Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; England -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Juvenile fiction; Household employees -- Juvenile fiction
"I did not know myself and my headaches were topics of conversation
with any one," she said. "But I am much obliged to you for your
recommendation. I have tried hot water in times past. I do not always
suffer from headache. If that were all the matter with me I should be a
happy woman."
She murmured these last few words, but Peggy's quick ears caught them.
"Please 'm, I'm sorry. I be very happy myself, and would do anythink I
could for yer."
Again the lady looked at her with a sad smile.
"As you go through life, little girl, you will find there are many
things worse than a headache. May you never have the heartache that
often causes them."
She took up her book again, and there was something in her manner that
even awed Peggy.
She walked on to the farm door and delivered her message to Ellen.
"And, Ellen," she said, in an excited whisper, "I've see'd 'er, and
a-spoken to 'er, and 'tis what I thought. 'Tis a sick heart she has,
and you and me will see she gets it cured whiles she's here."
There was no opportunity for more conversation, for Mrs. Webster
appeared. She was a smiling, good-natured woman, and had a great liking
for Peggy.
"Miss Churchhill do be a kind lady," she said. "She have sent me
this recipe of her grandmother's for curin' spasms, which take me on
and off. Will you please take her back my respec' and thanks for it.
'Tisn't every lady will give a thought to other folks' aches and pains
and try to cure 'em!"
Peggy returned home full of thought. Later that day, just before her
bedtime, when she had washed up all her dishes and tidied up the
kitchen, Joyce came in and found her engrossed in a cookery-book; her
pen and ink, a sheet of paper, and her Bible also lay before her.
"What are you doing, Peggy?"
Peggy looked up with her usual pleased smile. "Please 'm, I'm tryin' to
write a recipe for the sick lady at Mallow Farm. I want to do it proper
like. 'Twas missus a-sendin' Mrs. Webster a recipe made me think on it.
Ellen seems as if she can't say nothin'! I do believe 'tis 'cause she
never were born nor brought up in London!"
"And what is this wonderful recipe, Peggy? How did this lady come to
ask you for one? Did you see her this afternoon?"
"Yes 'm. She were sittin' in the garding, and me and her had a few
words of talk together. I thought 'twas the 'eadache was makin' her
ill, but she told me 'twasn't, and when she told me, I was tooken aback
like, and didn't think of the right words, and so 'm I be sendin it to
her by Ellen."
"Sending her what?"
"The cure for a sick heart 'm. The cookery-book and the Bible is
helpin' me to do it."
Joyce retreated.
"Helen," she said, coming into the little drawing room where her
sister was seated working, "I think you had better look after Peggy.
I don't pretend to understand her theology, but she is going to treat
Mrs. Webster's lodger to some of it, and it is being done up in a very
unorthodox way!"
Helen looked up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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