"I judge you had good success in your interview with Mr. Shepard."
"Yes," replied Mr. Frothingham: "all things considered, bad as he felt
to part with his little niece, he decided that it was for the best all
around, under the circumstances. He will be able to see her often, and
watch her growth and progress. We are to go through the legal forms as
soon as possible, so that her future will be assured in case of my
death."
Ruth was so horrified at Mr. Frothingham's speaking of dying, that she
came up to him, put her arm around his neck, and said, with tears in her
eyes, "You aren't sick, are you?"
"Why, no, indeed!" replied Mr. Frothingham, taking her on his knee, and
laughing heartily. "Do I look like it? But I might get upset in my
yacht, you know, or run over by the cars; and so, you see, I ought to be
just as particular how I leave my affairs, little girl, as though I
wasn't one of the healthiest persons in the world."
Mrs. Frothingham, who was sitting by the side of Mrs. Le Bras, said,
"Did you ever see any thing like the way that dear child has come to us,
as if she was sent from Heaven, when we were mourning the loss of our
own little girl of just about her age? When my husband came home that
night, and told how strongly your husband had advised him to adopt a
child, I felt, as he did, that it was a pretty risky matter; for we have
some friends who adopted a boy from an orphan asylum a number of years
ago, and he is turning out a very wild young man, almost breaking their
hearts. And then, only a few days afterwards, while we were thinking
the matter over, we found that this child, belonging to a nice family,
whom my husband's folks thought so much of years ago, was to be sent out
to work, because her aunt did not want her in the way; and, just to
think! she is the daughter of the very girl of whom I have heard Henry
speak admiringly so often, as his schoolmate and the nicest girl in the
village. He says Ruth looks just like her. The child and he take to
each other so, and she and I take to each other just the same! It
almost seems like having my own little girl back. Do you see how
perfectly Mary's clothes fit her? There was not a single alteration
needed. And do you see how happy Henry is? He is so fond of children,
especially little girls! I thought it would break his heart when Mary
died, and his being so lonely has worried me more than my own
loneliness."
After Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham and the children had disappeared up the
road, looking back, and waving their handkerchiefs, Mr. Le Bras said,--
"What a contrast Mrs. Frothingham is to Mrs. Shepard! Mrs. Shepard is
so afraid her husband will like any one except herself, that she has
acted in a manner which must always cause her husband to distrust her,
if not positively dislike her; while Mrs. Frothingham, by being so glad
to have her husband have some child to love, and so ready to love the
same child herself, and be the happier for her presence, is increasing
her husband's affection and admiration for herself."
"Jealousy is such a mean trait!" replied Mrs. Le Bras; "but it carries
its own punishment with it, like most other selfish traits. If Mrs.
Shepard had only been wise and kind-hearted enough to have kept Ruth,
and treated her as she would an own daughter, how happy she and Mr.
Shepard and Ruth might have been!"
"Perhaps it is just as well, for all except Mrs. Shepard," replied Mr.
Le Bras; "for it has secured a much happier life for Mr. and Mrs.
Frothingham, who were suffering so keenly for the loss of their
children; and Mr. Shepard cannot but be proud of the bright prospects
before his little niece."
"I don't think any thing can make up for domestic discomfort," replied
Mrs. Le Bras; "and I am afraid they never can be really happy at the
lighthouse, with the memory of the way Mrs. Shepard treated Ruth always
before her and her husband."
"And between them," said Mr. Le Bras; "but the best thing has been done
that could be done, under the circumstances. Let us be thankful that so
much happiness has come to three persons at least."
Before long Johnny and Felix carried on so much business at the hotel
and cottages at the Harbor, that they were called "The Young Merchants."
Johnny had orders for almost every kind of a paper that could be had in
town, and Felix for all sorts of fine candy. They found enough to do
just to fill their orders, and so did not have to run any risks on their
own account. Felix's great perplexity was what to do with his money;
since he had spending-money enough, that his father had given him before
he left. This difficulty he laid before his uncle. Mr. Le Bras
proposed that he should buy some books, as those seemed to be the only
things he lacked; saying that, if the books were bought with money Felix
had earned himself, he would be the more likely to read them carefully,
again and again, and prize them highly. In the course of time, he could
add to his collection from his regular spending-money, unless he
preferred to earn them in some way, until he had as large a library of
his own as Johnny had, or larger. As Felix was beginning to like
reading very much, he was pleased with this proposal, and began to lay
out his earnings in books, taking Pierre's and Johnny's advice as to
what books to purchase, in order to be sure that they would be not only
interesting, but instructive, and such as he would not be likely to
outgrow soon.
