Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
“No; we will keep her, please the Lord! If we can make her sleep
quietly for the next few hours she is safe. Let me try. Fan slowly
with this, Miss Henrietta, and you, dear lady, pray that the
precious little life may be given us.”
As he spoke, Mr. Dover gave the great fan to Miss Henny, took the
small cold hands in his, and sitting on the bedside held them close
in his large warm ones, as if trying to pour life and strength into
the frail body, as his eyes, fixed on the half-opened ones, seemed
to call back the innocent soul hovering on the threshold of its
prison, like the butterfly poised upon the chrysalis before it soars
away.
Miss Penny knelt down near by, and laying her white head on the
other pillow, again besought God to spare this treasure to the
father and mother over the sea. How long they remained so none of
them ever knew, silent and motionless but for the slow waving of the
noiseless fan, which went to and fro like the wing of a great white
bird, as if Miss Henny's stout arm could never tire. Miss Penny was
so still she seemed to be asleep. Mr. Dover never stirred, but grew
paler as the minutes passed; and Cicely, creeping now and then to
look in and steal away, saw strange power in the black eyes that
seemed to hold the fluttering spirit of the little child by the love
and longing that made them both tender and commanding.
A level ray of sunlight stole through the curtain at last and turned
the tangles of bright hair to pure gold. Miss Henny rose to shut it
out, and as if her movement broke the spell, Rosy took a long full
breath, turned on the pillow, and putting one hand under her cheek,
seemed to fall asleep as naturally as she used to do when well. Miss
Penny looked up, touched the child's forehead, and whispered, with a
look of gratitude as bright as if the sunshine had touched her
also,--
“It is moist! this is real sleep! Oh, my baby! oh, my baby!” And the
old head went down again with a stifled sob, for her experienced eye
told her that the danger was passing by and Rosy would live.
“The prayers of the righteous avail much,” murmured Mr. Dover,
turning to the other lady, who stood beside her sister looking down
at the little figure now lying so restfully between them.
“How can we thank you?” she whispered, offering her hand, with the
smile which had once made her pretty, and still touched the old face
with something better than beauty.
Mr. Dover took the hand and answered, with an eloquent look at the
child,--
“Let not the sun go down upon our wrath. Forgive me and be friends
again, for her sake.”
“I will!” And the plump hands gave the thin ones a hearty shake as
the great feud ended forever over the bed of the little peacemaker
whose childish play had turned to happy earnest.
MOUNTAIN-LAUREL AND MAIDEN-HAIR
“Here's your breakfast, miss. I hope it's right. Your mother showed
me how to fix it, and said I'd find a cup up here.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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