“Is it pleasant?” was the question Jill asked before she was fairly
awake on Christmas morning.
“Yes, dear; as bright as heart could wish. Now eat a bit, and then I'll
make you nice for the day's pleasure. I only hope it won't be too much
for you,” answered Mrs. Pecq, bustling about, happy, yet anxious,
for Jill was to be carried over to Mrs. Minot's, and it was her first
attempt at going out since the accident.
It seemed as if nine o'clock would never come, and Jill, with wraps all
ready, lay waiting in a fever of impatience for the doctor's visit,
as he wished to superintend the moving. At last he came, found all
promising, and having bundled up his small patient, carried her, with
Frank's help, in her chair-bed to the ox-sled, which was drawn to the
next door, and Miss Jill landed in the Boys' Den before she had time to
get either cold or tired. Mrs. Minot took her things off with a cordial
welcome, but Jill never said a word, for, after one exclamation, she lay
staring about her, dumb with surprise and delight at what she saw.
The great room was entirely changed; for now it looked like a garden, or
one of the fairy scenes children love, where in-doors and out-of-doors
are pleasantly combined. The ceiling was pale blue, like the sky; the
walls were covered with a paper like a rustic trellis, up which climbed
morning-glories so naturally that the many-colored bells seemed dancing
in the wind. Birds and butterflies flew among them, and here and there,
through arches in the trellis, one seemed to look into a sunny summer
world, contrasting curiously with the wintry landscape lying beyond the
real windows, festooned with evergreen garlands, and curtained only by
stands of living flowers. A green drugget covered the floor like grass,
rustic chairs from the garden stood about, and in the middle of the room
a handsome hemlock waited for its pretty burden. A Yule-log blazed on
the wide hearth, and over the chimney-piece, framed in holly, shone the
words that set all hearts to dancing, “Merry Christmas!”
“Do you like it, dear? This is our surprise for you and Jack, and here
we mean to have good times together,” said Mrs. Minot, who had stood
quietly enjoying the effect of her work.
“Oh, it is so lovely I don't know what to say!” and Jill put up both
arms, as words failed her, and grateful kisses were all she had to
offer.
“Can you suggest anything more to add to the pleasantness?” asked the
gentle lady, holding the small hands in her own, and feeling well repaid
by the child's delight.
“Only Jack;” and Jill's laugh was good to hear, as she glanced up with
merry, yet wistful eyes.
“You are right. We'll have him in at once, or he will come hopping on
one leg;” and away hurried his mother, laughing, too, for whistles,
shouts, thumps, and violent demonstrations of all kinds had been heard
from the room where Jack was raging with impatience, while he waited for
his share of the surprise.
Jill could hardly lie still when she heard the roll of another chair-bed
coming down the hall, its passage enlivened with cries of “Starboard!
Port! Easy now! Pull away!” from Ralph and Frank, as they steered the
recumbent Columbus on his first voyage of discovery.
“Well, I call that handsome!” was Jack's exclamation, when the full
beauty of the scene burst upon his view. Then he forgot all about it and
gave a whoop of pleasure, for there beside the fire was an eager face,
two hands beckoning, and Jill's voice crying, joyfully,--
“I'm here! I'm here! Oh, do come, quick!” Down the long room rattled the
chair, Jack cheering all the way, and brought up beside the other one,
as the long-parted friends exclaimed, with one accord,--
“Isn't this jolly!”
It certainly did look so, for Ralph and Frank danced a wild sort of
fandango round the tree, Dr. Whiting stood and laughed, while the two
mothers beamed from the door-way, and the children, not knowing whether
to laugh or to cry, compromised the matter by clapping their hands and
shouting, “Merry Christmas to everybody!” like a pair of little maniacs.
Then they all sobered down, and the busy ones went off to the various
duties of the day, leaving the young invalids to repose and enjoy
themselves together.
“How nice you look,” said Jill, when they had duly admired the pretty
room.
“So do you,” gallantly returned Jack, as he surveyed her with unusual
interest.
