"Mam--MA! shing 'Toddie one-boy-day!'"
How uncomfortable a man CAN feel in the society of a dearly-loved
sister and an incomparable brother-in-law I never imagined until that
short drive. Helen was somewhat concerned about the children, but she
found time to look at me with so much of sympathy, humor, affection,
and condescension that I really felt relieved when we reached the
house. I hastily retired to my own room, but before I had shut the door
Helen was with me, and her arms were about my neck; before the dear old
girl removed them we had grown far nearer to each other than we had
ever been before.
And how gloriously the rest of the day passed off. We had a delightful
little lunch, and Tom brought up a bottle of Roederer, and Helen didn't
remonstrate when he insisted on its being drank from her finest
glasses, and there were toasts drank to "Her" and "Her Mother," and to
the Benedict that was to be. And then Helen proposed "the makers of the
match--Budge and Toddie!" which was honored with bumpers. The gentlemen
toasted did not respond, but they stared so curiously that I sprang
from my chair and kissed them soundly, upon which Tom and Helen
exchanged significant glances.
Then Helen walked down to Mrs. Clarkson's boarding-house, all for the
purpose of showing a lady there with a skirt to make over just how she
had seen a similar garment rearranged exquisitely. And Alice strolled
down to the gate with her to say good-by; and they had so much to talk
about that Helen walked Alice nearly to our house, and then insisted on
her coming the rest of the way so she might be driven home. And then
Mike was sent back with a note to say to Mrs. Mayton that her daughter
had been prevailed upon to stay to evening dinner, but would be sent
home under capable escort. And after dinner was over and the children
put to bed, Tom groaned that he MUST attend a road-board meeting, and
Helen begged us to excuse her just a minute while she ran into the
doctor's to ask how poor Mrs. Brown had been doing, and she consumed
three hours and twenty-five minutes in asking, bless her sympathetic
soul!
The dreaded ending of my vacation did not cause me as many pangs as I
had expected. Helen wanted to know one evening why, if her poor, dear
Tom could go back and forth to the city to business every day, her lazy
big brother couldn't go back and forth to Hillcrest daily, if she were
to want him as a boarder for the remainder of the season. Although I
had for years inveighed against the folly of cultivated people leaving
the city to find residences, Helen's argument was unanswerable and I
submitted. I did even more; I purchased a lovely bit of ground (though
the deed stands in Tom's name for the present), and Tom has brought up
several plans of cottage-houses, and every evening they are spread on
the dining-room table, and there gather round them four people, among
whom are a white-goods salesman, and a young lady with the brightest of
eyes and cheeks full of roses and lilies. This latter-named personage
has her own opinions of the merits of all plans suggested, and insisted
that whatever plan IS adopted MUST have a lovely room to be set apart
as the exclusive property of Helen's boys. Young as these gentlemen are
I find frequent occasions to be frightfully jealous of them, but they
are unmoved by either my frowns or persuasions--artifice alone is able
to prevent their monopolizing the time of an adorable being of whose
society I cannot possibly have too much. She insists that when the
ceremony takes place in December, they shall officiate as groomsmen,
and I have not the slightest doubt that she will carry her point. In
fact, I confess to frequent affectionate advances toward them myself,
and when I retire without first seeking their room and putting a
grateful kiss upon their unconscious lips, my conscience upbraids me
with base ingratitude. To think I might yet be a hopeless bachelor had
it not been for them, is to overflow with thankfulness to the giver of
HELEN'S BABIES.