"Who knows the joys of friendship--The
trust, security, and mutual tenderness,
The double joys, where each is glad for both?"
ROWE.
Max Raymond was racing about Miss Stanhope's grounds with the dog that
had given his sister Lulu so great a fright the first night of their stay
in Lansdale. Up one walk and down another they went, the boy whistling,
laughing, capering about, the dog bounding after, catching up with his
playfellow and leaping upon him, now on this side and now on that; then
presently finding himself shaken off and distanced in the race; but only
for a moment; the next he was at the boy's side again or close at his
heels.
"Max! Max!" called an eager child's voice, and Lulu came running down the
path leading directly from the house.
"Well, what is it, Lu?" asked the lad, standing still to look and listen.
"Down, Nero, down! be quiet, sir!"
"Oh, I have something to tell you," replied Lulu, half breathlessly, as
she hurried toward him. "That letter you brought Grandma Elsie from the
post-office this morning was from Aunt Elsie; and they are at home by
this time--she wrote just as they were ready to start--and Evelyn Leland
is with them; she's to make her home at Fairview."
"Well, and what of it? what do _I_ care about it? or you either?"
"Dear me, Max, you might care! I hope she may prove a nice friend for me;
not a bit like Rosie, who has always despised and disliked me."
"I don't think Rosie does anything of the kind, Lulu," said Max, patting
Nero's head; "she may not be very fond of you, and certainly does not
admire your behavior at times, but I don't believe it amounts to
dislike."
"I do, then," returned Lulu, a touch of anger in her tones. "Anyhow, I'd
dearly love to have a real friend near my own age; and Aunt Elsie says
Evelyn is only a little older than I am."
"Well, I hope you won't be disappointed. If she was a boy I'd be as glad
of her coming, or his coming, as you are."
"Oh, Maxie, I wish, for your sake, she was a boy!" cried Lulu in her
impulsive way, stepping closer and putting her arm about his neck. "How
selfish in me to forget that you have no companion at all at Ion!"
"I have," returned Max; "I have you, you know, and you're right good
company when you are in a good humor."
"And I'm not often in any other with you, Maxie; now am I?" she said
coaxingly.
"No, sis, that's true enough, and I do believe I couldn't get
along half so well without you. I'm glad for your sake that
this--what's-her-name?--is coming."
"Her name is Evelyn. Oh, Max, I feel so sorry for her!"
"Why?"
"Because her father's dead, and they were so very, very fond of each
other; so Aunt Elsie wrote."
"Rosie's father's dead too; and she and all of them were very fond of
him."
"Yes; but it's a good while now since he died, and she's had time to get
over it so far that she seems hardly ever to think of him; while it is
only a few weeks since Evelyn lost hers; and Rosie has her nice, kind
mother with her, while Evelyn's is away in Europe, and like enough isn't
half so nice as Grandma Elsie anyhow. Oh, Max, I feel most heart-broken
every time papa goes away, even though I expect to see him back again
some day; and think how dreadful to have your father gone never to come
back!"
"Yes, it would be awful!" said Max. "I'd rather lose ten years off my own
life. But, Lu, if you really love papa so dearly, how can you behave
toward him as you do sometimes--causing him so much distress of mind?
I've seen such a grieved, troubled look on his face, when he thought
nobody was watching him, and you were in one of your naughty moods."
"Oh, Max, don't!" Lulu said in a choking voice, as she turned and walked
away, hot tears in her eyes.
Max ran after her. "Come, Lu, don't take it so hard; I didn't mean to be
cruel."
"But you were! Go away! you've got me into one of my moods, as you call
it, and I'd better be let alone," she returned almost fiercely, jerking
herself loose--for he had caught a fold of her dress in his hand--and
rushing away to the farther end of the grounds, where she threw herself
on a rustic seat panting with excitement and the rapidity of her flight.
But the gust of passion died down almost as speedily as it had arisen;
she could never be angry very long with Max, her dear, only brother; and
now her thoughts turned remorsefully upon the conduct he had condemned.
It was no news to her that she had more than once caused her father much
anxiety and grief of heart, nor was it a new thing for her to be
repentant and remorseful on account of her unfilial behavior.
"Oh, why can't I be as good as Max and Gracie?" she said to herself,
covering her face with her hands and sighing heavily. "I wish papa was
here so I could tell him again how sorry I am, and how dearly I do love
him though I am so often naughty. I am glad I did tell him, and that he
forgave me and told me he loved me just as well as any other of his
children. How good in him to say that! I wonder if Evelyn Leland ever
behaved badly to her father. If she ever was naughty to him, how sorry
she must feel about it now!"
