CLIPPING A BIRD'S WINGS.
The clouds were fast gathering over poor San Souci's heavens.
The commodore had quite recovered for the time being, and he began to
urge the marriage of his niece with his favorite. Dr. Grimshaw's
importunities were also becoming very tiresome. They were no longer a
jest. She could no longer divert herself with them. She felt them as a
real persecution, and expressed herself accordingly. To Grim she said:
"Once I used to laugh at you. But now I do hate you more than anything
in the universe! And I wish--I do wish that you were in heaven! for I do
detest the very sight of you--there!"
And to the commodore's furious threats she would answer:
"Uncle, the time has passed by centuries ago for forcing girls into
wedlock, thanks be to Christianity and civilization. You can't force me
to have Grim, and you had as well give up the wicked purpose," or words
to that effect.
One day when she had said something of the sort, the commodore answered,
cruelly:
"Very well, miss! I force no one, please to understand! But I afford my
protection and support only upon certain conditions, and withdraw them
when those conditions are not fulfilled! Neither you nor your mother had
any legal claim upon me. I was not in any way bound to feed and clothe
and house you for so many years. I did it with the tacit understanding
that you were to marry to please me, and all your life you have
understood, as well as any of us, that you were to wed Dr. Grimshaw."
"If such an understanding existed, it was without my consent, and was
originated in my infancy, and I do not feel and I will not be in the
least degree bound by it! For the expense of my support and education,
uncle! I am truly sorry that you risked it upon the hazardous chance of
my liking or disliking the man of your choice! But as I had no hand in
your venture, I do not feel the least responsible for your losses. Yours
is the fate of a gambler in human hearts who has staked and lost--that
is the worst!"
"And by all the fiends in fire, Minion! you shall find that it is
not the worst. I know how to make you knuckle under, and I shall do
it!" exclaimed the commodore in a rage, as he rose up and strode off
toward the room occupied by Mary L'Oiseau. Without the ceremony of
knocking, he burst the door open with one blow of his foot, and entered
where the poor, feverish, frightened creature was lying down to take a
nap. Throwing himself into a chair by her bedside, he commenced a
furious attack upon the trembling invalid. He recounted, with much
exaggeration, the scene that had just transpired between himself and
Jacquelina--repeated with additions her undutiful words, bitterly
reproached Mary for encouraging and fostering that rebellious and
refractory temper in her daughter, warned her to bring the headstrong
girl to a sense of her position and duty, or to prepare to leave his
roof; for he swore he "wouldn't be hectored over and trodden down by her
nor her daughter any longer!" And so having overwhelmed the timid,
nervous woman with undeserved reproaches and threats, he arose and left
the room.
And can any one be surprised that her illness was increased, and her
fever arose and her senses wandered all night? When her mother was ill,
Jacquelina could not sleep. Now she sat by her bedside sponging her hot
hands and keeping ice to her head and giving drink to slake her burning
thirst and listening, alas! to her sad and rambling talk about their
being turned adrift in the world to starve to death, or to perish in the
snow--calling on her daughter to save them both by yielding to her
uncle's will! And Jacquelina heard and understood, and wept and
sighed--a new experience to the poor girl, who was
"Not used to tears at night
Instead of slumber!"
All through the night she nursed her with unremitting care. And in the
morning, when the fever waned, and the patient was wakeful, though
exhausted, she left her only to bring the refreshing cup of tea and
plate of toast prepared by her own hands.
But when she brought it to the bedside the pale invalid waved it away.
She felt as if she could not eat. Fear had clutched her throat and would
not relax its hold.
"I want to talk to you, Jacquelina," she said.
"Eat and drink first, Mimmy, and then you and I will have such another
good talk!" said Jacquelina, coaxingly.
"I can't! Oh! I can't swallow a mouthful, I am choking now!"
"Oh! that is nothing but the hysterics, Mimmy! 'high strikes,' as Jenny
calls them! I feel like I should have them myself sometimes! Come! cheer
up, Mimmy! Your fever is off and your head is cool! Come, take this
consoling cup of tea and bit of toast, and you will feel so much
stronger and cheerfuler."
"Tea! Oh! everything I eat and drink in this unhappy house is
bitter--the bitter cup and bitter bread of dependence!"
"Put more sugar into it, then, Mimmy, and sweeten it! Come! Things are
not yet desperate! Cheer up!"
"What do you mean, my love? Have you consented to be married to Dr.
Grimshaw?"
"No! St. Mary! Heaven forbid!" exclaimed Jacquelina, shuddering for the
first time.
"Now, why 'heaven forbid?' Oh! my child, why are you so perverse? Why
won't you take him, since your uncle has set his heart upon the match?"
"Oh, mother!"
"I know you are very young to be married--too young! far too young! Only
sixteen, gracious heaven! But then you know we have no alternative but
that, or starvation; and it is not as if you were to be married to a
youth of your own age--this gentleman is of grave years and character,
which makes a great difference."
"I should think it did."
"What makes you shiver and shake so, my dear? Are you cold or nervous?
Poor child, you got no sleep last night. Do you drink that cup of tea,
my dear. You need it more than I do."
"No, no."
"Why, what is the matter with my fairy?"
"Oh, mother, mother, don't take sides against me! don't! or you will
drive me to my ruin. Who will take a child's part, if her mother don't?
