HARD DAYS FOR POLLY
"Ma," said David, coming softly into the bedroom, where poor Pollylay on the bed with Phronsie, her eyes bandaged with a soft oldhandkerchief, "I'll set the table."
"There isn't any table to set," said Mrs. Pepper, sadly; "there isn'tanybody to eat anything, Davie; you and Joel can get something out ofthe cupboard."
"Can we get whatever we've a mind to, ma?" cried Joel, who followedDavie, rubbing his face with a towel after his morning ablutions.
"Yes," replied his mother, absently.
"Come on, Dave!" cried Joel; "we'll have a breakfast!"
"We mustn't," said little Davie, doubtfully, "eat the whole, Joey."
But that individual already had his head in the cupboard, which soonengrossed them both.
Dr. Fisher was called in the middle of the morning to see what was thematter with Polly's eyes. The little man looked at her keenly over hisspectacles; then he said, "When were you taken?"
"This morning," answered Polly, her eyes smarting.
"Didn't you feel badly before?" questioned the doctor. Polly thoughtback; and then she remembered that she had felt very badly; that whenshe was baking over the old stove the day before her back had acheddreadfully; and that, somehow, when she sat down to sew, it didn't stop;only her eyes had bothered her so; she didn't mind her back so much.
"I thought so," said the doctor, when Polly answered. "And those eyesof yours have been used too much; what has she been doing, ma'am?" Heturned around sharply on Mrs. Pepper as he asked this.
"Sewing," said Mrs. Pepper, "and everything; Polly does everything,sir."
"Humph!" said the doctor; "well, she won't again in one spell; her eyesare very bad."
At this a whoop, small but terrible to hear, came from the middle of thebed; and Phronsie sat bolt upright. Everybody started; while Phronsiebroke out, "Don't make my Polly sick! oh! please don't!"
"Hey!" said the doctor; and he looked kindly at the small object witha very red face in the middle of the bed. Then he added, gently, "We'regoing to make Polly well, little girl; so that she can see splendidly."
"Will you, really?" asked the child, doubtfully.
"Yes," said the doctor; "we'll try hard; and you mustn't cry; 'causethen Polly'll cry, and that will make her eyes very bad; very badindeed," he repeated, impressively.
"I won't cry," said Phronsie; "no, not one bit." And she wiped off thelast tear with her fat little hand, and watched to see what next was tobe done.
And Polly was left, very rebellious indeed, in the big bed, with acooling lotion on the poor eyes, that somehow didn't cool them one bit.
"If 'twas anythin' but my eyes, mammy, I could stand it," she bewailed,flouncing over and over in her impatience; "and who'll do all the worknow?"
"Don't think of the work, Polly," said Mrs. Pepper.
"I can't do anything but think," said poor Polly.
Just at that moment a queer noise out in the kitchen was heard.
"Do go out, mother, and see what 'tis," said Polly.
"I've come," said a cracked voice, close up by the bedroom door,followed by a big black cap, which could belong to no other than GrandmaBascom, "to set by you a spell; what's the matter?" she asked, andstopped, amazed to see Polly in bed.
"Oh, Polly's taken," screamed Mrs. Pepper in her ear.
"Taken!" repeated the old lady, "what is it--a fit?"
"No," said Mrs. Pepper; "the same as Ben's got; and Phronsie; themeasles."
"The measles, has she?" said grandma; "well, that's bad; and Ben's away,you say."
"No, he isn't either," screamed Mrs. Pepper, "he's got them, too!"
"Got two what?" asked grandma.
"Measles! he's got the measles too," repeated Mrs. Pepper, loud as shecould; so loud that the old lady's cap trembled at the noise.
"Oh! the dreadful!" said grandma; "and this girl too?" laying her handon Phronsie's head.
"Yes," said Mrs. Pepper, feeling it a little relief to tell over hermiseries; "all three of them!"
"I haven't," said Joel, coming in in hopes that grandma had a straypeppermint or two in her pocket, as she sometimes did; "and I'm notgoing to, either."
"Oh, dear," groaned his mother; "that's what Polly said; and she'sgot 'em bad. It's her eyes," she screamed to grandma, who lookedinquiringly.
"Her eyes, is it?" asked Mrs. Bascom; "well, I've got a receet thatcousin Samanthy's folks had when John's children had 'em; and I'll runright along home and get it," and she started to go.
"No, you needn't," screamed Mrs. Pepper; "thank you, Mrs. Bascom; butDr. Fisher's been here; and he put something on Polly's eyes; and hesaid it mustn't be touched."