During the remainder of the short visit at Lansdale, and all through the
homeward journey, Lulu's thoughts often turned upon Evelyn, and she had
scarcely alighted from the carriage on their arrival at Ion before she
sent a sweeping glance around the welcoming group on the veranda, in
eager search of the young stranger.
Yes, there she was, a little slender girl in deep mourning, standing
slightly apart from the embracing, rejoicing relatives. She was not
decidedly pretty, but graceful and refined in appearance, with an
earnest, intelligent countenance and very fine eyes. She seemed quite
free from self-consciousness and wholly taken up with the interest of the
scenes being enacted before her.
"How many of them there are! and how they love one another! how nice it
is!" she was thinking within herself, when the two Elsies, releasing each
other from a long, tender embrace, turned toward her, the older one
saying, half inquiringly, "And this is Evelyn?"
"Yes, mamma. Eva, this is my dear mother," said Mrs. Leland.
Mrs. Travilla took the little girl in her arms, kissed her
affectionately, and bade her welcome to Ion, adding, "And if you like you
may call me Grandma Elsie, as the others do."
"Thank you, ma'am," Evelyn answered, coloring with pleasure; "but it
seems hardly appropriate, for you look not very much older than Aunt
Elsie; and she is young to be my aunt."
"That's right, Eva," Mrs. Leland said, with a pleased laugh; "I for one
have never approved of mamma being called so by any one older than my
baby-boy."
Mrs. Travilla's attention was claimed by some one else at that moment,
and Lester, taking Evelyn by the hand, led her up to Mr. and Mrs.
Dinsmore. She was introduced to the others in turn, every one greeting
her with the utmost kindness. Rosie gave her a hasty kiss, but Lulu
embraced her with warmth, saying, "I am sure I shall love you, and I hope
you will love me a little in return."
"I'll try; it wouldn't be fair to let it be all on one side," Evelyn
answered with a shy, sweet smile, as she returned the hug and kiss as
heartily as they were given.
Lulu was delighted.
After supper, while the older people were chatting busily among
themselves, she drew Evelyn into a distant corner and told her how glad
she was of her coming, because she wanted a girl-friend near her own age
and found Rosie uncongenial and indifferent toward her.
"She will probably be the same to me," said Evelyn; "she has so many of
her very own dear ones about her, you know, that it cannot be expected
that she will feel much interest in strangers like you and me. But,"
frankly, "I think I should love you best anyhow."
"How nice in you!" said Lulu, her eyes sparkling; "but I'm afraid you
won't when you know me better, for I'm not a bit good; I get into
terrible passions when anybody imposes on me or my brother or sister; and
I sometimes disobey and break rules."
"You are very honest, at all events," remarked Evelyn pleasantly; "and
perhaps I shall not like you any the less for having some faults. You
see, if you were perfect, the contrast between you and myself would be
most unpleasant to me."
"How correctly and like a grown-up person you speak!" said Lulu,
regarding her new friend with affectionate admiration.
Evelyn's eyes filled. "It is because papa made me his constant companion
and took the greatest pains with me," she said, in tones tremulous with
emotion. "We were almost always alone together, for I never had a brother
or sister to share the love he lavished upon me."
"I'm so, so sorry for you!" said Lulu, slipping an arm round Evelyn's
waist. "I think I know a little how you feel, for my papa is with us only
once in a while for a few days or weeks, and when he goes away again it
nearly breaks my heart."
"But you can hope he may come back again."
"Yes; and I have Max and Gracie; so I am much better off than you."
"And such a sweet, pretty mamma," supplemented Evelyn, sending an
admiring glance across the room to where Violet sat chatting with her
sister Elsie.
"But you have your own mother, and that's a great deal better," returned
Lulu. "Mamma Vi is very beautiful and sweet, and very kind to Max and
Gracie and me, but a step-mother can't be like your own."
"I suppose not quite," Evelyn said with a sigh; "but I have no idea when
I shall see mine again."
"We are situated a good deal alike," remarked Lulu, reflectively. "My
father and your mother are far away in this world, and your father and my
mother are gone to heaven."
"Yes. Oh, don't you sometimes want to go to them there?"
"I'm not good enough--not fit in any way; and I believe I'd rather stay
here--at least while papa does," Lulu said, with some hesitation.
"I hope he may be spared to you for many, many years," said Evelyn,
gently; "at least till you are quite grown up, and perhaps have a family
of children of your own."
"Were you ever so naughty that your father told you you gave him a great
deal of trouble and heartache?" asked Lulu in a tremulous voice and with
starting tears.
"Oh no; no, indeed!" exclaimed Eva, in surprise. "How could I, or any
one, with such a father as mine?"
"No father could be better or kinder than mine," said Lulu, twinkling
away a tear; "and yet I have been so passionate and disobedient that he
has told me that several times."