I love you best of all the world, mother. Do not takes sides against me!
take my part! help me to be true! to be true!"
"True to whom, Jacquelina? What are you talking about?"
"True to this heart--to this heart, mother! to all that is honest and
good in my nature."
"I don't understand you at all."
"Oh, mother, the thought of marrying anybody is unwelcome to me now; and
the idea of being married to Grim is abhorrent; is like that of being
sold to a master that I hate, or sent to prison for life; it is full of
terror and despair. Oh! oh!--"
"Don't talk so wildly, Jacquelina, you make me ill."
"Do I, Mimmy? Oh, I didn't mean to worry you. Bear up, Mimmy; do try to
bear up; don't fear; suppose he does turn me out. I am but a little
girl, and food and clothing are cheap enough in the country, and any of
our neighbors will take me in just for the fun I'll make them. La! yes,
that they will, just as gladly as they will let in the sunshine."
"Oh, child, how little you know of the world. Yes, for a day or two, or
a week or two, scarcely longer. And even if you could find a home, who
would give shelter to your poor, sick mother for the rest of her life?"
"Mother! uncle would never deny you shelter upon my account!" exclaimed
Jacquelina, growing very pale.
"Indeed he will, my child; he has; he came in here last night and warned
me to pack up and leave the house."
"He will not dare--even he, so to outrage humanity and public opinion
and everything he ought to respect."
"My child, he will. He has set his heart upon making Nace Grimshaw his
successor at Luckenough, that if you disappoint him in this darling
purpose, there will be no limit to his rage and his revenge. And he will
not only send us from his roof, but he will seek to justify himself and
further ruin us by blackening our names. Your wildness and eccentricity
will be turned against us and so distorted and misrepresented as to ruin
us forever."
"Mother! mother! he is not so wicked as that."
"He is furious in his temper and violent in his impulses--he will do all
that under the influence of disappointment and passion, however he may
afterwards repent his injustice. You must not disappoint him,
Jacquelina."
"I disappoint him? Why, Mimmy, Luckenough does not belong to me. And if
he wants Grim to be his successor, why, as I have heard aunty ask him,
does he not make him his heir?"
"There are reasons, I suspect, my dear, why he cannot do so. I think he
holds the property by such a tenure, that he cannot alienate it from the
family. And the only manner in which he can bestow it upon Dr. Grimshaw,
will be through his wife, if the doctor should marry some relative."
"That is it, hey? Well! I will not be made a sumpter-mule to carry this
rich gift over to Dr. Grimshaw--even if there is no other way of
conveyance. Mother! what is the reason the professor is such a favorite
with uncle?"
"My dear, I don't know, but I have often had my suspicions."
"Of what, Mimmy?"
"Of a very near, though unacknowledged relationship; don't question me
any further upon that particular point, my dear, for I really know
nothing whatever about it. Oh, dear." And the invalid groaned and turned
over.
"Mother, you are very weak; mother, please to take some tea; let me go
get you some hot."
"Tell me, Jacquelina; will you do as the old man wishes you?"
"I will tell you after you take some refreshments," said Jacquelina.
"Well! go bring me some."
The girl went and brought more hot tea and toast, and waited until her
mother had drunk the former and partaken of a morsel of the latter.
When, in answer to the eager, inquiring look, she said:
"Mother, if I alone were concerned, I would leave this house this
moment, though I should never have another roof over my head. But for
your sake, mother, I will still fight the battle. I will try to turn
uncle from his purpose. I will try to awaken Grim's generosity, if he
has any, and get him to withdraw his suit. I will get aunty to use her
influence with both of them, and see what can be done. But as for
marrying Dr. Grimshaw, mother--I know what I am saying--I would rather
die!"
"And see me die, my child?"
"Oh, mother! it will not be so bad as that."
"Jacquelina, it will. Do you know what is the meaning of these afternoon
fevers and night sweats and this cough?"
"I know it means that you are very much out of health, Mimmy, but I hope
you will be well in the spring."
"Jacquelina, it means death."
"Oh, no! No, no! No, no! Not so! There's Miss Nancy Skamp has had a
cough every winter ever since I knew her, and she's not dead nor likely
to die, and you will be well in the spring," said the girl, changing
color; and faltering in spite of herself.
"I shall never see another spring, my child--"
"Oh, mother! don't! don't say so. You--"
"Hear me out, my dear; I shall never live to see another spring unless I
can have a quiet life with peace of mind. These symptoms, my child, mean
death, sooner or later. My life may be protracted for many years, if I
can live in peace and comfort; but if I must suffer privation, want and
anxiety, I cannot survive many months, Jacquelina."
The poor girl was deadly pale; she started up and walked the floor in a
distracted manner, crying:
"What shall I do! Oh! what shall I do?"
"It is very plain what you shall do, my child. You must marry Dr.
Grimshaw. Come, my dear, be reasonable. If I did not think it best for
your happiness and prosperity, I would not urge it."
"Mimmy, don't talk any longer, dear!" Jacquelina interrupted. "There's a
bright spot on your cheek now, and your fever will rise again, even this
morning. I will see what can be done to bring everybody to reason! I
will not believe but that if I remain firm and faithful to my heart's
integrity there will be some way of escape made between these two
alternatives."
But could Sans Souci do this? Had the frolicsome fairy sufficient
integral strength and self-balance to resist the powerful influences
gathering around her?