saint lucysaturday was a busy and a happy time to jack, for in the morningmr. acton came to see him, having heard the story overnight, andpromised to keep bob's secret while giving jack an acquittal aspublic as the reprimand had been. then he asked for the reportwhich jack had bravely received the day before and put awaywithout showing to anybody.
"there is one mistake here which we must rectify," said mr.
acton, as he crossed out the low figures under the word"behavior," and put the much-desired 100 there.
"but i did break the rule, sir," said jack, though his face glowedwith pleasure, for mamma was looking on.
"i overlook that as i should your breaking into my house if you sawit was on fire. you ran to save a friend, and i wish i could tellthose fellows why you were there. it would do them good. i am notgoing to praise you, john, but i did believe you in spite ofappearances, and i am glad to have for a pupil a boy who loves hisneighbor better than himself."then, having shaken hands heartily, mr. acton went away, andjack flew off to have rejoicings with jill, who sat up on her sofa,without knowing it, so eager was she to hear all about the call.
in the afternoon jack drove his mother to the captain's, confidingto her on the way what a hard time he had when he went before,and how nothing but the thought of cheering bob kept him upwhen he slipped and hurt his knee, and his boot sprung a leak, andthe wind came up very cold, and the hill seemed an endlessmountain of mud and snow.
mrs. minot had such a gentle way of putting things that she wouldhave won over a much harder man than the strict old captain, whoheard the story with interest, and was much pleased with the boys'
efforts to keep bob straight. that young person dodged away intothe barn with jack, and only appeared at the last minute to shove abag of chestnuts into the chaise. but he got a few kind words thatdid him good, from mrs. minot and the captain, and from that dayfelt himself under bonds to behave well if he would keep theirconfidence.
"i shall give jill the nuts; and i wish i had something she wantedvery, very much, for i do think she ought to be rewarded forgetting me out of the mess," said jack, as they'd rove happilyhome again.
"i hope to have something in a day or two that will delight her verymuch. i will say no more now, but keep my little secret and let itbe a surprise to all by and by," answered his mother, looking as ifshe had not much doubt about the matter.
"that will be jolly. you are welcome to your secret, mamma. i'vehad enough of them for one while"; and jack shrugged his broadshoulders as if a burden had been taken off.
in the evening ed came, and jack was quite satisfied when he sawhow pleased his friend was at what he had done.
"i never meant you should take so much trouble, only be kind tobob," said ed, who did not know how strong his influence was,nor what a sweet example of quiet well-doing his own life was toall his mates.
"i wished to be really useful; not just to talk about it and donothing. that isn't your way, and i want to be like you," answeredjack, with such affectionate sincerity that ed could not helpbelieving him, though he modestly declined the compliment bysaying, as he began to play softly, "better than i am, i hope. i don'tamount to much.""yes, you do! and if anyone says you don't i'll shake him. i can'ttell what it is, only you always look so happy and contented--sortof sweet and shiny," said jack, as he stroked the smooth brownhead, rather at a loss to describe the unusually fresh and sunnyexpression of ed's face, which was always cheerful, yet had acertain thoughtfulness that made it very attractive to both youngand old.
"soap makes him shiny; i never saw such a fellow to wash andbrush," put in frank, as he came up with one of the pieces of musiche and ed were fond of practising together.
"i don't mean that!" said jack indignantly. "i wash and brush tillyou call me a dandy, but i don't have the same look--it seems tocome from the inside, somehow, as if he was always jolly andclean and good in his mind, you know.""born so," said frank, rumbling away in the bass with a pair ofhands that would have been the better for some of the above-mentioned soap, for he did not love to do much in the washing andbrushing line.
"i suppose that's it. well, i like it, and i shall keep on trying, forbeing loved by everyone is about the nicest thing in the world. isn'tit, ed?" asked jack, with a gentle tweak of the ear as he put aquestion which he knew would get no answer, for ed was somodest he could not see wherein he differed from other boys, norbelieve that the sunshine he saw in other faces was only thereflection from his own.
sunday evening mrs. minot sat by the fire, planning how sheshould tell some good news she had been saving up all day. mrs.
pecq knew it, and seemed so delighted that she went about smilingas if she did not know what trouble meant, and could not doenough for the family. she was downstairs now, seeing that theclothes were properly prepared for the wash, so there was no onein the bird room but mamma and the children. frank was readingup all he could find about some biblical hero mentioned in theday's sermon; jill lay where she had lain for nearly four longmonths, and though her face was pale and thin with theconfinement, there was an expression on it now sweeter even thanhealth. jack sat on the rug beside her, looking at a white carnationthrough the magnifying glass, while she was enjoying the perfumeof a red one as she talked to him.
