"No, mamma, I didn't see him."
She turned down the sheet and showed him a tiny baby lying by herside, trying to suck its own little rosy finger.
Bertie was so astonished he could not speak.
"It's your little sister, my son, and if papa consents, you may callher Violetta in memory of these pretty flowers."
"Oh, mamma! I'm so glad! I love babies so dearly. Isn't she adarling?"
At this moment Mrs. Dodge came into the room. "Well, Bertie," shebegan, "your mamma has a pretty surprise for you. What do you thinkWinnie will say?"
"She'll think it's a doll, mamma. Oh, may I bring her in?"
He ran to the door, and met papa with Winnie in his arms.
Papa looked very smiling and happy as he walked to the side of thebed.
Baby had fallen asleep now, and was so quiet Bertie could hardlybelieve she was alive.
Winnie's eyes grew larger and larger as she gazed, until at last shegave a spring almost out of her papa's arms upon the bed.
Mamma screamed, and Mrs. Dodge came forward quickly; but papa hadcaught her again and held her firm.
"It's your little sister," he explained; "but you must go now andstay with Nellie, for Nancy wants the new baby to sleep."
"Let me take it a minute. Please, mamma, I wont break it. I wont,certain," pleaded the child.
"Some day," said mamma, and then she turned so pale that Mrs. Dodgehurried them all out of the chamber before mamma could ask whether thelittle spring flower should be named Violetta.
With his treasures safe in the house, Mr. Curtis, with his gardener,went to work with renewed zeal to beautify his grounds. His heart wasfull of gratitude to the kind Being who had given him so manyblessings; and his delight was to be of benefit to those around him.No one really in need was ever turned from his door; while many, likeSusy Hunt and Edgar Torrey, received the benefit of his donations.
"The Squire's son will be the father over again," said Mr. Taylor tothe clergyman, "there's nothing pleases him so much, as to give him achance to make somebody happy."
"Yes," was the reply, "and I never see him without recalling toremembrance the words: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
The fall previous all the rubbish about the place had been clearedaway, the pieces of board and shavings, except what had been given tothe poor, being carried to the shed adjoining the barn. The turfaround the house had of course been a good deal cut up by the teams,and Mr. Curtis resolved to have new sods immediately laid down, notonly on the terraces, but as far as the turf was broken.
This was quite a curiosity to Bertie, who followed Albert to the fieldwhere the men were cutting out pieces of turf about one foot in widthand two feet in length; then back again to see that they were laidsmoothly upon the well prepared ground, and nicely hammered down withlarge flat, wooden mallets.
With his exercise in the open air, Albert had lost something of hisflesh; but his spirits were never better; and in his management ofmen, Mr. Curtis thought he had never known his equal. His gay goodhumor seemed to inspire all in his employ with new life, while hisfirm, clear manner of giving orders convinced them that he intended tobe obeyed.
It was often a severe trial to Bertie to leave for school just as themen were engaged in some job which he particularly wished to see; butmamma explained that if he wished to be a useful man he must lay in astock of knowledge while he was young.
One morning Mr. Curtis proposed to go to a nursery of trees near thecity for the purchase of currant, gooseberry, blackberry and otherbushes, together with a variety of ornamental shrubs.
Bertie's curiosity was greatly excited to visit such a place, which hefancied must be almost like Eden.
His mamma shook her head, saying:
"You have had a long vacation, my dear. School is the first duty now."
The little fellow's lip quivered; and for a moment he looked quitevexed; but while his parents with anxious hearts waited to seewhether he would submit cheerfully to parental authority, his browcleared, and he exclaimed:
"You always do know best, mamma. I should admire to go; but I dare saypapa will take me some time."
Papa smiled, but said nothing. Mamma drew her son to her side, andkissed her approval of his conduct.
In five minutes he was trotting Whitefoot out of the yard, his smilesas bright, and his brow serene as ever.
CHAPTER XIII.
BERTIE'S REWARD.
At noon, Bertie was obliged to hurry through his lunch, in order to beback in time for the afternoon session, which commenced at oneo'clock, so that it often happened that he did not see his father tillnight.
When he came into the house, he was eager to tell his mamma that atlast he had attained the honor of being at the head of the arithmeticclass. He supposed of course his father had gone to the city, and didnot therefore enquire for him. He only said:
"Please, mamma, don't tell papa when he comes home, because I want totell him myself."
"No, I promise," answered mamma, smiling.
