Chapter VI. Surprises
"Is it pleasant?" was the question Jill asked before she was fairlyawake on Christmas morning.
"Yes, dear; as bright as heart could wish. Now eat a bit, and then I'llmake you nice for the day's pleasure. I only hope it won't be too muchfor you," answered Mrs. Pecq, bustling about, happy, yet anxious,for Jill was to be carried over to Mrs. Minot's, and it was her firstattempt at going out since the accident.
It seemed as if nine o'clock would never come, and Jill, with wraps allready, lay waiting in a fever of impatience for the doctor's visit,as he wished to superintend the moving. At last he came, found allpromising, and having bundled up his small patient, carried her, withFrank's help, in her chair-bed to the ox-sled, which was drawn to thenext door, and Miss Jill landed in the Boys' Den before she had time toget either cold or tired. Mrs. Minot took her things off with a cordialwelcome, but Jill never said a word, for, after one exclamation, she laystaring about her, dumb with surprise and delight at what she saw.
The great room was entirely changed; for now it looked like a garden, orone of the fairy scenes children love, where in-doors and out-of-doorsare pleasantly combined. The ceiling was pale blue, like the sky; thewalls were covered with a paper like a rustic trellis, up which climbedmorning-glories so naturally that the many-colored bells seemed dancingin the wind. Birds and butterflies flew among them, and here and there,through arches in the trellis, one seemed to look into a sunny summerworld, contrasting curiously with the wintry landscape lying beyond thereal windows, festooned with evergreen garlands, and curtained only bystands of living flowers. A green drugget covered the floor like grass,rustic chairs from the garden stood about, and in the middle of the rooma handsome hemlock waited for its pretty burden. A Yule-log blazed onthe wide hearth, and over the chimney-piece, framed in holly, shone thewords that set all hearts to dancing, "Merry Christmas!"
"Do you like it, dear? This is our surprise for you and Jack, and herewe mean to have good times together," said Mrs. Minot, who had stoodquietly enjoying the effect of her work.
"Oh, it is so lovely I don't know what to say!" and Jill put up botharms, as words failed her, and grateful kisses were all she had tooffer.
"Can you suggest anything more to add to the pleasantness?" asked thegentle lady, holding the small hands in her own, and feeling well repaidby the child's delight.
"Only Jack;" and Jill's laugh was good to hear, as she glanced up withmerry, yet wistful eyes.
"You are right. We'll have him in at once, or he will come hopping onone leg;" and away hurried his mother, laughing, too, for whistles,shouts, thumps, and violent demonstrations of all kinds had been heardfrom the room where Jack was raging with impatience, while he waited forhis share of the surprise.
Jill could hardly lie still when she heard the roll of another chair-bedcoming down the hall, its passage enlivened with cries of "Starboard!Port! Easy now! Pull away!" from Ralph and Frank, as they steered therecumbent Columbus on his first voyage of discovery.
"Well, I call that handsome!" was Jack's exclamation, when the fullbeauty of the scene burst upon his view. Then he forgot all about it andgave a whoop of pleasure, for there beside the fire was an eager face,two hands beckoning, and Jill's voice crying, joyfully,--
"I'm here! I'm here! Oh, do come, quick!" Down the long room rattled thechair, Jack cheering all the way, and brought up beside the other one,as the long-parted friends exclaimed, with one accord,--
"Isn't this jolly!"
It certainly did look so, for Ralph and Frank danced a wild sort offandango round the tree, Dr. Whiting stood and laughed, while the twomothers beamed from the door-way, and the children, not knowing whetherto laugh or to cry, compromised the matter by clapping their hands andshouting, "Merry Christmas to everybody!" like a pair of little maniacs.
Then they all sobered down, and the busy ones went off to the variousduties of the day, leaving the young invalids to repose and enjoythemselves together.
"How nice you look," said Jill, when they had duly admired the prettyroom.
