XI.
"_GOOD FOR EVIL._"
DOLLY was found lying in the same spot, and almost in the sameposition, in which Bessie and Starr had left her; but now she was halfasleep.
Thinking she might receive the children's kindness in a better spirit,if there was no older person to look on, Mr. Bradford helped hislittle daughters through the screening bushes, and then drew back afew steps where he might still watch them, and hear all that passed,but where Dolly could not see him.
At the rustling of the children's footsteps upon the dry leaves andbranches, Dolly started and opened her heavy eyes, to see Maggie andBessie standing hand in hand before her. The old, fierce, defiantlook flashed into them for one moment, then died out again beforetimid Maggie had time to start back and draw her sister with her.
"My Maggie came to bring you her banana," said Bessie, gently. "_I_couldn't give it to you, 'cause it was not mine; but when I told heryou didn't have any thing to eat for 'most two days, she was sorry foryou, and said you should have it."
"It's good. I like it," said Dolly, as Maggie, summoning all hercourage, stepped slowly towards her and gave her the banana.
"Dolly," said Bessie, "will you believe now that we are sorry for you,and want to be kind to you?"
"I s'pose so," answered Dolly, gruffly, as if she were still halfunwilling or unable to believe that they meant what they said.
They stood in silence, watching the half-famished creature as she eather fruit, then Bessie said,--
"Dolly, why don't you go home?"
"No, I shan't neither, I aint goin' to stir," she answeredsnappishly, with one quick, suspicious glance at the children, andanother towards the trunk of the old tree against which she leaned."I've got a right here, if I've a mind to stay. 'Taint your ground norPorter's neither."
"Oh, no!" said Bessie, "I did not mean that, only you have such a badcold, and it hurts you so to move, and these rocks are so hard, Ishould think you'd be more comfortable in your bed at home."
"Guess my home's a sight more comfortable than these rocks, aint it?"said Dolly, with a grin. "One's about as good as t'other."
"Poor Dolly!" said Bessie, "I wish you had a better home, and some oneto care for you and Lem."
"What for? I s'pose you think I wouldn't bother you then."
"I hope you wouldn't," said Bessie; "but I was not thinking aboutthat. It was only 'cause I am so sorry that you don't have a nice homeand plenty to eat, and people to love you. But, Dolly, you know Jesusloves you."
"No, he don't neither," was the answer.
"But he does, indeed he does," said Bessie, earnestly; "he loves youall the time, and it makes him sorry when you are naughty; but if youwon't do so any more, but will try to love him, he will be glad, andthen you will be his own little child, 'cause he says, 'Suffer littlechildren to come unto me,' and he means all children. Mrs. Rush taughtus that one Sunday."
"I say," said Dolly, "I could ha' plagued you last Sunday if I'd had amind to. The old dog wasn't there."
"No: Buffer was sick last Sunday afternoon," answered Bessie. "Did youcome by our Sunday bower?"
"I came by the place where you go of Sundays," said Dolly; "but Ididn't do nothin', 'cause I had a mind to hear you singin'. It soundednice: I liked it."
"Will you come next Sunday?" said Bessie, eager for the slightestchance of doing Dolly good. "Mrs. Rush and the Colonel would let you,I am sure; and they'll tell you about Jesus a great deal better thanI can, and how he loves you, and will take you to heaven, if you willonly be a good girl and love him. Wouldn't you like to hear about it?"
"Dunno," said Dolly; "I like to hear you sing. Jesus is God, aint he?"
"Yes," said Bessie, coming closer to the poor girl, and drawing Maggiewith her. "He is God's Son, and he came away from his heaven to diefor us, so we could go there, and live with him, if we would only lovehim and do what he tells us. And heaven is such a beautiful place!Dolly, the angels are there; and every one will be so happy; and noone will be hungry or sick or tired there; and Jesus will take care ofus always, always. Wouldn't you like to go there, Dolly?"
"I'd like to go somewhere," said Dolly wearily; "I'm about tired ofthis. I'd like not to be hungry, nor to have this pain no more. But'taint likely your Jesus wants me in his beautiful place. I s'pose hewants clean folks with nice clothes, not old dirty rags like mine."
Maggie was beginning to feel braver as she saw that Dolly was quietand not in a mood for mischief, and now she spoke.
"Jesus won't mind about rags if you only have a heart that loves him,"she said. "He loves you just as much in your rags, as he loves someother little girl who is dressed nicely."
"How do you know he loves me?" asked Dolly.
"'Cause the Bible says so," said Maggie; "so it must be true, 'causethe Bible is God's word. And besides, Dolly, if Jesus came to die foryou, so you could go to heaven, don't you think he must love you? Whena person does a very kind thing for you, don't that make you thinkthey love you?"
"Did you give me them goodies 'cause you loved me?" said Dolly.