"Hey?" said the old lady; so Mrs. Pepper had to go all over it again,till at last she made her understand that Polly's eyes were taken careof, and they must wait for time to do the rest.
"You come along of me," whispered grandma, when at last her call wasdone, to Joel who stood by the door. "I've got some peppermints to home;I forgot to bring 'em."
"Yes'm," said Joel, brightening up.
"Where you going, Joe?" asked Mrs. Pepper, seeing him move off with Mrs.Bascom; "I may want you."
"Oh, I've got to go over to grandma's," said Joel briskly; "she wantsme."
"Well, don't be gone long then," replied his mother.
"There," said grandma, going into her "keeping-room" to an old-fashionedchest of drawers; opening one, she took therefrom a paper, from whichshe shook out before Joe's delighted eyes some red and white peppermintdrops. "There now, you take these home; you may have some, but besure you give the most to the sick ones; and Polly--let Polly have thebiggest."
"She won't take 'em," said Joel, wishing he had the measles. "Well, youtry her," said grandma; "run along now." But it was useless to tell Joelthat, for he was half-way home already. He carried out grandma's wishes,and distributed conscientiously the precious drops. But when he came toPolly, she didn't answer; and looking at her in surprise he saw two bigtears rolling out under the bandage and wetting the pillow.
"I don't want 'em, Joe," said Polly, when he made her understand that"twas peppermints, real peppermints;" "you may have 'em."
"Try one, Polly; they're real good," said Joel, who had an undefinedwish to comfort; "there, open your mouth."
So Polly opened her mouth, and Joel put one in with satisfaction.
"Isn't it good?" he asked, watching her crunch it.
"Yes," said Polly, "real good; where'd you get 'em?"
"Over to Grandma Bascom's," said Joel; "she gave me lots for all of us;have another, Polly?"
"No," said Polly, "not yet; you put two on my pillow where I can reach'em; and then you keep the rest, Joel."
"I'll put three," said Joel, counting out one red and two white ones,and laying them on the pillow; "there!"
"And I want another, Joey, I do," said Phronsie from the other side ofthe bed.
"Well, you may have one," said Joel; "a red one, Phronsie; yes, you mayhave two. Now come on, Dave; we'll have the rest out by the wood-pile."
How they ever got through that day, I don't know. But late in theafternoon carriage wheels were heard; and then they stopped right at thePeppers' little brown gate.
"Polly," said Mrs. Pepper, running to the bedroom door, "it's Mrs.Henderson!"
"Is it?" said Polly, from the darkened room, "oh! I'm so glad! is MissJerushy with her?" she asked, fearfully.
"No," said Mrs. Pepper, going back to ascertain; "why, it's the parsonhimself! Deary! how we look!"
"Never mind, mammy," called back Polly, longing to spring out of bed andfix up a bit.
"I'm sorry to hear the children are sick," said Mrs. Henderson, comingin, in her sweet, gentle way.
"We didn't know it," said the minister, "until this morning--can we seethem?"
"Oh yes, sir," said Mrs. Pepper; "Ben's upstairs; and Polly and Phronsieare in here."
"Poor little things!" said Mrs. Henderson, compassionately; "hadn't youbetter," turning to the minist
er, "go up and see Ben first, while I willvisit the little girls?"
So the minister mounted the crooked stairs; and Mrs. Henderson wentstraight up to Polly's side; and the first thing Polly knew, a cool,gentle hand was laid on her hot head, and a voice said, "I've come tosee my little chicken now!"
"Oh, ma'am," said Polly, bursting into a sob, "I don't care about myeyes--only mammy--" and she broke right down.
"I know," said the minister's wife, soothingly; "but it's for you tobear patiently, Polly--what do you suppose the chicks were doing when Icame away?" And Mrs. Henderson, while she held Polly's hand, smiled andnodded encouragingly to Phronsie, who was staring at her from the otherside of the bed.
"I don't know, ma'am," said Polly; "please tell us."
"Well, they were all fighting over a grasshopper--yes, ten of them."
"Which one got it?" asked Polly in intense interest; "oh! I hope thewhite one did!"
"Well, he looked as much like winning as any of them," said the lady,laughing.
"Bless her!" thought Mrs. Pepper to herself out in the kitchen,finishing the sack Polly had left; "she's a parson's wife, I say!"
And then the minister came down from Ben's room, and went into thebedroom; and Mrs. Henderson went up-stairs into the loft.
"So," he said kindly, as after patting Phronsie's head he came over andsat down by Polly, "this is the little girl who came to see me when Iwas sick."
