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LEFT TO OURSELVES;
OR
JOHN HEADLEY'S PROMISE
_Left to Ourselves_;
OR,
_John Headley's Promise_.
BY CATHARINE SHAW,
AUTHOR OF "AT LAST;" "ALICK'S HERO;" "THE GABLED FARM;" "ONLY A COUSIN;"
ETC.
NEW EDITION.
_LONDON_:
JOHN F. SHAW AND CO.,
48, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE FIVE 9
II. A PACKET 14
III. THE DARK CAVERN: AN ALLEGORY 19
IV. RESCUED 27
V. NEW ROBES 33
VI. AT LAST 37
VII. LAST DAYS 43
VIII. ONE INJUNCTION 52
IX. THE FIRST SUNDAY ALONE 65
X. THE GOLDEN OIL: AN ALLEGORY 74
XI. A CUPBOARD OF RUBBISH 85
XII. JOHN'S PROMISE 92
XIII. HUGH'S PROMISE 101
XIV. CHRISTMAS-DAY 109
XV. WHERE ONE PUDDING WENT 118
XVI. THE RAG CUSHION 128
XVII. THE LAST PUDDING 136
XVIII. NEW YEAR'S EVE 142
XIX. WORRIED 151
XX. A SURPRISE 158
XXI. THE MAGIC OF LOVE 169
XXII. MINNIE'S SECRET 177
XXIII. THE END OF THE JOURNEY 185
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LEFT TO OURSELVES.
CHAPTER I.
_THE FIVE._
"Mother, I'm sure you may trust me!"
"My child, I trust you for all that you know; but there are things which
no one but a mother can know."
"Of course there are. Oh, I don't for a moment mean that I shall do as
well as _you_, mother, only----"
"Yes," answered Mrs. Headley, thoughtfully, "you see, Agnes, your dear
grandmother in America is pronounced to be failing very fast. I have not
seen her for twenty years, and if I do not go now I may never see her
again in this world."
"And father's having to go there on business now makes it so easy."
"Easy all but leaving you children."
"But I am nineteen now, mother--quite old enough to be trusted; besides,
grandmama and aunt Phyllis live next door, and if anything happened I
could run in to them."
Mrs. Headley smiled, looking half convinced.
"Who is it you are afraid to leave?" asked Agnes coaxingly. "Is it _me_,
mother?"
"_You?_" echoed Mrs. Headley, stroking her face tenderly. "No, not you,
dear."
"Then it is John."
"No, no; John is a good boy, he will help you I am sure."
"Then is it Hugh?"
"No; Hugh is steady, and very fond of his lessons; and he will be sure
to do as you wish him, if he promises beforehand."
"Then is it Alice?"
Mrs. Headley shook her head.
"Then it must be Minnie, for there's no one else. And as to Minnie, you
know I love her exactly as if she were my own child."
Mrs. Headley laughed a little, though bright tears filled her eyes and
fell down into her lap.
"Don't you think I _do_?" asked Agnes soberly--not half liking the
little laugh, or the tears either for that matter.
"You love her as much as you possibly can, dearest, but that does not
give you my experience. No, Agnes, it is not Minnie or any one in
particular, but it is the five of you all together that I'm afraid to
leave. I am so afraid they might get tired of doing as you said."
"They never have yet, mother. You ask them, and see."
Mrs. Headley looked thoughtfully into the fire, and was silent for a
long time. So was Agnes, till at last she roused up suddenly and put her
hand into her mother's.
"There's one Friend I shall always have near, nearer than next door;
always at hand to help and counsel--eh, mother dear? We had not
forgotten Him, only we did not say anything actually about Him."
"Yes, my child, I do not forget; and if I were more trustful I should
not be so afraid."
Mrs. Headley rose and left the room just as the door opened, and John
came in.
"Holloa, Agnes, all alone in the dark," he exclaimed, stumbling over the
stools and chairs. "Why don't you have a light?"
"Mother and I were talking, and we did not want any."
"About America? Don't I wish it was me instead of her, that's all!"
"But, you see, that is not the question," said Agnes, watching her
brother lean back against the mantelpiece with nervous eyes. "John,
you'll knock something down."
"Not I. Of course it isn't the question; but why doesn't mother want to
go?"
"She does want to go; only, you see, John, she's afraid we shall not all
get on together."
"Is she afraid we shall quarrel?"
Agnes nodded.
"_I_ shan't."
"Perhaps not."
"But Hugh will?" he asked, smiling.
"Hugh and John together," answered Agnes, smiling too.
"Very likely."
"Do you think you _will_?" asked his sister, drawing back.
"What a frightened question! Agnes, look here; I'll promise you----"
"What?"
"It takes two to make a quarrel, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll promise you to walk out of the room at the first indication
of a squabble. Will that make things straight?"
"If you will not forget."
"If I do, you look at me, and I'll fly, or be 'mum'!"
"All right, I will," answered Agnes soberly. "John, I believe mother
thinks she ought to go, and so I am sure we ought to make it easy."
"I mean to."
Agnes kissed him gratefully, but did not speak, yet John understood, and
when she had gone out of the room he fancied he felt a tear left on his
coat.
He roused himself up, and turned round to poke the fire into a blaze.
"My eye!" he ejaculated, half audibly, "it will be a go to do without
mother for three months."
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