The description of the death-bed scene was given by Ingomar in a low,
tremulous voice, which showed that he was struggling hard to smother his
grief, while Queen Mary was seen to brush a tear from her cheek quickly,
as if she were trying to appear unmoved. A long silence ensued, and the
maskers sat motionless and anxious to hear more of the story. Why the
queen should be so deeply moved by the story was a mystery to many of
the listeners. Who is she, anyway? was the question that many of the
maskers mentally asked themselves.
“Please to proceed with your story,” said the queen, bowing to Ingomar.
Bending low in acknowledgment of her courtesy, Ingomar proceeded as
follows:
“The county undertaker was sent for by some of our neighbors, and was
about to take charge of our dead mother’s remains, in order to give it a
pauper’s interment, and we never, perhaps, would have understood the
deep degradation, but when the plain, pine-board coffin was brought to
the house I saw Harry gaze at it for a moment; and such a strange look,
too, it was. A deathly paleness overspread his face, as he directed the
man to carry the rough box away; and although he spoke low and gently,
there was a firmness in his tone that convinced the man that he had
better obey.
“‘Come with me, Eddie’ he said, as he gently plucked at my sleeve. ‘She
sha’n’t be buried in such a box as that.’
“I, of course, followed him to the nearest undertaker’s shop. No words
passed between us as we walked side by side, but I noticed that he had
ceased to weep, and that there was an expression on his features
evincing indescribable suffering. His face still retained its extreme
paleness, while his thin lips were firmly compressed.
“‘My mother is dead, sir,’ said he to a middle-aged gentleman of
benevolent appearance, who met us at the door of the shop. ‘I want her
remains put away in a nice rosewood case. I want her buried in a nice
grassy lot in the north-east corner of the cemetery. I have no money to
give you, sir, but we have some household furniture, some of which is
very valuable; there are some beds and bedclothing, a cow and calf; give
my dear mother’s remains a decent burial. Take all we have, and let me
know what is lacking to compensate you, and I give you my word of honor
that you shall never be the loser thereby.’
“The kind-hearted gentleman fixed his gaze on Harry’s pale face, and
continued to stare at him for several seconds, as if he were trying to
pierce him through with the fierceness of the look; then, abruptly
turning on his heel, he went behind the counter, placed both elbows on
it, resting his cheeks on his hands, then commenced a renewal of the
strange gaze. Harry never for a moment turned his eyes from the man’s
face. At last the man rose up and struck the counter a heavy blow with
his fist, as if he were endeavoring to murder some enemy.
“‘You’ll do! I’ll take your word of honor; there’s no falsehood hidden
behind that face--your mother shall have the most cozy spot in the
cemetery, and the finest rosewood coffin in the house; there, now, go
home, and I’ll attend to everything.’
“Right well indeed did the generous man keep his word, for I don’t think
I ever saw a prettier burial case, and the grave was dug in a green
shady spot where the turf was very thick and fresh.
“‘What shall we do now, Harry?’ said I.
“‘Do as we promised our dying mother, of course. You know she made us
promise to take Lottie to our uncle at Memphis; we must prepare to go at
once. You stay here with Lottie, while I go to see Mr. Fogg, the
undertaker, and arrange with him about the furniture.’
“He soon returned and informed me that the business had been settled,
and that Mr. Fogg would take possession of the effects on the next day.
We at once began to make arrangements for commencing our journey to
Memphis, as soon as Mr. Fogg should take possession of the furniture.