"Oh, don't ever be so again; for if you do your poor heart will ache so
terribly over it when he is taken away from you," Evelyn said with
emotion, and pressing Lulu's hand affectionately in hers. "Oh, I can
never be thankful enough," she went on, "that the day my dear father was
called home he said to me, 'My darling, you have been nothing but a
blessing and comfort to me since the day you were born.'"
"My father can never say that to me; I have already put it out of his
power," thought Lulu to herself, with a great pain at her heart; and as
soon as she found herself alone in her own room that night she wrote a
little penitent note to him all blistered with tears.
Shortly after breakfast the next morning she went to "Grandma Elsie" with
a request for permission to walk over to Fairview and spend an hour with
Evelyn.
"You may, my dear, if you can get Max or some older person to walk with
you," was Elsie's kind reply; "otherwise I will send you in the carriage,
because it is not safe for you to walk that distance alone. I think you
and Evelyn are going to be friends, and I am very glad of it," she added
with a pleasant smile. "If she will come, you may bring her back with you
to spend the day at Ion."
"Oh, thank you, Grandma Elsie; that will be so nice!" cried Lulu,
joyously; then bounded away in search of her brother.
Max, having nothing else to do just then, readily consented to be her
escort, and they set out at once.
"A brother is of some use sometimes, isn't he?" queried Max,
complacently, as they walked briskly down the avenue together.
"Yes; and isn't a sister, too?" asked Lulu.
"Yes, indeed," he said; "you are almost always ready to do me a good
turn, Lu. But, in fact, I'm taking this walk quite as much to please
myself as you. It's a very pleasant one on a morning like this, and Uncle
Lester and Aunt Elsie are pleasant folks to visit."
"I think they are," returned Lulu; "but I am going more to see Evelyn
than anybody else. Oh, Max, I do hope, I do believe, it's going to be as
I told you I wished."
"What?"
"That we'll be intimate friends and very fond of each other. Weren't you
pleased with her, Max? I was."
"She's nice-looking," he replied; "but that's all I can say till we've
had time to get acquainted."
"I feel quite well acquainted with her now; we had such a nice long talk
together last night," said Lulu.
Evelyn was strolling about the grounds at Fairview, and came to the gate
to meet them. She shook hands with Max, kissed Lulu affectionately, and
invited them into the house.
They settled themselves in the veranda, where Mrs. Leland presently
joined them. Then Lulu gave "Grandma Elsie's" invitation.
"May I go, Aunt Elsie?" asked Evelyn.
"Certainly, dear, if you wish to," Mrs. Leland answered kindly. "Your
uncle and I will drive over early in the evening and bring you home."
"By moonlight!" Evelyn said; "that will be very nice. Auntie, you and
uncle are very good to me."
"Indeed, child," returned Elsie, smiling, "you may well believe it is no
hardship for us to go to Ion on any errand; or with none save the desire
to see mamma and the rest."
Evelyn and Lulu passed the greater part of the day alone together, every
one else seemingly lacking either leisure or inclination to join them,
and the friendship grew rapidly, as is usually the case when two little
girls are thus thrown together.
Each gave a detailed history of her past life and found the other deeply
interested in it. Then they talked of the present and of the near future.
"Are you to go to school?" asked Lulu.
"No," Evelyn said with a contented smile, "I am to study at home and come
here to recite with you."
"Oh, how nice!" cried Lulu, her eyes sparkling with pleasure.
"Yes, I think it very kind in Aunt Elsie's mother and grandfather to
offer to let me do so," said Evelyn. "I shall try very hard to be
studious and well-behaved and give them no trouble."
Lulu's cheek flushed at that remark, and for a moment she sat silent and
with downcast eyes; then she burst out in her impetuous way, "I wish I
were like you, Eva--so good and grateful. I'm afraid you wouldn't care
for me at all if you knew what a bad, ungrateful thing I am. I've given
ever so much trouble to Grandpa Dinsmore and Grandma Elsie, though they
have done more for me--for Max and Gracie too--than they are going to do
for you."
"I don't believe you're half so bad as you make yourself out to be,"
returned Eva, in a surprised tone. "And I'm sure you are sorry and will
be ever so good and grateful in the future."
"I want to, but--there does seem to be no use in my trying to be
sweet-tempered and all that," said Lulu, dejectedly; "I've got such a
dreadful temper."
"Papa used to tell me God, our heavenly Father, would help me to conquer
my faults, if I asked Him with all my heart," said Evelyn, softly; "that,
in His great love and condescension, He noticed even a little child and
its efforts to please Him and do His will."
"Yes, I know; my papa has told me the same thing ever so often; but most
always the temptation comes so suddenly I don't seem to have time to ask
for help, and"--hesitatingly--"sometimes I don't want it."