I wished there could be no such thing as breakfast the next morning,
but there was, and I had to go through with it, feeling that I was
no longer I, that Rosalind Endicott was some dream-girl of the past.
Stephen was very good and did not notice me much, and Fan appeared
wonderfully pre-occupied. Mamma helped me over the trying places, and
papa just said with his tender morning kiss,—“And this little girl,
too.”
When I was all dressed for church I opened a little drawer to get my
gloves. There lay the box containing Stephen’s gift. I had never worn
it, but it seemed to me as if I ought to put it on now. He liked me and
the misunderstandings were at an end. I had accepted a share of his
burthens, his crosses, whatever they might be, so I clasped it around
my neck. It was so beautiful. I did not envy the queen her diadem.
We walked to church together. Louis glanced back now and then. I
believe he began to suspect.
It was quite different from the Sunday when I had gone to church with
that strange sense of Fan’s new love. I felt quiet and restful, yet it
was such a great thing to have another’s heart in one’s keeping, to
take in a new life beside the old.
They both left us on Monday. Stephen was to come up soon again. In the
meanwhile, letters.
“I have one of yours to begin with,” he whispered.
It was a silent day for us. No one appeared to care about talking, yet
we were not gloomy. Indeed, I think mother, Fan and I understood as we
never had before, how much we loved one another.
I went on wearing my cross. In the first letter there came a pearl
ring for me. Fan had a handsome diamond but she seldom wore it except
when she was going to the Churchills. I slipped mine on my finger with
a slight presentiment that I should turn the pearl inside if any one
looked at me.
Richard Fairlie and Jennie came home bright and happy as birds. They
took possession of the great house, altered a little, re-arranged to
their liking and had Mrs. Ryder in their midst. There was no grand
party, but some pleasant tea-drinkings and hosts of calls. No one could
afford to slight Mrs. Fairlie, and people began to realize what a noble
girl Jennie Ryder had always been.
I am almost ashamed to confess how much talking it took to settle our
affairs. Stephen wanted to be married in the Spring. That was too soon,
mamma and I thought. But there were so many good reasons.
Miss Churchill heard of it presently and came over to have a
consultation with mamma.
“It will have to be sometime,” she said. “It will make a little
confusion, a break, and no end of strangeness in adapting yourselves to
the new order. But here are Nellie and Daisy right behind.”
“I don’t want to lose all my girls in this fashion,” said mamma.
Miss Churchill smiled and then admitted that _she_ had a plan to
propose.
They wanted Fanny. The murder was out then.
“Kenton and I have discussed the matter a good while. Winthrop will
have the farm when we are done with it—he is the only nephew. Kenton
has been sorry for some years that we did not take him when his father
died. He is very fond of country life, and surely there are enough to
toil and moil in the cities. Then, although Lucy was improved by her
summer trip, we can understand that it is _not_ permanent. She wears
out slowly. I should like her to have a happy year or two with Fanny,
and I should like the marriage well out of the way of any sad memories.”
“You are very thoughtful,” returned mamma.
“And it will hardly be like parting with Fanny, for you—as you can see
her every day. One thing and another has brought us so near together.
Kenton and I are growing old and the presence of these young people
will keep us from getting too queer and whimsical.”
It was settled some time in January.
“We shall have to do the best we can,” said mamma. “The wardrobes must
be simple. It is _our_ station that they go out of, and we never have
been ashamed of our poverty.”
“What does a few clothes signify,” commented papa. “If the young men
are not satisfied we will give them a double portion of dry-goods and
keep our girls.”
Fan laughed over the idea.
So it was arranged that she and Fanny should go to New York. I did not
desire to accompany them, and I was sure they could choose as well for
me as if I hunted the whole town over. Besides, I wanted the nice quiet
time with papa, since I was the one who would have to go away.
“Isn’t it funny!” said Fan. “I feel like the heroine of some hundred
year old novel, going up to town to buy wedding clothes, instead of a
girl of the period of puffs, paniers, chignons, Grecian bends, and all
that! Why Rose, think of it! We have never had a silk dress in all our
lives, except that once we had one ruffled with an old one of mamma’s;
and we have been very tolerably happy.”
“Yes, just as happy as one need be. All that could be crowded into our
small lives.”
“I dare say we should be absolute curiosities to some people. Everybody
now-a-days has a silk walking-suit, and some handsome thread lace, and
I don’t believe there are any _poor_ people but just us. But then we
have had the love and comfort and enjoyment and no time to worry about
our rich neighbors. It has been a life full of pleasantness and peace.”
That was true enough. There were many, many things beside raiment, if
one could only get at the real completeness and harmony, the secret of
soul life.
Jennie Fairlie _would_ help us sew. With their good servant she
declared she had nothing to do. Miss Churchill sent us both an
elegant poplin suit, or at least the materials. It _was_ a simple
wardrobe to be sure. One pretty light silk dress, one dark silk with
a walking-jacket. We made morning robes and some inexpensive house
garments. Then it would be summer so soon, and there was nothing equal
to fresh, cool white. We were not used to crying for the moon, we had
found early in life that it was quite a useless proceeding.
Altogether we kept our secrets pretty well, and when the truth leaked
out at last, everybody was so surprised that they could only exclaim.
Aunt Letty Perkins was brave enough to come and see if it was really so.
“Well, I _am_ beat!” she declared. “And doing well, too! I always said
there never was anyone like Mis’ Endicott for luck. Girls often do hang
on so where there is a lot, and you’ve enough left. Fanny _is_ the
flower of the family to be sure, but she is making a big step to get in
with the Churchills. Ain’t afraid she’ll be puffed up with pride and
vanity, are you?”
“I think I can trust her,” replied mamma with a funny smile in the
corners of her mouth.