"So do you," gallantly returned Jack, as he surveyed her with unusualinterest.
They did look very nice, though happiness was the principal beautifier.Jill wore a red wrapper, with the most brilliant of all the necklacessparkling at her throat, over a nicely crimped frill her mother had madein honor of the day. All the curly black hair was gathered into a rednet, and a pair of smart little moccasins covered the feet that had notstepped for many a weary day. Jack was not so gay, but had made himselfas fine as circumstances would permit. A gray dressing-gown, with bluecuffs and collar, was very becoming to the blonde youth; an immaculateshirt, best studs, sleeve-buttons, blue tie, and handkerchief wet withcologne sticking out of the breast-pocket, gave an air of elegance inspite of the afghan spread over the lower portions of his manly form.The yellow hair was brushed till it shone, and being parted in themiddle, to hide the black patch, made two engaging little "quirls" onhis forehead. The summer tan had faded from his cheeks, but his eyeswere as blue as the wintry sky, and nearly every white tooth was visibleas he smiled on his partner in misfortune, saying cheerily,--
"I'm ever so glad to see you again; guess we are over the worst ofit now, and can have good times. Won't it be fun to stay here all thewhile, and amuse one another?"
"Yes, indeed; but one day is so short! It will be stupider than everwhen I go home to-night," answered Jill, looking about her with longingeyes.
"But you are not going home to-night; you are to stay ever so long.Didn't Mamma tell you?"
"No. Oh, how splendid! Am I really? Where will I sleep? What will Mammydo without me?" and Jill almost sat up, she was so delighted with thenew surprise.
"That room in there is all fixed for you. I made Frank tell me so much.Mamma said I might tell you, but I didn't think she would be able tohold in if she saw you first. Your mother is coming, too, and we are allgoing to have larks together till we are well."
The splendor of this arrangement took Jill's breath away, and beforeshe got it again, in came Frank and Ralph with two clothes-baskets oftreasures to be hung upon the tree. While they wired on the candles thechildren asked questions, and found out all they wanted to know aboutthe new plans and pleasures.
"Who fixed all this?"
"Mamma thought of it, and Ralph and I did it. He's the man for this sortof thing, you know. He proposed cutting out the arches and sticking onbirds and butterflies just where they looked best. I put those canariesover there, they looked so well against the blue;" and Frank proudlypointed out some queer orange-colored fowls, looking as if they werehaving fits in the air, but very effective, nevertheless.
"Your mother said you might call this the Bird Room. We caught ascarlet-tanager for you to begin with, didn't we, Jack?" and Ralph threwa _bon-bon_ at Jill, who looked very like a bright little bird in a warmnest.
"Good for you! Yes, and we are going to keep her in this pretty cagetill we can both fly off together. I say, Jill, where shall we be in ourclasses when we do get back?" and Jack's merry face fell at the thought.
"At the foot, if we don't study and keep up. Doctor said I might studysometimes, if I'd lie still as long as he thought best, and Mollybrought home my books, and Merry says she will come in every day andtell me where the lessons are. I don't mean to fall behind, if mybackbone is cracked," said Jill, with a decided nod that made severalblack rings fly out of the net to dance on her forehead.
"Frank said he'd pull me along in my Latin, but I've been lazy andhaven't done a thing. Let's go at it and start fair for New Year,"proposed Jack, who did not love study as the bright girl did, but wasashamed to fall behind her in anything.
"All right. They've been reviewing, so we can keep up when they begin,if we work next week, while the rest have a holiday. Oh, dear, I do missschool dreadfully;" and Jill sighed for the old desk, every blot andnotch of which was dear to her.
"There come our things, and pretty nice they look, too," said Jack; andhis mother began
to dress the tree, hanging up the gay horns, the gildednuts, red and yellow apples and oranges, and festooning long stringsof pop-corn and scarlet cranberries from bough to bough, with theglittering necklaces hung where the light would show their colors best.
