CHAPTER VII
MRS. EVRINGHAM'S GIFTS
When Mrs. Evringham opened her eyes the following morning, it was with aconfused sense that some great change had taken place; and quickly came therealization that it was a happy change. As the transforming facts flowed inmore clearly upon her consciousness, she covered her eyes quickly with herhand.
"'Green pastures are before me!'" she thought, and her heart grew warm withgratitude.
Her husband was asleep, and she arose and went softly to Jewel's chamber,and carefully opened the door. To her amazement the bed was empty. Itscoverings were stripped down and the sweet morning breeze was flooding thespacious room.
She returned to her own, wondering how late it might be. Her husbandstirred and opened his eyes, but before she could speak a ripple of distantlaughter sounded on the air.
She ran to the window and raised the shade. "Oh, come, Harry, quick!" sheexclaimed, and, half asleep, he obeyed. There, riding down the driveway,they saw Mr. Evringham and Jewel starting off for their morning canter.
"How dear they look, how dear!" exclaimed Julia.
"Father is stunning, for a fact," remarked Harry, watching alertly. Onyesterday's excursion he had ridden Essex Maid, after all; and he smiledwith interest now, in the couple who were evidently talking to one anotherwith the utmost zest as they finally disappeared at a canter among thetrees.
"It is ideal, it's perfectly ideal, Harry." Julia drew a long breath. "Iwas so surprised this morning, to waken and find it reality, after all."She looked with thoughtful eyes at her husband. "I wonder what my new workwill be!" she added.
"Not talking about that already, I hope!" he answered, laughing. "I've anidea you will find occupation enough for one while, in learning to be idle.Sit still now and look about you on the work accomplished."
"What work?"
"That I'm here and that you're here: that the action of Truth has broughtthese wonders about."
After breakfast the farewells were said. "You're happy, aren't you,father?" asked Jewel doubtfully, as she clung about his neck.
"Never so happy, Jewel," he answered.
She turned to her grandfather. "When is father coming back again?" sheasked.
"As soon as he can," was the reply.
"You don't want me until September, I believe," said the young man bluntly.He still retained the consciousness, half amused, half hurt, that hisfather considered him superfluous.
"Why, September is almost next winter," said Jewel appealingly.
Mr. Evringham looked his son full in the eyes and liked the direct way theymet him.
"The latchstring will be out from now on, Harry I want you to feel that itis your latchstring as much as mine."
His son did not speak, but the way the two men suddenly clasped hands gaveJewel a very comforted sensation.
"And you don't feel a bit sorry to be going alone to Chicago?" she pursued,again centring her attention and embrace upon her father.
"I tell you I was never so happy in my life," he responded, kissing her andsetting her on her feet. "Are you going to allow me to drive to the stationin your place this morning?"
"I'd let you do anything, father," returned Jewel affectionately. Ittouched her little heart to see him go alone away from such a happy familycircle, but her mother's good cheer was reassuring.
They had scarcely had a minute alone together since Mrs. Evringham'sarrival, and when the last wave had been sent toward the head leaning outof the brougham window, mother and child went up the broad staircasetogether, pausing before the tall clock whose chime had grown so familiarto Jewel since that chilling day when Mrs. Forbes warned her not to touchit.
"Everything in this house is so fine, Jewel," said the mother. "It musthave seemed very strange to you at first."
"It did. Anna Belle and I felt more at home out of doors, because you seeGod owned the woods, and He didn't care if we broke something, and Mrs.Forbes used to be so afraid; but it's all much different now," added thechild.
They went on up to the room where stood the small trunk which was all Mrs.Evringham had taken abroad for her personal belongings.
To many children the moment of their mother's unpacking after a return froma trip is fraught with pleasant and eager anticipation of gifts. In thiscase it was different; for Jewel had no previous journey of her mother's toremember, and her gifts had always been so small, with the shiningexception of Anna Belle, that she made no calculations now concerning thesteamer trunk, as she watched her mother take out its contents.
Each step Mrs. Evringham took on the rich carpet, each glance she cast atthe park through the clear sheets of plate glass in the windows, eachsmooth-running drawer, each undreamed-of convenience in the closet with itselectric light for dark days, impressed her afresh with a sense ofwondering pleasure. The lady of her name who had so recently dwelt amongthese luxuries had accepted them fretfully, as no more than her due; thelong glass which now reflected Julia's radiant dark eyes lately gave back acountenance impressed with lines of care and discontent.
"Jewel, I feel like a queen here," said the happy woman softly. "I likebeautiful things very much, but I never had them before in my life. Come,darling, we must read the lesson." She closed the lid of the trunk.
"Yes, but wait till I get Anna Belle." The child ran into her own room andbrought the doll. Then she jumped into her mother's lap, for there was roomfor all three in the big chair by the window.
Some memory made the little girl lift her shoulders. "This was aunt Madge'schair," she said. "She used to sit here in the prettiest lace wrapper--Iwas never in this room before except two or three times,"--Jewel's awedtone changed,--"but now my own mother lives here! and cousin Eloise wouldlove to know it and to know that I have her room. I mean to write her aboutit."