They did look very nice, though happiness was the principal beautifier.
Jill wore a red wrapper, with the most brilliant of all the necklaces
sparkling at her throat, over a nicely crimped frill her mother had made
in honor of the day. All the curly black hair was gathered into a red
net, and a pair of smart little moccasins covered the feet that had not
stepped for many a weary day. Jack was not so gay, but had made himself
as fine as circumstances would permit. A gray dressing-gown, with blue
cuffs and collar, was very becoming to the blonde youth; an immaculate
shirt, best studs, sleeve-buttons, blue tie, and handkerchief wet with
cologne sticking out of the breast-pocket, gave an air of elegance in
spite of the afghan spread over the lower portions of his manly form.
The yellow hair was brushed till it shone, and being parted in the
middle, to hide the black patch, made two engaging little “quirls” on
his forehead. The summer tan had faded from his cheeks, but his eyes
were as blue as the wintry sky, and nearly every white tooth was visible
as he smiled on his partner in misfortune, saying cheerily,--
“I'm ever so glad to see you again; guess we are over the worst of
it now, and can have good times. Won't it be fun to stay here all the
while, and amuse one another?”
“Yes, indeed; but one day is so short! It will be stupider than ever
when I go home to-night,” answered Jill, looking about her with longing
eyes.
“But you are not going home to-night; you are to stay ever so long.
Didn't Mamma tell you?”
“No. Oh, how splendid! Am I really? Where will I sleep? What will Mammy
do without me?” and Jill almost sat up, she was so delighted with the
new surprise.
“That room in there is all fixed for you. I made Frank tell me so much.
Mamma said I might tell you, but I didn't think she would be able to
hold in if she saw you first. Your mother is coming, too, and we are all
going to have larks together till we are well.”
The splendor of this arrangement took Jill's breath away, and before
she got it again, in came Frank and Ralph with two clothes-baskets of
treasures to be hung upon the tree. While they wired on the candles the
children asked questions, and found out all they wanted to know about
the new plans and pleasures.
“Who fixed all this?”
“Mamma thought of it, and Ralph and I did it. He's the man for this sort
of thing, you know. He proposed cutting out the arches and sticking on
birds and butterflies just where they looked best. I put those canaries
over there, they looked so well against the blue;” and Frank proudly
pointed out some queer orange-colored fowls, looking as if they were
having fits in the air, but very effective, nevertheless.
“Your mother said you might call this the Bird Room. We caught a
scarlet-tanager for you to begin with, didn't we, Jack?” and Ralph threw
a _bon-bon_ at Jill, who looked very like a bright little bird in a warm
nest.
“Good for you! Yes, and we are going to keep her in this pretty cage
till we can both fly off together. I say, Jill, where shall we be in our
classes when we do get back?” and Jack's merry face fell at the thought.
“At the foot, if we don't study and keep up. Doctor said I might study
sometimes, if I'd lie still as long as he thought best, and Molly
brought home my books, and Merry says she will come in every day and
tell me where the lessons are. I don't mean to fall behind, if my
backbone is cracked,” said Jill, with a decided nod that made several
black rings fly out of the net to dance on her forehead.
“Frank said he'd pull me along in my Latin, but I've been lazy and
haven't done a thing. Let's go at it and start fair for New Year,”
proposed Jack, who did not love study as the bright girl did, but was
ashamed to fall behind her in anything.
“All right. They've been reviewing, so we can keep up when they begin,
if we work next week, while the rest have a holiday. Oh, dear, I do miss
school dreadfully;” and Jill sighed for the old desk, every blot and
notch of which was dear to her.
“There come our things, and pretty nice they look, too,” said Jack; and
his mother began to dress the tree, hanging up the gay horns, the gilded
nuts, red and yellow apples and oranges, and festooning long strings
of pop-corn and scarlet cranberries from bough to bough, with the
glittering necklaces hung where the light would show their colors best.