"if you look at the white petals you'll see that they sparkle likemarble, and go winding a long way down to the middle of theflower where it grows sort of rosy; and in among the small, curlyleaves, like fringed curtains, you can see the little green fairysitting all alone. your mother showed me that, and i think it is verypretty. i call it a 'fairy,' but it is really where the seeds are hiddenand the sweet smell comes from."jill spoke softly lest she should disturb the others, and, as sheturned to push up her pillow, she saw mrs. minot looking at herwith a smile she did not understand.
"did you speak, 'm?" she asked, smiling back again, without in theleast knowing why.
"no, dear. i was listening and thinking what a pretty little story onecould make out of your fairy living alone down there, and onlyknown by her perfume.""tell it, mamma. it is time for our story, and that would be a niceone, i guess," said jack, who was as fond of stories as when he satin his mother's lap and chuckled over the hero of the beanstalk.
'we don't have fairy tales on sunday, you know," began jillregretfully.
"call it a parable, and have a moral to it, then it will be all right,"put in frank, as he shut his big book, having found what hewanted.
"i like stories about saints, and the good and wonderful things theydid," said jill, who enjoyed the wise and interesting bits mrs.
minot often found for her in grown-up books, for jill hadthoughtful times, and asked questions which showed that she wasgrowing fast in mind if not in body.
"this is a true story; but i will disguise it a little, and call it 'themiracle of saint lucy," began mrs. minot, seeing a way to tell hergood news and amuse the children likewise.
frank retired to the easy-chair, that he might sleep if the taleshould prove too childish for him. jill settled herself among hercushions, and jack lay flat upon the rug, with his feet up, so that hecould admire his red slippers and rest his knee, which ached.
"once upon a time there was a queen who had two princes.""wasn't there a princess?" asked jack, interested at once.
"no; and it was a great sorrow to the queen that she had no littledaughter, for the sons were growing up, and she was often verylonely.
"like snowdrop's mother," whispered jill.
"now, don't keep interrupting, children, or we never shall get on,"said frank, more anxious to hear about the boys that were than thegirl that was not.
"one day, when the princes were out--ahem! we'll sayhunting--they found a little damsel lying on the snow, half deadwith cold, they thought. she was the child of a poor woman wholived in the forest--a wild little thing, always dancing and singingabout; as hard to catch as a squirrel, and so fearless she wouldclimb the highest trees, leap broad brooks, or jump off the steeprocks to show her courage. the boys carried her home to thepalace, and the queen was glad to have her. she had fallen and hurtherself, so she lay in bed week after week, with her mother to takecare of her--""that's you," whispered jack, throwing the white carnation at jill,and she threw back the red one, with her finger on her lips, for thetale was very interesting now.
"she did not suffer much after a time, but she scolded and cried,and could not be resigned, because she was a prisoner. the queentried to help her, but she could not do much; the princes were kind,but they had their books and plays, and were away a good deal.
some friends she had came often to see her, but still she beat herwings against the bars, like a wild bird in a cage, and soon herspirits were all gone, and it was sad to see her.""where was your saint lucy? i thought it was about her, askedjack, who did not like to have jill's past troubles dwelt upon,since his were not.
"she is coming. saints are not born--they are made after manytrials and tribulations," answered his mother, looking at the fire asif it helped her to spin her little story. "well, the poor child used tosing sometimes to while away the long hours--sad songs mostly,and one among them which the queen taught her was 'sweetpatience, come.'
"this she used to sing a great deal after a while, never dreamingthat patience was an angel who could hear and obey. but it was so;and one night, when the girl had lulled herself to sleep with thatsong, the angel came. nobody saw the lovely spirit with tendereyes, and a voice that was like balm. no one heard the rustle ofwings as she hovered over the little bed and touched the lips, theeyes, the hands of the sleeper, and then flew away, leaving threegifts behind. the girl did not know why, but after that night thesongs grew gayer, there seemed to be more sunshine everywhereher eyes looked, and her hands were never tired of helping othersin various pretty, useful, or pleasant ways. slowly the wild birdceased to beat against the bars, but sat in its cage and made musicfor all in the palace, till the queen could not do without it, the poormother cheered up, and the princes called the girl theirnightingale.""was that the miracle?" asked jack, forgetting all about hisslippers, as he watched jill's eyes brighten and the color come upin her white cheeks.
