Elsie's children Read online

  CHAPTER SECOND.

  "Envy is but the smoke of low estate, Ascending still against the fortunate." --BROOKE.

  It was dark and raining a little when the carriage turned into the avenueat Ion; but the whole front of the house was ablaze with lights, the halldoor stood wide open, and a double line of servants in holiday attire,each sooty face dressed in smiles, stood waiting to welcome the wearytravelers home.

  There were many hearty shakings and kissings of hands; many ferventejaculations: "God bless you, Massa and Missus!" "Tank de Lord you's gothome again, honey. We's been pinin' for you darlin's and for de sight ofde new baby," and with the last words the voices were lowered at a signfrom Aunt Chloe, in whose arms the little Lily lay sleeping sweetly.

  There was some fretting among the weary little ones, but mamma and nurseswere kind and gentle, and a good supper and bed soon cured all theirtroubles for that night.

  Little Elsie was roused from her slumbers by a gentle shake, and startingup in bed, found the sun shining and Vi standing by her side with eager,excited face.

  "Come, come to the window!" she cried. "It does seem as if I must bedreaming; it wasn't there before, I'm sure."

  "What?" asked Elsie, springing out upon the floor and hurrying after Vi tothe window from which she had witnessed the burning of the schoolhouse.

  "There!" said Violet, pointing with her finger, "there! can you see ittoo?"

  "Oh!" exclaimed Elsie, clasping her hands in a sort of ecstasy of delight,"oh, aren't papa and mamma good? How did they ever come to think of it!and how could they get it done while they were away?"

  "Grandpa, Uncle Horace and Cal," suggested Vi. "Oh, aren't you glad?Aren't you glad, Elsie?"

  "I should think so! and the boat is ever so pretty. Let's hurry and getdressed and go down and see it closer."

  Rowing and sailing upon the bayou and lakelet had been the children'sgreatest pleasure at Viamede, their greatest regret in leaving it. Knowingthis, their ever indulgent parents had prepared a pleasant surprise forthem, causing a small tract of barren land on the Ion estate to be turnedinto an artificial lake. It was this, shining in the golden beams of themorning sun, and a beautiful boat moored to the hither shore, that hadcalled forth from the lips of the little girls those exclamations ofalmost incredulous wonder and delight.

  "Yes; I'll ring for Dinah," cried Vi, skipping across the room and puttingout her hand to lay hold of the bell pull.

  "Wait, Vi, our prayers first, you know," said Elsie.

  "Oh, yes! I do want to thank God for being so good to us; the pretty lakeand boat and all."

  "Dear kind parents, safe journey home, too, and oh more things than we cancount," added Elsie, as they knelt down side by side.

  This duty performed with no irreverent haste, the maid was summoned and acareful toilet made in season to afford them time for a walk before mammawould be ready to see them.

  They found their father in the lower veranda talking with the overseer,while Solon stood waiting with Beppo's bridle in his hand, the horsepawing the ground with impatience.

  Eddie was there, too, caressing Bruno who seemed as glad to be at homeagain as any of the rest. Uttering a joyous bark he left his young masterand bounded to meet the little girls.

  Mr. Travilla turned at the sound and with a kind fatherly smile, held outhis hands.

  "O papa," they cried running to him, "how good of you to have it made forus!"

  "Good-morning, my darlings," he said, giving and receiving caresses, "butwhat are you talking about?"

  "Why the lake, papa; the lake and the boat."

  "Lake?" exclaimed Eddie, "why where?"

  "Oh, you couldn't see it from your windows," said Elsie. "Papa, papa, maywe go now and look at it?"

  "Yes," he said, taking a hand of each. "Larkin, I'll see you again afterbreakfast. Come, Eddie, my son, you too, and Bruno."

  A brisk five minutes' walk brought them to the shore of the lake, a tinyone, scarce a quarter of a mile in circumference, not very deep and thewater so clear that the pebbly bottom could be distinctly seen; gold andsilver fish, too, gliding hither and thither; while a pretty, gaylypainted row-boat lying at the water's edge, rocked gently in the morningbreeze.

  Eddie hailed the scene with a shout of delight; the little girls dancedabout gleefully, Vi clapping her hands and asking eagerly if they mightget into the boat.

  Papa looked at his watch, "Yes, there will be time for a row; one triparound the lake. Step in, all of you, and I will take the oars."

