Mrs. Markham sat in her private parlor, comfortably sipping her tea.
Whatever might be said of the children's bill of fare, there was nothing
meager about hers. No Chinaman's tongue was ever a safer tea detector
than Markham's. No spurious mixture found a place in her tea-caddy; no
water-pot was allowed to wash away its strength when made. The warm
biscuit were as fragrant as the tea, and the butter might have won the
prize at any agricultural fair. The room too, in which the tea-table was
spread, had every appliance for the consolation of a single woman.
Comfortably plump sofas and chairs, a looking-glass, selected for its
peculiar faculty of adding breadth to an unnecessarily elongated face; a
handsome, well-filled bottle of Cologne, another of Bay Water, and a
work-box, with all sorts of industrial appendages, the gift of Mr.
Balch. Then, for the look of the thing, a few books, newspapers,
pamphlets, etc., for Mrs. Markham never read; partly because she had a
surfeit in the book line in the school-room, but principally, because
publishers and editors had a sad way of making their types so
indistinct now-a-days; or in other words, Markham had a strong aversion
to spectacles.
There were no pictures or flowers in the room, because the former
"marked the walls," and the latter "kept dropping their leaves on the
carpet;" but there were two smart, gilt candelabras on the mantle, and a
small clock between them, and an hour glass, and a stuffed owl. There
was also a light kid glove, which always lay there, because it served
for a text for Mr. Balch's little complimentary speeches about hands and
hearts, and pairs, etc. Mrs. Markham was always _going_ to put it away,
but somehow she never did so.
"Ah, Timmins, is that you? come in. Is Tibbs any better," asked Mrs.
Markham, comfortably sipping her tea.
"No ma'm, she's awful; her wrists look as if they would snap in two; and
her neck looks so slender; and her head so big. Oh, she's a sight,
ma'am."
"Pooh, you are always sight-seeing, Timmins; the child always had a
miserable constitution. As the committee say, it is not much use to try
to rear these children; the seeds of disease are in them."
"Well, Tibbs is going fast enough, that's certain. She's mostly
stupid-like, but now and then she smiles and reaches out her arms, for
all the world as if she saw the angels, and wanted them to come and take
her."
"What nonsense, Timmins. Hand me that toast. Just as if a pauper-child
would have such notions."
"Well, ma'am, if you only would stay long enough by the child, you'd
see it; it is awful to watch with her all alone."
"Afraid of a sick child," said Mrs. Markham, pouring out another cup of
hyson.
"No, not the child exactly--Tibbs is a good little thing; but the
sperrets, about the room. I do believe," said Timmins, solemnly, "that
sperrets are all round these childern. You don't see things as I do,
Mrs. Markham."
"I hope I don't," answered that lady, laughing, as she pushed back her
empty cup. "A pretty matron I should make, filled with such fanciful
whims; and a great while the committee would keep me."
"Perhaps so," answered Timmins. "Sometimes I think--"
"What?" asked Markham.
"And then again I don't know," said the perplexed Timmins; "but I must
run back to Tibbs--if you only _would_ look in on her, Mrs. Markham,"
said Timmins beseechingly, as she closed the door.
While the above conversation was passing, the film gathered slowly over
little Tibbs's eyes; the feet and hands grew colder--colder; drops of
moisture gathered on the marble temples; the lips moved, but no sound
came; a convulsive spasm shook the slight form, and little Tibbs was
dead! None stood by to hold the feeble hand, or wipe the gathering
death-damp from the pale lips and brow. No warm breath was proof to the
dimmed eye and dulled ear of Love's dear presence.
Tibbs died _alone_.
And yet not alone, for He who loveth little children, folded her to His
bosom.
"It is quite time she took her drops," said Timmins, re-entering the
room; and holding the phial up to the light, and placing a spoon under
its mouth, she commenced counting, "One--two--three--four--here Tibbie.
"What!"
The horror-struck Timmins darted through the door, and back to Mrs.
Markham.
"Oh, ma'am--oh, ma'am--she's gone--all alone, too--oh, Mrs. Markham--"
"Who's gone? what are you talking about, Timmons?"
"Tibbs, ma'am--Tibbs--while I was down here talking to you--and all
alone, too--oh dear--oh dear--"
"Hold your tongue, Timmins; as if _your_ being there would have done any
good?"
"Don't you think so, ma'am?" asked the relieved Timmins.
"No, of course not; the child's time had come--it is all well enough;
you couldn't have helped it. Call Watkins, and tell her to go lay her
out. I will be up when I have taken my nap. You stay there till Watkins
has done, and then lock the door and take the key. What o'clock is it?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Timmins. "Are you _sure_ it was just as well
for Tibbs to die alone? I hope _I_ shan't die alone. Should _you_ like
to die alone, Mrs. Markham?"
"That has nothing to do with it," answered Mrs. Markham, angrily; "go
along, Timmins, and don't make a fool of yourself."
"Poor thing! poor thing!" exclaimed Watkins, as she untied little
Tibbs's night-dress to wash her thin limbs, "_her_ sufferings are over.
I tell you, Timmins, there'll be a long reckoning for this some day. I
had rather be Tibbs here than Mrs. Markham. She isn't a sparrow's
weight," said Watkins, lifting the child. "Was she sensible when she
died, Timmins?"
"Don't ask me--don't ask me. Oh, Watkins, _could_ I help it? I ran down
to speak to Mrs. Markham, and--and--"
"She didn't die alone?" asked the horror-struck Watkins, laying the
corpse back upon the pillow.
Timmins nodded her head, and sat rocking her figure to and fro.
"Now, don't say a word--don't say a word," said Timmins, "I know I
shall be punished for it; but in deed I didn't mean no harm. I can't
stay much longer in this house, Watkins."
Watkins made no reply, except by slow shakes of the head, as she drew on
the little charity night-dress which was to answer for a shroud,
smoothed the soft silken hair, and folded the small hands over the weary
little heart.
"Do you know a prayer, Watkins?" asked Timmins, looking at the dead
child.
"I know 'Our Father,'" replied Watkins, smoothing a fold in the shroud.
"Say it," said Timmins, reverently; "it won't do _her_ no good, but it
will _me_."
"Our Father----"
"Got all through?" asked Mrs. Markham, throwing open the door; "that's
all right. Now spread the sheet over her face--open the window--lock the
door, and give me the key."
"Won't you come in, ma'am, and look at the child?" asked Watkins,
stepping one side.
"No, it don't signify; you washed her and all that, I suppose. Come out,
Timmins; and you, Watkins, run for the undertaker--the sooner the child
is taken away the better; it is not healthy to have a corpse in the
house," and Mrs. Markham applied her smelling-salts to her nose.
Watkins tied on her bonnet, and went sorrowfully down street for the
undertaker.