"that was the miracle, and patience can work far greater ones ifyou will let her.""and the girl's name was lucy?""yes; they did not call her a saint then, but she was trying to be ascheerful as a certain good woman she had heard of, and so thequeen had that name for her, though she did not let her know it fora long time.""that's not bad for a sunday story, but there might have been moreabout the princes, seems to me," was frank's criticism, as jill layvery still, trying to hide her face behind the carnation, for she hadno words to tell how touched and pleased she was to find that herlittle efforts to be good had been seen, remembered, and nowrewarded in this way.
there is more.
"then the story isn't done?" cried jack.
"oh dear, no; the most interesting things are to come, if you canwait for them.""yes, i see, this is the moral part. now keep still, and let us havethe rest," commanded frank, while the others composedthemselves for the sequel, suspecting that it was rather nice,because mamma's sober face changed, and her eyes laughed asthey looked at the fire.
"the elder prince was very fond of driving dragons, for the peopleof that country used these fiery monsters as horses.""and got run away with, didn't he?" laughed jack, adding, withgreat interest, "what did the other fellow do?""he went about fighting other people's battles, helping the poor,and trying to do good. but he lacked judgment, so he often got intotrouble, and was in such a hurry that he did not always stop to findout the wisest way. as when he gave away his best coat to a beggarboy, instead of the old one which he intended to give.
"i say, that isn't fair, mother! neither of them was new, and the boyneeded the best more than i'd id, and i wore the old one all winter,didn't i?" asked jack, who had rather exulted over frank, and wasnow taken down himself.
"yes, you did, my dear; and it was not an easy thing for mydandiprat to do. now listen, and i'll tell you how they both learnedto be wiser. the elder prince soon found that the big dragons weretoo much for him, and set about training his ownlittle one, who now and then ran away with him. its name waswill, a good servant, but a bad master; so he learned to control it,and in time this gave him great power over himself, and fitted himto be a king over others.""thank you, mother; i'll remember my part of the moral. now givejack his," said frank, who liked the dragon episode, as he had beenwrestling with his own of late, and found it hard to manage.
"he had a fine example before him in a friend, and he followed itmore reasonably till he grew able to use wisely one of the best andnoblest gifts of god--benevolence.""now tell about the girl. was there more to that part of the story?"asked jack, well pleased with his moral, as it took ed in likewise.
"that is the best of all, but it seems as if i never should get to it.
after patience made lucy sweet and cheerful, she began to have acurious power over those about her, and to work little miraclesherself, though she did not know it. the queen learned to love herso dearly she could not let her go; she cheered up all her friendswhen they came with their small troubles; the princes found brighteyes, willing hands, and a kind heart always at their service, andfelt, without quite knowing why, that it was good for them to havea gentle little creature to care for; so they softened their roughmanners, loud voices, and careless ways, for her sake, and when itwas proposed to take her away to her own home they could notgive her up, but said she must stay longer, didn't they?""i'd like to see them saying anything else," said frank, while jacksat up to demand fiercely,"who talks about taking jill away?""lucy's mother thought she ought to go, and said so, but the queentold her how much good it did them all to have her there, andbegged the dear woman to let her little cottage and come and behousekeeper in the palace, for the queen was getting lazy, andliked to sit and read, and talk and sew with lucy, better than tolook after things.""and she said she would?" cried jill, clasping her hands in heranxiety, for she had learned to love her cage now.
"yes." mrs. minot had no time to say more, for one of the redslippers flew up in the air, and jack had to clap both hands over hismouth to suppress the "hurrah!" that nearly escaped. frank said,"that's good!" and nodded with his most cordial smile at jill whopulled herself up with cheeks now as rosy as the red carnation, anda little catch in her breath as she said to herself,"it's too lovely to be true.""that's a first-rate end to a very good story," began jack, withgrave decision, as he put on his slipper and sat up to pat jill's hand,wishing it was not quite so like a little claw.