  Vi was quite ready and Eddie gallantly handed her in, then turned andoffered his hand to Elsie. She demurred. "But mamma! shouldn't we havemamma with us the first time?" and she looked up inquiringly into herfather's face.

  "Yes, yes, of course!" cried the others making haste to step ashore again,"we want dear mamma with us the very first time."

  Papa smiled approval. "Then we will go back," he said, "and afterbreakfast, if mamma is willing, we will all come and take a row together;the boat is large enough to carry us all at once."

  Mamma's consent was readily obtained, for to please her children was hergreat delight. So shortly after breakfast they all repaired to the lakeand rowed round and across it several times, a merry, happy party.

  At Roselands the family were gathered about the breakfast table and theprincipal topic of conversation was the return of the party from Viamede.Calhoun had been to the Oaks the previous evening and learned of theirsafe arrival.

  "We must all go this morning and call upon them," said Mr. Dinsmore.

  "We'll divide our forces," said Cal, laughing. "Suppose grandpa, motherand Aunt Enna, go first to the Oaks; and we younger ones to Ion?"

  "Very well," replied the old gentleman, "I shall spend an hour with myson, then ride over to see Elsie and her little flock. How many of youyoung folks want to go to Ion in the first division?"

  "I!" "And I!" "And I!" cried one and another.

  "But you can't go all at once," returned their grandfather, lookingaround upon them with an amused smile; "the carriage is roomy, but reallyyou are too many for it. Besides wouldn't there be some danger ofoverwhelming your cousins?"

  "Well, I'm going, let who will stay at home," observed Molly Percival withcool decision. "The boys can ride, I mean Cal, and Art, and Dick and Wal;they all have ponies and the two carriages will hold the rest of us if wecrowd a little."

  "I'm not going to be bothered with Bob or Betty," said her mother; "theymay go with you, or wait till another time."

  "Then they'll wait," remarked Isadore Conly, "for I shall wear my bestsilk suit, and I have no notion of having it tumbled."

  "Last year's suit is quite good enough for the occasion," said her mother,"they're only cousins."

  "But rich ones, that can afford to dress, and I'll not go a step if I haveto look shabby."

  "Nor I," chimed in her sister. "So mamma you may as well resign yourselfto the situation. It's no good finding fault or objecting," she added witha laugh.

  "Take your own way, then," returned her mother indifferently, "butremember there'll be no more new dresses this season."

  "Dear me, why aren't we as rich as the Travillas?" pouted Isadore. "I dothink things are very unequally divided in this world."

  "Never mind; the wheel of fortune often takes a turn," said her mother."You may have money left you some day (some of your father's relations arestill rich), and you may make a grand match."

  "How long will it take you girls to don your finery?" ask Cal, pulling outhis watch. "We'd better start as soon as we can: the sun will be gettinghot."

  "I'm done," said Molly, jumping up, "and I'll be ready by the time thecarriage can be brought to the door. Come Isa and Virgy, you've eatenenough. Cousin Elsie will be sure to treat us to something good." And sheran gayly from the room.

  Molly, just turned thirteen, and already as tall as her mother, was abright, lively girl, full of fun and frolic. She was not a beauty, but hada clear complexion
and fine dark eyes, and good humor and intelligencelent a charm to her face that made it more than ordinarily attractive.

  Dick had always been fond of her, and was beginning to take a brotherlypride in her good looks and intellectual gifts.

  Enna's feelings toward her were divided between motherly pride andaffection on the one hand, and on the other the dread of being made toappear old by the side of so tall a daughter; a dread that made herjealous of Dick also.

  The Conly girls, too, were growing fast, giving promise of fair, gracefulwomanhood, Isadore particularly of great beauty; which her mother fondlyhoped would be the means of securing her a wealthy husband; for Mrs.Conly's affections were wholly set upon the things of this life; by herand her sister Enna, wealth and beauty were esteemed the highest good, andtheir children were trained in accordance with that view; the moralatmosphere of the house being very different from that of Ion, where thelives and conversation of the parents were such as to leave no doubt inthe minds of their children, that to them the things of time and sensewere as nothing in comparison with those of eternity.

  Enna followed her daughter into the dressing-room they used in common.

  "Wear the very best you have, Molly," she said, "I don't want you to belooked down upon as a poor relation, or to have it said that the Conlysdress better than my children."

  "I'm sure they don't," said Molly, ringing for the maid, "though they'dlike to if they could, and are always jealous when grandpa makes me apresent."