"I never saw such a splendid tree before. I'm glad we could help, thoughwe were ill. Is it all done now?" asked Jill, when the last parcel wastied on and everybody stood back to admire the pretty sight.
"One thing more. Hand me that box, Frank, and be very careful that youfasten this up firmly, Ralph," answered Mrs. Minot, as she took from itswrappings the waxen figure of a little child. The rosy limbs were verylife-like, so was the smiling face under the locks of shining hair. Bothplump arms were outspread as if to scatter blessings over all, and downywings seemed to flutter from the dimpled shoulders, making an angel ofthe baby.
"Is it St. Nicholas?" asked Jill, who had never seen that famouspersonage, and knew but little of Christmas festivities.
"It is the Christ-child, whose birthday we are celebrating. I got thebest I could find, for I like the idea better than old Santa Claus;though we _may_ have him, too," said Mamma, holding the little image sothat both could see it well.
"It looks like a real baby;" and Jack touched the rosy foot with the tipof his finger, as if expecting a crow from the half-open lips.
"It reminds me of the saints in the chapel of the Sacred Heart inMontreal. One little St. John looked like this, only he had a lambinstead of wings," said Jill, stroking the flaxen hair, and wishing shedared ask for it to play with.
"He is the children's saint to pray to, love, and imitate, for he neverforgot them, but blessed and healed and taught them all his life. Thisis only a poor image of the holiest baby ever born, but I hope it willkeep his memory in your minds all day, because this is the day for goodresolutions, happy thoughts, and humble prayers, as well as play andgifts and feasting."
While she spoke, Mrs. Minot, touching the little figure as tenderly asif it were alive, had tied a broad white ribbon round it, and, handingit to Ralph, bade him fasten it to the hook above the tree-top, where itseemed to float as if the downy wings supported it.
Jack and Jill lay silently watching, with a sweet sort of soberness intheir young faces, and for a moment the room was very still as all eyeslooked up at the Blessed Child. The sunshine seemed to grow moregolden as it flickered on the little head, the flames glanced aboutthe glittering tree as if trying to climb and kiss the baby feet, and,without, a chime of bells rang sweetly, calling people to hear again thelovely story of the life begun on Christmas Day.
Only a minute, but it did them good, and presently, when the pleasantwork was over, and the workers gone, the boys to church, and Mamma tosee about lunch for the invalids, Jack said, gravely, to Jill,--
"I think we ought to be extra good, every one is so kind to us, and weare getting well, and going to have such capital times. Don't see how wecan do anything else to show we are grateful."
"It isn't easy to be good when one is sick," said Jill, thoughtfully."I fret dreadfully, I get so tired of being still. I want to screamsometimes, but I don't, because it would scare Mammy, so I cry. Do youcry, Jack?"
"Men never do. I want to tramp round when things bother me; but I can't,so I kick and say, 'Hang it!' and when I get very bad I pitch intoFrank, and he lets me. I tell you, Jill, he's a good brother!" and Jackprivately resolved then and there to invite Frank to take it out of himin any form he pleased as soon as health would permit.
"I rather think we _shall_ grow good in this pretty place, for I don'tsee how we can be bad if we want to, it is all so nice and sort of pioushere," said Jill, with her eyes on the angel over the tree.
"A fellow can be awfully hungry, I know that. I didn't half eatbreakfast, I was in such a hurry to see you, and know all about thesecrets. Frank kept saying I couldn't guess, that you had come, and Inever would be ready, till finally I got mad and fired an egg at him,and made no end of a mess."
Jack and Jill went off into a gale of laughter at the idea of dignifiedFrank dodging the egg that smashed on the wall, leaving an indeliblemark of Jack's besetting sin, impatience.
Just then Mrs. Minot came in, well pleased to hear such pleasant sounds,and to see two merry faces, where usually one listless one met heranxious eyes.
"The new medicine works well, neighbor," she said to Mrs. Pecq, whofollowed with the lunch tray.
