The Two Elsies Read online

  CHAPTER V.

  "Gone beforeTo that unknown and silent shore."

  CHARLES LAMB.

  Mr. Leland, lying pale and languid on his couch, was listening intentlyfor the approaching footsteps of his child.

  As she stole softly in, fearful of disturbing him, he lifted his headslightly and greeted her with a tender, pitying smile and a feeblyoutstretched hand.

  "My darling," he whispered, drawing her to him, "my poor darling; so theyhave told you? I have tried to spare you the bitter truth as long as Icould; bitter to you, love, and to me for your sake; yet the will of Godbe done; He knows and will do what is best for us both."

  Evelyn was making a determined effort at self-control for his dear sake,that she might not disturb him with the knowledge that her very heart wasbreaking.

  "Papa," she said, with a vain endeavor to steady her tones, "dear,dearest papa, you will surely get well; for I will pray day and night toGod to cure you; and have you not taught me that He is the hearer andanswerer of prayer, that He loves us, and that He is able to doeverything?"

  "Yes, dear daughter; and it is all true, but His thoughts are not as ourthoughts; He may see best to take me now to the heavenly home towardwhich you too, I hope, are traveling; best for you as well as for me."

  "O papa, how can it be best for me, when you are such a help to me ingoing that road; the only help I have?"

  "He is able to raise up other and better helpers for you, dearest, and HeHimself will be the best of all. Perhaps it is to draw you nearer toHimself that He is taking away the earthly father upon whom you have beenaccustomed to lean."

  Mr. Leland's voice faltered with the last words; the exertion of talkingso much had exhausted his feeble frame, and closing his eyes, he laylifting up silent petitions for his child.

  Evelyn thought he slept, and lest she should disturb him, forciblyrepressed her inclination to relieve her over-burdened heart by sobs andsighs.

  She remained close at his side, gently fanning him, for the day wasoppressively hot.

  But presently he opened his eyes, and fixed them upon her face with along look of tenderest love and sympathy--a look that impressed itselfindelibly upon her memory and was often, in after years, dwelt upon withfeelings of strangely mingled joy and grief.

  "My darling," he murmured at length, so low that her quick ear scarcecaught the words, "my precious child, I leave you to the care of Him whois a Father of the fatherless. I have been pleading with Him for you;pleading His promise to those who trust in Him--'I will be a God to theeand to thy seed after thee.' It is an everlasting covenant, and shallnever fail. Seek Him, my darling, seek Him with all your heart, and Hewill be your God forever and ever: your Guide even unto death."

  "I will, papa, I will," she whispered, pressing her quivering lips to hischeek.

  The end did not come that day; for another week the loved suffererlingered in pain and weakness, borne with Christian fortitude andresignation.

  For the most part his mind was clear and calm, the joy of the Lord hisstrength and stay; yet were there moments when doubts and fears assailedhim.

  "What is it, dear brother?" Elsie asked one day, seeing a troubled lookupon his face.

  "'How many are mine iniquities and sins,'" he answered; "'mine iniquitiesare gone over mine head; as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.'"

  "But 'He was wounded for our trangressions, He was bruised for ouriniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with Hisstripes we are healed,'" quoted Elsie.

  "Oh, bless the Lord 'who forgiveth all thine iniquities.'"

  "Yes," he said, "but I am so vile, so sinful--it seems utterly impossiblethat I ever can be pure in His sight who is 'of purer eyes than to beholdevil, and cannot look on iniquity.'"

  "'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,'" quotedElsie in low tones of deepest sympathy.

  "'Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from theirsins.'

  "'This Man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come untoGod by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.'

  "'Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity.'

  "'Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and withhim is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all hisiniquities.'"

  "Blessed words!" he ejaculated, the cloud lifting from his brow,"blessed, blessed words! I will doubt and fear no more; I will trust Hispower to save; His imputed righteousness is mine, and covered with thatspotless robe I need not fear to enter the presence of the King ofkings."

  Some hours later the messenger came, and whispering, "All is peace,peace, unclouded peace," the dying saint fell asleep in Jesus.

  Gently, tenderly Lester closed the sightless eyes, saying in moved tones,"Farewell, brother beloved! Thank God the battle's fought, the victorywon!"

  And now Evelyn, who had been for hours close at her father's side,waiting upon him, smoothing his pillow, moistening his lips, gazing withyearning tenderness into his eyes, drinking in his every word and lookwhile displaying a power of self-control wonderful to see in a child ofher years, burst into a passion of tears and sobs, pressing her lipsagain and again to the brow, the cheek, the lips of the dead--those palelips that for the first time failed to respond to her loving caresses.