At the supper-table, his delight was great, therefore, when he foundthat instead of going to the city, Mr. Curtis had been to the townwhere the quarry of granite was.
"I concluded," said papa, with a curious smile, "that it would be apleasure to go to the nursery in company with a boy who put aside hisown wishes in order to please his mother. Dodge must get his groundready, and wait till Saturday for his trees."
"Oh, papa! papa!!" shouted the boy, dancing with delight. "I mean tobe always good, you and mamma are so very kind."
This was Thursday; on Saturday morning at an early hour the Squire andhis son were on their way to the nursery.
They drove Duke in the carriage to the depot station, and left him ina stable close by, so that he would be ready as soon as they returnedfrom the city. Bertie was in the gayest of spirits. He sat by thewindow, watching the farmers at work in the fields, ploughing,harrowing, or making furrows for putting the seed into their land. Heenjoyed all this vastly, because he understood how it ought to bedone.
He was so absorbed in watching these operations as they whizzed alongpast one farm and then another, that he quite forgot the pleasanterrand on which he was bound. But suddenly he was recalled to thepresent by a plaintive voice asking,--"Have a paper, sir? Thismorning's paper, sir, and all the telegram news."
Mr. Curtis was absorbed in thought, and took no notice of the newsboy;but there was something in the sad voice, which awoke Bertie's quicksympathies.
"Papa! papa!" he repeated, pulling his father's arm, "won't you pleasebuy a paper? See how many the boy has left."
"I've too much on my mind to care for newspapers, dear."
Bertie raised himself till he could speak in his father's ear.
"Please, papa, see how sick he looks. Can't you buy one?"
The gentleman opened his pocket-book, and gave his son fifty cents.
"Use it as you please," he said, softly.
All this time the newsboy had been making change for a coarse,rough-looking man who sat opposite, who was obliged to squirt a wholemouthful of tobacco juice out of his mouth, before he could say,--
"Give me a Erald," and then another mouthful to add,--"Don't cheat,now, you young rascal."
When the right change had been given, and the man was settled to hispaper, the newsboy turned back to the boy whose eyes had expressed somuch sympathy.
Bertie asked his papa if it would be too much trouble to change seats,and then he asked,--
"Do you sell many papers?"
"Sometimes."
"What do you do with the money?"
"I give it to mother. It doesn't half support us, though, and nowshe's going to die."
As the newsboy said this, a great sob seemed to choke him. Mr. Curtis,whose eyes were fixed full on his face, saw the little fellowresolutely suppress his emotion, and his sympathies were enlisted atonce.
"Where does your mother live?" he inquired.
"Close by the depot in the city."
>
"Go and sell all the papers you can, and then come back here."
"Yes, sir," with a grateful glance at Bertie.
The cars, however, had run into the depot, and the passengers werebeginning to alight, before they saw anything more of the newsboy.Bertie was begging his father to wait a little longer, when some onetouched his arm; and there was the boy struggling up from behind.
"I've sold 'em all," he began, eagerly.
"Show me where your mother lives," Mr. Curtis said, when they steppedto the platform.
"Yes, sir."
These were all the words spoken, but a beautiful ray of gratitude shotfrom the poor boy's eyes.
CHAPTER XIV.
BERTIE AND THE NEWSBOY.
A few steps brought them to an old block, where their young guidestopped.
"May I run in and tell mother you're coming. She's so very sick, sir."
"Yes, but be as quick as you can. I must catch the next train toE----"
Before they had time to miss him, the boy returned, his face very,very sad.
Bertie instinctively caught his hand, as they followed him to thehumble chamber.
A woman lay there in the last stages of consumption. On a table nearher was a cup, a tumbler, and a spoon, all empty.
"You are in distress," said Mr. Curtis, in a soothing tone; "tell mewhat you need."
"Nothing for myself. I shall soon be where want and sorrow shallnever enter; but it is hard to leave my boy alone."
"Is he your only child?"
"The only one left of five. He will soon be an orphan."
Mr. Curtis stood a moment gazing about as if trying to judge from thesurroundings something of the character of the inmates, when he caughta glimpse of Bertie.
The boy's eyes were fixed on his face with such an eager, wistfulgaze, as if he wondered his father did not offer relief, that heresolved at once to befriend the orphan.
"You say," he began, "that you hope soon to be in heaven. Cannot youcast your care for your child on your heavenly Father?"