“I never saw such a splendid tree before. I'm glad we could help, though
we were ill. Is it all done now?” asked Jill, when the last parcel was
tied on and everybody stood back to admire the pretty sight.
“One thing more. Hand me that box, Frank, and be very careful that you
fasten this up firmly, Ralph,” answered Mrs. Minot, as she took from its
wrappings the waxen figure of a little child. The rosy limbs were very
life-like, so was the smiling face under the locks of shining hair. Both
plump arms were outspread as if to scatter blessings over all, and downy
wings seemed to flutter from the dimpled shoulders, making an angel of
the baby.
“Is it St. Nicholas?” asked Jill, who had never seen that famous
personage, and knew but little of Christmas festivities.
“It is the Christ-child, whose birthday we are celebrating. I got the
best I could find, for I like the idea better than old Santa Claus;
though we _may_ have him, too,” said Mamma, holding the little image so
that both could see it well.
“It looks like a real baby;” and Jack touched the rosy foot with the tip
of his finger, as if expecting a crow from the half-open lips.
“It reminds me of the saints in the chapel of the Sacred Heart in
Montreal. One little St. John looked like this, only he had a lamb
instead of wings,” said Jill, stroking the flaxen hair, and wishing she
dared ask for it to play with.
“He is the children's saint to pray to, love, and imitate, for he never
forgot them, but blessed and healed and taught them all his life. This
is only a poor image of the holiest baby ever born, but I hope it will
keep his memory in your minds all day, because this is the day for good
resolutions, happy thoughts, and humble prayers, as well as play and
gifts and feasting.”
While she spoke, Mrs. Minot, touching the little figure as tenderly as
if it were alive, had tied a broad white ribbon round it, and, handing
it to Ralph, bade him fasten it to the hook above the tree-top, where it
seemed to float as if the downy wings supported it.
Jack and Jill lay silently watching, with a sweet sort of soberness in
their young faces, and for a moment the room was very still as all eyes
looked up at the Blessed Child. The sunshine seemed to grow more
golden as it flickered on the little head, the flames glanced about
the glittering tree as if trying to climb and kiss the baby feet, and,
without, a chime of bells rang sweetly, calling people to hear again the
lovely story of the life begun on Christmas Day.
Only a minute, but it did them good, and presently, when the pleasant
work was over, and the workers gone, the boys to church, and Mamma to
see about lunch for the invalids, Jack said, gravely, to Jill,--
“I think we ought to be extra good, every one is so kind to us, and we
are getting well, and going to have such capital times. Don't see how we
can do anything else to show we are grateful.”
“It isn't easy to be good when one is sick,” said Jill, thoughtfully.
“I fret dreadfully, I get so tired of being still. I want to scream
sometimes, but I don't, because it would scare Mammy, so I cry. Do you
cry, Jack?”
“Men never do. I want to tramp round when things bother me; but I can't,
so I kick and say, 'Hang it!' and when I get very bad I pitch into
Frank, and he lets me. I tell you, Jill, he's a good brother!” and Jack
privately resolved then and there to invite Frank to take it out of him
in any form he pleased as soon as health would permit.
“I rather think we _shall_ grow good in this pretty place, for I don't
see how we can be bad if we want to, it is all so nice and sort of pious
here,” said Jill, with her eyes on the angel over the tree.
“A fellow can be awfully hungry, I know that. I didn't half eat
breakfast, I was in such a hurry to see you, and know all about the
secrets. Frank kept saying I couldn't guess, that you had come, and I
never would be ready, till finally I got mad and fired an egg at him,
and made no end of a mess.”
Jack and Jill went off into a gale of laughter at the idea of dignified
Frank dodging the egg that smashed on the wall, leaving an indelible
mark of Jack's besetting sin, impatience.
Just then Mrs. Minot came in, well pleased to hear such pleasant sounds,
and to see two merry faces, where usually one listless one met her
anxious eyes.
“The new medicine works well, neighbor,” she said to Mrs. Pecq, who
followed with the lunch tray.