That gentleman kindly offered to let us keep the furniture, and allow us
to pay him the funeral expenses when fortune should be disposed to deal
more kindly with us. But when Harry informed him that in pursuance of
his mother’s wishes we were going to Memphis, he agreed to take the
furniture, saying that it would amply suffice to pay the debt which we
owed him. Accordingly, early the next morning the keys were delivered to
Mr. Fogg, and we set out on the road toward Memphis. We had not the most
remote idea as to the nature of the journey that lay before us. We were
as ignorant regarding the distance as we were about the means necessary
to take us there. We had often heard and read about Memphis as a young
and thriving city on the banks of the great river, and when I now look
back to that time, I can scarcely realize the extreme simplicity of our
minds, and the extravagant ideas we had as to our ability to accomplish
the journey. We were too deeply plunged in sorrow to ever think of
making inquiries as to the distance or the best route to travel. We
might have saved money enough by the sale of our effects to pay the
funeral expenses, and then had enough left to pay our fare on a boat to
Memphis. But we considered nothing--thought of nothing but misery. Kind
people there were plenty, who would have gladly aided or advised us, but
we sought no aid, nor did we speak of our intentions to any one. The
greatest trouble that presented itself to our young and thoughtless
minds was the sad leave-taking of the poor but dear home where so many
happy days had been spent. There was the little garden, with its neat
beds of new flowers that had flourished under the constant care bestowed
on them by Lottie; there were the jolly little birds, singing so sweetly
in the blooming apple-tree near the window; a thousand things of a
trifling sort, but dear to the memory, were now to be looked at for the
last time. How could it be expected that under the circumstances we
should make the necessary preparations for such a journey? How could we
think of bread and meat, clothes or cash, when our poor hearts were
melting with the very bitterness of sorrow? The wonder is that we should
have started with anything at all. We hastily packed a few extra
garments into a couple of sacks, snatched up a few articles of food, and
with eyes swimming in tears, bade adieu to our home forever. Harry moved
on in front, Lottie and I following. Not a word was spoken; no one bade
us good-by; no one consoled us in our desolation; and we neither asked
nor sought it. As we passed through the streets, a strange look would
occasionally be cast on us by the pedestrians as we passed them. We saw
but little, and were moving on in silence, when I perceived that Harry
had turned his course and was going toward the cemetery. I knew his
object, and was pleased to know that we should once more be near our
dear mother. We entered the city of the dead, approached the sacred spot
in silence, and fell upon the little mound of fresh earth that rose
above our mother, and moistened it with our tears. Harry had brought a
little basket of fresh flowers which I had not noticed until I saw him
placing it on the grave. Mr. Fogg had promised to have a plain marble
slab erected with the proper inscription, to mark the spot where our
mother rested. He complied with his promise. But a beautiful monument
now rises high over the grave which we afterward had erected. We
remained nearly an hour bathing the cold earth with our tears. No words
were spoken, no passionate outbursts of grief were heard; but in solemn
silence we knelt side by side and paid the last tribute of love to the
memory of the dead one who slept below. At length Harry turned away; I
took Lottie by the hand and followed him, and soon we were moving along
the road outside of the city limits. We traveled about ten miles the
first day, and I was surprised to see that Lottie had not appeared to be
fatigued at all. She had walked by my side all the time, her beautiful
eyes fixed on the ground, and I noticed ever and anon a fresh shower of
tears would fall from her eyes. She was a heroine in the strongest sense
of the term--never complaining, unselfish, confiding, hopeful, and when
not thinking of her great loss, she always smiled sweetly when speaking
to Harry and me.
“‘Are you tired, Lottie?’ inquired Harry after we had marched about five
miles from the city. ‘If you are, we will stop and rest awhile.’
“With her usual smile lighting up her sweet face, she answered in the
negative, shaking her head till the golden curls danced about her
shoulders. ‘Go on, brother, pray don’t mind me; I am not the least
tired.’
“As the sun began to disappear behind the steep hill that rose on the
west side of the road, and the shadows of the tall trees on the hill-top
were growing very long, we began to think of the manner in which we
should pass the night.
“‘Shall we stop at a way-side inn?’ said Harry; ‘or shall we camp in the
woods?’
“‘We had better camp out,’ I replied; ‘because we will soon be out of
money if we undertake to secure lodging at a way-side inn.’
“This was the first time that the money question had been mentioned or
thought of by either of us. Harry and I both instinctively commenced to
examine our pockets to see how much money we could command, and found
that the sum total, when put together, amounted to two dollars and
seventy-five cents.
“‘I have got twenty-five cents,’ exclaimed Lottie, as she produced the
shining coin from her pocket, and handed it to Harry, looking as if she
thought it sufficient for all expenses.
“Harry was unanimously chosen cashier, and the funds all handed over to
him, the grand total amounting to three dollars; and this little sum was
all we had to depend on for our subsistence. Harry sighed as he held the
money in his hand, evidently beginning to reflect seriously now (when it
was too late) as to the folly of undertaking such a journey with so
small a sum of money. This was perhaps the first time that either of us
had given a thought to the question of finance, and those who are
inclined to sneer at our ignorance must not lose sight of the fact that
we had a double excuse for it. In the first place we were mere
children--I being then in my thirteenth year, Harry in his twelfth, and
Lottie not quite eleven. Besides this, we had been so suddenly deprived
of both our parents that our great sorrow absorbed all our thoughts; but
now, when the situation began to be disclosed, it was too late to mend
the matter.
“‘We will not stop in a house,’ observed Harry sadly. ‘We can’t afford
to incur the expense. We must economize in every way we can.’
