rose did tell "the people" what had passed, and no one "howled"over mac, or said a word to trouble him. he had his talk with thedoctor, and got very little comfort out of it, for he found that "justwhat he might do" was nothing at all; though the prospect of somestudy by and by, if all went well, gave him courage to bear thewoes of the present. having made up his mind to this, he behavedso well that everyone was astonished, never having suspected somuch manliness in the quiet worm.
the boys were much impressed, both by the greatness of theaffliction which hung over him and by his way of bearing it. theywere very good to him, but not always particularly wise in theirattempts to cheer and amuse; and rose often found him muchdowncast after a visit of condolence from the clan. she still kepther place as head-nurse and chief-reader, though the boys did theirbest in an irregular sort of way. they were rather taken abacksometimes at finding rose's services preferred to their's, andprivately confided to one another that "old mac was getting fondof being molly-coddled." but they could not help seeing howuseful she was, and owning that she alone had remained faithful afact which caused some of them much secret compunction nowand then.
rose felt that she ruled in that room, if nowhere else, for auntjane left a great deal to her, finding that her experience with herinvalid father fitted her for a nurse, and in a case like this, heryouth was an advantage rather than a drawback. mac soon came tothink that no one could take care of him so well as rose, and rosesoon grew fond of her patient, though at first she had consideredthis cousin the least attractive of the seven. he was not polite andsensible like archie, nor gay and handsome like prince charlie,nor neat and obliging like steve, nor amusing like the "brats," norconfiding and affectionate like little jamie. he was rough,absent-minded, careless, and awkward, rather priggish, and not atall agreeable to a dainty, beauty-loving girl like rose.
but when his trouble came upon him, she discovered many goodthings in this cousin of hers, and learned not only to pity but torespect and love the poor worm, who tried to be patient, brave,and cheerful, and found it a harder task than anyone guessed,except the little nurse, who saw him in his gloomiest moods. shesoon came to think that his friends did not appreciate him, andupon one occasion was moved to free her mind in a way that madea deep impression on the boys.
vacation was almost over, and the time drawing near when macwould be left outside the happy school-world which he so muchenjoyed. this made him rather low in his mind, and his cousinsexerted themselves to cheer him up, especially one afternoon whena spasm of devotion seemed to seize them all. jamie trudged downthe hill with a basket of blackberries which he had "picked all hisownself," as his scratched fingers and stained lips plainly testified.
will and geordie brought their puppies to beguile the weary hours,and the three elder lads called to discuss baseball, cricket, andkindred subjects, eminently fitted to remind the invalid of hisprivations.
rose had gone to drive with uncle alec, who declared she wasgetting as pale as a potato sprout, living so much in a dark room.
but her thoughts were with her boy all the while, and she ran up tohim the moment she returned, to find things in a fine state ofconfusion.
with the best intentions in life, the lads had done more harm thangood, and the spectacle that met nurse rose's eye was a tryingone. the puppies were yelping, the small boys romping, and thebig boys all talking at once; the curtains were up, the room close,berries scattered freely about, mac's shade half off, his cheeksflushed, his temper ruffled, and his voice loudest of all as hedisputed hotly with steve about lending certain treasured bookswhich he could no longer use.
now rose considered this her special kingdom, and came downupon the invaders with an energy which amazed them and quelledthe riot at once. they had never seen her roused before, and theeffect was tremendous; also comical, for she drove the whole flockof boys out of the room like an indignant little hen defending herbrood. they all went as meekly as sheep; the small lads fled fromthe house precipitately, but the three elder ones only retired to thenext room, and remained there hoping for a chance to explain andapologise, and so appease the irate young lady, who had suddenlyturned the tables and clattered them about their ears.
as they waited, they observed her proceedings through thehalf-open door, and commented upon them briefly butexpressively, feeling quite bowed down with remorse at the harmthey had innocently done.
"she's put the room to rights in a jiffey. what jacks we were to letthose dogs in and kick up such a row," observed steve, after aprolonged peep.
