CHAPTER IV
A NIGHT IN A SLEEPING-CAR
The moonlight was so beautiful that Mrs. March did not like to goback into the car; and Rob and Nelly begged so hard to sit up, thatshe let them stay long past their bedtime. At last sheexclaimed:--
"Come, come! this won't do! We must go to bed," and she opened thecar door. As soon as she looked in she started back, so that shenearly knocked Mr. March and Nelly off the platform.
"Why, what has happened?" she said.
Mr. March laughed.
"Oh, nothing," he said: "this is the way a sleeping-car always looksat night."
Curtains were let down on each side the aisle its whole length. Itwas very dark, and the aisle looked very narrow. Not a human beingwas in sight.
"Where are our sections?" said Mrs. March.
"These are ours, I think," said Mr. March, pulling open a curtain onthe left.
"Let my curtain alone," called somebody from inside, "Go away."
Mr. March had opened the wrong curtain.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, madam," he said, much mortified that heshould have broken open a lady's bedroom.
Mrs. March and Rob and Nelly stood close together in the middle ofthe aisle, at their wits' end. They did not dare to open anothercurtain, for fear it should be somebody's else bedroom, and nottheir own.
"I'll call Ben," said Mr. March; "he'll know."
But Ben was nowhere to be found. At last they found him sound asleepin a little state-room at the end of the car.
"Ben, come show us which are our sections," said Mr. March.
Ben was very sleepy. He came stumbling down the aisle, rubbing hiseyes.
"Reckon there is your berths; I made 'em up all ready for you," saidBen, and pulled open the very curtain Mr. March had opened before.
"Oh! don't open that one; there's a lady in there," cried Mrs.March; but she was too late. Ben had thrown the curtains wide open.
The same angry voice as before called out:--
"I wish you'd let my curtain alone. What are you about?"
"Done made a mistake this time, sure," said Ben, composedly drawingthe curtains together again; but not before Mrs. March and Nelly andRob had had time to see into the bed, and had seen that it held themother with five children. There they all lay as snug as you please:the three little ones packed like herrings in a box, across the footof the bed, and the two others on the inside; and the mother lyingon the outer edge almost in the aisle. As Ben pushed back thecurtains, she muttered:--
"There ain't any room to spare in this berth, if that's what you'relooking for."
Rob and Nelly gave a smothered laugh at this.
"Hush, children!" whispered Mrs. March. "You wouldn't like to belaughed at."
"Oh, mamma, it's so funny!" said Rob. "We can't help it."
Mrs. March did not think it funny at all. She began to be in despairabout the night.
The very next section to the one with the five children was one ofMr. March's, and luckily those were the next curtains Ben opened.
"Here you are! you're all right!" he said, cheerfully. "Here's allyour things: I done piled 'em up first-rate for you."
Piled up they were indeed. The lunch-basket, the strapped bundle ofblankets, the overcoats, the water-proofs, the leather bags, all oneabove the other on one bed.
"Where are we to sleep, mamma?" exclaimed Nelly.
"On top," said Rob. "Hurrah! hurrah!" and he was about to jump onthe top of the pile.
"Be quiet, Rob," said his father: "we must go to bed as quietly aswe can, and not wake people up. We ought to have come earlier.Almost everybody is asleep, I think."
At this point, rose two great snores, so close that Mrs. Marchstarted.
"Mercy!" she exclaimed. "How that frightened me!"
Snore! snore! snore! The sounds came as regularly as the striking ofa clock: they were most uncommonly loud snores. Mr. March looked athis wife and smiled. Mrs. March did not smile in return: she did notlike this state of things at all.
At last they had sorted out the things they needed, and the rest ofthe things they pushed under their berths,--all but the biglunch-basket: Mr. March had to carry that out to the end of the car,and set it by the stove. Then Mr. March and Rob climbed into theirbed, and shut the curtains; and Mrs. March and Nelly climbed intotheirs, and shut their curtains, and began to undress. Presently,Mr. March called across in a whisper:--
"Wife, what shall I do with Rob's clothes?"
Mrs. March was at that moment trying to find some place to putNelly's and hers.
