"While I stood blankly staring and wondering, that blessed woman
came to me with such a light on her face--it fairly shone with joy
and love.
"'Dorrie has gone,'" she said. "'I saw her walk out with her
mother.'
"Involuntarily I put out my hand to take the crutches,
"'No--leave them,' she said, 'she will never need them again, and
you do not wish any reminders of error about you.' So I came away
praying 'Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.'"
CHAPTER XXV.
A MOMENTOUS ERRAND.
There were only three more sessions, but they were wonderful
"sittings together," for every member had been deeply impressed by
the signal manifestation of God's power in their midst, in
connection with Dorothy; and felt that the place whereon they
stood was indeed "holy ground."
Then the class was dismissed with solemn, but loving, injunctions
to go forth to "cheer the faint, uplift the fallen, and heal the
sick."
But, before letting them go, Mrs. Minturn cordially invited the
students to spend the following Thursday at her home in
Manchester; to enjoy a reunion and an outing before finally
separating to go to their different fields of labor.
As their last meeting occurred on Tuesday, there intervened but
one day in which to prepare for the prospective festivities on
Thursday. But willing hearts and hands--for Mr. Minturn was now at
home, and Prof. Seabrook and Dr. Stanley proffered their services-
-made light work of the various things to be done.
Katherine, Sadie and Jennie planned elaborate decorations for the
veranda; accordingly the coachman and hostler were dispatched to
the woods for pine boughs, evergreens, etc., then to a florist's,
for potted ferns and plants, with an order for cut-flowers to be
sent on Thursday morning, and it was not long before the house
began to put on quite a festive appearance.
On Wednesday, just after lunch, Mr. Minturn repaired to the attic
and brought forth a box supposed to contain Chinese and Japanese
lanterns, with other decorations; but, alas! when it was opened it
was found that the mice had made sad havoc with its contents, and
they were condemned as utterly useless.
"That means a trip to Boston," the gentlemen observed to his wife,
as he pushed the box into a corner with other rubbish, "for it
would not be safe to trust to an order, at this late hour, and yet
I do not see how I can go and leave things here."
"I suppose one of the maids might go," said Mrs. Minturn, rather
doubtfully, "but, really, they are having such a busy day, with
sweeping and cleaning, and there is so much still to be done, I
hardly have the heart to ask them."
Jennie, who, with Mrs. Seabrook, Dorrie, Katherine and Sadie, was
twining evergreen ropes and wreaths, and, at the same time, having
a lovely, social visit, overheard the above conversation, and,
knowing that Mr. Minturn could ill be spared, said to herself,
with a sharp pang of regret:
"I'm the one who ought to go; but--I don't want to."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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