"Indeed it does, mem. I feel as if I'd taken a sup myself, I'm that easyin my mind."
And she looked so, too, for she seemed to have left all her cares in thelittle house when she locked the door behind her, and now stood smilingwith a clean apron on, so fresh and cheerful, that Jill hardly knew herown mother.
"Things taste better when you have someone to eat with you," observedJack, as they devoured sandwiches, and drank milk out of little mugswith rosebuds on them.
"Don't eat too much, or you won't be ready for the next surprise," saidhis mother, when the plates were empty, and the last drop gone downthroats dry with much chatter.
"More surprises! Oh, what fun!" cried Jill. And all the rest of themorning, in the intervals of talk and play, they tried to guess what itcould be.
At two o'clock they found out, for dinner was served in the Bird Room,and the children revelled in the simple feast prepared for them. Thetwo mothers kept the little bed-tables well supplied, and fed theirnurslings like maternal birds, while Frank presided over the feast withgreat dignity, and ate a dinner which would have astonished Mamma, ifshe had not been too busy to observe how fast the mince pie vanished.
"The girls said Christmas was spoiled because of us; but I don't thinkso, and they won't either, when they see this splendid place and knowall about our nice plans," said Jill, luxuriously eating the nut-meatsJack picked out for her, as they lay in Eastern style at the festiveboard.
"I call this broken bones made easy. I never had a better Christmas.Have a raisin? Here's a good fat one." And Jack made a long arm toJill's mouth, which began to sing "Little Jack Horner" as an appropriatereturn.
"It would have been a lonesome one to all of us, I'm thinking, butfor your mother, boys. My duty and hearty thanks to you, mem," put ingrateful Mrs. Pecq, bowing over her coffee-cup as she had seen ladiesbow over their wine-glasses at dinner parties in Old England.
"I rise to propose a health, Our Mothers." And Frank stood up with agoblet of water, for not even at Christmas time was wine seen on thattable.
"Hip, hip, hurrah!" called Jack, baptizing himself with a good sprinkle,as he waved his glass and drank the toast with a look that made hismother's eyes fill with happy tears.
Jill threw her mother a kiss, feeling very grown up and elegant to bedining out in such style. Then they drank every one's health with muchmerriment, till Frank declared that Jack would float off on the delugeof water he splashed about in his enthusiasm, and Mamma proposed a restafter the merry-making.
"Now the best fun is coming, and we have not long to wait," said theboy, when naps and rides about the room had whiled away the briefinterval between dinner and dusk, for the evening entertainment was tobe an early one, to suit the invalids' bedtime.
"I hope the girls will like their things. I helped to choose them, andeach has a nice present. I don't know mine, though, and I'm in a twitterto see it," said Jill, as they lay waiting for the fun to begin.
"I do; I chose it, so I know you will like one of them, any way."
"Have I got more than one?"
"I guess you'll think so when they are handed down. The bell was goingall day yesterday, and the girls kept bringing in bundles for you; Isee seven now," and Jack rolled his eyes from one mysterious parcel toanother hanging on the laden boughs.
"I know something, too. That square bundle is what you want ever somuch. I told Frank, and he got it for his present. It is all red andgold outside, and every sort of color inside; you'll hurrah when you seeit. That roundish one is yours too; I made them," cried Jill, pointingto a flat package tied to the stem of the tree, and a n
eat little rollin which were the blue mittens that she had knit for him.
"I can wait;" but the boy's eyes shone with eagerness, and he could notresist firing two or three pop-corns at it to see whether it was hard orsoft.
"That barking dog is for Boo, and the little yellow sled, so Molly candrag him to school, he always tumbles down so when it is slippery,"continued Jill, proud of her superior knowledge, as she showed a smallspotted animal hanging by its tail, with a red tongue displayed as ifabout to taste the sweeties in the horn below.
