ELLA'S BURDENS
"WELL, Ella, and how is your Grannie to-day?"
"She doesn't feel very well, Mrs. Snowden, thank you," replied the
little girl, to her morning visitor. "She seems to be fretting her
heart out for father to come home."
Ella had been obliged to stay away from school for several days to
nurse her grandmother, who seemed suddenly to have grown very feeble.
Mrs. Snowden called to see her constantly, and many were the dainties
which found their way from the Hall to the humble lodgings where Mrs.
Russell and Ella had now taken up their abode.
"There is one thing I want to ask you, Ella dear," said Mrs. Snowden
next, and her voice was very sweet and tender as she spoke. "Has your
Grannie forgiven you yet?"
"No, I—I don't think so." The answer came out with a long-drawn sob.
"Poor little girl! I'm so sorry," said the lady, who knew that Ella's
penitence for her disobedience was very deep and real. "But for Marcia
and her monkey this sad business would never have happened," she went
on. "You're a brave little maid, Ella, and I feel sure it will all come
right by and by."
"Oh, I'm not brave a bit," cried the child despondingly; "sometimes I
feel so cross and unhappy. I don't know what father will think of me
when he comes home."
"Ella," said Mrs. Snowden, "I am going to tell you a little story, or
legend, which perhaps may help you over your troubles a bit. Would you
like to hear it?"
Ella's face brightened. Somehow Mrs. Snowden's visits always did her
good.
"Yes, very much," she said earnestly.
"Well, so far as I can remember, the legend runs thus—
"'In the creation of the world, when God made the birds, they had no
wings wherewith to fly. Moreover, He bade them each carry two burdens,
which were big or little, according to the size of the birds. These
were placed on the ground beside them. Obedient to their Creator's
voice, the feathered creatures took the burdens in their beaks and laid
them across their shoulders. For a little while the weight seemed heavy
to be borne. Then, on a sudden, a wonderful thing happened. The burdens
grew firmly fixed to the bearers, and became wings. So, instead of the
birds carrying their load, their load carried them.'
"And that, dear child, is what may happen to each one of us, if we
patiently bear the burden our dear God puts upon us. Instead of
weighing us down to earth, it will lift us nearer to His beautiful
bright heaven above."
Ella's eyes were full of tears at the close of the little story.
"It's a lovely tale," said she, "and I'll just try and see if I can't
be like the birds."
So successful was little Ella in her endeavours, that when Mrs. Snowden
called next, she was greeted by a sunshiny face and the brightest of
welcomes.
"Grannie is ever so much better this morning," said she. "I tried to be
patient and good, and now she's quite forgiven me. Oh, I'm so happy, I
don't know what to do with myself."
Mrs. Snowden smiled. "Then I'll see if I can't do something with you,"
she said mysteriously. "I've got a little plan I want to talk over with
your Grannie this morning, so you can just run out into the sunshine
for a while. Oh, there's one thing I must tell you," went on the lady.
"Dr. Carteret is coming down soon again to see us. His ship is to be
stationed in English waters for a time, so I dare say we shall often
see him now."
Ella clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, how I shall love to see him
again," she cried, her eyes shining with pleasure.
"You shall see him if you are a good girl," was the reply. "Now I must
go and talk to Grannie, as my time is rather short this morning."
About a quarter of an hour later Mrs. Snowden returned to the child,
who was awaiting her coming in the garden.
"Now I can tell you my plans, Ella," said she; "we are going to have a
birthday party at the Hall in your honour."
"What, next Saturday week!" exclaimed Ella in joyful surprise.
"Yes, I believe that is the right day," said Mrs. Snowden with a
twinkle of fun in her eyes. "I have been talking to your Grannie, and
she has promised to come and spend that week-end at the Hall—of course,
you are to come too. I have sent Dr. Carteret also an invitation."
Ella nearly gasped with the pleasure of it all, such a prospect seemed
to take away her breath.
The days after this flew as on wings, and to add to Ella's happiness,
her Grannie's health was steadily making progress in the right
direction.
* * * *
"I beg your pardon!"
So said Dr. Carteret courteously as, coming out of a bookseller's shop
one evening, where, as a matter of fact, he had been buying a book for
little "Cinderella's" birthday, he ran full tilt upon a gentleman who
was walking along the busy London street. "Why!—" Here the doctor's
voice changed to one of intense surprise—"Russell, it is never you?"
"Yes, old chap, it is," was the pleased reply. "Who'd have thought of
coming upon you like this?"
"Well, you are certainly the last person I should have expected to see.
Here, come along to my club; it's close by. I must get to the bottom of
this sudden appearance of yours."
In the conversation which shortly after took place, the doctor learnt
one important fact, namely, that Gordon Russell was poor no longer, a
relative in South Africa, in whose employment he had been, having died
and left him a fortune.
"But, my dear fellow, why didn't you write home and tell your people
about it?" asked Dr. Carteret in a puzzled voice.
"Oh, they know all about it," said Mr. Russell confidently. "I wrote to
my mother and said I should be home nearly as soon as my letter."
Dr. Carteret then proceeded to tell him how completely in ignorance,
both Mrs. Russell and Ella were of his movements. He told of the fire
at Rose Cottage, and also of the burnt letter, for Mrs. Snowden had
kept him well posted up in Berryland news.
"I'll wire to them at once, then," said Mr. Russell, rising from his
chair.
"No, you won't, old chap," replied the doctor very decidedly; "that is,
if I have any power to prevent it. Mrs. Russell and Ella will be at the
Hall on Saturday; come down with me and join them there. We'll give
them a bit of a surprise."
And this, after a few minutes' persuasion, Mr. Russell agreed to do.