BAGS AND BIBLES.
Those holidays were a never-to-be-forgotten time in Rotha's life.
Christmas eve, and indeed a day before, there was a great bustle and rush
of movement in the house, almost all the boarders sweeping away to their
various homes. Their example was followed by the under teachers; only
Miss Blodgett remained; and a sudden lull took place of the rush. A small
table was drawn out in the middle room; and Mrs. Mowbray came to dinner
with a face, tired indeed, but set for play. The days of the ordinary
weeks were always thick set with business; the weight of business was
upon every heart; now it was unmitigated holiday. Nobody knew better how
to play than Mrs. Mowbray; it was in her very air and voice and words.
Perhaps some of this was assumed for the sake of others; a large portion
of it was unquestionably real. The table was festive, that Christmas eve;
flowers dressed it; the dessert was gay with confections and bonbons, as
well as ice cream; and there was a breath of promise and anticipation in
Mrs. Mowbray's manner that infected the dullest spirits there. And some
of the girls were very dull! But Rotha's sprang up as if she had been in
paradise.
"Are you going to hang up your stocking, Miss Blodgett?"
Miss Blodgett bridled and smiled and was understood to express her
opinion that she was "too old."
"'Too old!' My dear Miss Blodgett! One is never too old to be happy. I
intend to be as happy as ever I can. I shall hang up _my_ stocking; and I
expect everybody to put something in it."
"You ought to have let us know that beforehand, madame," said Miss
Blodgett.
"Let you know beforehand!" said Mrs. Mowbray, while her eye twinkled
mischievously: "My dear friend! I don't want any but free-will offerings.
You didn't think I was going to levy black mail? did you? Miss Blodgett!
I thought you knew me better."
Whether she were in jest or in earnest, Rotha could not make up her mind.
She was laughing at Miss Blodgett, that Rotha saw; but was it all
nonsense about the stocking and the gifts? Mrs. Mowbray's sweet eyes were
dancing with fun, her lips wreathed with the loveliest archness; whatever
she meant, Rotha was utterly and wholly bewitched. She ran on for some
little time, amusing herself and the girls, and putting slow Miss
Blodgett in something of an embarrassment, she was so much too quick for
her.
"Are you going to hang up your stocking, Miss Emory?"
Miss Emory in her turn smiled and bridled, and seemed at a loss how to
answer.
"Miss Eutable?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Certainly. We will all hang up our stockings. Do you think by the
chimney is the best place, Louisa?"
The girl addressed was a little girl, left in Mrs. Mowbray's care while
her parents were in Europe. She dimpled and declared she supposed one
place was as good as another.
"But you believe Santa Claus comes down the chimney?"
"I always knew better, Mrs. Mowbray."
"You did! You knew better! She knew better, Miss Blodgett. We are growing
so wise in this generation. Here's little Miss Farrar does not believe in
Santa Claus. I think that's a great loss. Miss Carpenter, what do you
think about it? Do you think it is best to let the cold daylight in upon
all our dreams?"
"The sun is not cold, madame."
"But the sun leaves no mystery."
"I do not like mystery, madame?"
"You don't? I think the charm of the stocking hung up, is the mystery. To
listen for the sound of the reindeers' feet on the roof, to hear the
rustle of the paper packages as Santa Claus comes down the chimney--there
is nothing like that! I used to lie and listen and cover up my eyes for
fear I should look, and be all in a tremble of delight and mystery."
"I should have looked," said Rotha.
"You must never look at Santa Claus. He don't like it."
"But I always knew it was no Santa Claus."
"Do you think you, and Miss Farrar here, are the happier for being so
wise?"
"I do not know," said Rotha laughing. "I cannot help it."
"Mrs. Mowbray," said Miss Blodgett, "Miss Carpenter is the only young
lady in the house who says 'do not' instead of don't; have you noticed?"
"My dear Miss Blodgett! don't you go to preaching up preciseness. Life is
too short to round all the corners; and there are too many corners. You
must cut across sometimes. I say 'don't,' myself."
She went now into a more business-like inquiry, how the several young
ladies present expected to spend the next day; and as they rose from
table, asked Rotha if she would like to drive out with her immediately.