"I'm sure I don't know," she replied. "There isn't a sign of a hookhere to hang any thing on."
"Nor here," replied Mr. March: "I'll leave them all in a pile on thefoot of the bed."
"That'll do very well for a man's clothes," thought Mrs. March; "butI must hang up our gowns and skirts." At last, she had a brightthought. She stood up on the edge of the bed, and hooked the skirtsover the rod the curtains were swung from. It was all she could doto reach it; and, just as she was hooking the last skirt on, the cargave a lurch, and out she fell, out into the aisle, and across it,through the curtains of Mr. March's berth, right on to his bed.
"Goodness alive, Sarah! is this you?" he exclaimed, jumping up,frightened. He was just falling asleep.
"Well, I believe so," she said: "I'm not sure."
"Oh, mamma, did it hurt you?" called Nelly, anxiously.
"No, no, dear," replied her mother. "I'm coming right back." But,before she went, she whispered in her husband's ear:--
"Robert March, I think a sleeping-car is the most detestable place Iever got into in my life. Suppose I'd tumbled into some stranger'sberth, as I did into yours just now."
Mr. March only laughed, and Mrs. March heard him laughing to himselfafter she had gone back, and it did not make her feel any pleasanterto hear this. At last she and Nelly were both undressed and in bed.Their clothes and dressing-cases and travelling-bags were piled upon their feet.
"You mustn't kick, Nelly," said Mrs. March. "If you do, you'll upsetall the things out on the floor."
"I'm afraid I always kick, mamma," replied honest Nelly. "I won'twhile I'm awake; but when I'm asleep I don't know."
Nelly was fast asleep in two minutes; but Mrs. March could notsleep. The air in the car was so close and hot it made her headache. She had pinned her curtains tight together before she laydown, so that nobody could look in on her as she had on the poorlady with five children. Now she sat up in bed and unpinned them,and looked out into the aisle. It was dark: the car was dashingalong at a tremendous rate; the air was most disagreeable, and therewere at least six people snoring different snores.
"I can't stand this. I must open the window at the foot of theberth," said Mrs. March. So she crept down and tried to open it. Shehad not observed in the daytime how the windows were fastened: shefumbled about in the dark till she found the fastening; she couldnot move it; she took the skin off her knuckles; she wrenched hershoulder; all this time sitting cross-legged on the bed. At last shegave a shove with all her strength, and the window flew up: in onesecond, an icy blast blew in full of smoke and cinders. "This won'tdo, either," said Mrs. March; and she tried to get the window down.This took longer than to get it up; finally, in despair, she proppedit open about two inches with one of her boots; then she sank backexhausted, and came down hard on her watch and broke the crystal:then she had a difficult time picking up all the little bits ofglass in the dark, and then, after she had picked them up, she didnot know what to do with them. There was some stiff paper in hertravelling-bag, if she could only get at it; at last she found it,but, in drawing it out, she knocked the cork out of the hartshornbottle, and over went the bottle in the bag, all the hartshornpoured out, and such a strong smell of hartshorn filled the berth itwaked Nelly up.
"Oh, mamma! what is it? and what smells so?" she said, sleepily.
"Only hartshorn, dear," said her mother, in a despairing tone. "I'veupset it all over every thing. Go to sleep, dear: it won
't smell sovery long."
Nelly dozed off again, saying: "I'm going to get up just as soon asit's light. I hate this bed: don't you, mamma?"
"Yes, Nell, I do," said Mrs. March; "I would rather have sat up allnight: but I am so tired and sleepy now I shall go to sleep, Ithink."
When Nelly waked, it was just beginning to be light. Her mother wassound asleep. Nelly leaned over her, and looked out into the aisle.Nobody was up except Ben, who was blacking boots at the end of theaisle.
"I'll get up as still as I can, and get all dressed before mammawakes up," thought Nelly. "Poor mamma! What a time she had lastnight!"
