DR. REED'S OFFER
TWO months had elapsed since the Sunday Dr. Reed had spent with his
old friend at Streatham, and it was now the second week in January.
The Wyndham children were all at home for the holidays, and, as the
weather was wet and stormy, they had to remain indoors nearly every
day, which proved trying, especially for the boys who teased their
sisters, and worried poor Barbara "nearly out of her life," as she
declared to Ruth, to whom she confided her grievances. Mr. Wyndham was
working at the office very late of a night, at this time, and
returning home in the early hours of the morning; his wife tried her
best to keep the house quiet whilst he was taking his rest, but it was
most difficult to do so, and the consequence was that he often failed
in obtaining the sleep he so badly needed.
"I don't think our boys are worse than others," Mrs. Wyndham remarked
to her little daughters, one afternoon, when Barbara had ousted the
twins from the kitchen and they had betaken themselves to their own
room upstairs, where, for the present, they were quiet; "but I must
admit that they are very high-spirited and noisy. Barbara cannot
manage them a bit."
"She cannot get on with her work if they are playing marbles on the
kitchen floor," Violet replied; "and you know, mother, you complained
to her yesterday that she had not changed her gown by tea-time."
"She had the kitchen stove to clean," Ruth said excusingly; "so it was
really not her fault; and Frank upset a pail of water in the scullery,
and that had to be mopped up. Barbara will be glad when the boys go
back to school."
"Well, we shall all be back to school next week," put in Madge, not
altogether regretfully; "all except you, Ruth."
"I wonder if father has given up all thoughts of sending Ruth to
boarding-school, mother?" interrogated Violet. "Girls don't usually
leave school at fifteen, do they?"
"No," Mrs. Wyndham replied, "but Ruth is too old to remain any longer
at Miss Minter's, and I don't know how we can send her anywhere else.
Your father is very short of money, at present."
"I shall stay at home and help you and Barbara, mother," Ruth said
cheerfully, noting the look of distress on her mother's face; "I don't
want to go to boarding-school. Perhaps by-and-by I shall be able to
have lessons in drawing and painting at home—I don't show talent for
anything but drawing and painting, Miss Minter says; I'm not like
Violet, who's clever all the way round."
They all laughed at that, and Violet looked pleased. She really was
a clever little girl, and industrious, too.
"I do not know what I should do without you at home, Ruth," said Mrs.
Wyndham very seriously; "and you don't mind doing housework, do you,
dear?"
"No," Ruth answered truthfully.
"Your father was saying to me only yesterday that he thought you would
make a clever little housekeeper one of these days," Mrs. Wyndham
continued, smiling at her eldest daughter; "he was so pleased with the
way in which you cooked that steak for his supper the night Barbara
was out. I could not have done it so well myself."
"I rather like cooking," responded Ruth, colouring with gratification.
"I should hate it," Violet confessed; "in fact, I dislike housework
of any kind. I should like to be able to keep servants to do
everything of that sort."
At that point in the conversation, the boys, having found nothing to
interest them upstairs, appeared upon the scene and asked permission
to make toffee over the sitting-room fire, as Barbara would not have,
them in the kitchen. At first Mrs. Wyndham opposed the idea, but, as
Madge joined her entreaties to her brothers', she gave in, and Ruth
was prevailed upon to fetch the necessary ingredients and a saucepan.
Half an hour afterwards when Mr. Wyndham opened the front door and
entered the house, he was greeted by the sound of high voices in the
sitting-room and the smell of burnt toffee. With a weary sigh he
turned into his study, and shut the door; but, ten minutes
subsequently, he came out with an open letter in his hand and made his
way to the sitting-room, where the burnt toffee had been emptied into
a buttered dish, and the young folks were impatiently waiting for it
to cool.
"It's all Madge's fault it is burnt," Billy was saying aggrievedly, as
his father appeared, "she said she'd keep it stirred; but perhaps it
won't taste so very bad—oh, here's father!"