“Indeed it does, mem. I feel as if I'd taken a sup myself, I'm that easy
in my mind.”
And she looked so, too, for she seemed to have left all her cares in the
little house when she locked the door behind her, and now stood smiling
with a clean apron on, so fresh and cheerful, that Jill hardly knew her
own mother.
“Things taste better when you have someone to eat with you,” observed
Jack, as they devoured sandwiches, and drank milk out of little mugs
with rosebuds on them.
“Don't eat too much, or you won't be ready for the next surprise,” said
his mother, when the plates were empty, and the last drop gone down
throats dry with much chatter.
“More surprises! Oh, what fun!” cried Jill. And all the rest of the
morning, in the intervals of talk and play, they tried to guess what it
could be.
At two o'clock they found out, for dinner was served in the Bird Room,
and the children revelled in the simple feast prepared for them. The
two mothers kept the little bed-tables well supplied, and fed their
nurslings like maternal birds, while Frank presided over the feast with
great dignity, and ate a dinner which would have astonished Mamma, if
she had not been too busy to observe how fast the mince pie vanished.
“The girls said Christmas was spoiled because of us; but I don't think
so, and they won't either, when they see this splendid place and know
all about our nice plans,” said Jill, luxuriously eating the nut-meats
Jack picked out for her, as they lay in Eastern style at the festive
board.
“I call this broken bones made easy. I never had a better Christmas.
Have a raisin? Here's a good fat one.” And Jack made a long arm to
Jill's mouth, which began to sing “Little Jack Horner” as an appropriate
return.
“It would have been a lonesome one to all of us, I'm thinking, but
for your mother, boys. My duty and hearty thanks to you, mem,” put in
grateful Mrs. Pecq, bowing over her coffee-cup as she had seen ladies
bow over their wine-glasses at dinner parties in Old England.
“I rise to propose a health, Our Mothers.” And Frank stood up with a
goblet of water, for not even at Christmas time was wine seen on that
table.
“Hip, hip, hurrah!” called Jack, baptizing himself with a good sprinkle,
as he waved his glass and drank the toast with a look that made his
mother's eyes fill with happy tears.
Jill threw her mother a kiss, feeling very grown up and elegant to be
dining out in such style. Then they drank every one's health with much
merriment, till Frank declared that Jack would float off on the deluge
of water he splashed about in his enthusiasm, and Mamma proposed a rest
after the merry-making.
“Now the best fun is coming, and we have not long to wait,” said the
boy, when naps and rides about the room had whiled away the brief
interval between dinner and dusk, for the evening entertainment was to
be an early one, to suit the invalids' bedtime.
“I hope the girls will like their things. I helped to choose them, and
each has a nice present. I don't know mine, though, and I'm in a twitter
to see it,” said Jill, as they lay waiting for the fun to begin.
“I do; I chose it, so I know you will like one of them, any way.”
“Have I got more than one?”
“I guess you'll think so when they are handed down. The bell was going
all day yesterday, and the girls kept bringing in bundles for you; I
see seven now,” and Jack rolled his eyes from one mysterious parcel to
another hanging on the laden boughs.
“I know something, too. That square bundle is what you want ever so
much. I told Frank, and he got it for his present. It is all red and
gold outside, and every sort of color inside; you'll hurrah when you see
it. That roundish one is yours too; I made them,” cried Jill, pointing
to a flat package tied to the stem of the tree, and a neat little roll
in which were the blue mittens that she had knit for him.
“I can wait;” but the boy's eyes shone with eagerness, and he could not
resist firing two or three pop-corns at it to see whether it was hard or
soft.
“That barking dog is for Boo, and the little yellow sled, so Molly can
drag him to school, he always tumbles down so when it is slippery,”
continued Jill, proud of her superior knowledge, as she showed a small
spotted animal hanging by its tail, with a red tongue displayed as if
about to taste the sweeties in the horn below.