At that moment, as Nelly turned her head, she saw a sight which sofrightened her that, in spite of herself, she screamed. "What is it,Nell?" asked her mother, waking instantly. Nelly could not speak,but pointed to the wall at the back of their berth. Mrs. March satupright in bed, and gazed with astonishment and alarm almost asgreat as Nelly's. What could it mean? There, in the smooth panel ofblack walnut, which was almost as shining as a looking-glass, wasthe reflection of a man's face. It was the face of the man who hadbeen eating the cheese and brown bread and onions. He had a redhandkerchief tied about his head for a nightcap; and he was soundasleep, with his mouth wide open. While Mrs. March and Nelly satgazing breathlessly at this unaccountable sight, the head slowlyturned on the pillow, and a hand came up and rubbed one eye. Nellynearly screamed again. Her mother put her hand quickly over hermouth.
"Hush, Nell!" she said; "do not be frightened. I see how it is."
The partitions which separated the sleeping-berths one from theother did not come up close to the wall of the car. There was roomto put your hand through between. The black walnut lining of the carwas so polished that it reflected like a looking-glass; so eachperson could see, in the back of his berth, the face of the personwho was lying in the berth next before his.
"Goodness!" exclaimed Mrs. March; "if we can see into that berth,they can see into this one;" and she seized one of the pillows, andset it up against the crack. Then she looked down, and saw a similaropening at the foot of the berth. This one she stopped up withanother pillow.
"There, Nell," she said, "now we can dress without beingoverlooked."
Nelly did not quite understand how these shining black walnut panelscould have acted like looking-glasses, and she was a little afraidstill that the queer, shaggy face with the red silk nightcap wouldglare out at her again; but she hurried on her clothes, and in a fewminutes was ready to go to the little wash-room which was providedfor ladies at the end of the car.
"We are so early," said Mrs. March, "that I think we will be thefirst ones there."
Ah, how mistaken she was! When they reached the little room, therestood two women waiting for their turn at the wash-stand; a thirdwas washing her face. As Mrs. March and Nelly appeared, one of thosewho were waiting called out:--
"Come in. Don't go away. If you do, you'll lose your turn: there'llbe lots more here directly."
"Thank you," said Mrs. March: "my daughter and I will wait there,just outside the door. We will not intrude upon you."
At this, all three of the women laughed, and one said:
"H'm! there ain't much question of intrudin' in these sleepin'-cars.It's just a kind o' big bedroom, that's all."
Mrs. March smiled, and said: "Yes, I think so;" and the women wenton talking. They were relating their experiences in the night. Oneof them said:--
"Well, I got along very well till somebody opened a window, and thenI thought I should ha' froze to death; but my husband he called theconductor up, and they shut all the ventilators up; but I justshivered all night. Real good soap this is: ain't it?"
Mrs. March looked warningly at Nelly, who was just about to speak."Keep quiet, Nell," she said. But Nelly whispered: "Do you supposethat was our window, mamma?"
"I dare say," answered Mrs. March, in a still lower whisper: "keepstill, Nell."
"Well, I wa'n't too cold," said the woman at the washbowl. She hadher false teeth in her hand, and was washing them under the littleslow stream running from the faucet: so she could not speak verydistinctly. "Well, I wa'n't too cold," she said, "but I'll tell youwhat did happen to me. In the middle o' the night I felt somethin'against my head, right on the very top on't; and what do you thinkit was? 'Twas the feet of the man in the next section to our'n.'Well,' says I, 'this is more'n I can stand;' and I gave 'em a realshove. I reckon he waked up, for I didn't feel 'em no more."
At this Nelly had to run away. She could not keep the laugh backany longer. And Mrs. March thought it better to let her go, for shedid not know what might be coming next in the conversation of thesewomen. At the other end of the car, Nelly saw Rob, carryingsomething done up in newspaper in his hand. She ran after him. Heput his finger on his lips as she drew near him, and made signs toher not to speak. She could not imagine what he was carrying. Hewent very fast to the outside door of the car, opened it, and threwthe parcel out.
"What was it, Rob?" said Nell, eagerly.
"I won't tell you," said Rob: "you'll tell."
"Oh! I won't; I won't; indeed I won't," said Nell.
"Honest Indian?" said Rob.
"Honest Indian," said Nelly.