Mr. Wyndham beckoned to his wife, who followed him from the room,
closing the door behind her. The children exchanged significant
glances.
"Something's happened," remarked Frank; and the others agreed
with him.
"I expect it's to do with a bill," said Violet; "the butcher called
this morning to know when it would be convenient for father to settle
his account. Mother said she had no idea we owed him so much money
as he said we did, and that she would speak to father about it;
or, perhaps—"
"Oh, I don't fancy it's to do with anything disagreeable!" Ruth
interposed; "I thought father looked quite pleased."
"So did I," agreed Madge; "perhaps something good has happened."
"I hope so, I'm sure," Ruth replied; and she fell to wondering if her
father had been offered a better post at last.
By-and-by Mrs. Wyndham reappeared, looking flushed and excited, and
bade Ruth go to her father in the study. As soon as she had gone
Mrs. Wyndham explained to the others that her husband had received
a letter, from Dr. Reed, offering to make a home for their sister and
educate her with his own daughter for the next two years.
"It is a most kind, most generous offer," she said; "and your father
and I are much touched by it—only what I shall do without Ruth I do
not know! I shall miss her terribly!"
At first the young folks were too surprised at their mother's news
to say much, but very soon they began to ask questions, and it was not
long before they were in full possession of all the details of Dr.
Reed's plan for their sister's benefit, so that by the time Ruth
returned to the sitting-room they knew as much as she did herself.
She appeared pleased, but her manner was very subdued.
"What a lucky girl you are, Ruth!" exclaimed Violet, half enviously.
"Isn't Dr. Reed wonderfully thoughtful and kind? Oh, how I wish I were
you!"
"Do you?" Ruth asked. "Yes, you would like to go to Helmsford College,
I know. Father says it is a splendid school, one of the best
in England; and I am to live with the Reeds—"
"Then it is decided already that you are to go?" Madge broke in
eagerly. "Oh, Ruthie," the little girl proceeded, as she received
a nod for an answer, "I hope you won't go away and get very proud and
grand! Don't get to love Ann Reed better than you do us."
"As though I ever should!" Ruth exclaimed, half indignant, half amused
at the idea. Her voice sounded slightly tremulous, and she was
evidently agitated. "Dr. Reed says in his letter that he hopes Ann and
I will be great friends," she continued, "but I don't know about that,
and I shall miss you all so much—"
"And we shall miss you, darling," her mother assured her; "I have been
saying that I do not know what I shall do without you. Your father,
too, will be quite at a loss when you are gone, it's for you he looks
the minute he comes home."
"I could be much better spared than Ruthie, couldn't I, mother?"
Violet said. "How I should like to be in her shoes!"
"Would you?" Ruth asked quickly.
"Indeed yes! But you mustn't think me envious of you, Ruthie; I hope
I'm not that. Mother says that Dr. Reed promises you shall be treated
exactly as his own daughter, and no outsider will know that he is
providing for you. Only think how nice it will be for you to live in a
house where there's plenty of everything, servants to wait upon you,
and—oh, dear me, you are a fortunate girl!"
"I am sure I am," Ruth answered earnestly; "but I shall be continually
thinking of you all at home, and if I thought father would miss me
very much—" She paused and looked wistfully at her mother, then
continued— "Mother, tell me truly, if you had to choose between Violet
and me, which of us would you keep at home? Oh, yes, I know I'm the
one Dr. Reed wrote about—he thought of me because I am the eldest of
the family, and I remember father told him I was leaving Miss Minter's
at Christmas—but do, please, answer my question."
But this Mrs. Wyndham was not inclined to do. She shook her head;
then, as Ruth was persistent in demanding a reply, she said
evasively:—
"I shall miss you more than I should miss Violet because you do not
mind putting your hand to housework, my dear; but I am very glad
you should have such a splendid opportunity offered you for completing
your education, and —and perhaps, when you are gone, Violet will try
to fill your place at home."
