Drusilla with a Million — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Drusilla with a Million
John Stuart Mill · en
As they were waiting for the tea to be served Mr. Carrington stood upon
a chair and called for attention.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mothers and Babies," he said. "To-day is a great
day for us all, but more for the people of Brookvale than for the
others. Two years ago Miss Doane came to us, and found a great many of
us hard, self-centered, worldly. Why"--and he laughed--"I remember I
was chairman of a committee who was to wait upon her and persuade her
that she must not bring babies to our aristocratic neighborhood. I
never waited--but that is another story.
"There is a great chemist, and he dissolves selfishness and worldliness
with a little invisible powder called love. Miss Doane brought stores
of that powder with her, and scatters it over her doughnuts and her
gingerbread and her cookies that she sends us, and she does it up in
little packages that we can't see and slips it into our pockets when
we're not looking. It has spread like a fine mist over Brookvale. And I
am speaking for Brookvale, and I want to say that we are glad to have
her with us, that we are glad to see her family growing up around
her"--waving his hand toward the groups of children on the lawn--"and
on this, her seventy-second birthday, we want you all to give three
cheers for Drusilla Doane, _OUR_ Drusilla Doane!"
And he led in the cheering that made the air resound.
Drusilla flushed and wiped her eyes, and in answer to the calls of
"Speech! Speech!" she said:
"I ain't never made a speech in my life, as I hold with St. Paul that
women should be seen and not heard. But--I want to say that I been
happy a whole heartful since I been with you--and I want to share
it--and I want you to feel that in passin' it on to others--I'm passin'
on your love that you all been a-showin' me. So you'll git it all agin,
as love always comes back. But--but--I can't talk--I can't tell you how
I feel; I jest want in my small way to make the world a little bit glad
that Elias Doane hunted up a charity home and found in it Drusilla";
and she shyly drew back into the crowd.
When she saw the people sitting at the tables drinking their tea, or
walking over the beautiful lawns, her eyes looked for John. Finding
him, she went up to him.
"John, let's go up on the porch off my room. I'm tired, and we can look
at 'em all from there. I want to be alone with you."
They went up to the veranda and stood overlooking the happy scene.
Mothers were sitting at the small tables happily watching their larger
children playing under the trees. Babies were rolling on the grass,
their baby prattle and laughter coming faintly to the ears of John and
Drusilla. The soft afternoon sun filtered through the trees and seemed
to cover them with a golden glow.
As Drusilla watched them, she slipped her hand into one of John's and
leaned forward, looking up at him with a soft light in her dear old
eyes.