Maggie was rather disturbed at this question, and did not know how toanswer it; but Bessie, seeing her trouble, spoke for her.
"Why, no, Dolly," she said, "I'm 'fraid we don't love you very much;you know you couldn't 'spect us to: but we wanted to be kind to you,and to make you know we wanted to forgive you for troubling us so."
"You _was_ real good to give me them things," said Dolly; "they wasfirst rate. And you was good to get Lem let out too; he told me. But Isay,"--and Dolly really looked half ashamed,--"'twant him did that."
Bessie thought she was speaking of the cup.
"I don't believe very much that he did," she said. "Mr. Porter thinksmaybe the pedler-man took it, 'cause he went to Farmer Todd's house,and after he was gone some spoons were lost; and they think he stolethem, so maybe he has my cup too."
"I didn't mean that," answered Dolly, slowly. "I meant 'twant Lemspiled your gardens, but--I _am_ sorry I done it--there now. And Lemaint got your cup; you can just know it."
"We try to believe he didn't," said Bessie. Then she added, with aquiver of her lip and a tear or two gathering in her eyes, "I don'tthink _any one_ could have taken it if they had known how very fond Iwas of it. You see, Dolly, I had that cup a great, great many years,ever since I was a little baby; and I always had my drink out of it,so you see we grew up together, and I don't know how I can bear neverto see it again. I was pretty much troubled to lose my cup and mygarden too."
Dolly looked uneasily at her, moved restlessly on her hard bed, andsank back again with another moan.
"I guess we'll have to go now," said Maggie.
"Will you come next Sunday and hear Mrs. Rush tell about Jesus and howhe loved you?" said Bessie. "Or papa and mamma would tell you about itif you liked. They can do it a great deal better than we can."
"No," said Dolly, "I don't want to hear big folks. I don't mind yourspeaking to me if you choose. But, I say, don't you never sing but onSundays?"
"Oh, yes!" said Bessie, "we sing every day and sometimes a good manytimes in the day."
"I like music," said Dolly. "Lem whistles fustrate."
"Yes, we know it," said Maggie. "Once we heard him when we couldn'tsee him, and we asked Mr. Porter who it was, and he told us it wasLem; and we listened as long as we could hear him: it sounded so sweetand clear. I never heard any one whistle like that."
"Yes," said Dolly, looking pleased; "nobody can beat _him_ at that.S'pose you couldn't sing me a tune 'fore you go, could you? It's solonesome, lying here."
"Why, yes: we will if you want us to," Bessie answered readily, thoughshe as well as Maggie was much surprised at the request. "We'll sing,'I want to be an angel.'"
So they stood, these two "ministering children," and sang; theiryoung voices rising sweet and clear amid the solemn stillness of thegrand old woods; for very still it was. As the first notes arose, thefriends whom they had left, hushed laughter and merry talk that theymight not lose one
of the sweet sounds. They only knew that Maggieand Bessie had wandered off with papa, and thought this was meant as apleasant surprise for them.
But it was a higher, greater Friend,--a "Friend above allothers,"--whom our little jewel-seekers were just then trying toplease; and, although they might not know it, they had that day takenup the first link of the golden chain, by which poor Dolly's soul wasto be drawn out of the clouds and darkness in which it had lain, upinto the light and sunshine of his glorious presence. A very slightand fragile link it might seem, but it was doubtless very precious inthe eyes of the heavenly Father, whose hands could make it strong andlasting, and fit to shine before him in the "day when he shall make uphis jewels."
Very precious it was, too, in the eyes of the earthly father, whowatched the scene, and looking from his own tenderly cared for,daintily dressed darlings, to the forlorn, ragged outcast, thanked Godthat for all three alike had the blessed words been spoken, "Sufferlittle children to come unto me."
"Is that place the song talks about that heaven you was tellingabout?" asked Dolly when the children had finished "I want to be anangel."
"Yes," said Bessie. "You do want to go there; don't you, Dolly?"
"'Taint no use wantin," said Dolly. "I'll never get there, nor Lemneither. Sing some more."
"We'll sing 'Rest for the weary,' 'cause she said she was so tired,"said Maggie.
When they were through, Mr. Bradford stepped from behind the busheswhich had hidden him until now.
Dolly started when she saw him, and the old look, half guilty, halfdefiant, came back to her eyes. But she soon found she need not beafraid; for, bending over her, he said, kindly,--
"My poor girl, you are in great pain, I fear. How did you hurtyourself?"
"Didn't hurt myself," grumbled Dolly, still suspicious, and shrinkingfrom that grave, steady look.
"Then you are ill," said Mr. Bradford, noticing the burning cheeks andheavy eyes, "you must not lie here, or you will be worse. Can you gohome?"
"I shan't go home," said Dolly, passionately, and with another quickglance over her shoulder.