  But with a wild shriek the new-made widow went into strong hysterics;and, resuming her self-control, the little girl left the dead to waitupon and console the living parent.

  "Mamma, dearest mamma," she said, in quivering tones, putting her armsabout her mother, "think how blest he is; the angels are even nowcarrying him home with songs of gladness to be forever with the Lord; andhe will never be sick or in pain any more."

  "But what is to become of me?" sobbed her mother. "I cannot do withouthim, if you can. You couldn't have loved him half so well as I did or youwould never take his loss so quietly."

  "O Mamma!" cried the child, her tone speaking deeply wounded feeling, "ifyou could know _how_ I loved him!--my dear, dear father! Oh, why am Ileft behind? why could I not go with him?"

  "And leave your mother all alone!" was the reproachful rejoinder. "Butyou always loved him best; never cared particularly for me; and neverwill I suppose," she added, going into a stronger paroxysm than before.

  "O mamma, don't!" cried Evelyn, in sore distress. "I love you dearly too;and you are all I have left." She threw an arm about her mother's neck asshe spoke, but was thrust impatiently aside.

  "You are suffocating me; can't you see it? Help me to bed in the nextroom, and call Hannah. She perhaps will have sense enough to applyrestoratives."

  But both Lester and Elsie had come to her aid, and the former, taking herin his arms, carried her to the bed, while Evelyn hastened to call thenurse who had for the past week or two assisted in the care of him whonow no longer needed anything but the last sad offices.

  Laura's grief continued to be very violent in its manifestations, yet didnot hinder her from taking an absorbing interest in the preparation ofher own and Evelyn's mourning garments. She was careful that they shouldbe of the deepest black, the finest quality, the most fashionable cut; toall of which the bereaved child--a silent undemonstrative mourner--wassupremely indifferent. Her mother noted it with surprise, for Evelyn wasa child of decided opinions and wont to be fastidious about her attire.

  "Flounces on this skirt, I suppose, Miss? how many?" asked thedressmaker.

  "Just as mamma pleases; I do not care in the least," returned Evelyn.

  "Why Eva, what has come over you?" queried her mother. "It is somethingnew for you to be so indifferent in regard to your dress."

  "You are the only one I care to please now, mamma," replied the littlegirl in tremulous tones. "I think there is no one else likely to beinterested in the matter."

  Laura was touched. "You are a good child," she said; "and I think you maywell trust everything to
my taste; it is considered excellent by myfriends and acquaintance."

  With thoughtfulness beyond her years Evelyn presently drew her motheraside, out of earshot of the dressmaker, and whispered, "Mamma dear,don't put too much expense on me; you know there is no one to earn moneyfor us now."

  "No, but he cannot have left us poor," rejoined the mother; "for I knowhis business has paid very well indeed for years past. And of course hiswife and child inherit all he has left."

  "I do not know! I do not care!" cried Evelyn, hot tears streaming fromher eyes. "What is money without papa to help us enjoy it?"

  "Something that it is very convenient, indeed absolutely necessary, tohave in this practical world, as you will know when you are older andwiser," returned her mother, with some severity of tone; for Evelyn'swords had seemed to her like a reproach, and an insinuation that Eric'sdaughter was a deeper and more sincere mourner for him than his widow.

  Such was the fact, but she was by no means ready to admit it. And she hadloved him, perhaps, as well as she was capable of loving any one butherself. Since her return home she had been too much occupied with hiscritical condition, and then his death, to give a thought to the state ofhis affairs or the disposition to be made of his property.

  True, she had little cause for anxiety in regard to these things, knowingthat he had no financial entanglements, and having heard him say on morethan one occasion, that whatever he might possess at the time of hisdeath would be left to his wife and child; yet had she been an unlovingwife, queries, hopes and fears in regard to the amount he was leaving herwould have found some place in her thoughts.

  And now that Evelyn had in a manner opened the subject, they did so; shewas no longer absorbed in her grief; it was present with her still, buther thoughts were divided between it on the one hand and her mourning andfuture prospects on the other.

  It now occurred to her that Evelyn, being under age and heir to someproperty, must have a guardian.

  "That should be left to me," she said to herself. "I am quitecapable--her natural guardian too; and I trust he has not associated anyone else with me. It would be too provoking, for he would be foreverinterfering in my plans and wishes for the child."