Violet did not say that she would. She was regarding her sister
curiously.
Ruth did not appear so exultant at the sudden change in her prospects
as might have been expected, and there was a tender gravity in her
glance as it rested on her mother that Violet failed to comprehend,
for she was sure that if she was in Ruth's place her delight would
know no bounds.
Violet never sought to disguise the truth that she was discontented
with her home—perhaps it was natural she should be that—but she was
ashamed of it, too, of its poverty, and the fact that her father was,
as she considered, an unsuccessful man. Success to Violet meant a
handsomely furnished house, servants, fashionable clothes, and plenty
of money, all of which she hankered after, and she would have given a
great deal to change places with the sister who now had the
opportunity of turning her back, for two years at least, on the
shabby, ill-managed home which Violet secretly despised, though it had
always been rich in love.
Ruth's good fortune formed the chief topic of conversation during the
remainder of the day. Ruth herself listened to the comments of the
various members of the household with mingled feelings. Though
everyone was pleased, for her sake, there was evidently a general
impression that it would have been better for the family had Violet
been the one selected to leave home.
Mr. Wyndham had determined not to answer Dr. Reed's letter till the
following day, but he had not the least idea of refusing his friend's
generous offer, which had arrived so opportunely, as he thought;
therefore, he was considerably amazed when, that evening, shortly
before it was time for him to start for the city, Ruth came to him
in his study and informed him that, all things considered, she would
rather not go to be educated at Helmsford College with Ann Reed.
"I want you to ask Dr. Reed to take Violet instead of me," she said
falteringly; "please tell him I'm not ungrateful, but, if he does not
mind, I would so much rather remain at home. Yes, father, I mean it.
I thought, at first, that I should like to go, but Violet will do
better at Helmsford College than I should; for she is clever and I am
not, and I am wanted at home. Violet is only a year younger than I am,
so she is quite old enough to go to a big school."
"But, my dear child, no mention has been made of Violet at all,"
Mr. Wyndham reminded her.
"No, but I am sure Dr. Reed would take her instead of me if you
suggested it, father. Do ask him, and see what he says."
"But, child, it is not fair to set you aside. I greatly wished to send
you to boarding-school, but I could not afford to do so, and—oh, no,
you mustn't tempt me to keep you at home, though what we shall do
without you, Ruthie, I really do not know."
"That is what mother and every one—even Barbara—says," Ruth told him
eagerly. "Oh, father, I do really think it would be better if it could
be managed for Violet to go instead of me. I do not think Dr. Reed and
his wife will mind which of us they help, and—oh, it is good and kind
of them to wish to help us at all! I am not nearly so quick to learn
as Violet, I am sure she would do wonders at a good school. Please do
write to Dr. Reed and ask him if he would mind having Violet instead
of me."
Mr. Wyndham looked searchingly at his daughter; but he could read
nothing in her face to tell him that it had been a hard matter for her
to come to him with this request, and that she had put aside her own
feelings for the sake of those dear to her, so he answered:—
"I am surprised you do not wish to go, Ruth. I don't know what to say.
I will have a talk with your mother, however, and discuss the matter
with her again. If you remain at home and Violet goes I shall be able
to afford you drawing and painting lessons, and—well, we'll see!"
Mrs. Wyndham, when consulted, brightened perceptibly at the prospect
of keeping her eldest daughter with her, and, finally, it was decided
that, all things taken into consideration, it would be better
for everybody if Violet went to live with the Reeds instead of Ruth.
Mr. Wyndham wrote and intimated this to Dr. Reed, and, in due course,
received an answer to the effect that Violet would be made as welcome
as her sister would have been, and that she would be expected one day
of the following week, as Helmsford College reopened in another
fortnight's time. Violet, it is almost needless to tell, was
immeasurably delighted at the turn matters had taken, and preparations
were immediately commenced for her departure. She was going to a new
life which would suit her better than the old, she told herself
exultingly, and she was confident that Ruth did not mind remaining
at home.