"I have tried to; but sometimes my faith is weak. He has been taughthis duty to God. I"--
A fit of coughing interrupted her, after which, Mr. Curtis hastened tosay:
"I will be a friend to your boy. I must leave you now; but here is asum of money, you will need for immediate wants. I will try and callagain before night. In the meantime, what is your name?"
"Martha Washburn."
They hurried away, reached the cars just in time, found exactly whatthey wished, smoke trees, tartarian honeysuckles, azalias, etc., etc.,ordered them to be ready for Mr. Grant's team Monday noon, and thenwent back to the city.
Bertie enjoyed everything. The long rows of trees, the neat lines ofbushes; but his heart was full of Jimmy Washburn. His little handnestled itself into his father's, and every chance he had to speak, herepeated,--
"Oh, papa! I do love you. I do thank you so much. How glad that poorwoman looked when you told her you would take care of her boy."
Mr. Curtis told his wife afterward that he kept thinking, as he sawBertie's flushed, eager face, of the text, "of such is the kingdom ofheaven," and prayed that God might keep his heart like that of hispure-minded boy.
Before he left the city, he made arrangements for Jamie's admission toa mission school, where he would be well educated, and then sent to ahome in the great West. Then they hurried to Woodlawn to receive awarm welcome from mamma, Winnie, and a smile from little Violetta.
CHAPTER XV.
THE LAST CHAPTER.
My young reader, I hope ere this you have come to love our littleBertie, and are sorry that this is the last chapter of the last volumeabout him and his sister Winnie.
I love Bertie dearly, and should like to tell you much more about him;but in the short space that is left I can only relate a few words ofhis after life.
Suppose I were to say that he became a liar, a thief and aSabbath-breaker, would you believe me? You could not, because you haveseen that he loved God and feared sin. You know how he grieved when hedisobeyed his parents; and how earnestly he confessed his fault to hisheavenly Father. You know how he tried to conquer his impatience, andto be a dutiful, loving child. You know how earnestly he endeavored towin every one around him to be good; and how anxious he was to makeothers happy. Have I convinced you that in order to be happy yourself,you must make others so? If I have, I shall be well paid for writingthe history of Bertie and his friends.
Perhaps you will remember that he was not over fond of study when hefirst began to attend school; but when his mamma explained to him thatin order to become a useful member of society, as his father was, hemust learn to read, write and spell, which were the first stepstoward acquiring a good education, he made it a duty to learn everylesson thoroughly, so that by the time he was sixteen years old he wasprepared to enter college.
In the meanwhile Winnie had come into her teens, and little Violettawas no longer the baby; for there were a pair of beautiful twinbrothers at Woodlawn, "as near alike," Mrs. Dodge declared, "as twopeas in a pod."
In the quiet, country town of Oxford Mrs. Curtis had gained healthand strength. Of course, with so many little ones, her family careshad greatly increased, but with faithful Nancy in the nursery, shefound time for visiting the poor and distressed, all of whom felt wellassured that no one in need of help would be refused aid from the kindfamily at Woodlawn.
On a cold, windy December night, the inhabitants of Oxford werestartled by cries of "Fire! fire!" What was their horror to see theflames coming from the large barn over the lake. With one accord men,women and children rushed from all parts of the town to offer aid inextinguishing the fire. It was, indeed, not the barn, but only animmense stack of hay behind it. Mr. Curtis, with the aid of his men,soon succeeded in extinguishing the flames; but the neighbors, oncearoused, could not be persuaded that all the dear family were safe,until they had caught a glimpse of every member.
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were deeply affected at the kind solicitudemanifested for their safety; and when they tried, with tearful eyes,to express it, Mr. Taylor answered for the rest:
"Don't talk of thanking us for wanting to preserve one of God'sgreatest blessings to us. Oxford would be a sorry place enough withoutour dear ones at Woodlawn. No, my friends, we all feel that you belongto us, from the Squire down to the tiny babes in the cradle. We'rethankful you didn't need our aid to-night to put out the fire; yet ifyou ever do, there isn't a man, woman or child in Oxford, but wouldbe proud to render it, for there isn't one who hasn't received somegood at your hands."
When the hearty speech was ended, Bertie went around among the people,shaking hands and thanking them earnestly for their kindness; and thenthey quietly returned to their homes.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
Minor changes have been made to correct typesetter's errors; otherwise,every effort has been made to remain faithful to the author's words andintent.
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