  She waited till the day after that on which the body was laid away in itslast resting-place, then finding herself alone with her brother-in-law,said to him, "I want a little talk with you, Lester, for it is time forme to be arranging my plans. As you were with your brother for some weeksbefore his death, I presume you can tell me all about his affairs. Did hemake a will?"

  "He did; leaving his entire estate to his wife and child," repliedLester, in a grave but kindly tone.

  "One third to me and two to her, I suppose?"

  "Yes; but I think he said you would be the richer of the two, having someproperty of your own."

  "That is quite correct. I am appointed executrix, and guardian to Evelynof course?"

  "No," Lester replied, with some hesitation, for he saw that she would beill-pleased with the arrangements Eric had made; "at the earnestsolicitation of my brother, I consented to become his executor and theguardian of his child."

  Laura did not speak for a moment, but her eyes flashed and her cheekpaled with anger. "Ah, I might have known it," she hissed at length; "hadI not been the most innocent and unsuspicious of women I should haveknown better than to leave him for weeks to the wiles of designingrelatives; when, too, his mind was weakened by disease."

  "His mind was perfectly clear and strong from first to last, Laura,"returned Lester mildly, "and you greatly mistake in supposing I hadanything to gain by agreeing to his wishes or that I was at all covetousof either office."

  "Pardon me," she sneered, "but if you do not receive a percentage foryour trouble, you will be the first executor I ever heard of who didnot."

  "I shall not accept a cent," he retorted, with some slight indignation inhis tones.

  "We shall see; men can change their minds as well as women. But surely Iam associated with you in the guardianship of Evelyn?"

  "According to her father's will I am sole guardian," said Lester.

  "It is too much; I am the child's natural guardian, and shall contest myrights if necessary," returned Laura, defiantly; and with the last wordshe rose and left the room.

  Elsie, entering the parlor a moment later, found her husband pacing toand fro with a very disturbed and anxious air.

  "What is the matter?" she asked, and he answered with an account of hisinterview with Laura.

  "How strange!" she exclaimed. "Her love for her husband cannot have beenvery deep and strong, if she is so ready to oppose the carrying out ofhis dying wishes. But do not let it trouble you, Lester; she is ventingher anger in idle threats, and will never proceed to the length ofcontesting the will in a court of law."

  "I trust not," he said sighing. "Ah me! if my poor brother had but made awiser choice."

  In the library, whither Mrs. Laura Leland bent her steps on her suddenexit from the parlor, Evelyn was sitting in her father's vacant chair,her elbow resting on the table, her cheek in her hand, her eyes on thecarpet at her feet, while her sad thoughts travelled back over many anhour spent there in the loved companionship of the dear departed.

  She looked up inquiringly on her mother's abrupt entrance, and noted withsurprise the flush on her cheek and the angry light in her eyes.

  "Ah, here you are!" said Laura. "Pray, were you let into the secret ofthe arrangements made in my absence?"

  "What arrangements, mamma?" asked the little girl wonderingly.

  "In regard to your guardianship, and the care of the property left byyour father."

  "No, mamma, I never knew or thought anything about those things. Must Ihave a guardian? Why should I be under the control of anyone but you?"

  "Yes, why indeed? I would not have believed it of your father! but he hasactually left you to the sole guardianship of your Uncle Lester. You maywell look astonished," she added, noting the expression of Evelyn's face."I feel that I am robbed of my natural right in my child."

  "You need not, mamma; I shall obey you just the same of course, fornothing can release me from the obligation to keep the fifth commandment.So do not, I beg of you, blame papa."

  With what a quiver of pain the young voice pronounced that loved name!

  "No; I blame your uncle; for no doubt he used undue influence with Ericwhile his mind was enfeebled by illness. And I blame myself also forleaving my husband to that influence; but I little thought he was soill--so near his end; nor did I suspect his brother of being so designinga man."

  "Mamma, you quite mistake in regard to both," exclaimed Evelyn, in apained, indignant tone; "Uncle Lester is not a designing person, andpapa's mind was not in the least enfeebled by his illness."

  "No, of course not; it can not be doubted that a child of your age is farmore capable of judging than a woman of mine," was the sarcasticrejoinder.

  "Mamma, please do not speak so unkindly to me," entreated the littlegirl, unbidden tears springing to her eyes; "you know you are all I havenow."

  "No, you have your dear Uncle Lester and Aunt Elsie, and I foresee thatthey will soon steal your heart entirely away from your mother."

  "Mamma, how can you speak such cruel words to me?" cried Evelyn. "I wouldnot hurt you so for all the world."