"Oh, sir," said Polly, "I'm so glad you wasn't!"
"Well, when I come again," said Mr. Henderson, rising after a merrychat, "I see I shall have to slip a book into my pocket, and read forthose poor eyes."
"Oh, thank you!" cried Polly; and then she stopped and blushed.
"Well, what is it?" asked the minister, encouragingly.
"Ben loves to hear reading," said Polly.
"Does he? well, by that time, my little girl, I guess Ben will bedown-stairs; he's all right, Polly; don't you worry about him--and I'llsit in the kitchen, by the bedroom door, and you can hear nicely."
So the Hendersons went away. But somehow, before they went, a good manythings found their way out of the old-fashioned chaise into the Peppers'little kitchen.
But Polly's eyes didn't get any better, with all the care; and the linesof worry on Mrs. Pepper's face grew deeper and deeper. At last, she justconfronted Dr. Fisher in the kitchen, one day after his visit to Polly,and boldly asked him if they ever could be cured. "I know she's--andthere isn't any use keeping it from me," said the poor woman--"she'sgoing to be stone-blind!"
"My good woman," Dr. Fisher's voice was very gentle; and he took thehard, brown hand in his own--"your little girl will not be blind; Itell you the truth; but it will take some time to make her eyes quitestrong--time, and rest. She has strained them in some way, but she willcome out of it."
"Praise the Lord!" cried Mrs. Pepper, throwing her apron over herhead; and then she sobbed on, "and thank you, sir--I can't ever thankyou--for--for--if Polly was blind, we might as well give up!"
The next day, Phronsie, who had the doctor's permission to sit up, onlyshe was to be kept from taking cold, scampered around in stocking-feetin search of her shoes, which she hadn't seen since she was first takensick.
"Oh, I want on my very best shoes," she cried; "can't I, mammy?"
"Oh, no, Phronsie; you must keep them nice," remonstrated her mother;"you can't wear 'em every-day, you know."
"'Tisn't every-day," said Phronsie, slowly; "it's only one day."
"Well, and then you'll want 'em on again tomorrow," said her mother.
"Oh, no, I won't!" cried Phronsie; "never, no more to-morrow, if I canhave 'em to-day; please, mammy dear!"
Mrs. Pepper went to the lowest drawer in the high bureau, and tooktherefrom a small parcel done up in white tissue paper. Slowly unrollingthis before the delighted eyes of the child, who stood patientlywaiting, she disclosed the precious red-topped shoes which Phronsieimmediately clasped to her bosom.
"My own, very own shoes! whole mine!" she cried, and trudged out intothe kitchen to put them on herself.
"Hulloa!" cried Dr. Fisher, coming in about a quarter of an hour laterto find her tugging laboriously at the buttons--"new shoes! I declare!"
"My own!" cried Phronsie, sticking out one foot for inspection, whereevery button was in the wrong button-hole, "and they've got red tops,too!"
"So they have," said the doctor, getting down on the floor beside her;"beautiful red tops, aren't they?"
"Be-yew-ti-ful," sang the child delightedly.
"Does Polly have new shoes every day?" asked the doctor in a low voice,pretending to examine the other foot.
Phronsie opened her eyes very wide at this.
"Oh, no, she don't have anything, Polly don't."
"And what does Polly want most of all--do you know? see if you can tellme." And the doctor put on the most alluring expression that he couldmuster.
"Oh, I know!" cried Phronsie, with a very wise look. "There now," criedthe doctor, "you're the girl for me! to think you know! so, what is it?"
Phronsie got up very gravely, and with one shoe half on, she leaned overand whispered in the doctor's ear:
"A stove!"
"A what?" said the doctor, looking at her, and then at the old, blackthing in the corner, that looked as if it were ashamed of itself; "why,she's got one."
"Oh," said the child, "it won't burn; and sometimes Polly cries, shedoes, when she's all alone--and I see her."
"Now," said the doctor, very sympathetically, "that's too bad; that is!and then what does she do?"
"Oh, Ben stuffs it up," said the child, laughing; "and so does Pollytoo, with paper; and then it all tumbles out quick; oh! just as quick!"And Phronsie shook her yellow head at the dismal remembrance.
"Do you suppose," said the doctor, getting up, "that you know of anysmart little girl around here, about four years old and that knows howto button on her own red-topped shoes, that would like to go to rideto-morrow morning in my carriage with me?
"Oh, I do!" cried Phronsie, hopping on one toe; "it's me!"
"Very well, then," said Dr. Fisher, going to the bedroom door, "we'lllookout for to-morrow, then."