"the poor old worm turns as if she was treading on him instead ofcuddling him like a pussy cat. isn't he cross, though?" addedcharlie, as mac was heard growling about his "confounded head.""she will manage him; but it's mean in us to rumple him up andthen leave her to smooth him down. i'd go and help, but i don'tknow how," said archie. looking much depressed, for he was aconscientious fellow, and blamed himself for his want of thought.
"no, more do i. odd, isn't it, what a knack women have for takingcare of sick folks?" and charlie fell a-musing over this undeniablefact.
"she has been ever so good to mac," began steve, in aself-reproachful tone.
"better than his own brother, hey?" cut in archie, finding relief forhis own regret in the delinquencies of another.
"well, you needn't preach; you didn't any of you do any more, andyou might have, for mac likes you better than he does me. i alwaysfret him, he says, and it isn't my fault if i am a quiddle," protestedsteve, in self-defence.
"we have all been selfish and neglected him, so we won't fightabout it, but try and do better," said archie, generously takingmore than his share of blame, for he had been less inattentive thaneither of the others.
"rose has stood by him like a good one, and it's no wonder he likesto have her round best. i should myself if i was down on my luckas he is," put in charlie, feeling that he really had not done "thelittle thing" justice.
"i'll tell you what it is, boys we haven't been half good enough torose, and we've got to make it up to her somehow," said archie,who had a very manly sense of honour about paying his debts,even to a girl.
"i'm awfully sorry i made fun of her doll when jamie lugged it out;and i called her 'baby bunting' when she cried over the dead kitten.
girls are such geese sometimes, i can't help it," said steve,confessing his transgressions handsomely, and feeling quite readyto atone for them if he only knew how.
"i'll go down on my knees and beg her pardon for treating her as ifshe was a child. don't it make her mad, though? come to think ofit, she's only two years or so younger than i am. but she is so smalland pretty, she always seems like a dolly to me," and the princelooked down from his lofty height of five feet five as if rose wasindeed a pygmy beside him.
"that dolly has got a real good little heart, and a bright mind of herown, you'd better believe. mac says she understands some thingsquicker than he can, and mother thinks she is an uncommonly nicegirl, though she don't know all creation. you needn't put on airs,charlie, though you are a tall one, for rose likes archie better thanyou; she said she did because he treated her respectfully.""steve looks as fierce as a game-cock; but don't you get excited,my son, for it won't do a bit of good. of course, everybody likesthe chief best; they ought to, and i'll punch their heads if theydon't. so calm yourself, dandy, and mend your own mannersbefore you come down on other people's."thus the prince with great dignity and perfect good nature, whilearchie looked modestly gratified with the flattering opinions of hiskinsfolk, and steve subsided, feeling he had done his duty as acousin and a brother. a pause ensued, during which aunt janeappeared in the other room, accompanied by a tea-traysumptuously spread, and prepared to feed her big nestling, as thatwas a task she allowed no one to share with her.
"if you have a minute to spare before you go, child, i wish you'djust make mac a fresh shade; this has got a berry stain on it, and hemust be tidy, for he is to go out to-morrow if it is a cloudy day,"said mrs. jane, spreading toast in a stately manner, while macslopped his tea about without receiving a word of reproof.
"yes, aunt," answered rose, so meekly that the boys could hardlybelieve it could be the same voice which had issued the sterncommand, "out of this room, every one of you!" not very long ago.
they had not time to retire, without unseemly haste, before shewalked into the parlour and sat down at the work-table without aword. it was funny to see the look the three tall lads cast at thelittle person sedately threading a needle with green silk. they allwanted to say something expressive of repentance, but no oneknew how to begin, and it was evident, from the prim expressionof rose's face, that she intended to stand upon her dignity till theyhad properly abased themselves. the pause was becoming veryawkward, when charlie, who possessed all the persuasive arts of aborn scapegrace, went slowly down upon his knees before her,beat his breast, and said, in a heart-broken tone"please forgive me this time, and i'll never do so any more."it was very hard to keep sober, but rose managed it and answeredgravely"it is mac's pardon you should ask, not mine, for you haven't hurtme, and i shouldn't wonder if you had him a great deal, with allthat light and racket, and talk about things that only worry him.""do you really think we've hurt him, cousin?" asked archie, with atroubled look, while charlie settled down in a remorseful heapamong the table legs.