This was the strongest form of pledge which Rob and Nelly ever gave.It was like a sort of oath among the children in Mayfield. If achild broke his promise after he had said "Honest Indian," there wasnothing too bad for him.
"Well," said Rob, coming very close to Nelly, and speaking in a lowwhisper, "it was those people's string of onions!"
"Why, Rob!" cried Nelly, in a horrified tone, "why, Rob! that'sstealing. How could you?"
"'Tain't stealing either, Nell March," said Rob, stoutly; "I haven'tgot 'em. Stealing is taking things. I haven't got them. I didn'twant the old, horrid things. I just threw them away. That ain'ttaking."
Nelly still looked distressed. "Papa wouldn't like it," she said,"nor mamma either. They were all those people had to eat, exceptbread and cheese. Oh, Rob! I think it was awful mean in you."
"I don't care: I wish I hadn't told you. I don't think it was mean.It was good enough for them for making such a smell in the cars. Iheard some of the gentlemen saying they hadn't any business withonions in the car,--that the conductor ought to make them throw themaway. Anyhow, Nell, you promised not to tell."
"Yes," said Nell, "but I never once thought of its being such athing as this. What do you suppose they'll do? They might have youtook up and put in prison, Rob."
Rob looked a little disturbed, but he replied bravely:
"Oh, pshaw! I don't know whose onions they were anyhow. I just foundthem rolling round on the floor, and I picked them up: they weren'tanybody's when they were out loose in the car. I don't care: wewon't have such a horrid smell here to-day."
Nelly walked away looking very unhappy. She disliked the smell ofonions as much as Rob did; but she would rather have had the stringof onions in her lap all day than have had Rob do such a thing asthis; and she felt sure it would all be known, somehow, before theday came to an end,--as you will see that it was.
After everybody had got up, and the beds and pillows and blanketswere all packed away in the little cupboards overhead, and the carwas put in order for the day, the people who had lunch-baskets beganto eat their breakfasts. Nelly sat very still in her seat, andwatched to see what would happen when the onions were found to bemissing. Rob had walked away, and stood at the farther door of thecar. He seemed to be very busy looking out at the scenery.
Mrs. March had a good little breakfast of boiled eggs and bread andbutter and tea and milk, all ready on the table.
"Call Rob," she said to Nelly. Nelly walked to the end of the car,and said:--
"Come, Rob. Mamma's got breakfast all ready."
Without looking round, Rob whispered:--
"Have they missed 'em?"
"I don't know: I haven't heard any thing," answered Nelly, in thesame low tone. And they walked back together, Nelly looking muchmore anxious than Rob did. Mrs. M
arch noticed their grave faces asthey took their seats, and she said:--
"You are tired: aren't you, children?"
"Oh, no, mamma!" they both exclaimed; "we aren't a bit tired!"
But their faces did not brighten. If the whole truth were told, itmust be owned that they were both very unhappy. The more Rob thoughtabout those onions, the more he felt afraid that it was stealing tohave thrown them away; and this made him wretched enough.
And the more Nelly thought about it, the surer she felt that Rob wasgoing to get into trouble before the thing was done with. Neither ofthem ate much breakfast; they were both listening to what was goingon in the next section. They could hear such sentences as:--
"I know I left 'em here last night."
"Perhaps they went out of the window."
"They couldn't: they were on the floor."
"That black rascal's got 'em, you may be sure."
At this last sentence, Nelly gave Rob a push under the table withher foot, and his face turned very red.
In a moment more, Ben entered the car; as he was passing theMarches' table, the angry man from the next section called out, in avery rude way:--
"Here, you nigger, what'd you do with my onions?"
Ben stood stock-still, he was so astonished.
"Ungyuns!" he exclaimed; "I never seed no ungyuns."
"Yes, you did! You must have: you've stowed 'em away somewhere. Nowjest you pass 'em out, or I'll report you."
Ben had never been accused of stealing before. He looked the manfull in the face, and said:--
"You can do all the reportin' yer want to, mister. I never seed yourungyuns." And he was about to pass on; but the man was so angry, andso sure that Ben must have taken his onions, that he stood in themiddle of the aisle, right in Ben's way, and would not let him pass.
