Produced by Al Haines.
Cover art]
THE SLIPPERY ROCKS. See p. 53.]
LENA GRAHAM
BY CECILIA SELBY LOWNDES
AUTHOR OF "LINFORD GREEN," "NEW HONOURS," ETC
LONDON FREDERICK WARNE & Co. AND NEW YORK
(_All rights reserved_)
Title page]
*CONTENTS.*
I. AT AUNT MARY'S II. THE ARRIVAL III. THE PETITION IV. ON THE ROCKS V. AUNTIE'S LETTER VI. LEAVING MEADENHAM VII. THE NEW HOUSE VIII. MILLY'S NEW HAT IX. THE SPOILT FEATHER X. AT SIDCOMBE XI. CONCLUSION
*LENA GRAHAM.*
*CHAPTER I.*
*AT AUNT MARY'S.*
"It does seem so strange not to know one's own Papa and Mama andsisters; does it not, Auntie?" remarked Lena Graham, leaning her arm onthe mantelpiece as she spoke, and gazing thoughtfully at a photographthat stood there.
"You are not the only little girl in the world that has had, from onecause or another, to be separated from her parents, Lena dear," said herAunt, looking up from her work to answer her little niece. "And I thinkyou have been very happy with me, my pet," she continued.
In a moment Lena was beside her, saying, "Happy! oh yes, there never wassuch a good kind Auntie as you anywhere; but I cannot help wondering ifthey will love me. And"----
"Love you, Lena, your parents!" interrupted her Aunt.
"Not exactly that either, Auntie, for I know they do from their letters,but you know they have Milly and Lucy."
"And Aunt Mary has only her little Lena," said Miss Somerville, strokingback her niece's hair, and looking fondly at the young face lifted tohers. "You will be so happy altogether, dear, that you will wonder howyou ever got on without companions of your own age."
"I mean to be so kind to them, Auntie, and lend them all my things, andhelp Milly with her lessons; for you know I am much older than she is."
"Only two years; and I fancy, from all I hear, that Milly is old for herage. She has seen more than my little girl, so I don't think you willfind her so much younger in her ways than yourself."
"I am two years and five months older than she is," said Lena, who likedto have what she considered the full advantage.
"We shall know all about it very soon, for, if I am not much mistaken,there will be a letter to-night saying when they will arrive here."
Lena was too excited and impatient to settle down quietly that eveningto either books or work; even the doll was neglected, which was notoften the case, for Lena was devoted to this especial one, who wascalled after her two unknown sisters, "Millicent Lucy," as a specialtoken of affection.
She wandered aimlessly about the room, now stopping to gaze at thephotograph on the mantel-piece, and ask, for the hundredth time, "if itwas really like," then to the window to peep out and wonder when the"postman would come," and if, when he did come, he would bring a letterfrom the expected travellers.
The photograph that engrossed so much of her thoughts and attentionconsisted of a group of four persons. Mrs. Graham was seated, holdinglittle Lucy on her knee; at her feet, Milly was sitting on a stool;while Colonel Graham stood, leaning one arm on his wife's chair, andlooking, Lena thought, very grave and a little bit stern. Perhaps,thought Lena, "that was because he was accustomed to command hissoldiers, and had been in battle." She hoped he did not always looklike that, for if he did she might be a little bit afraid of him, thoughAuntie did say, "there was no fear of such a thing happening."
Lena Graham had only a very dim, childish remembrance of her parents,for it was fully six years since she had seen them. Just half her younglife had been passed under Aunt Mary's loving care.
Six years before our story commences, Colonel Graham's regiment wasordered to India. At first both he and his wife had hoped to take theirlittle girls out with them, but just at that time Lena was taken ill;and though better and stronger when the time came for their leavingEngland, she was not strong enough, the doctor said, to stand a hotclimate. It was then that Miss Somerville, Mrs. Graham's sister, hadoffered to take charge of the little Lena.
Millicent was a strong, healthy child, and well able to stand theclimate, at any rate for a year or two. About a year after theirleaving England, Colonel Graham was offered an appointment for fiveyears at one of the hill stations, which he gladly accepted, as theclimate was as cool and healthy as at home, and thus was able not onlyto keep Millicent with them, but the baby sister that had been bornafter their arrival in the far East.
The five years had now come to an end. And the day before we make theacquaintance of their daughter Helena, or Lena as she was always called,Colonel and Mrs. Graham had arrived in England.