I remember the morning as one recalls a half dream, the misty
impression between sleeping and waking. The peculiar confusion
pervading the house, the strange mislaying of handkerchiefs and gloves,
the voices that were so full of tears and gay little laughs, the half
sentences, the clasp of hands as one went in or out of a room, the
long, loving glances as if each would fain garner all the past into
one sweet remembrance. Winthrop and Stephen, one rather grave but
very tender to mamma and the little ones, the other full of life and
vivacity, the happiest of the happy.
Fan had one little say though her eyes were bright with tears.
“I hope I can be as good and sweet in my life as mamma has been in
hers. And I will not ask any higher happiness.”
We walked up the church aisle. The children stood around, back of them
Louis, Nelly and mamma, and then a host of eager parish faces. Does any
one take it all in then, the solemn questions, the still more solemn
promises?
Mr. Churchill gave us both away. Papa’s voice had a little falter in
it, and I dared not look up. “For better, for worse,” “till death do us
part,” rang clearly in heart and brain. The forever of human love, when
it _is_ love and no base counterfeit.
A little kissing, a few tears, some tremulous whispers and sad, sad
good-byes. We whose farthest journey had been the brief sojourn at
Martha’s Vineyard, took up the great pilgrimage of a new life.
* * * * *
I cannot tell you anything about it, or Stephen. It was a happy
confusion of strange places and watchful care, bits of affection
shining out of the tiniest rift. Honeymoons, I suppose, are much alike,
but it is right for each to think his and hers the best and most
delightful.
One afternoon the carriage set us down in so quiet a street that I
could hardly believe it was New York. And when I entered the house,
_my_ new house, I doubted more than ever, for everybody was there. One
kissed me until I thought the breath of life was surely gone, then
another took me up. I have a dim suspicion that my sleeves were worn
threadbare, and if my hair had not been all fast in my head, I am
afraid the difference would have been discoverable.
“Why you are rounder and rosier than ever!” declared Fan, inspecting me.
She was elegant as a princess, and had her light silk dress trimmed
with applique lace.
It seemed as if I never could get done looking at mamma, and papa
hovered around me as if I was indeed an unusual sight.
Somehow I managed to get up-stairs to my own pretty room, to wash my
face, what there was left of it, and straighten my gown. And there was
Beauty, my lovely half-grown kitten that some one had brought from the
old home.
I heard Stuart’s voice outside the door and called him in.
“Stuart,” I said with much dignity, “this is Miss Beauty Endicott,
a nice, orderly, well brought-up kitten, and _mine_. I want you to
respect her and treat her with the courtesy of a gentleman.”
“Oh, fudge!” he returned. “What are you doing with a kitten when you
are married? I thought it was only old maids who were death on cats.”
“It is boys who are death on cats,” I replied severely. “And then—I
never _did_ expect to be married. I always supposed—”
“Oh, you couldn’t have been an old maid! your nose never _can_ be
sharp, and your chin has that great dimple in it, and you are such
a funny little dumpling altogether! If you say much I’ll put you in
my pocket and carry you off. No doubt Stephen would feel immensely
relieved, but what _could_ the cat do?”
“You are an incorrigible boy!”
“But we will have jolly times for all that,” and he whistled to Tim,
who put her head within the door.
“Fan,” I exclaimed with remorseful tenderness as I was going down
stairs with her arm over my shoulder; “I have Mrs. Whitcomb. But you
know you half gave her to Stephen. And as you are not to keep house—”
“I will lend her to you a little while longer.”
We had such a merry, enjoyable supper, such a lovely long evening, and
were brimfull of happiness.
But the next morning papa gathered up his flock, “what there was left
of them,” he said with a certain comical grimace.
“I don’t know as you need lament,” answered Stephen. “I think the sons
are coming in pretty rapidly.”
“And if there should be seven! Mother what would we do with them all?”
Mamma smiled a little as Stephen went around and kissed her.
“Remember that I am the first one; I will never be crowded out of _my_
place.”
“No,” she answered softly.
They all went away that noon, and left us to begin our home life.
We had talked it over, what we were to do for the boys, what for
ourselves, and what for the world outside. For the true life is not
bounded with a narrow—thou and I. The world takes us in, and over and
above all, God takes us in. His vineyard, His day, and first and always
His everlasting love.
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Transcriber’s Notes
pg 64 Changed: She smiled in her irresistable fashion,
to: She smiled in her irresistible fashion,
pg 128 Changed: papa would say,” was my rejoiner
to: papa would say,” was my rejoinder
pg 150 Changed: And she enjoys everything so thorougly.
to: And she enjoys everything so thoroughly.
pg 168 Changed: our engagements and geting everything
to: our engagements and getting everything
pg 183 Changed: Here were sandwitches dripping with jelly
to: Here were sandwiches dripping with jelly
pg 185 Changed: great double lucious blossoms
to: great double luscious blossoms
pg 208 Changed: with a certain funny lugubriouness
to: with a certain funny lugubriousness
pg 238 Changed: Dosn’t she take care of sick people
to: Doesn’t she take care of sick people
pg 264 Changed: nothing but complaint and discouragment
to: nothing but complaint and discouragement
pg 264 Changed: went to neigboring towns
to: went to neighboring towns
pg 274 Changed: I struck out blindy
to: I struck out blindly
pg 284 Changed: I have gussed
to: I have guessed
pg 285 Changed: It is not—Winthop Ogden.
to: It is not—Winthrop Ogden.
pg 287 Changed: bound by a promise of secresy
to: bound by a promise of secrecy
pg 300 Changed: no expensive trosseau
to: no expensive trousseau
pg 317 Changed: spoken of the probabilty
to: spoken of the probability
pg 337 Changed: It was the begining
to: It was the beginning