"yes, i do, for he has got a raging headache, and his eyes are as redas as this emery bag," answered rose, solemnly plunging herneedle into a fat flannel strawberry.
steve tore his hair, metaphorically speaking, for he clutched hischerished top-knot, and wildly dishevelled it, as if that was theheaviest penance he could inflict upon himself at such shortnotice. charlie laid himself out flat, melodramatically beggingsomeone to take him away and hang him; but archie, who feltworst of all, said nothing except to vow within himself that hewould read to mac till his own eyes were as red as a dozen emerybags combined.
seeing the wholesome effects of her treatment upon these culprits,rose felt that she might relent and allow them a gleam of hope.
she found it impossible to help trampling upon the prostrateprince a little, in words at least, for he had hurt her feelings oftenerthan he knew; so she gave him a thimble-pie on the top of hishead, and said, with an air of an infinitely superior being"don't be silly, but get up, and i'll tell you something much betterto do than sprawling on the floor and getting all over lint."charlie obediently sat himself upon a hassock at her feet; the othersinners drew near to catch the words of wisdom about to fall fromher lips, and rose, softened by this gratifying humility, addressedthem in her most maternal tone.
"now, boys, if you really want to be good to mac, you can do it inthis way. don't keep talking about things he can't do, or go and tellwhat fun you have had batting your ridiculous balls about. getsome nice book and read quietly; cheer him up about school, andoffer to help him study by and by; you can do that better than i,because i'm only a girl, and don't learn greek and latin and allsorts of headachy stuff.""yes, but you can do heaps of things better than we can; you'veproved that," said archie, with an approving look that delightedrose, though she could not resist giving charlie one more rebuke,by saying, with a little bridling of the head, and a curl of the lipthat wanted to smile instead"i'm glad you think so, though i am a 'queer chicken."'
this scathing remark caused the prince to hide his face for shame,and steve to erect his head in the proud consciousness that thisshot was not meant for him. archie laughed, and rose, seeing amerry blue eye winking at her from behind two brown hands, gavecharlie's ear a friendly tweak, and extended the olive-branch ofpeace.
"now we'll all be good, and plan nice things for poor mac," shesaid, smiling so graciously that the boys felt as if the sun hadsuddenly burst out from behind a heavy cloud and was shiningwith great brilliancy.
the storm had cleared the air, and quite a heavenly calmsucceeded, during which plans of a most varied and surprising sortwere laid, for everyone burned to make noble sacrifices upon theshrine of "poor mac," and rose was the guiding star to whom theothers looked with most gratifying submission. of course, thiselevated state of things could not endure long, but it was very nicewhile it lasted, and left an excellent effect upon the minds of allwhen the first ardour had subsided.
"there, that's ready for to-morrow, and i do hope it will becloudy," said rose, as she finished off the new shade, the progressof which the boys had watched with interest.
"i'd bespoken an extra sunny day, but i'll tell the clerk of theweather to change it. he's an obliging fellow, and he'll attend to it,so make yourself easy," said charlie, who had become quite perkyagain.
"it is very easy for you to joke, but how would you like to wear ablinder like that for weeks and weeks, sir?" and rose quenched hisrising spirits by slipping the shade over his eyes, as he still sat onthe cushion at her feet.
"it's horrid! take it off, take it off! i don't wonder the poor old boyhas the blues with a thing like that on"; and charlie sat looking atwhat seemed to him an instrument of torture, with such a soberface that rose took it gently away, and went in to bid macgood-night.
"i shall go home with her, for it is getting darkish, and she is rathertimid," said archie, forgetting that he had often laughed at thisvery timidity.
"i think i might, for she's taking care of my brother," put in steve,asserting his rights.
"let's all go, that will please her"; proposed charlie, with a burstof gallantry which electrified his mates.
"we will!" they said with one voice, and they did, to rose's greatsurprise and secret contentment; though archie had all the care ofher, for the other two were leaping fences, running races, andhaving wrestling matches all the way down.
they composed themselves on reaching the door, however; shookhands cordially all round, made their best bows, and retired withgreat elegance and dignity, leaving rose to say to herself, withgirlish satisfaction, as she went in"now, that is the way i like to be treated."