The child was naturally all eagerness to see them; not even theknowledge that in a few days she would be separated from her Aunt couldcast a shadow over her, and, childlike, she was too much absorbed in herown prospects of happiness, to note the shade of sadness that sometimescrossed her Aunt's kind face, as she listened to her merry chatter, atthe thought that would intrude itself, of how sorely she would miss herlittle niece's loving companionship, and how dull the house would bewhen the sound of the bright young voice would be heard there no longer.
The last few years had been very happy ones to both aunt and niece, andLena warmly returned all the love and care that had been lavished onher.
Miss Somerville was not strong, and both from this circumstance, andalso from inclination, her life had been a secluded one, and her wholetime and attention had been devoted to the education and bringing up ofher young charge.
It would be a different life, she knew, that her niece would lead afterthis, for in the future she would have to share not only her lessons buther pleasures with her sisters, and instead of being the first to beconsidered, as had been the case hitherto, she would be one amongothers, and would have to learn not only to take but give. (And as ourstory goes on, we shall see what fruits she will show of the lovingtraining she had received.)
As these thoughts passed through Miss Somerville's mind, the postman'sknock was heard at their door. With one bound Lena was out of the room,exclaiming, "There he is at last!" returning in a very short space oftime with a letter in her hand.
"It's from Papa; I know his handwriting. Do make haste, Auntie, andread it. I wonder Mama did not write to me."
"They will be here to-morrow, darling. Poor Mama had a headache, fromall the bustle and noise of London, I should think. The black nurse shebrought home with her has already got an engagement to return with alady to her own country, so they will have to come without a nurse.Hester will be able to look after Lucy until Mama finds one to suither."
"O Auntie, I will look after Lucy; I am sure I could do all she wants."
Auntie laughed as she answered, "I don't think you quite understand theduties of a nurse, dear, but you can be of great use and comfort toMama, I am sure."
"Yes, I mean to be," was the confident answer.
"You mean, dear, you will try to be."
But Lena did not wait to answer. She left the room, saying, "I must goand tell Hester that they are really coming to-morrow." And off shewent, only to return with some new question that she wanted Auntie toanswer.
Not until the bell rang for prayers did she quiet down, and when sherose from her knees there was a very grave, subdued look on her face.
As soon as they were alone, she flung her arms round her Aunt's
neck,exclaiming, "Ah, I do wish you were coming too! It won't be perfectlyhappy without you, Auntie, darling."
"Dear one, you must not expect perfect happiness anywhere in thisworld," she answered, returning her embrace.
"But I shall miss you so."
"And I shall miss you sadly; but I cannot be so selfish, as to grudgeMama the happiness of having her eldest daughter with her."
"I do so long to see her, my very own Mama, but I want you too."
"What a greedy little creature! Why, you will have Milly and Lucy, aswell as Papa and Mama, and not satisfied!"
"If I had you too, I should be perfectly satisfied. I should not wantanything else in the world."
"Ah, Lena dear, I fear that you would not find it so."
"Yes, I am sure I should."
Auntie shook her head. "Don't be too confident, dear; you must notexpect that in the future you will have everything you want. You willhave to share your pleasures with Milly."
"Oh, I shall like that."
"I am very glad to hear it, dear," was the quiet answer.
"Now, Auntie, don't look so grave; for you will see how well I shallbehave, and show that your child can be really good."
"Not my child, Lena dear. To be really good you must be the child ofGod."
Auntie spoke so gravely that Lena, humbled and ashamed, whispered, "Yesindeed, Auntie, I will try," as she gave and received her good-nightkiss.
Miss Somerville lived in a pretty sea-coast town called West Meadenham.In truth, it was but a suburb of Meadenham proper, but that town hadgrown so large of late years that the numerous streets, squares, andterraces that had sprung up around it, considered themselves importantenough to have a name of their own; but as if to show to the world ingeneral, that they did not wish to throw off all allegiance from thedear old town, that nestled so comfortably at the foot of the high cliffthat sheltered it from the cold east winds of spring, it modestlychristened itself, West Meadenham, instead of choosing a new name.
The next day arrived, fine as heart could wish, a bright sun shiningoverhead, and a soft breeze blowing from the sea. No wonder that Lenaexclaimed, "How lovely!" as she came out of the house and gazed aroundher as if drinking in the beauty of the morning.
The trees were all decked in their first fresh young green, the airscented with the sweet perfume of the spring flowers, that made thegarden of Scarsdale Villa look quite gay even in April. Their house wasthe last of a row of villas almost in the country, and before and behindthem stretched green fields.