She had business to attend to.
The drive, and the business, of that Christmas eve remained a vision of
unalloyed pure delight in Rotha's memory for ever. The city was brightly
lighted, at least where she and Mrs. Mowbray went; the streets were full
of a gay crowd, gay as one sees it at no other time of all the year but
around the holidays; everybody was buying or had bought, and was carrying
bundles done up in brown paper, and packages of all sizes and shapes; and
everybody's face looked as if there were a pleasant thought behind it,
for everybody was preparing good for somebody else. Mrs. Mowbray was on
such errands, Rotha immediately saw. And the shops were such scenes of
happy bustle; happy to the owners, for they were driving a good trade;
and happy to the customers, for every one was getting what he wanted. A
large grocer's was the first place Mrs. Mowbray stopped at; and even here
the scene was exceedingly attractive and interesting to Rotha. It was not
much like the little corner grocery near Jane Street, where she once used
to buy half pounds of tea and pecks of potatoes for her mother; although
the mingled scents of spices and cheese did recall that to mind; the
spices and the cheese here were better, and the odours correspondingly.
Rotha never lost the remembrance, nor ever entered a large house of this
kind again in her life without a sweeping impression of the mysterious
bustle and joy of that Christmas eve.
Mrs. Mowbray had various orders to give. Among them was one specially
interesting to Rotha. She desired to have some twenty or thirty pounds of
tea done up in half pound packages; also as many pounds of sugar; loaf
sugar. As she and Rotha were driving off she explained what all this was
for. "It is to go to my poor old people at the Coloured Home," she said.
"Did you ever hear of the Old Coloured Home? I suppose not That is an
institution for the care of worn-out old coloured people, who have nobody
to look after them. They expect to see me at Christmas. Would you like to
go with me to-morrow, after church, when I go to take the tea to them?"
Rotha answered, most sincerely, that she would like to go anywhere with
Mrs. Mowbray.
"They think all the world of tea, those poor old women; and they do not
get it very good. The tea for them all is brewed in a great kettle and
sweetened with molasses, without taking any account of differences of
taste," Mrs. Mowbray added laughing; "and many of these old people know
what is good as well as I do; and this common tea is dreadful to them. So
at Christmas I always carry them a half pound of tea apiece and a pound
of loaf sugar; and you have no idea how much they look forward to it."
"Half a pound of tea will last quite a good while," said Rotha.
"How do you know, my dear?"
"I used to get half a pound at a time for mother, and then I used to make
it for her always; so I know it will do for a long time, if one is
careful."
"So you have been a housekeeper!"
"Not much.--I used to do things for mother."
"Mrs. Busby is her sister?"
"Yes, ma'am; but not like her. O not a bit like her."
"Where was Mrs. Busby in those days?"
"Here. Just where she is now."
"Did she never come to see you?"
"She did not know where we were. Mother never let her know."
"Do you know why not, my dear?"
"She had been so unkind--" Rotha answered in a low voice.
Mrs. Mowbray thought to herself that probably there had been fault on
both sides.
"You must try and forget all that, my dear, if there were old grievances.
It is best to forgive and forget, and Christmas is a capital time to do
it. I never dare think of a grudge against anybody at Christmas. And your
aunt seems disposed to be kind to you now."
"No, ma'am, I do not think she does."
"Don't you!"
"No, ma'am. I do not"
"Why, my dear, you must not bear malice."
"What is 'malice'?"
"Well,--ill-will."
"Ill-will--I do not think I wish any harm to her," said Rotha slowly;
"but I do not forgive her."
"What do you want to do to her?"
"I do not know. I should like to make her feel ashamed of herself--if I
knew how."
"I do not think that lies in your power, my dear; and I would not try.
That is a sort of revenge-taking; and all sorts of revenge-taking are
forbidden to us. 'Vengeance is mine,' saith the Lord."
"I do not mean vengeance," said Rotha. "I mean, just punishment--a little
bit."
"That is the meaning of the word 'vengeance' in that place;--just
punishment; but in your heart, Rotha, it is revenge. Put it away, my
dear. It is not the spirit of Christ. You must forgive, if you would be
forgiven."