  "Of course they are, and they manage to get more than their fair share,too," acquiesced the mother in a tone of irritation; "but do you see to itthat they don't get ahead of you at Ion; remember Elsie is as rich as aJew, and likes the credit of being generous, so keep on the right side ofher, if you want handsome presents."

  "I'm sure she is generous and doesn't give only for the credit of it,"said Molly.

  "Don't give me any impudence," returned her mother sharply. "Rachel," tothe maid who just then came in in answer to the bell, "dress Miss Mollyfirst, and be quick about it."

  Enna superintended the business in person, and in a way that sorely triedthe temper and nerves of both Molly and the maid; the child's sash must betied and retied, her hat bent this way and that, her collar and broochchanged again and again, till she was ready to cry with impatience; andwhen at last she started for the door, she was called back, and Rachelordered to change her slippers for gaiter boots.

  "I don't want to wear them!" cried Molly, fairly stamping with impatience."The heels are so high and narrow, I can't bear them."

  "They're just the style and make your foot look beautiful," said hermother, "sit down and let Rachel put them on you."

  "Grandpa says they're dangerous, and so does Dr. Barton, too," grumbledMolly.

  "Put them on her, Rachel," commanded Enna. "Molly, behave yourself, oryou'll stay at home."

  The child submitted rather sullenly, muttering that she would be late.

  Rachel was fastening the second boot, when Isadore and Virginia were heardrunning down the stairs, calling out that the carriage was at the door.

  "There! I knew you'd make me too late!" cried Molly. "Oh, Rachel, dohurry!"

  "Yes, Miss Molly, best I kin; dar dat's de las' button."

  Up sprang Molly, and away in hot haste. She gained the landing, caught herheel in the carpet on the first step of the next flight, and a wild shriekrang through the house, accompanied by the sound of a heavy body tumblingand rolling down the stairs.

  Echoing the scream, Enna rushed out into the upper hall.

  Calhoun at the foot of the stairs, was picking Molly up.

  "Is she hurt? Is she killed?" asked the mother, "Molly, Molly, how did youcome to be so awkward?"

  "I wasn't! it was those heels; I knew they'd throw me down some day!"cried the child in tones of mingled anger, fright and pain.

  "H'm! you're not killed; haven't even had the temper knocked out of you,"remarked Enna, going back to her dressing.

  "Poor child, you must be hurt," said Calhoun, laying her gently on a sofa,"but no bones broken, I hope?"

  "I--I don't know," sobbed Molly, "it's my back. Oh, dear! oh, dear!"

  "Oh, Molly, are you much hurt? shall I go for the doctor?" asked Dick,coming to her side pale with fright. "Mac's right here at the door, readysaddled and bridled, and----"

  "Go for the doctor?" interrupted Molly. "No, indeed! It's very good inyou, Dick, but I don't want him; I am going to Ion with the rest of you.I'm ready now."

  "You don't look much like it; you're as pale as a ghost," he said, Calhounadding, "You'd better lie still for a while, Molly; Dick or I will takeyou over this evening, if you find yourself able to go then."

  "Thank you, but I'm going now," she answered with decision, getting up andtaking Dick's arm.

  He helped her to the carriage, where Isadore, Virginia, and some of theyounger ones sat waiting, and placed her in it.

  She wiped away her tears and tried to smile, while answering the questionsand condolences of the others, and the party moved on.

  By the time Ion was reached, most of them had nearly forgotten Molly'saccident, till Elsie remarked that she was looking pale, and asked if shewere quite well.

  That brought out the story of her fall.

  Elsie heard it with grave concern but asked few questions as Molly seemedannoyed that the subject had been introduced. It was a habit of hermother's to scold her for awkwardness, and the child was sensitive on thatpoint.

  When the young people had left and the older members of the Roselandsfamily called, Elsie seized a favorable opportunity to speak of Molly'spale looks and urge the importance of calling in a physician that if therewere any reason to apprehend serious results from the fall, measures mightbe promptly taken to avert the danger.

  "She can't have been seriously hurt," returned Enna coldly, "or shewouldn't have been ready to get into the carriage the next minute and rideover here."

  "By the way," said her father, "I haven't heard what caused her fall."

  "She's an awkward child, always tumbling about," returned Enna reddening.

  "Especially since she wears those fashionable boots with the high narrowheels," he remarked. "Had she them on when she fell?"

  Enna reluctantly admitted that such was the fact.

  "I'll send them into town to-day, with orders that full half the heelshall be taken off," he said with angry decision.