“So it was agreed that we would depend on grass and leaves for a bed,
and the blue sky for our shelter. As the sun finally disappeared we came
to a halt near a bubbling spring that gushed from a little bluff near
the edge of a thick patch of timber, depositing our little effects at
the root of a beech tree, whose branches were thickly covered with
leaves, which would protect us from the falling dew; and soon a blazing
fire shot its cheerful flames forth, as the blue smoke curled gracefully
up among the branches of the tree. Our household and kitchen furniture
(if I may be permitted to use a facetious remark), including table-ware
and all, consisted of three little tin cups, three pure silver
tea-spoons, and one little tin coffee-pot; while our stock of provisions
consisted of one pound of pulverized coffee, four pounds of salt pork,
three pounds of raw ham, and six pounds of baker’s bread, one box of
matches, and one pound of brown sugar. With her sleeves rolled up above
her elbows, her round white arms looking very pretty, a clean white
apron tied with a pink ribbon about her waist, Lottie was busy broiling
some slices of ham on the coals, while Harry was trying to make the
water in the coffee-pot boil. As I sat on the turf leaning against the
tree, watching the operation with intense interest, my eyes followed
Lottie in all her movements; and I am not now ashamed to confess it--I
mentally asked myself, whose wife will she be when she becomes a grown
lady? ‘Mine, mine!’ The last words seemed to force themselves from my
lips in much louder tones than was intended, for Harry asked me whom I
was speaking to?
“‘Is the water boiling yet?’ I asked, by way of hiding my confusion.
“‘I think it is,’ was the reply.
“It is a true maxim that ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’ which
was practically demonstrated on that occasion by Lottie’s ingenuity in
arranging our supper table. She went to the edge of a little brook near
by, selected a smooth, flat rock some fifteen inches square, washed it
very clean, and placed it on the turf; then she went back, selected
three other rocks of the same kind, only not so large; and, after she
had scrubbed them till they were very clean, she placed them on the
ground near the large rock; then with a little forked stick she lifted
the slices of ham, and placed them on what she was pleased to call a
table. When the broiled ham had been placed on the table, she sliced the
bread and placed it by the ham, then arranging the three little tin cups
in a row on the table, she poured out the strong, black coffee.
“‘Supper is ready now,’ she said with as much dignity as if she had been
inviting us to a costly banquet. We accordingly gathered round the
table, seating ourselves on the grass and Lottie held a spoonful of
sugar toward me.
“‘Have sugar in your coffee, Eddie?’ she said softly as I held my cup
toward her to receive it.
“‘You are a capital cook, Lottie, and a real genius in the way of
inventive faculties,’ said I.
“‘I am truly glad you are pleased with my cooking; but you know I have
had but little chance to show you what I can do. I shall improve very
much too when I have a chance.’
“‘I dare say you will, and I mean to see that you shall have a fair
chance one of these days.’
“I can truly say that I enjoyed that meal as much as any one I ever ate.
Notwithstanding its lack of variety, it was enough for me to know that
it was prepared by the one I loved so dearly. Supper being over, I began
to erect an edifice to be used as a sleeping apartment by Lottie; and
having watched the display of inventive genius which she had exhibited
in procuring table furniture, I felt it to be my duty to exert all my
mechanical skill in the erection of a sleeping chamber for her. I stuck
four little forked sticks in the ground, then laid several small
straight sticks across the top, and covered the building with branches
cut from the green trees. I put them on so thick that it would have kept
out the rain. Then I took a great number of the same kind of branches
and set them round the sides, leaving a little opening at the end next
to the fire; then I gathered up a large quantity of dry leaves and
spread them on the turf, in this quaint little house, took my coat,
spread it on the leaves, placed my little sack of clothes at the back
end for her pillow, and crossing my hands behind my back, inspected the
entire building, and was satisfied.
“‘There it is, Lottie,’ said I. ‘When you wish to retire your
bed-chamber is ready.’
“‘You are very kind, Eddie, and I thank you very much; but where will
you and Harry sleep?’
“‘O, never mind about that; we’ll make us a nice bed of leaves on the
other side of the fire.’
“‘You had better lie down, Lottie,’ said Harry. ‘I dare say you are very
tired, and then, you know, we must go a long way to-morrow.’