"Hand 'em over now," he said, in the most insulting tone; "hand 'emover."
Mr. March, who had been watching the scene with some amusement, wasvery much astonished, on looking at Rob at this moment, to see hischeeks flushed, his lips parted as if he were about to speak.
"Why, Rob," he said, "do you know where the onions are?"
"No," said Rob.
Nelly gave an involuntary gasp, under her breath, "Oh!"
Mr. March looked at her in still greater surprise.
"Do you, Nell?" he said.
Nelly did not reply, but looked at Rob, who said:--
"I don't know where they are now." But his expression was a veryguilty one.
"Rob!" said his father, sternly, "you know something about thoseonions: tell me this moment."
Nelly clasped her hands tight, and gave a little cry, "Oh, Rob!"
Now that the final moment had come, Rob spoke up like a man.
"Papa, I threw them out of the car door,--they made such a smell. Ifound them close to our berth when I first got up, and they smelledso horrid I threw them away. Perhaps they weren't this man'sonions," said poor Rob, clutching at a last hope.
Mr. March could hardly believe his ears.
"You! You took what did not belong to you, and then threw it away!Why, Rob! I am ashamed of you! Why, Rob, I wouldn't have believedit!" exclaimed Mr. March. "You will pay for those onions out of yourallowance." And he looked at Rob more sternly than he had ever donein his life.
"Come, now, immediately," he continued, "and apologize to the man."And he took Rob by the hand and led him to the next seat.
"I am very sorry to tell you, sir," he said, "that my little boyhere took your onions and threw them away. He shall buy some for youat the very first station where we can."
"What'd yer throw 'em away for?" said the man, looking curiously andnot unkindly at Rob, whose face was enough to make anybody sorry forhim.
"Because I hate the smell of them so," said Rob, sturdily; "and mymamma hates them too; and I found them rolling round on the floor,by our berth; and I just picked them up and threw them away. Ididn't think about their being anybody's,--not until afterwards," headded; "and I'm very sorry, sir. I'll buy you some more out of myown money."
Mr. March smiled at this little explanation: he saw that Rob had notreally intended to do wrong.
"No, no, my boy, you needn't do that," said the man; "we're going toget off before dinner time; an' we've got a bin full o' onions athome. I expect they do smell kind o' strong to folks that ain't usedto 'em, but they're mighty healthy."
Rob walked back to his seat somewhat relieved, but still very muchashamed. He glanced up in his mother's face. She looked mortified;still there was a twinkle in her eyes: in the bottom of her heart,she sympathized with Rob's impulse to be rid of the onions at anycost.
"Oh, Rob!" she said, "how could you do such a thing? You knew theymust belong to somebody."
"Well, I did afterwards,--after I told Nell; but, when I picked themup, I didn't think any thing except how they smelt. It was a goodriddance anyhow."
The sick lady, who had to lie down all the way, was in the sectionnext but one to Mr. March's. She had looked much amused during allthis conversation, which she could not help hearing. Mrs. Marchnoticed her pleasant smile, and thought she would like to dosomething for her. So she gave Nelly a nice cup of hot tea to takeover to her. The lady was very grateful.
"Oh!" she said, "this is the first good tea I have tasted since Ileft home."
Then she made Nelly sit down on the bed beside her, and talked toher so sweetly that Nelly felt as if she had known her all her life;and pretty soon she told her all about Mrs. Napoleon.
"Bring her here. Let me see her," said the lady.
"Oh, I can't bear to have anybody see her!" said Nelly: "she looksawful."
"Never mind: we'll draw the curtains, and nobody else shall see."
So she called her nurse, who was sitting near; and, as soon as Nellyhad climbed up into the berth, the nurse drew the curtains tight andshut them together. It seemed to Mrs. March a long time before Nellycame out. When she came she had two small parcels in her hands. Theywere both in nice white tissue paper, tied up with pink ribbon.Nelly looked as if she had been crying, but yet she looked happy;and the sick lady had a most beautiful smile on her face. Nelly gaveone of the parcels to her mother, and said:--
"Mamma, will you please pack this in the bag? It is the Empress'sclothes. Perhaps I may have another doll some day that they willfit."