They generally got back from the Harbor in time for the morning-bath at
the beach. Sometimes they went up to Mr. Frothingham's to bathe; because
he was teaching Ruth to swim, and had promised to teach Julia and Sue at
the same time; and the boys liked to dive from the wharf, for Johnny had
learned to swim some, under Oliver's instructions. Pierre, too, was
learning to swim; but he usually went off with some young men, with whom
he had become acquainted at the Harbor, where he was a great favorite.
The sail-boat was in frequent requisition, and the boys often took the
girls out in the row-boat; although Mrs. Le Bras would not allow them to
go out of sight of Oliver, who was always somewhere upon the beach to
watch them. This precaution was taken principally on account of Felix's
thoughtlessness when he had one of his merry or mischievous fits, and
because the row-boat was not flat-bottomed, and so would turn over more
readily if it were swayed to one side.
Mr. Frothingham sometimes took them all out in his yacht, and at such
times they often had what Felix called "big fishing;" that is, they
caught bluefish, codfish, and mackerel, which could not be caught near
the shore. On one of these occasions, Mr. Le Bras, greatly to his
astonishment, drew up a large lobster, which was caught to his hook by
one of its claws. He wondered greatly how it could have happened, and
finally concluded that the lobster had been dropped from some boat. But
when, shortly afterwards, he had the still more singular fortune to draw
up a wicker flask, which he had seen on board the yacht in their own
lunch-basket, he demanded an explanation of both these mysterious
occurrences, upon which Felix exclaimed merrily,--
"Didn't I tell you I'd pay you off about Clyde?"
Felix had attached the lobster and the flask to Mr. Le Bras' hook, by
drawing up his line when his attention was diverted in another
direction. The lobster was one which had been brought for bait, and
which Felix had begged of Mr. Frothingham, as Mr. Le Bras had not
noticed it.
Mr. Le Bras was obliged to return to his office after a few weeks; but
he came to the cottage every Saturday, remaining until Monday, and
sometimes into the middle of the week. Pierre staid all the time, as he
had agreed to give the young man at the Harbor lessons daily for the
summer.
Sundays they generally went to the church in the village, but sometimes
they drove into town. Once they attended service in the summer-chapel
at the Harbor.
Ruth was very happy in her new home, and made such improvement, that, in
a short time, no one would have suspected she had not always had the
same advantages she was now enjoying. Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham were
more and more fond of her; but they were too sensible to spoil her, and
took great pains to encourage her in being sensible and self-reliant.
Mrs. Frothingham was teaching her to cook, and do other kinds of
housework, just as she had taught her own little girl; and Mr.
Frothingham not only taught her to swim, but to ride on horseback, and
promised to get her a tricycle when they returned to the city. As Mr.
Frothingham's city-house was in the same place where Mr. Frank Le Bras
lived, Johnny and Sue had the pleasure of knowing that their
acquaintance with Ruth would continue. Mr. Frothingham would not return
to the city, however, until October; while Johnny and Sue and their
mother were to go home in September.
And so the happy summer sped. September came, and with it Mr. Louis Le
Bras and his wife, who arrived at the cottage on the tenth. Mrs. Le Bras
had improved greatly in health, and was very grateful to her
brother-in-law and his wife for having enabled her to leave, by taking
charge of Felix. When she and her husband saw how much Felix had
improved in his manners, and appearance in general, they were still more
grateful for the pains that had been taken with him. His letters had,
however, somewhat prepared them for the change, as they were such great
contrasts to the letters he had been accustomed to write; although it
was very seldom that he had been induced to write a letter, until his
uncle and Pierre took the matter in hand. When Felix showed them the
library he was buying, with money he earned himself, they could hardly
believe their eyes and ears, especially when they saw the books were not
simple story-books, like those Felix had been accustomed to look over so
carelessly, and stumble over in the reading, but substantial works
containing useful information, several of them being "Science Primers,"
written by famous professors. But their astonishment was not at an end;
for Felix further informed them that he had read all these books aloud
to Pierre, and could understand and pronounce every word in them. After
this, Mr. Le Bras told his brother and his wife how all this wonderful
change had come about in so brief a time, and advised his brother to
continue similar methods with Felix by hiring Pierre, who fully
understood how to manage and interest such a boy, for his tutor for the
next year. Mr. Louis Le Bras said he should be only too glad to engage
Pierre, and would give him a good price for his valuable service.