"Don't talk about sleds, for mercy's sake! I never want to see another,and you wouldn't, either, if you had to lie with a flat-iron tied toyour ankle, as I do," said Jack, with a kick of the well leg and anireful glance at the weight attached to the other that it might notcontract while healing.
"Well, I think plasters, and liniment, and rubbing, as bad as flat-ironsany day. I don't believe you have ached half so much as I have, thoughit sounds worse to break legs than to sprain your back," protested Jill,eager to prove herself the greater sufferer, as invalids are apt to be.
"I guess you wouldn't think so if you'd been pulled round as I was whenthey set my leg. Caesar, how it did hurt!" and Jack squirmed at therecollection of it.
"You didn't faint away as I did when the doctor was finding out if my_vertebrums_ were hurt, so now!" cried Jill, bound to carry her point,though not at all clear what vertebrae were.
"Pooh! Girls always faint. Men are braver, and I didn't faint a bit inspite of all that horrid agony."
"You howled; Frank told me so. Doctor said _I_ was a brave girl, soyou needn't brag, for you'll have to go on a crutch for a while. I knowthat."
"You may have to use two of them for years, may be. I heard the doctortell my mother so. I shall be up and about long before you will. Nowthen!"
Both children were getting excited, for the various pleasures of theday had been rather too much for them, and there is no knowing but theywould have added the sad surprise of a quarrel to the pleasant ones ofthe day, if a cheerful whistle had not been heard, as Ralph came in tolight the candles and give the last artistic touches to the room.
"Well, young folks, how goes it? Had a merry time so far?" he asked, ashe fixed the steps and ran up with a lighted match in his hand.
"Very nice, thank you," answered a prim little voice from the duskbelow, for only the glow of the fire filled the room just then.
Jack said nothing, and two red sulky faces were hidden in the dark,watching candle after candle sputter, brighten, and twinkle, till thetrembling shadows began to flit away like imps afraid of the light.
"Now he will see my face, and I know it is cross," thought Jill, asRalph went round the last circle, leaving another line of sparks amongthe hemlock boughs.
Jack thought the same, and had just got the frown smoothed out of hisforehead, when Frank brought a fresh log, and a glorious blaze sprungup, filling every corner of the room, and dancing over the figures inthe long chairs till they had to brighten whether they liked it or not.Presently the bell began to ring and gay voices to sound below: thenJill smiled in spite of herself as Molly Loo's usual cry of "Oh, dear,where _is_ that child?" reached her, and Jack could not help keepingtime to the march Ed played, while Frank and Gus marshalled theprocession.
"Ready!" cried Mrs. Minot, at last, and up came the troop of eager ladsand lasses, brave in holiday suits, with faces to match. A unanimous "O,o, o!" burst from twenty tongues, as the full splendor of the tree, theroom, and its inmates, dawned upon them; for not only did the prettyChrist-child hover above, but Santa Claus himself stood below, fur-clad,white-bearded, and powdered with snow from the dredging-box.
Ralph was a good actor, and, when the first raptures were over hedistributed the presents with such droll speeches, jokes, and gambols,that the room rang with merriment, and passers-by paused to listen, surethat here, at least, Christmas was merry. It would be impossible totell about all the gifts or the joy of the receivers, but every onewas satisfied, and the king and queen of the revels so overwhelmed withlittle tokens of good-will, that their beds looked like booths at afair. Jack beamed over the handsome postage-stamp book which had longbeen the desire of his heart, and Jill felt like a millionaire, with asilver fruit-knife, a pretty work-basket, and oh!--coals of fire on herhead!--a ring from Jack.
A simple little thing enough, with one tiny turquoise forget-me-not, butsomething like a dew-drop fell on it when no one was looking, and shelonged to say, "I'm sorry I was cross; forgive me, Jack." But it couldnot be done then, so she turned to admire Merry's bed-shoes, the pots ofpansies, hyacinths, and geranium which Gus and his sisters sent for herwindow garden, Molly's queer Christmas pie, and the zither Ed promisedto teach her how to play upon.