“Don't talk about sleds, for mercy's sake! I never want to see another,
and you wouldn't, either, if you had to lie with a flat-iron tied to
your ankle, as I do,” said Jack, with a kick of the well leg and an
ireful glance at the weight attached to the other that it might not
contract while healing.
“Well, I think plasters, and liniment, and rubbing, as bad as flat-irons
any day. I don't believe you have ached half so much as I have, though
it sounds worse to break legs than to sprain your back,” protested Jill,
eager to prove herself the greater sufferer, as invalids are apt to be.
“I guess you wouldn't think so if you'd been pulled round as I was when
they set my leg. Caesar, how it did hurt!” and Jack squirmed at the
recollection of it.
“You didn't faint away as I did when the doctor was finding out if my
_vertebrums_ were hurt, so now!” cried Jill, bound to carry her point,
though not at all clear what vertebrae were.
“Pooh! Girls always faint. Men are braver, and I didn't faint a bit in
spite of all that horrid agony.”
“You howled; Frank told me so. Doctor said _I_ was a brave girl, so
you needn't brag, for you'll have to go on a crutch for a while. I know
that.”
“You may have to use two of them for years, may be. I heard the doctor
tell my mother so. I shall be up and about long before you will. Now
then!”
Both children were getting excited, for the various pleasures of the
day had been rather too much for them, and there is no knowing but they
would have added the sad surprise of a quarrel to the pleasant ones of
the day, if a cheerful whistle had not been heard, as Ralph came in to
light the candles and give the last artistic touches to the room.
“Well, young folks, how goes it? Had a merry time so far?” he asked, as
he fixed the steps and ran up with a lighted match in his hand.
“Very nice, thank you,” answered a prim little voice from the dusk
below, for only the glow of the fire filled the room just then.
Jack said nothing, and two red sulky faces were hidden in the dark,
watching candle after candle sputter, brighten, and twinkle, till the
trembling shadows began to flit away like imps afraid of the light.
“Now he will see my face, and I know it is cross,” thought Jill, as
Ralph went round the last circle, leaving another line of sparks among
the hemlock boughs.
Jack thought the same, and had just got the frown smoothed out of his
forehead, when Frank brought a fresh log, and a glorious blaze sprung
up, filling every corner of the room, and dancing over the figures in
the long chairs till they had to brighten whether they liked it or not.
Presently the bell began to ring and gay voices to sound below: then
Jill smiled in spite of herself as Molly Loo's usual cry of “Oh, dear,
where _is_ that child?” reached her, and Jack could not help keeping
time to the march Ed played, while Frank and Gus marshalled the
procession.
“Ready!” cried Mrs. Minot, at last, and up came the troop of eager lads
and lasses, brave in holiday suits, with faces to match. A unanimous “O,
o, o!” burst from twenty tongues, as the full splendor of the tree, the
room, and its inmates, dawned upon them; for not only did the pretty
Christ-child hover above, but Santa Claus himself stood below, fur-clad,
white-bearded, and powdered with snow from the dredging-box.
Ralph was a good actor, and, when the first raptures were over he
distributed the presents with such droll speeches, jokes, and gambols,
that the room rang with merriment, and passers-by paused to listen, sure
that here, at least, Christmas was merry. It would be impossible to
tell about all the gifts or the joy of the receivers, but every one
was satisfied, and the king and queen of the revels so overwhelmed with
little tokens of good-will, that their beds looked like booths at a
fair. Jack beamed over the handsome postage-stamp book which had long
been the desire of his heart, and Jill felt like a millionaire, with a
silver fruit-knife, a pretty work-basket, and oh!--coals of fire on her
head!--a ring from Jack.
A simple little thing enough, with one tiny turquoise forget-me-not, but
something like a dew-drop fell on it when no one was looking, and she
longed to say, “I'm sorry I was cross; forgive me, Jack.” But it could
not be done then, so she turned to admire Merry's bed-shoes, the pots of
pansies, hyacinths, and geranium which Gus and his sisters sent for her
window garden, Molly's queer Christmas pie, and the zither Ed promised
to teach her how to play upon.