Johnny and Sue and their father and mother remained at the cottage about
a week after the arrival of the owner, and then Mr. Le Bras said he
could not leave his office for another day; and Mrs. Le Bras said, if
that was the case, she could not stay longer either, as she had remained
more on her husband's account than her own, because he had been so much
in need of just such an outing as he had had this summer.
Felix looked very solemn when the day came for his uncle and aunt and
Johnny and Sue to return home, and was only consoled by the fact that
Pierre, of whom he had grown very fond, was to stay with him right
along. It was agreed, too, that Johnny and Sue might come to New York
and spend the winter holidays, as their first visit from home without
their father and mother. Mr. Louis Le Bras and his wife, and Mr. and
Mrs. Frothingham and Ruth, accompanied them to the station. When the
cars started, Felix quite broke down: he took out his handkerchief, and
wiped his eyes very hard. Turning to Pierre, who was holding his hand,
he said, "It seems to me as if the sun hasn't half shone to-day, and now
it's almost as dark as night;" and then, as the train disappeared, he
wept outright.
Yet the sun was shining brightly all the time.
Johnny and Sue, too, found a similar use for their handkerchiefs.
"I hope you are not so very sorry to return to your own home, children,"
said their mother.
"No," replied Johnny, trying hard not to snuff any more. "I am glad to
go home, though the beach was so grand: but I was awful sorry to have to
leave Felix; I wish we could always live together!"
"So do I," said Sue: "I love him dearly!"
"For my part," said Mr. Le Bras, "I feel wonderfully happy at the way it
has all turned out. I always thought I would like to have you and Felix
love each other as his father and I love one another, but I was afraid
it never could come about. Just to think, Johnny, how you wanted to get
away from him, and we couldn't blame you either, and how the sky-room
was contrived as a refuge!
"And Johnny let him right into it, first thing," said Sue.
"But I am glad we discovered the room, father," replied Johnny.
"Certainly! It is a great acquisition: it opens a new world. I haven't
told you how I have spent almost all my evenings, alone at home, up
there. We can't part with that glorious view when the cold weather
comes. I intend to have some men come, right off, and put a partition
where the curtains are, and then have it plastered and papered. We will
set up one of our spare stoves by November; and you can fill a large
box, outside the partition, with coal, as you get time,--which will be
good exercise for you,--and keep it filled. Then, any Saturday you
choose, or any other day, when any of us feel like going up there to
enjoy the view, we can build a fire, even in mid-winter, and, lo! we are
as good as out of doors, without the discomforts."
"What a grand place to see a winter storm from!" exclaimed Johnny, in
delight.
"And to see the snow or ice all over the trees!" added Sue.
"This is a good illustration," remarked Mrs. Le Bras, "of how some of
the things which we dread most turn out to be among the most fortunate
incidents that come to us. To think how we all dreaded Felix's visit!
and now let us see how many nice things it has brought us."
"A whole summer at the seaside, in a beautiful cottage, with lots of
pleasant acquaintances and good times," said Johnny.
"And your bicycle, and all the fun you have had with it, and the
dog-cart for me," said Sue.
"And the sky-room," added Johnny.
"And getting acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham and Ruth, for
always," said Sue.
"And Felix's improvement," said Mr. Le Bras.
"And Pierre's having such a good place," said Mrs. Le Bras.
"And Ruth's being adopted," said Johnny; "for you know, Mr. Frothingham
said it would never have come into his head, if you had not advised it
so strongly."
"And your aunt Mary's getting better," said Mrs. Le Bras.
"And a check for a thousand dollars, my dear," said Mr. Le Bras, taking
a slip of paper from his pocket-book, and handing it to her. "Louis
fairly insisted upon my taking this; and when I saw it would make him
feel very badly if I refused, I consented; though it secretly annoyed me
greatly, to take pay for doing a favor to my own brother, and benefiting
my own nephew. Still, Louis has money enough, and he might as well
throw it away in this way as any other, I suppose."
Mrs. Le Bras looked at the check in blank astonishment.
"You see, poor Louis was almost beside himself with delight over Felix's
improvement: he said he should never have known how to bring it about
himself; and, in fact, he didn't so much as suppose the boy had it in
him to try to be a scholar, or behave as well as some boys did, and he
had always said he would give a thousand dollars to have Felix taught to
behave himself decently. So I must take the money, or grieve him; and
there it is."