"You must take me upstairs pretty soon and let me see the chamber that wasyours. Oh, there is so much to see, Jewel; shall we ever get to the end?"Mrs. Evringham's tone was joyous, as she hugged the child impulsively, andrested her cheek on the flaxen head. "Darling," she went on softly, "thinkwhat Divine Love has done for mother, to bring her here! I've worked veryhard, my little girl, and though Love helped me all the time, and I washappy, I've had so much care, and almost never a day when I had leisure tostop and think about something else than my work. I expected to go rightback to it now, with father, and I didn't worry, because God was leadingme--but, dearie, when I woke up this morning"--she paused, and as Jewellifted her head, mother and child gazed into one another's eyes--"Isaid--you know what I said?"
For answer the little girl smiled gladly and began to sing the familiarhymn. Her mother joined an alto to the clear voice, in the manner that hadbeen theirs for years, and fervently, now, they sang the words:--
"Green pastures are before me, Which yet I have not seen. Bright skies will soon be o'er me, Where darkest clouds have been. My hope I cannot measure, My path in life is free, My Father has my treasure, And He will walk with me!"
Jewel looked joyous.
"The green pastures were in Bel-Air Park, weren't they?" she said, "and youhadn't seen them, had you?"
"No," returned Mrs. Evringham gently, "and just now there is not a cloud inour bright sky."
"Father's gone away," returned Jewel doubtfully.
"Only to get ready to come back. It is very wonderful, Jewel."
"Yes, it is. I'm sure it makes God glad to see us so happy."
"I'm sure it does; and the best of it is that father knows that it is lovealone that brought this happiness, just as it brings all the real happinessthat ever comes in the world. He sees that it is only what knowledge wehave of God that made it possible for him to come back to what ought to behis, his father's welcome home! Father sees that it is a demonstration oflove, and that is more important than all; for anything that gives us astronger grasp on the truth, and more understanding of its working, is ofthe greatest value to us."
"Didn't grandpa love father before?" asked Jewel, in surprise.
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"Yes, but father disappointed him and error crept in between them, so itwas only when father began to understand the truth and ask God to help him,that the discord could disappear. Isn't it beautiful that it has, Jewel?"
"I don't think discord is much, mother," declared the little girl.
"Of course it isn't," returned her mother. "It isn't anything."
"When I first came, grandpa had so many things to make him sorry, andeverybody else here was sorry--and now nobody is. Even aunt Madge was happyover the pretty clothes she had to go away with."
"And she'll be happy over other things, some day," returned Mrs. Evringham,who had already gathered a tolerably clear idea of her sister-in-law."Eloise has learned how to help her."
"Oh, ye--es! _She_ isn't afraid of discord any more."
"Now we'll study the lesson, darling. Think of having all the time we wantfor it!"
After they had finished, Mrs. Evringham leaned back in the big chair andpatted Jewel's knee. Opening the bag at her side she took out a small boxand gave it to the child, who opened it eagerly. A bright little garnetring reposed on the white velvet.
"Oh, oh, _oh_!" cried Jewel, delighted. She put on the ring, which justfitted, and then hugged her mother before she looked at it again.
"Dear little Anna Belle, when you're a big girl"--she began, turning to thedoll, but Mrs. Evringham interrupted.
"Wait a minute, Jewel, here is Anna Belle's."
She took out another box and, ah, what a charming necklace appeared,brilliant with gems which outshone completely the three little garnets.Jewel jumped for joy when she had clasped it about the round neck.
"Oh, mother, mother!" she exclaimed, patting her mother's cheek, "you keptthinking about us every day, didn't you! Kiss your grandma, dearie," whichthe proud and happy Anna Belle did with a fervor that threatened to damageMrs. Evringham's front teeth.
"I brought you something else, Jewel," said the mother, with her armsaround the child. "I did think of you every day, and on the ship goingover, it was pretty hard, because I had never been away from my little girland I didn't know just what she was doing, and I didn't even know thepeople she was with; so, partly to keep my thoughts from error, I beganto--to make something for you."
"Oh, what was it?" asked Jewel eagerly.
"I didn't finish it going over, and I had no time to do so until we were onthe steamer coming home again. Then I was lighter hearted and happier,because I knew my little darling had found green pastures, but--I finishedit. I don't know how much you will care for it."
Jewel questioned the dark eyes and smiling lips eagerly.
"What is it, mother; a bag for my skates?"
"No."
"A--a handkerchief?"
"No."
"Oh, tell me, mother, I can't wait."
Mrs. Evringham put the little girl down from her lap and going to the trunktook from it the only article it still contained. It was a long, flat bookwith pasteboard covers tied at the back with little ribbons. As she againtook her seat in the big chair, Jewel leaned against its arm.
"It's a scrap-book full of pictures," she said, with interest.
For answer her mother turned the cover toward her so she could read thewords lettered distinctly upon it.
JEWEL'S STORY BOOK
Then Mrs. Evringham ran her finger along the edges of the volume and letthe type-written pages flutter before its owner's delighted eyes.
"You've made me some stories, mother!" cried Jewel. One of the greatpleasures and treats of her life had been those rare half hours when herbusy mother had time to tell her a story.
Her eyes danced with delight. "Oh, you're the _kindest_ mother!" she wenton, "and you'll have time to read them to me now! Anna Belle, won't it bethe most _fun_? Oh, mother, we'll go to the ravine to read, won't we?"
Mrs. Evringham's cheeks flushed and she laughed at the child's joy. "I hopethey won't disappoint you," she said.
"But you wrote them out of love. How can they?" returned the little girlquickly.
"That's so, Jewel; that's so, dear."