The tree was soon stripped, and pop-corns strewed the floor as the
children stood about picking them off the red threads when candy gave
out, with an occasional cranberry by way of relish. Boo insisted on
trying the new sled at once, and enlivened the trip by the squeaking
of the spotted dog, the toot of a tin trumpet, and shouts of joy at the
splendor of the turn-out.
The girls all put on their necklaces, and danced about like fine ladies
at a ball. The boys fell to comparing skates, balls, and cuff-buttons
on the spot, while the little ones devoted all their energies to eating
everything eatable they could lay their hands on.
Games were played till nine o'clock, and then the party broke up, after
they had taken hands round the tree and sung a song written by one whom
you all know,--so faithfully and beautifully does she love and labor for
children the world over.
THE BLESSED DAY
“What shall little children bring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
What shall little children bring
On Christmas Day in the morning?
This shall little children bring
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Love and joy to Christ their king,
On Christmas Day in the morning!
“What shall little children sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
What shall little children sing
On Christmas Day in the morning?
The grand old carols shall they sing
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
With all their hearts, their offerings bring
On Christmas Day in the morning.”
Jack was carried off to bed in such haste that he had only time to call
out, “Good-night!” before he was rolled away, gaping as he went. Jill
soon found herself tucked up in the great white bed she was to share
with her mother, and lay looking about the pleasant chamber, while Mrs.
Pecq ran home for a minute to see that all was safe there for the night.
After the merry din the house seemed very still, with only a light
step now and then, the murmur of voices not far away, or the jingle of
sleigh-bells from without, and the little girl rested easily among the
pillows, thinking over the pleasures of the day, too wide-awake for
sleep. There was no lamp in the chamber, but she could look into the
pretty Bird Room, where the fire-light still shone on flowery walls,
deserted tree, and Christ-child floating above the green. Jill's eyes
wandered there and lingered till they were full of regretful tears,
because the sight of the little angel recalled the words spoken when it
was hung up, the good resolution she had taken then, and how soon it was
broken.
“I said I couldn't be bad in that lovely place, and I was a cross,
ungrateful girl after all they've done for Mammy and me. Poor Jack _was_
hurt the worst, and he _was_ brave, though he did scream. I wish I could
go and tell him so, and hear him say, 'All right.' Oh, me, I've spoiled
the day!”
A great sob choked more words, and Jill was about to have a comfortable
cry, when someone entered the other room, and she saw Frank doing
something with a long cord and a thing that looked like a tiny drum.
Quiet as a bright-eyed mouse, Jill peeped out wondering what it was, and
suspecting mischief, for the boy was laughing to himself as he stretched
the cord, and now and then bent over the little object in his hand,
touching it with great care.
“May be it's a torpedo to blow up and scare me; Jack likes to play
tricks. Well, I'll scream loud when it goes off, so he will be satisfied
that I'm dreadfully frightened,” thought Jill, little dreaming what the
last surprise of the day was to be.
Presently a voice whispered,--
“I say! Are you awake?”
“Yes.”
“Any one there but you?”
“No.”
“Catch this, then. Hold it to your ear and see what you'll get.”
The little drum came flying in, and, catching it, Jill, with some
hesitation, obeyed Frank's order. Judge of her amazement when she caught
in broken whispers these touching words:--
“Sorry I was cross. Forgive and forget. Start fair to-morrow. All right.
Jack.”
Jill was so delighted with this handsome apology, that she could not
reply for a moment, then steadied her voice, and answered back in her
sweetest tone,--
“I'm sorry, too. Never, never, will again. Feel much better now.
Good-night, you dear old thing.”
Satisfied with the success of his telephone, Frank twitched back the
drum and vanished, leaving Jill to lay her cheek upon the hand that
wore the little ring and fall asleep, saying to herself, with a farewell
glance at the children's saint, dimly seen in the soft gloom, “I will
not forget. I will be good!”