To poor Polly, lying in the darkened room, or sitting up in the bigrocking-chair--for Polly wasn't really very sick in other respects,the disease having all gone into the merry brown eyes--the time seemedinterminable. Not to do anything! The very idea at any time would havefilled her active, wide-awake little body with horror; and now, here shewas!
"Oh, dear, I can't bear it!" she said, when she knew by the noise in thekitchen that everybody was out there; so nobody heard, except a fat, oldblack spider in the corner, and he didn't tell anyone!
"I know it's a week," she said, "since dinnertime! If Ben were onlywell, to talk to me."
"Oh, I say, Polly," screamed Joel at that moment running in, "Ben'sa-comin' down the stairs!"
"Stop, Joe," said Mrs. Pepper; "you shouldn't have told; he wanted tosurprise Polly."
"Oh, is he!" cried Polly, clasping her hands in rapture; "mammy, can't Itake off this horrid bandage, and see him?"
"Dear me, no!" said Mrs. Pepper, springing forward; "not for the world,Polly! Dr. Fisher'd have our ears off!"
"Well, I can hear, any way," said Polly, resigning herself to theremaining comfort; "here he is! oh, Ben!"
"There," said Ben, grasping Polly, bandage and all; "now we're allright; and say, Polly, you're a brick!"
"Mammy told me not to say that the other day," said Joel, with a veryvirtuous air.
"Can't help it," said Ben, who was a little wild over Polly, andbesides, he had been sick himself, and had borne a good deal too.
"Now," said Mrs. Pepper, after the first excitement was over, "you'reso comfortable together, and Phronsie don't want me now, I'll go to thestore; I must get some more work if Mr. Atkins'll give it to me."
"I'll be all right now, mammy, that Ben's here," cried Polly, settlingback into her chair, with Phronsie on the stool at her feet.
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bsp; "I'm goin' to tell her stories, ma," cried Ben, "so you needn't worryabout us."
"Isn't it funny, Ben," said Polly, as the gate clicked after the mother,"to be sitting still, and telling stories in the daytime?"
"Rather funny!" replied Ben.
"Well, do go on," said Joel, as usual, rolling on the floor, in adreadful hurry for the story to begin. Little David looked up quietly,as he sat on Ben's other side, his hands clasped tight together, just aseager, though he said nothing.
"Well; once upon a time," began Ben delightfully, and launched into oneof the stories that the children thought perfectly lovely.
"Oh, Bensie," cried Polly, entranced, as they listened with batedbreath, "however do you think of such nice things!"
"I've had time enough to think, the last week," said Ben, laughing, "tolast a life-time!"
"Do go on," put in Joel, impatient at the delay.
"Don't hurry him so," said Polly, reprovingly; "he isn't strong."
"Ben," said David, drawing a long breath, his eyes very big--, "did hereally see a bear?"
"No," said Ben; "oh! where was I?"
"Why, you said Tommy heard a noise," said Polly, "and he thought it wasa bear."
"Oh, yes," said Ben; "I remember; 'twasn't a--"
"Oh, make it a bear, Ben!" cried Joel, terribly disappointed; "don't letit be not a bear."
"Why, I can't," said Ben; "twouldn't sound true."
"Never mind, make it sound true," insisted Joel; "you can make anythingtrue."
"Very well," said Ben, laughing; "I suppose I must."
"Make it two bears, Ben," begged little Phronsie.
"Oh, no, Phronsie, that's too much," cried Joel; "that'll spoil it; butmake it a big bear, do Ben, and have him bite him somewhere, and mostkill him."
"Oh, Joel!" cried Polly, while David's eyes got bigger than ever.
So Ben drew upon his powers as story-teller, to suit his exactingaudience, and was making his bear work havoc upon poor Tommy in a waycaptivating to all, even Joel, when, "Well, I declare," sounded Mrs.Pepper's cheery voice coming in upon them, "if this isn't comfortable!"
"Oh, mammy!" cried Phronsie, jumping out of Polly's arms, whither shehad taken refuge during the thrilling tale, and running to her motherwho gathered her baby up, "we've had a bear! a real, live bear, we have!Ben made him!"
"Have you!" said Mrs. Pepper, taking off her shawl, and laying herparcel of work down on the table, "now, that's nice!"
"Oh, mammy!" cried Polly, "it does seem so good to be all togetheragain!"
"And I thank the Lord!" said Mrs. Pepper, looking down on her happylittle group; and the tears were in her eyes--"and children, we ought tobe very good and please Him, for He's been so good to us."