"I do not know how," said Rotha, low and steadily.
"See how Jesus did. When they were nailing him to the cross, he said,
'Father, forgive them.'"
"Yes, but he said too, Mrs. Mowbray,--'they know not what they do.'"
"My dear, nobody knows the evil he does. That does not excuse the evil,
but it helps your charity for the sinner. Nobody knows the evil he does.
I suppose Mrs. Busby has no notion how much she has hurt you."
Rotha thought, her aunt had as little _care;_ but she did not say it. She
was silent a minute, and then asked if the poor people at the Old
Coloured Home were all women?
"O no!" Mrs. Mowbray answered. "There are a great many men. I give _them_
a pound of tobacco each; but I prefer not to take that in the carriage
with me. It is all up there now, I suppose, waiting for me and to-morrow."
With which the carriage stopped again.
Here it was a bookstore; a large and beautiful one. The light was
brilliant; and on every counter and table lay spread about such treasures
of printing, engraving, and the book-binder's art, as Rotha had never
seen gathered together before. Mrs. Mowbray told her to amuse herself
with looking at the books and pictures, while she attended to the
business that brought her here; and so began a wonderful hour for Rotha.
O the books! O the pictures! what pages of interest! what leaves of
beauty! Her eyes were drunk with delight. From one thing to another, with
careful fingers and dainty touch she went exploring; sometimes getting
caught in the interest of an open page of letterpress, sometimes hanging
over an engraving with wondering admiration and sympathy. It seemed any
length of time, it was really not more than three quarters of an hour,
when Mrs. Mowbray approached her again, having got through her errands.
With cheeks red and eyes intent, Rotha was bending over something, the
sense of hearing for the present gone into abeyance; Mrs. Mowbray was
obliged to touch her. She smiled at Rotha's start.
"What had you there, my dear?"
"All sorts of things, Mrs. Mowbray! Just that minute, I was looking at an
atlas."
"An atlas!"
"Yes, the most perfect I ever saw. O beautiful, and with so many things
told and taught in it. A delightful atlas! And then, I was looking at the
illustrations in the 'Arabian Nights'--I think that was the name."
"You never read it?"
"O no, ma'am. I never had many books to read;--until now."
"Are you reading anything now, in course?"
"I haven't much time, there is so much history to read. But I have begun
'Waverley.'"
"Do you like it?"
"O, a great deal more than I can tell!"
"Do not let it draw you away from your studies."
"No, ma'am. There is no danger," said Rotha joyously.
Mrs. Mowbray did not speak again till the carriage stopped at Stewart's.
It was the first time Rotha had ever been inside of those white walls;
and this visit finished the bewitchment of the evening. At first the size
of the place and the numbers of people busy there engrossed her
attention; nor did either thing cease to be a wonder; but by degrees one
grows accustomed even to wonders. By degrees Rotha was able to look at
what was on the counters, as well as what was before them; for a while
she had followed Mrs. Mowbray without seeing what that lady was doing.
Mrs. Mowbray had a good deal of business on hand. When Rotha began to
attend to it, the two had come into the rotunda room and were standing at
the great glove counter. Between what was going on there, and what was
doing at the silk counters around her, Rotha was fully engaged, and was
only recalled to herself by Mrs. Mowbray's voice asking,
"What is your number, Rotha?"
"Ma'am?" said the girl "I did not understand--"
"What is the number of the size of glove you wear?"
"I do not know, ma'am--O, I remember! six and a half."
"Six and a half," Mrs. Mowbray repeated to the shopman; and then
proceeded to pull out pairs of gloves from the packages handed her.
"There's a dark green, my dear; that is near the shade of your cloak.
There is a good colour" throwing down upon the green a dark grey; and a
brown followed the green. "Now we want some lighter--do you like that?"
"Yes, ma'am."
More than the mere affirmative Rotha could not say; she looked on
bewildered and confounded, as a pair of pearl grey gloves was laid upon
the green, the dark, and the brown, and then came a tan-coloured pair,
and then a soft ashes of roses. Half a dozen pair of kid gloves! Rotha
had never even contemplated such profusion. She received the little
packet with only a half-uttered, low, suppressed word of thanks. Then the
two wandered away from that room, and found themselves among holiday
varieties. Here Rotha was dazzled. Not indeed by glitter; but by the
combinations of use and beauty that met her eyes, look where they would.