Let me describe Lena Graham to you, as she stands, sniffing up the freshair that brings the healthy roses into her cheeks, and gives her ahearty appetite for the bread-and-butter that she is only waiting forAunt Mary's appearance to attack with good-will.
A sturdy little English girl, rather short for her age, with rosy cheeksand bright intelligent brown eyes, that glance here, there, andeverywhere; long light-brown hair, tied back from her face with a blueribbon, that matches in colour the blue serge dress she wears. The facehas a bright, open expression, and the girl's whole appearance speaks ofthe happy, peaceful life she leads. Shading her eyes with her hand fromthe sun, she looks about attentively.
"Yes," she remarks to herself in a low voice, "I can get plenty for bothrooms without spoiling the garden. I think Mama shall have the violets,and Milly the primroses; and I shall ask Auntie to let me run to thefields and get some cowslips for Lucy; and Papa shall have some of all,because he is the only man." Here her meditations were broken into byhearing Auntie's voice calling--
"Lena, Lena, where are you, dear child?"
"Here; Auntie; it's such a lovely day, do come out just for one minute."
"It must be only for one minute then," said her Aunt as she joined her."Yes, it is a lovely day. We can welcome Papa and Mama with bothsunshine and smiles."
"Sunshine in doors and out," said Lena, with a beaming look as theyentered the house together.
Lena always did lessons with her Aunt, but to-day was to be a holiday,for Miss Somerville saw that the child was too excited and nervous tosettle down quietly to work; and besides that, there was a good deal tobe done in the way of preparation for the expected travellers, for itwas not often that so large a party as four people came to visit theirquiet household.
They were not expected until five o'clock, so Lena had the whole daybefore her to wonder and speculate in. The morning passed away quickly,as time always does when one is busy and occupied, and in the afternoonLena was to arrange the flowers in the different rooms. Aunt Mary quiteapproved of the arrangement Lena had made as to the ones each was tohave, though she asked why Lena had chosen those especial ones.
"Violets for Mama, because they are so sweet; and they are gettingscarce now, you know, Auntie: they are nearly over in the garden."
"I didn't know that."
"Why, Auntie, we have picked them all; I wish I had not now. And thenprimroses for Milly, because they are my favourite flower, and I wanther to like all I do."
"Or you could like what she does?"
"But she must like primroses, she couldn't help it; then cowslips forLucy, they are nearly as nice as primroses; but I want Milly to have thenicest, because she's to be my great friend; and I thought Papa ought tohave some of all." Here Lena stopped, and looked at her Aunt forapproval.
"Very well, dear; come out and get them."
"And may I arrange them?"
"Yes, and put them in the different rooms."
"Thank you, Auntie dear. And then may I put on my best dress? I dowant to look nice when they come."
"Yes, darling," said Miss Somerville with a smile. Then she went to thewindow and watched the child as she gathered the flowers, flitting fromone place to another, as busy as a bee, looking up every now and then,to nod smilingly to her Aunt, or to hold up her treasures to be admired.
No fear, she thought, of her parents or any one not thinking her nice,as Lena had expressed it. She smiled to herself as she thought of thehappiness of the parents at getting back the child from whom they had solong been parted; and much as she would miss the cheerful, loving littlecompanion who had brightened her lonely life, she felt it would bebetter for Lena herself to take her place once more among youngcompanions. In the nursery or the school-room, where there are two orthree together, it is, as it were, a little world of its own. No one inparticular can have the entire care and thought of the whole household.All must take their place and their share both in the duties andpleasures of everyday life. This was exactly what had been wanting toLena, and hers was a character that especially required it. It is sovery easy for any one of us to accustom ourselves to be the first to beconsidered, and Lena was no exception to this. She had a warm, lovingheart, but a proud, wilful temper; humility was a grace she sadlylacked. A loving word from Auntie would bring the ready tears to Lena'seyes, but what she considered a hard or disparaging word would make themflash as quickly. How she and Millicent would get on together, wasrather an anxious thought to Miss Somerville, for dearly as she lovedher little niece, she was not blind to her faults; and if the sisterswere alike in character, there would not, she feared, be always peace.Lena had a very decided opinion on the subject of elder sisters, andthat she was the eldest of the family, she always made a point ofdwelling upon.
Neither a cloud nor a doubt crossed the child's own mind as to thefuture. Of course Millicent and Lucy would love her as much as she wasprepared to love them, and they would all be so happy together, sheknew. The only shadow was the thought that she would have to part withdear Aunt Mary; but as that parting was not to be at once, she cast thethought away with the happy ease of childhood.