CHAPTER XXI
DAVY'S GIFT
Real need recognizing no distinction of class, it had been Liz Hopworthwho had been summoned to the Hopkins home when Mrs. Hopkins "droppedoff" in the middle of the night, leaving ten children motherless.
Over Dan'l's late breakfast Liz, wan-eyed from loss of sleep, butdignified by a new importance, related all the sad circumstances ofpoor Sarah Hopkins' passing. "Who'd a' _thought_," she exclaimed asshe vigorously beat her pan-cake batter, "yesterday when I see the poorwoman out a hangin' her clothes that this blessed night I'd a' beencalled in to straighten her limbs and do for those poor young 'uns!"
To Nonie and Davy death was a strangely mysterious thing which theytook for granted; dogs and cats and calves died; frequently there was aburial in the village cemetery. These had always had an element ofexcitement which even stirred the Hopworth home, detached though it wasfrom the village life. They looked at Liz, now, with wide eager eyes.To have "straightened poor Sarah Hopkins' limbs" seemed to havetransformed her--her tone was kinder, something almost tender gleamedin her tired eyes, and she was making pan-cakes for their breakfast!
"Just fetch that grease, Nonie. Step spry, too--there's a lot to bedone before this day's over. Lordy, I thought to myself last night,that the Lord strikes hard--leavin' those ten children that haven'tdone no wrong without any mother to manage and Timothy Hopkins sittin'there as helpless like he'd been hit over the head, he's that stunned.And scarcely a bite in the house."
Old Dan'l had long since gotten past the day of worrying over the waysof the Lord. Nor to him was there anything particularly startling in alack of food. His had always been a philosophy that believed that fromsomewhere or other Providence would provide, and if it didn't--
"Scarcely a bite, and all steppin' on one another, there's so many of'em, and then when I think o' Happy House and the plenty there's there,well, 's I say, the Lord's ways are beyond _me_! Eat up yourbreakfast, Nonie. You gotta do up the work here, for I told that poorman I'd come back quick as ever I could. There's no end of work to bedone 'fore that place will look fit for folks to come and see her."
"Can I go, too, Liz?" asked Davy. "Mebbe I can help."
Normally Liz would have made a sharp retort. Now she considered amoment.
"Mebbe you can. You can play with the baby so's Jennie can help mesweep and dust. Sarah Hopkins would turn over if she thought folks wasgoin' to see the muss and litter. Hurry along."
All that Liz had said of the house of mourning had been true. Davyfound the muss and litter; the poor smithy wandering helplessly aroundand the "young 'uns" stepping on one another. He shut his eyes tightso that he would not have to catch the tiniest glimpse of poor SarahHopkins lying very still in the bedroom off the kitchen. He was gladwhen Liz, in a strangely brisk tone, bade Jennie, the oldest Hopkinsgirl, give the baby over to Davy.
"He's come 'long to mind the baby, so's you can help. Take himoutside, Davy, and keep him out from under foot. Take up these dishes!Sure's I'm livin' I see Mrs. Sniggs comin' up the road this blessedminit."
Davy, gathering up his charge, retreated hastily. In fact, his pacedid not slacken until he was well away from the Hopkins home. Then heput his burden down under a tree and stared at it.
The baby, blissfully unconscious of its loss, cooed ecstatically toexpress his joy at the unusual attention. He reached out tiny hands toDavy. "Go----go!" he gurgled, coaxingly.
"You sit right there! I gotta think," was Davy's scowling answer.
And Davy was thinking--hard. Liz' story, over the breakfast, had sunkdeep into his soul. _He_ knew what it was to live in a household wherethere was no mother and not much food!
It did not take Davy very long to make up his mind. Then, withdetermination written in every wrinkle of his frowning face, he liftedthe baby and hurried to his home. An hour later, still carrying thebaby, he trudged doggedly up the road to Happy House, through the gate,along the path to the door. Only for a moment did he pause on thethreshold; then, softly opening the door, he entered, and came outagain, empty-armed.
The oppressiveness of the day had decidedly ruffled the atmosphere ofHappy House. Miss Sabrina had taken the news of Nancy's flight with adisapproving grunt; B'lindy had sharply come to Nancy's defense. She"guessed girls had to be girls anyways, though she'd a feelin' in herbones that somethin' might happen and one never could tell 'bout thempesky machines."
