THE LAST CHAPTER.
My young reader, I hope ere this you have come to love our little
Bertie, and are sorry that this is the last chapter of the last volume
about him and his sister Winnie.
I love Bertie dearly, and should like to tell you much more about him;
but in the short space that is left I can only relate a few words of
his after life.
Suppose I were to say that he became a liar, a thief and a
Sabbath-breaker, would you believe me? You could not, because you have
seen that he loved God and feared sin. You know how he grieved when he
disobeyed his parents; and how earnestly he confessed his fault to his
heavenly Father. You know how he tried to conquer his impatience, and
to be a dutiful, loving child. You know how earnestly he endeavored to
win every one around him to be good; and how anxious he was to make
others happy. Have I convinced you that in order to be happy yourself,
you must make others so? If I have, I shall be well paid for writing
the history of Bertie and his friends.
Perhaps you will remember that he was not over fond of study when he
first began to attend school; but when his mamma explained to him that
in order to become a useful member of society, as his father was, he
must learn to read, write and spell, which were the first steps
toward acquiring a good education, he made it a duty to learn every
lesson thoroughly, so that by the time he was sixteen years old he was
prepared to enter college.
In the meanwhile Winnie had come into her teens, and little Violetta
was no longer the baby; for there were a pair of beautiful twin
brothers at Woodlawn, "as near alike," Mrs. Dodge declared, "as two
peas in a pod."
In the quiet, country town of Oxford Mrs. Curtis had gained health
and strength. Of course, with so many little ones, her family cares
had greatly increased, but with faithful Nancy in the nursery, she
found time for visiting the poor and distressed, all of whom felt well
assured that no one in need of help would be refused aid from the kind
family at Woodlawn.
On a cold, windy December night, the inhabitants of Oxford were
startled by cries of "Fire! fire!" What was their horror to see the
flames coming from the large barn over the lake. With one accord men,
women and children rushed from all parts of the town to offer aid in
extinguishing the fire. It was, indeed, not the barn, but only an
immense stack of hay behind it. Mr. Curtis, with the aid of his men,
soon succeeded in extinguishing the flames; but the neighbors, once
aroused, could not be persuaded that all the dear family were safe,
until they had caught a glimpse of every member.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were deeply affected at the kind solicitude
manifested for their safety; and when they tried, with tearful eyes,
to express it, Mr. Taylor answered for the rest:
"Don't talk of thanking us for wanting to preserve one of God's
greatest blessings to us. Oxford would be a sorry place enough without
our dear ones at Woodlawn. No, my friends, we all feel that you belong
to us, from the Squire down to the tiny babes in the cradle. We're
thankful you didn't need our aid to-night to put out the fire; yet if
you ever do, there isn't a man, woman or child in Oxford, but would
be proud to render it, for there isn't one who hasn't received some
good at your hands."
When the hearty speech was ended, Bertie went around among the people,
shaking hands and thanking them earnestly for their kindness; and then
they quietly returned to their homes.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
Minor changes have been made to correct typesetter's errors; otherwise,
every effort has been made to remain faithful to the author's words and
intent.
End of Project Gutenberg's Bertie and the Gardeners, by Madeline Leslie