“Lottie took a little Testament from her satchel, and read a chapter as
she stooped near the fire so as to get the benefit of the light,
replaced the book in the satchel, then went into her cozy little
bedroom. Harry and I sat gazing silently at the fire, watching the
columns of smoke as they went winding up through the green leaves above
our heads. A mocking-bird every now and then would make the night air
ring with a song, as he sat on the top of the tree. The gentle murmur
of the little brook, as its sparkling waters went dancing among the
rocks, had a soothing effect on my mind. No words were spoken by either
of us. We were not asleep, but both were dreaming. My body was still,
but my mind was at work. The architectural skill of my mind was being
taxed to its utmost capacity. The castle which I was preparing to build
was one of indescribable beauty and symmetry; the foundation had been
laid, materials for the edifice collected, and the magnificent structure
began to assume a finished appearance. But, alas, just as I was rounding
off the beautiful dome and giving it a finishing touch, the whole
building came tumbling topsy-turvy down.
“‘I’ll die first!’ Those words came gushing forth, and I was as much
startled by them as Harry was.
“‘What are you talking about?’ said he.
“‘Nothing,’ was the reply, for I was ashamed to have been caught
muttering to myself. I had fallen into a habit of muttering to myself,
especially when my mind was very busy with some sort of castle building,
which was by no means seldom. The materials out of which my castle had
been built were very good, and the workmanship not at all inferior, but
the main part of the foundation had been laid on sand, which proved to
be too weak or soft to support such a weight; hence the destruction of
one of the most beautiful castles ever built. The materials used in the
building were composed of pure love. The dome was made of sweet
prospects of a cottage in a shady grove near Memphis, with Lottie as my
wife. The magnificent fluted columns that were to adorn the portico of
my castle were made of long years of true service, which I had vowed to
devote to Lottie’s happiness. The polished cornice, that was to make
such a charming finish to the four fronts, was made of an imagination,
or golden dreams of a long and happy life to be spent with dear Lottie
as my wife. But suppose she should fall in love with and marry some
other fellow. This supposition was the sand that brought my castle down.
As the castle came crumbling down, it was the fall that startled me, and
I exclaimed in my bitter anguish: ‘I’ll die first.’ If I had uttered the
entire sentence aloud, it would have read thus: ‘No other man shall ever
be Lottie’s husband. No, never! I’ll die first!’ Let it not be inferred
that I was at all disposed to abandon my occupation of castle building,
for I set about the work again with a more determined resolution to
finish the grand enterprise; but before I got it finished my eyelids
began to feel very heavy and I soon was compelled to lay aside my tools
for that time, and was directly sleeping soundly on my bed of leaves by
the side of my dear brother. I imagine that I must have slept very
soundly during the night, for if I was at all disturbed by dreams, they
could not have been of an unpleasant kind, else I should have remembered
them when I awoke. Only one dream came to interfere with my repose, and
that occurred after sunrise next morning. I dreamed that Lottie and I
were on the banks of a beautiful little river, whose deep blue water
glided smoothly along, filled with innumerable tiny fishes, and that I
was holding my hook in the water to catch them. Just as a beautiful
little trout began to nibble at my hook, and when I was expecting to
fasten him, a huge mosquito, with long, sharp bill, alighted on my nose
and began to partake of his breakfast. I struck at the impudent
intruder, and hit Lottie’s hand, who was tickling my nose with a blade
of grass.
“‘Get up, brother sluggard, breakfast is ready,’ said she, as she
pointed toward the smoking ham which she proceeded to place on the
table.
“‘How did you rest last night, Lottie?’
“‘O, very well, indeed; thanks for the nice, comfortable bed you made
for me.’
“‘Did you not get cold during the night?’
“‘No, I don’t think I did, for I slept very soundly, and probably should
have been sleeping yet, but brother Harry called me at daylight to help
him get breakfast. I feel so much refreshed that I shall be able to walk
a long way to-day.’
“We arranged ourselves round the table, and soon dispatched our
breakfast, and began to prepare for a renewal of our journey. Harry and
I carried all the household and kitchen furniture in the two little
sacks which swung on our shoulders; while Lottie was not permitted to
carry anything but her little satchel. The road we traveled on the
second day of our journey traversed a part of the country that was
thickly inhabited by thrifty farmers; rich green clover fields spread
out on our left, while large numbers of fat cattle were grazing on the
rich pasturage. Many beautiful residences, with well-cultivated gardens
in front of them, appeared on each side of the road. Happy children
frolicked on the green turf, honey bees sucked the sweet clover
blossoms, busily collecting their winter store of food. Hundreds of
little birds made charming music among the green trees that lined the
roadside. The scenery was altogether delightful, but we stopped not to
enjoy it, but moved steadily on, with minds bent on the accomplishment
of the task before us. I marched as usual by Lottie, Harry moving
steadily in the lead. I would occasionally drop behind, for no other
purpose than to watch Lottie’s pretty little feet as they rose and fell
with fairy-like tread, making such nice little tracks in the dust.