Then Miss Sabrina, taller and straighter than ever, had walkedhaughtily away as far as the sitting room, when a shriek broughtB'lindy running.
Miss Sabrina had dropped breathless into a chair and at her feet satthe Hopkins baby sucking its thumb.
"B'lindy--what--what is it? I liked to fall over it!"
"Land a' goshen--a _baby_! A _real_ live baby!" B'lindy leaned overcautiously. "Crawled in here like a caterpillar! As I live, here's anote, Miss Sabrina!" She unpinned a piece of paper from the baby'sdress.
"Ples kep this child there ante enuf food fer so meny Hopkins Liz sezand she sez the Lord never ment any body to go hungry she sez your housis big enuf fer a dusen and lots of food I gues you don't no thet therar so meny Hopkins and you will like to kepe this one I no how it hurtsto be hungry so ples don't send this baby bak. Yours truly, Davy."
B'lindy, after reading the note aloud, stared at the baby.
"Sarah Hopkins' young 'un--I swan!" With her apron she wiped a tearfrom her eye. "No one to do for it now."
Miss Sabrina snorted.
"Of all the nerve--bringing it here--for me to break my neck on!"
From above came Miss Milly's voice plaintively calling.
"Take it away. Milly's calling--she's got to know what theexcitement's about. I'll _never_ get over my fright," and MissSabrina, still trembling, rose to go to her sister. The baby puckeredhis face preparatory to a long wail. "Take it _out_," commanded MissSabrina, "it's going to cry--_give_ it something quick."
B'lindy snatched the baby and flew to the kitchen. She could not bearto think that any living thing in Happy House was hungry. However, thethreatened squall passed when B'lindy, after carefully shutting herdoors, produced a bowl and a shiny spoon.
It had not been alone Miss Sabrina's shriek that had frightened MissMilly. She had heard a rumble of thunder. She was lying back amongher pillows deadly pale. She clutched Miss Sabrina's hand and beggedher to stay with her.
"I know I'm foolish," she whispered plaintively, "but it's sooppressive. It's hard--for me--to breathe."
Sabrina sat down grimly beside her--no thunder storm came to North Herothat it did not bring unpleasant memories to them both.
"Is it--going to be--very bad?" Miss Milly asked plaintively. "I wishNancy--was home."
"Maybe it'll go around," assured her sister with as much tenderness asshe was capable of showing.
At that moment the door opened slowly and B'lindy, a strangely softenedlook on her old face tip-toed in, carrying in her arms the baby, soundasleep.
"I just brought it up for Miss Milly to see, it's that cute!" sheexplained, in a whisper.
"The poor little thing," Aunt Milly timidly touched the moist chubbyhand. B'lindy, with the air of having accomplished some great feat,laid the baby carefully upon the couch.
"Fed its _poor_ little stomick and it dropped right off to sleep--it'llforget things now," she said proudly.
With a different feeling in each of their hearts the three women staredfor a moment at the sleeping baby. Miss Sabrina spoke first. Hervoice was cold and crisp.
"Take that baby right out of here, B'lindy, and get Jonathan to carryit back where it came from."
A rumble of thunder, closer and louder, startled them. Miss Milly satbolt upright, white-faced, and reached out a hand.
"Oh--_sister_! _Not_ in the storm!"
B'lindy rose majestically and towered over her mistress. When, downbehind her shut doors, that baby had gone to sleep in B'lindy's arms,something had wakened in her sixty-year old heart; it
throbbed in hervoice now. She spoke slowly. "I guess the _Almighty_ sent DavyHopworth here with this poor little young 'un! Like as not it would gohungry more'n once, and if three women here can't take care of a littlebaby--well, the Lord that suffered little children to come unto Himlike's not will hold us to 'count for it! I guess Happy House would bea heap happier if there was less high and mightiness and more of thehuman milk of kindness in it, and doin' for others like little MissAnne's always tryin' to do, anyway!" And quite breathless from heroutburst B'lindy knelt beside the baby and defiantly folded shelteringarms over it.
For the briefest of moments no one stirred. Then Miss Sabrina rosehurriedly, and, mumbling something incoherent, left the room.
Across the baby B'lindy's eyes, feverishly bright, met Miss Milly'sanxious glance.
"Don't know what she said, but, Milly Leavitt, sure's I'm alive I saw a_tear_ in Sabriny Leavitt's eye! I guess we keep this baby."