Then she handed the other parcel to her father, and said:--
"Please throw this out of the window, papa?"
"What is it, Nell?" he said, surprised.
Nelly's voice trembled a little; but she answered bravely.
"Mrs. Napoleon, papa. That nice lady looked at her, and said shenever could be mended; and if she were me, she'd throw her rightaway. She says I'll feel better as soon as she is out of my sight."
Mr. March looked over at the sick lady and bowed and smiled.
"She is quite right, Nell. You'll forget all about it much quicker.Good-by, Mrs. Napoleon," he said, and threw the white parcel withits pink ribbons as far as he could throw it.
"I don't want to forget about it, papa," replied Nelly, and pressedher face close against the window-pane, so as not to lose that lastglimpse of the package.
Never were people gladder to reach any place than Mr. and Mrs. Marchand Nelly and Rob were to reach Denver. They were so tired that theywent right to bed as soon as they entered the hotel. They did notwant any supper. The next morning, however, they were up early, allrested and ready to look at every thing. The first thing they saw asthey walked out of the hotel door, was a long range of highmountains to the south. They looked down the street on which thehotel stood, and saw these mountains rising up like a great wallacross the end of the street. They were covered with snowtwo-thirds of the way down. The lower part which was not coveredwith snow was of a very dark blue color; and the upper part, wherethe snow lay, shone in the sun so dazzling bright that it made theireyes ache to look at it. The sky was as blue as blue could be, andhad not a cloud in it; and some of the sharp peaks of the mountains
looked as if they were really cutting through the sky. Mr. and Mrs.March and Nelly and Rob all stood still in the middle of the streetlooking at the beautiful sight. Several carriages and wagons camevery near running over them, but they hardly observed it. No one ofthem spoke for some minutes: even Rob was overawed by the grandeurof the mountains. But his overawed silence did not last long. In afew minutes, he broke out with:--
"Bully mountains! ain't they? Come on!" Mr. and Mrs. March laughed.
"Well, Rob," said his father, "you've brought us to our senses:haven't you? But I do wish you wouldn't talk slang."
"No, Rob," said his mother. "How many times have I asked you not tosay 'bully'?"
"I know it, mother," replied Rob; "but you don't tell me any otherword to say instead of it. A fellow must say something; and 'bully''s such a bully word. I don't believe there's any other word that'sgood for any thing when things are 'bully.'"
"Oh, dear Rob! dear Rob! Three times in one sentence! What shall wedo to you? We will really have to hire you to leave off that word,as grandpa hired you to drink cold water, at so much a week."
"Mamma," said Rob, solemnly, "you couldn't hire me to leave offsaying 'bully.' Money wouldn't pay me: I try not to say it often,because you hate it so; but I don't expect to leave it off till I'ma man. I just have to say it sometimes."
"Oh, Rob, you don't 'have' to say it!" exclaimed Nell. "Nobody 'hasto say' any thing."
"Girls don't," said Rob, patronizingly: "but girls are different;I'm always telling you that girls don't need words like boys. It'sjust like whistling: girls needn't whistle; but a boy--why, a boy'ddie if he couldn't whistle."
"I can whistle," said Nell. "I can whistle most as well as you."
"You can't, Nell," exclaimed Rob, utterly astonished.
For reply, Nelly quietly whistled a bar of Yankee Doodle. Rob staredat her.
"Why, so you can!" said he. "I didn't know girls ever whistled: Ithought they were made so they couldn't."
"Oh, no!" said Mrs. March; "I used to be a great whistler when I wasa girl; but I never let anybody hear me, if I could help it. AndNelly knows that it is not lady-like for a girl to whistle. Shelikes to whistle as well as you like to say 'bully,' however; so youmight leave off that as well as she can leave off whistling."
"But you used to whistle all alone by yourself," persisted Rob; "andit is just as good fun to whistle all alone as with other people;but it wouldn't be any fun to go off all alone, and say 'bully!bully! bully!'"