The tree was soon stripped, and pop-corns strewed the floor as thechildren stood about picking them off the red threads when candy gaveout, with an occasional cranberry by way of relish. Boo insisted ontrying the new sled at once, and enlivened the trip by the squeakingof the spotted dog, the toot of a tin trumpet, and shouts of joy at thesplendor of the turn-out.
The girls all put on their necklaces, and danced about like fine ladiesat a ball. The boys fell to comparing skates, balls, and cuff-buttonson the spot, while the little ones devoted all their energies to eatingeverything eatable they could lay their hands on.
Games were played till nine o'clock, and then the party broke up, afterthey had taken hands round the tree and sung a song written by one whomyou all know,--so faithfully and beautifully does she love and labor forchildren the world over.
THE BLESSED DAY
"What shall little children bring On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day? What shall little children bring On Christmas Day in the morning? This shall little children bring On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day; Love and joy to Christ their king, On Christmas Day in the morning!
"What shall little children sing On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day? What shall little children sing On Christmas Day in the morning? The grand old carols shall they sing On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day; With all their hearts, their offerings bring On Christmas Day in the morning."
Jack was carried off to bed in such haste that he had only time to callout, "Good-night!" before he was rolled away, gaping as he went. Jillsoon found herself tucked up in the great white bed she was to sharewith her mother, and lay looking about the pleasant chamber, while Mrs.Pecq ran home for a minute to see that all was safe there for the night.
After the merry din the house seemed very still, with only a lightstep now and then, the murmur of voices not far away, or the jingle ofsleigh-bells from without, and the little girl rested easily among thepillows, thinking over the pleasures of the day, too wide-awake forsleep. There was no lamp in the chamber, but she could look into thepretty Bird Room, where the fire-light still shone on flowery walls,deserted tree, and Christ-child floating above the green. Jill's eyeswandered there and lingered till they were full of regretful tears,because the sight of the little angel recalled the words spoken when itwas hung up, the good resolution she had taken then, and how soon it wasbroken.
"I said I couldn't be bad in that lovely place, and I was a cross,ungrateful girl after all they've done for Mammy and me. Poor Jack _was_hurt the worst, and he _was_ brave, though he did scream. I wish I couldgo and tell him so, and hear him say, 'All right.' Oh, me, I've spoiledthe day!"
A great sob choked more words, and Jill was about to have a comfortablecry, when someone entered the other room, and she saw Frank doingsomething with a long cord and a thing that looked like a tiny drum.Quiet as a bright-eyed mouse, Jill peeped out wondering what it was, andsuspecting mischief, for the boy was laughing to himself as he stretchedthe cord, and now and then bent over the little object in his hand,touching it with great care.
"May be it's a torpedo to blow up and scare me; Jack likes to playtricks. Well, I'll scream loud when it goes off, so he will be satisfiedthat I'm dreadfully frightened," thought Jill, little dreaming what thelast
surprise of the day was to be.
Presently a voice whispered,--
"I say! Are you awake?"
"Yes."
"Any one there but you?"
"No."
"Catch this, then. Hold it to your ear and see what you'll get."
The little drum came flying in, and, catching it, Jill, with somehesitation, obeyed Frank's order. Judge of her amazement when she caughtin broken whispers these touching words:--
"Sorry I was cross. Forgive and forget. Start fair to-morrow. All right.Jack."
Jill was so delighted with this handsome apology, that she could notreply for a moment, then steadied her voice, and answered back in hersweetest tone,--
"I'm sorry, too. Never, never, will again. Feel much better now.Good-night, you dear old thing."
Satisfied with the success of his telephone, Frank twitched back thedrum and vanished, leaving Jill to lay her cheek upon the hand thatwore the little ring and fall asleep, saying to herself, with a farewellglance at the children's saint, dimly seen in the soft gloom, "I willnot forget. I will be good!"