Drusilla with a Million — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Drusilla with a Million
John Stuart Mill · en
The next few days were happy days for Drusilla. She took great pride in
showing John the place, and they spent long hours in the gallery
studying and discussing the pictures. The armor room was John's
especial delight, after the library. He found a book on armor and
learned the rules of chivalry. Drusilla said she could always tell
where to find him--"a-studyin' them tin clothes."
One sunshiny day they decided to visit the Doane home. John did not
want to go where there were so many women, but Drusilla insisted.
"I want 'em to see a man, John. They're shet up all day with nothin'
but women, and they're tired of seein' 'em."
"But I'm an old man, Drusilla."
"Never mind how old you are, you're a _man,_ and any man'll look good
to them. Even if most of the ladies is past seventy, they ain't dead
yet, and they're still women. You'll see how they'll set up and take
notice; Miss Lodema'll smooth back her hair as soon as you step on the
porch. I want to give 'em some real pleasure. Barbara'd like to talk to
you better'n gettin' new teeth even. We'll take the big car and take as
many as we can git in it out for a ride."
Drusilla had the cook make some cakes, for, as she confided to John, "I
ain't a-goin' to take 'em a thing sensible. They git that every day.
I'm goin' to have the cook make 'em as big cakes as he can, and put
lots of frostin' and chocolate on 'em; and I've sent to town for twenty
pounds of candy--the real fancy kind, that'll quite likely make 'em all
sick, but they'll love it; and I've bought 'em a lot of things they
don't need and that no one would think of givin' 'em. They're going to
have a _real_ party when I come to see 'em, John."
Drusilla was as excited as a child about her visit; but her excitement
did not equal that of the old ladies when Drusilla was seen driving
into the grounds in a big limousine with a man beside her.
The women clustered around her and chattered and talked and asked
questions, and fingered their gifts like a group of children at a visit
of Santa Claus. After lunch Drusilla announced that five of the old
ladies should go with her to the near-by city, where she was going to
take Barbara to a dentist.
"I don't want the dentist that would come here to see the 'inmates.'
He'd give charity teeth. I want Barbara to have real teeth, so's she
can chew a bone if she wants to, and I want to take Grandma Perkins.
She's never been in a motor and she's near ninety, so she'd better
hurry up or she'll be ridin' in a chariot and after that a motorcar
wouldn't be excitin'."
The old ladies were bundled up, Grandma Perkins was carried out to the
car, and they were off to the city about twenty miles away. The women
were awed at first, and rather uneasy, some of them a little
frightened. Drusilla watched Grandma Perkins, to see that she was not
nervous; but after a few miles had been passed, the old lady sat up
straighter in her shawls, and her eyes became bright.
"Drusilla," she asked, "how fast are we goin'?"