Mrs. Mowbray was making purchases, Rotha did not know of what, it did not
concern her; and she was never tempted by vulgar curiosity. She indulged
her eyes with looking at everything else. What fans, and dressing boxes
and work boxes, and fancy baskets, and hand mirrors, and combs and
brushes, and vials of perfumes, and writing cases, and cigar cases, and
Japan ware, and little clocks, and standishes, and glove boxes, and
papetries, and desks, and jewel cases----
"Have you a handbag for travelling, Rotha?"
The question made her start.
"No, ma'am. I never go travelling."
"You will, some time. How do you like that? Think it is too large?"
Rotha was speechless. Could Mrs. Mowbray remember that she had given her
half a dozen pair of gloves that evening already?
"I always like a handbag that will carry something," Mrs. Mowbray went
on. "You want room for a book, and room for writing materials; you should
always have writing materials in your hand-bag, and stamps, and
everything necessary. You never know what you may want in a hurry. I
think that is about right; do you?"
"That" was a beautiful brown bag of Russia leather, sweet with the
pungent sweetness of birch bark, or of the peculiar process of curing
with such bark; and with nickel plated lock and bolts. Rotha flushed
high; to speak she was incompetent just then.
"I think it will do then," said Mrs. Mowbray, herself in a high state of
holiday glee; preparing, as she was, pleasure for a vast number of
persons, rich and poor, young and old; she was running over with a sort
of angel's pleasure in giving comfort or making glad. In Rotha's case she
was doing both.
"Don't you want to take it home with you, my dear?" she went on. "There
will be so many things to send from the store to-night that they will
never get to their destination; and I always like to make sure of a thing
when I have got it. Though you rarely make a mistake here," she added
graciously to the foreman who was waiting upon her.
Rotha took the bag, without a word, for she had not a thing to say; and
she dropped her package of gloves into it, for safe keeping and easy
transportation. Talk of riches! The thing is comparative. I question if
there was a millionaire's wife in the city that night who felt as
supremely rich as did Rotha with her bag and her gloves. She tried to say
a word of thanks to her kind friend when she got home; but Mrs. Mowbray
stopped her.
"Go to bed, my dear," she said, with a kiss, "and don't forget to hang up
your stocking. Are you comfortable up there?"
"Yes, ma'am--O yes!" Rotha answered as she went up the stairs.
Comfortable! She was alone in her room, all her roommates having gone
somewhere for the holidays; the whole house was warm; and Rotha shut her
door, and set her bag on a table, and sat down and looked at it; with her
heart growing big. Hang up her stocking! She! Had she not had Christmas
enough already?
It all worked oddly with Rotha. To the majority of natures, great
pleasure is found to work adversely to the entertaining of serious
thoughts or encouraging religious impressions. With her, grief seemed to
muddle all her spiritual condition, and joy cleared it up. She sat
looking at her treasures, looking mentally at the wonderful good things
that surrounded her, contrasted with her previous unhappiness; and the
whole generous truth of her nature was aroused. She ought to be such a
good girl! And by "goodness" Rotha did not mean an orderly getting of her
lessons. Conscience went a great deal further, enlightened by the
examples she had known of what was really good. Yes, her mother would
have forgiven her aunt; and Mr. Digby would never have been ill-mannerly
to her; and supposing him for once to be in such a condition of wrong, he
would go straight forward, she knew, to make amends, own the fault and
ask pardon. Further than that; for on both their parts such feeling and
action would have been but the outcome of their habitual lowly and loving
obedience to God. That she ought to be like them, Rotha knew; and tears
of sorrow rushed to her eyes to think she was not. "The goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance," was the thought working in her; although she
did not clothe it in the Bible words.
What hindered?
"My ugly temper," said Rotha to herself; "my wickedness and badness."
What help?
