only want tosay a few words and then I will go. Lulu, I have come to pay that debt.Mamma has convinced me that I have done very wrong in teasing you, andought to apologize. I therefore ask your pardon for any and everyunpleasant word I have ever addressed to you."

  Before Rosie had fairly finished what she had to say, warm-hearted,impulsive Lulu had risen to her feet, run hastily to her and thrown herarms round her neck.

  "Oh, Rosie," she cried, "I've been just too hateful for anything! I oughtto be able to stand a little teasing, and you needn't apologize forvexing such a quick-tempered piece as I am."

  "Yes, I should," returned Rosie. "Mamma has shown me that I have beengreatly to blame. But I trust we shall be good friends after this."

  "So do I," said Lulu.