Nurse loved to have him in the nursery. Miss Markham missed him when he
was absent from the school-room. On one occasion when he was in the
nursery a heavy box-lid was accidentally allowed to fall on Rosebud’s
fingers. The child screamed terribly with the pain, but before Nurse
could do or say anything Carol seized her in his arms, and ran out of
the room with her. In less than ten minutes he brought her back again,
laughing merrily.
"Naughty fingers don’t hurt Rosebud now," she said.
Nurse wondered, but, like Miss Markham, she did not understand.
It happened only a few days afterward that Mrs. Mandeville did not come
as usual to the school-room immediately after breakfast, and everyone
was sorrowful when it was known that Mother had one of her old nervous
headaches. They knew it meant not seeing her for two or three days.
She suffered terribly at times with her head, and had to lie in a
darkened room, unable to bear the least noise. The children hushed
their laughter and trod softly, though the school-room and nurseries
were too far removed from Mrs. Mandeville’s apartments for any sound to
reach her.
After morning school, without saying a word to any one, Carol crept so
noiselessly into the darkened room that Mrs. Mandeville was unaware of
his presence, until he softly touched her with his hand, and said:
"Auntie, I am so sorry you are suffering. I do want to help you. Could
I--would you let me?"
"Dear boy, how sweet of you! I have frequently suffered with headaches
like this for many years. Nothing can be done, dear. I can only be
still and bear the pain until it passes."
Mrs. Mandeville spoke as if every word she uttered tortured her.
"Auntie, dear, won’t you let me try to help you?"
"Do you mean, dear, you want to say a Christian Science prayer for me?"
"Yes, Auntie."
"Why, of course, darling, if you wish it. It is so very sweet of you!"
Carol softly kissed the hand she put out to him, and left the room, as
noiselessly as he had entered, closing the door after him. He knew what
pain was. He went straight to his own room and closed that door too.
He did not leave his room until the gong sounded for the school-room
dinner. His cousins exclaimed as he rejoined them,
"Wherever have you been all this time, Carol?"
But Carol did not say.
In the afternoon while the children were still seated round the
tea-table, the school-room door opened, and Mrs. Mandeville entered the
room. There was one vociferous exclamation of surprise and delight.
"Mother! Are you better?"
"I am quite better," she said, "I fell asleep. I must have slept a long
time, and when I woke I felt quite well."
No one noticed the flush of joy that came to Carol’s face. His hands
were clasped, his eyes downcast as he silently breathed, "I thank Thee,
my Father."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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