Yes, there was help, she knew, she believed. She brought her Bible and
turned to the marked passages, brushing away the tears that she might see
to read them. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them--" Well,
said Rotha, I will keep them from this time on.--Forgive and all? said
something in her heart. _Yes_, forgive and all. I will forgive!--But you
cannot?--Then I will ask help.
And she did. Earnestly, tearfully, ardently, for a long time. She felt as
if her heart were a stone. She had to go to bed at last, feeling no
better. But that she would be a true servant of God, Rotha was
determined.
So came Christmas morning on; clear, cold, bright and still. Rotha awaked
at the bell summons. Her first thought was of last night's determination,
to which she held fast; the next thought was, that it was Christmas day,
and she must look at her gloves and Russia leather bag. She sprang up,
and had half dressed herself before she remarked, lying on the empty bed
opposite her own, some peculiar-looking packages done up as usual in
brown paper. They must belong to Mrs. Mowbray and have got there by
mistake, she thought; and she went over to verify her supposition. No, to
her enormous surprise she saw her own name.
More Christmas things! Rotha hurried her dressing; she dared not stop to
open anything till that was done; and then an inner voice said, You will
not have much time for your prayers. Her heart beating, she turned away
and knelt down. And she would not cut short her prayers, either. She
besought help to forgive; she asked earnestly to be made "a new
creature"; for the old creature, she felt, would never forgive, to the
end of time. She rose then, brushing the moisture from her eyes, and went
over to look at those mysterious packages. One was light, square, and
shallow; the other evidently a book, and heavy. She opened the lesser
package first. Behold, a dozen cambrick handkerchiefs, and upon them a
little bright blue silk neck tie. Rotha needed those articles very much;
she was ready to scream for joy. The other package now; hands trembling
unfolded it. Brown paper, silk paper,--and one of Bagster's octavo Bibles
with limp covers was revealed. Rotha was an ardent lover of the beautiful
and the perfect; her own Bible was an old volume, much worn by handling,
bearing the marks of two generations' use and wear; this was the
perfection of a book in every respect. Rotha was struck dumb and still,
and nothing but tears could give due vent to her feelings; they were
tears of great joy, of repentance, of new purpose, and of very conscious
inability to do anything of herself that would be good. She had sunk on
her knees to let those tears have the accompaniment of prayer; she rose
up again and clasped the Bible in her arms, in heartiest love to it.
Breakfast was late that morning, and she had time for examining her gifts
and for getting a little composed before she had to go down stairs. She
went then quite sedately to all appearance. It was to her as if the world
had turned round two or three times since last night; other people,
however, she observed, had not at all lost their heads and were very much
as usual; except that they were dressed for going to church, and had the
pleasant freedom of holiday times in their looks and manner. Only Mrs.
Mowbray was really festive. She was sparkling with spirits, and smiling
with the joy of doing kindness, past and future. Rotha sat next her at
the table; and there was a gleam of amusement and intelligence in her eye
as she asked her, over her coffee cup, whether Santa Claus had come down
her chimney? She gave Rotha no time to answer, but ran on with a question
to some one else; only a few minutes after, as she put a chop upon
Rotha's plate, gave her a look full of affectionate kindness which said
that she understood all and no words were necessary.
It was time to go to church when breakfast and prayers were over.
Immediately after church, Mrs. Mowbray and Rotha took a carriage and
drove out to the Old Coloured Home; all the packages of tea and sugar
going along; as also a perfect stack of sponge cakes. Arrived at the
place, Mrs. Mowbray's first demand was to know whether "the milk" had
been delivered, and where "the tobacco" was. Then followed a scene, a
succession of scenes rather, that could never be forgotten. Mrs. Mowbray
went all through the rooms, dealing out to each poor creature among the
women a half pound package of tea, a pound of sugar, a half pint of milk,
and a sizeable sponge cake.
"My dear," she whispered to Rotha, who attended and helped her, "they
think all the world of a bit of cake! They never get it now, you know."
"Don't they get milk?"
"Some of the ladies bought a cow for them, that they might have it and
have it good; but it didn't work. The matron took the cream for herself;
they had only the blue watery stuff that was left; and when it was
attempted to rectify that abuse, somebody discovered that it cost too
much to keep a cow."