Notwithstanding the many eventful years that have passed since then, I
remember well how I almost worshipped the dust that kissed her feet.
Toward noon I noticed from her movements that she was becoming very
tired, but in answer to my questions on that subject, she tried to make
me believe differently. I whispered to Harry, calling his attention to
the fact, and suggested that we had better stop to let her rest. We
halted near a running stream, and selecting a cool shady spot, we threw
ourselves on the grass. We had traveled about eight miles, and I began
to feel somewhat fatigued myself, and when I was comfortably stretched
on the ground I soon fell asleep. We rested about three hours, eating a
cold snack of bread and ham, and then resumed our journey, moving
steadily on until the sun went down, when we halted, having marched
about fifteen miles in all that day. And I was deeply pained to see that
Lottie began to limp with her left foot, which I learned was caused by a
painful blister which appeared on her instep. I took my knife and cut a
little hole in the shoe, so that the blister would not be rubbed by the
leather, and the grateful look that she cast on me would have been
compensation for any amount of trouble. A description of our second
encampment is unnecessary, as it was nearly similar to the first, the
only difference being the lack of cold spring water, which we of course
regretted; but we managed to make out with the water from a clear
running brook near by. Having finished our frugal repast, I set about
preparing Lottie’s sleeping apartment, which I soon completed, pretty
much on the same plan as the one I had made for her the night before,
though I think I made a much better job of it this time. We had finished
our preparations for the night, and were seated near the fire, when a
strange, hungry-looking dog came up, deliberately seating himself by
Lottie, and began to whine and lick her hand. He would in all
probability have wagged his tail, but he had none; and it seemed that
his misfortunes had not stopped with the loss of his tail, for he had
only one eye and one and a half ears, the half of his left ear being
painfully missing. Lottie was a little startled and perhaps frightened
at first, but when she saw how anxious the poor dog was to make friends
with her, she held out her hand and patted his back. The mournful
expression of his countenance, and the dilapidated condition of his
body, at once enlisted her sympathies, and she gathered up all the
scraps of bread and meat and gave them to him, which he devoured
quickly, and like Oliver Twist, ‘wanted more.’ When Lottie went to bed
the poor tailless old dog laid himself down at her feet with dignity and
composure, doubtless thinking that he had found a friend at last. I
watched the dignified movements of the strange animal with some degree
of interest. He paid no attention to Harry and me, but appeared to
consider it his duty to guard Lottie. It was a clear case to my mind of
love at first sight. How could the poor dog help loving her? Birds, dogs
and men all loved her. The fact is, it seemed that she was made to be
worshipped by men, animals and birds. I suppose that with his one eye
the old dog could see her kind, beautiful face, and that he knew she was
good. Judging from appearances, one might safely conclude that the dog
had been an inhabitant of the earth for a great number of years, and
that he could form a correct opinion as to the character of those whom
he chose to serve. When we started on our journey next morning old Bob
(as we had named the dog--the name being suggested to our minds by his
lack of a tail) began to walk with strange dignity by the side of
Lottie. He was the first dog I ever saw that couldn’t trot; but his
principal gait was a walk, though he could strike a gallop when
occasion required, and was often seen pacing. Trouble began to crowd on
us the third day of our journey--our little stock of provisions was
exhausted. Lottie, though she would not complain, was beginning to fail;
her feet were covered with blisters, and it was distressing to see her
struggling to conceal her sufferings. She took off her shoes and
attempted to walk barefooted, but the road was covered with innumerable
flinty rocks, the sharp points lacerating her tender feet in a shocking
manner. It made my heart ache to see the stones stained with the blood
from the wounds on her feet, and I told Harry that we would be forced to
stop, as it was cruel to keep her on the road in the condition that she
was. I saw the tears trembling in his eyes when he examined his sister’s
feet. We came to a little creek, and I took Lottie down to the water’s
edge and bathed her feet in the cold water, and wiped them with my
handkerchief. I then procured some slippery-elm bark, and made a kind of
soft plaster of it and covered her feet with it, then bound cloth over
the salve, and was gratified to hear her say that the pain was greatly
relieved. It was but a few moments after I had completed my doctoring
operations, when a farmer came along the road driving a team of four
horses; he invited us to get in his wagon, as he was going on our road
as much as ten miles. This invitation was of course gladly accepted, and
we were soon seated in the wagon, moving on leisurely, but much faster
than we had been in the habit of traveling. I enjoyed the ride more on
Lottie’s account than on any other, knowing as I did that it was giving
her a chance to rest.”
“There’s the gong sounding for supper,” cried Scottie; “let Lottie ride
in the wagon till we eat.”
The party rose and went down to the table.