Mr. Bradford did not insist, though he meant she should obey him, butsaid, kindly,--
"Are you still hungry? Would you like some roasted corn?"
Dolly muttered something which might be either no or yes, falling backinto her old sullenness; but Mr. Bradford answered as kindly as if shehad spoken pleasantly, and told her she should have some.
"Shall we bring it to her, papa?" asked Bessie.
Mr. Bradford said no; for he had been rather startled when he foundDolly was ill, not hurt, as he had first supposed; and he was notwilling his little daughters should come near her again, till he wassure what ailed her.
He told the children to bid Dolly good-by, which they did; the girlreplying in a more gentle tone than she had yet used, and then callingBessie back, saying, "Here, littlest one."
But when Bessie looked back to see what she wanted, she refused tospeak, and, shutting her eyes, turned her face away.
Mamma and grandmamma, Colonel and Mrs. Rush, had all arrived when ourlittle girls came back to the fire; and the corn was nicely roasted,waiting to be eaten. So the merry, happy party gathered round to enjoyit.
Dolly was not forgotten; for Maggie and Bessie picked out a couple ofnice, brown ears, and Starr was sent to carry them to her,--an errandwhich he did not do very willingly. He came back, saying that he hadfound her angry, and that she refused to touch or look at the corn.
When all had had enough, Mr. Bradford asked Mr. Stanton if he wouldgo with him and see the poor girl, and tell, if he could, what mightbe done for her. Uncle Ruthven was not a doctor, but he knew a gooddeal about medicine, and had often practised it in his travels when nophysician was at hand. He willingly agreed to see Dolly, and the twogentlemen went off immediately.
As Mr. Bradford had expected, his brother-in-law pronounced Dolly tobe very sick. She would answer no questions, but it was easy to seethat she had a bad cold and a high fever, and that the pain, whichbecame so bad when she moved, was rheumatism. Mr. Stanton at oncesaid that she must no longer lie upon the hard, cold rock; she mustgo home: but it seemed to be doubtful if she could walk. When thegentlemen tried to raise her, they found this no longer doubtful, butquite impossible: the girl's cramped limbs could not hold her up; shecould not stir one step. Perhaps she would not have gone had she beenable to do so, for she broke forth into angry cries and refusals to bemoved, which were only stopped by a violent fit of coughing.
These cries brought the Colonel, with Mrs. Stanton and Starr, to seeif they could be of any assistance; and Colonel Rush, finding therewas difficulty in moving Dolly, proposed that his camp chair should bebrought, and the sick girl carried home in that.
No sooner said than done. Starr was sent for the chair, and when itwas brought, Dolly was gently raised and placed in it. She would stillhave resisted, but she saw that the gentlemen were determined, and itwas such agony to move that she thought it as well to submit. When shewas in the chair, Mr. Stanton and Starr raised it, and began to moveoff.
"Wait a bit! wait a bit!" exclaimed Dolly.
"Well, what is it?" asked Mr. Stanton, kindly.
"S'pose I might as well tell," muttered Dolly, as if speaking toherself; "he'll just come back and get it, and I'd liever she'd haveit. I say," she added, in a louder tone, "I want to speak to thelittle gals' pa."
"Well?" said Mr. Bradford, coming nearer.
"You won't say Lem took it, will you?" asked Dolly.
"I would not say Lem took any thing unless I was quite sure of it,"said the gentleman.
"Well, then, you just may be sure he didn't take it, and I didn'tneither; 'twas the pedler, and I seen where he put it. He didn't knowI was behind the bushes, but I seen him. That's why I stayed about, soas to scare him off if he came; but Lem didn't know nothin' about it.I guess I'll tell where he put it, 'cause the little gal was good tome after I plagued her. Jes' you put your hand in that hole, and seewhat you find;" and, with trembling fingers, she pointed to a hole inthe trunk of the old tree against which she had been leaning.
Mr. Bradford put his hand into the opening, and, after feeling abouta little, drew forth a bundle. Opening it, he found not only what hehad expected to see, Bessie's lost cup, but also Farmer Todd's silverspoons, and one or two other small articles which he thought must havebeen stolen. The finding of the spoons with the cup, made it almostcertain that Lem had not taken the latter; and Mr. Bradford was veryglad that he had not suffered appearances to make him judge the boytoo harshly.
And now Mr. Stanton and Starr moved on with the chair. They carriedit as steadily as possible, but the way was rough, and with all theircare every step gave great pain to Dolly. Mr. Bradford and Mrs.Stanton followed to see what could be done to make the poor creaturecomfortable. Comfortable! that seemed a hopeless task, indeed, whenthey reached the wretched hovel and looked about them.
Dolly was laid upon the pile of leaves and rags which served for abed; and Mr. and Mrs. Stanton stayed with her while Mr. Bradford,taking Starr with him, went back to beg from Mrs. Porter what wasneedful for her.