"What a shame!" cried Rotha indignantly.
"Never mind; you cannot have everything in this world; the Home is a
great deal better than being in the streets."
But Rotha did not like the Home. Its forms and varieties of infirmity,
disease, and decay, were very disagreeable to her. She had one of those
temperaments to which all things beautiful, graceful, and lovely, speak
with powerful influences, and which are correspondingly repelled and
distressed by the tokens of pain or want or coarse living. All the
delight of these women at the sight of Mrs. Mowbray, and all their
intense enjoyment of her gifts, manifested broadly and abundantly, could
not reconcile Rotha to the sight of their worn, wrinkled faces, bowed
forms, bleared eyes, and dulled expression. Every one was not so; but
these were the majority. Certainly Rotha had not had a very dainty
experience of life during the years of her abode in New York; she had
lived where the poorer classes lived and been accustomed to seeing them.
But there the sick and infirm were mostly in their houses, where she did
not visit them; and the exceptions were noticed one at a time. Here there
was an aggregation of infirmity, which oppressed her young heart and
revolted her fastidious sense. It was not pleasant; and Rotha, like most
others who have no experience of life, was devoted to what was pleasant.
She wondered to see the glee and enjoyment with which Mrs. Mowbray moved
about among these poor people; a word, and a word of cheer, for every
one; her very looks and presence coming like beams of loving light upon
their darkness. She seemed to know them almost all.
"How's rheumatism, aunty?" she asked cheerily of a little, wrinkled,
yellow old woman, sitting in a rocking chair and hovering near a fire.
"O missus, it's right smart bad! it is surely."
"Where is it now? in your hands, or your feet?"
"O missus, it is all places! 'Pears there aint no place where it aint.
It's in my hands, and in my feet, and in my head, and in my back; and I
can't sleep o' nights; and the nights is powerful long! so they be."
"Ah, yes; it makes a long night, to have to lie awake aching! I know that
by experience. I had rheumatism once."
"Did you, missus! But it warn't so bad as I be?"
"No, not quite, and I was stronger to bear it. You know who is strong to
help you bear it, aunty?"
"Yes, missus," said the poor creature with a long sigh;--"I does love de
Lord; sartain, I do. He do help. But I be so tired some times!"
"We'll forget all that when we get to heaven, aunty."
There was a faint gleam in the old eyes, as they looked up to her; a
faint smile on the withered lips. The rays of that morning light were
catching the clouds already!
"Now, aunty, I've brought you some splendid tea. Shall I make you a cup,
right off?"
"You wouldn't have time missus--"
"Yes, I would! Time for everything. Here, Sabrina, bring a kettle of
boiling water here and put it on the fire; mind, it must boil."
And while the woman went to obey the order, Mrs. Mowbray went on round
the room. There were so many to speak to, Rotha thought she would forget
the kettle and the tea; but she did not. From the very door which should
have let her into another ward, she turned back The kettle was boiling;
she ordered several cups; she made the tea, not out of the old woman's
particular private store; and then she poured it out, sugared and creamed
and gave her her cup; took one herself, and gave the rest to whosoever
came for it. They held quite a little festival there round the fire; for
Mrs. Mowbray brought out some cake too.
"Now," she said to Rotha as they hurried away, "they will not forget that
for a year to come. I always take a cup of tea with aunty Lois."
They went now among the men, distributing the tobacco. Rotha admired with
unending admiration, the grace and sweetness and tact with which Mrs.
Mowbray knew how to season her gifts; the enormous amount of pleasure she
gave and good she did which were quite independent of them. Bent figures
straightened up, and dull faces shone out, as she talked. The very beauty
which belonged to her in so rare measure, Rotha saw how it was a mighty
talent for good when brought thoroughly into the service of Christ. She
was a fair human angel going about among those images of want and
suffering and hopelessness; her light lingered on them after she had
passed on.
"How do you do, uncle Bacchus?" she said as she approached an old, gray-
haired, very black man in a corner. He rose to his feet and shewed a
tall, slim figure, not bent at all, though the indications of his face
pointed to very advanced age. He bowed profoundly, and with dignity,
before the lovely lady who had extended her hand to him, and then he took
the hand.