"that's not the end"; and mamma's eyes laughed more than ever asthree astonished faces turned to her, and three voices cried out,"still more?""the very best of all. you must know that, while lucy was busyfor others, she was not forgotten, and when she was expecting tolie on her bed through the summer, plans were being made for allsorts of pleasant changes. first of all, she was to have a nice littlebrace to support the back which was growing better every day;then, as the warm weather came on, she was to go out, or lie on thepiazza; and by and by, when school was done, she was to go withthe queen and the princes for a month or two down to the sea-side,where fresh air and salt water were to build her up in the mostdelightful way. there, now! isn't that the best ending of all?" andmamma paused to read her answer in the bright faces of two of thelisteners, for jill hid hers in the pillow, and lay quite still, as if itwas too much for her.
"that will be regularly splendid! i'll row you all about--boating isso much easier than riding, and i like it on salt water," saidfrank, going to sit on the arm of the sofa, quite excited by thecharms of the new plan.
"and i'll teach you to swim, and roll you over the beach, and getsea-weed and shells, and no end of nice things, and we'll all comehome as strong as lions," added jack, scrambling up as if about toset off at once.
"the doctor says you have been doing finely of late, and the bracewill come to-morrow, and the first really mild day you are to havea breath of fresh air. won't that be good?" asked mrs. minot,hoping her story had not been too interesting.
"is she crying?" said jack, much concerned as he patted the pillowin his most soothing way, while frank lifted one curl after anotherto see what was hidden underneath.
not tears, for two eyes sparkled behind the fingers, then the handscame down like clouds from before the sun, and jill's face shoneout so bright and happy it did one's heart good to see it.
"i'm not crying," she said with a laugh which was fuller of blithemusic than any song she sung. "but it was so splendid, it sort oftook my breath away for a minute. i thought i wasn't any better,and never should be, and i made up my mind i wouldn't ask, itwould be so hard for anyone to tell me so. now i see why thedoctor made me stand up, and told me to get my baskets ready togo a-maying. i thought he was in fun; did he really mean i couldgo?" asked jill, expecting too much, for a word of encouragementmade her as hopeful as she had been despondent before.
"no, dear, not so soon as that. it will be months, probably, beforeyou can walk and run, as you used to; but they will soon pass. youneedn't mind about may-day; it is always too cold for flowers, andyou will find more here among your own plants, than on the hills,to fill your baskets," answered mrs. minot, hastening to suggestsomething pleasant to beguile the time of probation.
"i can wait. months are not years, and if i'm truly getting well,everything will seem beautiful and easy to me," said jill, layingherself down again, with the patient look she had learned to wear,and gathering up the scattered carnations to enjoy their spicybreath, as if the fairies hidden there had taught her some of theirsweet secrets.
"dear little girl, it has been a long, hard trial for you, but it iscoming to an end, and i think you will find that it has not beentime wasted, i don't want you to be a saint quite yet, but i am surea gentler jill will rise up from that sofa than the one who lay downthere in december.""how could i help growing better, when you were so good to me?"cried jill, putting up both arms, as mrs. minot went to take frank'splace, and he retired to the fire, there to stand surveying the scenewith calm approval.
"you have done quite as much for us; so we are even. i proved thatto your mother, and she is going to let the little house and take careof the big one for me, while i borrow you to keep me happy andmake the boys gentle and kind. that is the bargain, and we get thebest of it," said mrs. minot, looking well pleased, while jackadded, "that's so!" and frank observed with an air of conviction,'we couldn't get on without jill, possibly.""can i do all that? i'd idn't know i was of any use. i only tried to begood and grateful, for there didn't seem to be anything else i coulddo," said jill, wondering why they were all so fond of her.
"no real trying is ever in vain. it is like the spring rain, and flowersare sure to follow in good time. the three gifts patience gave saintlucy were courage, cheerfulness, and love, and with these one canwork the sweetest miracles in the world, as you see," and mrs.
minot pointed to the pretty room and its happy inmates.
"am i really the least bit like that good lucinda? i tried to be, but ididn't think i was," asked jill softly.
"you are very like her in all ways but one. she did not get well,and you will."a short answer, but it satisfied jill to her heart's core, and thatnight, when she lay in bed, she thought to herself: "how curious itis that i've been a sort of missionary without knowing it! they alllove and thank me, and won't let me go, so i suppose i must havedone something, but i don't know what, except trying to be goodand pleasant."that was the secret, and jill found it out just when it was mostgrateful as a reward for past efforts, most helpful as anencouragement toward the constant well-doing which can makeeven a little girl a joy and comfort to all who know and love her.