"Nearer home, madam," he said; "a year nearer home."
The hand trembled, and the voice; yet the mental tone of it was very
firm.
"You are not in a hurry to leave us?"
"It's better on de oder side, madam."
"Yes, that is true! And it is good to know there _is_ an 'other side,'
isn't it? Are you comfortable here, uncle Bacchus?"
'"Comfortable--" he repeated. "I don' know. I'm sittin' at de gates,
waitin' till de Lord say open 'em; and 'pears I'm lookin' dat way all de
time. Dis yer's a waitin' place. A waitin' place."
"Yes, but I want you to be comfortable while you are waiting. What can I
do for you? The dear Lord has sent me to ask you."
He smiled a little, a very sweet smile, though the lips were so withered
on which it came.
"Don't want for not'ing, madam. Dis yer'll do to wait in. When I get
home, I'll have all I want; but it's up _dere_."
"I thought, uncle Bacchus, you would like a very plain page to read the
words in that you love. See, I have brought you this. This will almost do
without spectacles, hey?"
She produced a New Testament in four thin volumes, of the very largest
and clearest type; presenting a beautiful open page. The old man almost
chuckled as he received it.
"Dat ar's good!" he said.
"Better than the old one, hey?"
"Dat ar certainly is good," he repeated. "De old un, de words is so
torturous small, if I didn't know what dey was, 'pears dey wouldn't be no
use to me."
"Well, then I made no mistake this time. Now, uncle Bacchus, I know you
take no comfort in tobacco; so I've brought you something else--something
you like. Must have something to make Christmas gay, you know."
She put a paper of French bonbons in the old man's hand. He laughed, half
at her and half at the sugarplums, Rotha thought; and he bowed again.
"De Lord give madam sumfin' to make _her_ gay!" he said.
"Himself, uncle Bacchus!"
"Dat's so, madam!" he replied, as she took his hand to bid him good bye.
This was a much longer colloquy than usual; a few words were all there
was time for, generally; and Rotha went on wondering and admiring to see
how Mrs. Mowbray could make those few words tell for the pleasure and
good of her beneficiaries. At last the whole round was made, the last
package disposed of, and Mrs. Mowbray and Rotha found themselves in the
carriage again. Rotha for her part was glad; she did not like the Home,
as I have said; the sight of the people was painful to her, even with all
the alleviations of pleasure. She was glad to be driving away from the
place. What did they know of Bagster's Bibles and Russia covered
travelling bags? Poor creatures! And Rotha's heart was leaping at thought
of her own.
They went in silence for a while.
"Aren't you very tired, Mrs. Mowbray?" Rotha ventured at last.
"Tired?" said Mrs. Mowbray brightly, rousing herself. "I don't know! I
don't stop to think whether I am tired. There will be plenty of time to
rest, by and by."
"That does not hinder one from feeling tired now," said Rotha, who did
not enjoy this doctrine.
"No, but it hinders one from minding it," said Mrs. Mowbray. "Do all you
can for other people, Rotha; it is the greatest happiness you can find in
this life."
"Do you think you had as much pleasure in getting those things for me,
Mrs. Mowbray,--my bag and my Bible,--and all my things,--as I had, and
have, in receiving them?"
Mrs. Mowbray smiled. "Do they give you pleasure?" she asked.
"More than you can think--more than I can tell. I think I am dreaming!"
"Then that gives _me_ pleasure. What are you going to do with your
Bible?"
"I am going to study it--" said Rotha slowly; "and I am going to live by
it."
"Are you? Have you decided that point?"
"Yes, ma'am. But I am not good yet, Mrs. Mowbray. I do not forgive aunt
Serena. It feels to me as if there was a stone where my heart ought to
be."
"Have you found that out?" said Mrs. Mowbray without shewing any
surprise. "There is help, my child. Look, when you get home, at the
thirty sixth chapter of Ezekiel--I cannot tell you what verse--and you
will find it there."
They had no more talk until the carriage stopped at home. And Rotha had
no chance then even to open her Bible, but must make herself immediately
ready for dinner.