Mrs. March put her hands over her ears, and exclaimed: "Oh, Rob!Rob! That makes six times! That dreadful word!"
"Oh!" said Rob, pretending to be very innocent, "do you mind mysaying it that way? That wasn't saying it really: only talking aboutit," and Rob gave his mother a mischievous look.
The streets were thronged with people; everybody seemed in a hurry;the shop windows were full of just such things as one sees in shopwindows at the East; through street after street they walked,growing more and more surprised every moment.
"Why, Robert," said Mrs. March, "except for the bustling and excitedair of the people, I should not know that I was not in an Easterncity."
"Nor I," said Mr. March: "I am greatly astonished to see such acivilized-looking place."
Just then an open carriage rolled past them. It was a beautifulcarriage, lined with red satin.
"Oh, mamma! there is the nice lady who was in the cars," said Nelly:"let me go and speak to her."
The lady saw them and stopped her carriage: she was very glad to seetheir faces; she felt so lonely in this strange place. She was allalone with her doctor and nurse; and already she was so homesick shewas almost ready to turn about and go home.
"Oh! do let your little girl jump in and take a drive with me," shesaid. "It will be a great favor to me if you will."
"Oh, mamma! let me; let me," cried Nelly; and, almost before hermother had fully pronounced the words giving her permission, she wasclimbing up the carriage steps. As she took her seat by the lady'sside, she looked wistfully back at Rob. Mrs. Williams (that was thelady's name) observed the glance, and said: "Won't you let thelittle boy come too? Would you like to come, dear?"
"No, thank you," said Rob: "I'd rather walk. I can see better."
"Oh, Rob! how can you?" exclaimed Nelly, but the driver touched hishorses with the whip, and they were off.
What a drive that was for Nelly! She never forgot it. It was herfirst sight of the grand Rocky Mountains. The city of Denver lies ona great plain; about thirty miles away stands the mountain range;between the city and the mountains runs a river,--the PlatteRiver,--which has green trees along its bank. Mrs. Williams tookNelly out on high ground to the east, from which she could look overthe whole city, and the river, and out to the beautiful mountains.Some of the peaks were as solid white as white clouds, and lookedalmost like clouds suddenly made to stand still in the skies. Mrs.Williams loved mountains very much; and, as she looked at Nelly'sface, she saw that Nelly loved them too. Nelly said very little; butshe kept hold of Mrs. Williams's hand, and, whenever they came to aparticularly beautiful view, she would press it so hard that once ortwice Mrs. Williams cried out: "Dear child, you hurt me: don'tsqueeze so tight;" upon which Nelly, very much ashamed, would let goof her hand for a few minutes, but presently, in her excitement,would be holding it again as tight as ever. Mrs. Williams was awidow lady: she had lost her husband and her only child--a littlegirl about Nelly's age--only two years before, and she had been aninvalid ever since. As soon as she saw Nelly's face in the cars, shehad fancied that she looked like her little girl who was dead. Hername was Ellen too, and she had always been called Elly; so thatNelly's name had a familiar sound to her. Mrs. Williams was a veryrich lady; and, if Nelly's father and mother had been poor people,she would have asked them at once to give Nelly to her. But, ofcourse, she knew that that would be out of the question; so all shecould do was to try to make Nelly have a good time as long as shewas with her. After they had driven all about the city, and had seenall there was to see, she said to the driver:
"Now go to the best toy store in the city." Nelly did not hear thisdirection: she was absorbed in looking at the mountains. So she wasmuch surprised when they stopped at the shop, and Mrs. Williamssaid:--
"Now, Nelly dear, I want you to go in and buy something for me: willyou? I can't get out of the carriage myself."
"Yes indeed," exclaimed Nelly, "if I can; but I never went into ashop alone in my life. Mamma always goes with me. Can't I bring whatyou want out here for you to look at?"
Mrs. Williams laughed.
"You'll be a better judge of it than I, Nell," she said. "It is awax doll I want for a young friend of mine,--just about such an oneas you had in the cars."
Wasn't Nelly a very simple little girl never to think that Mrs.Williams meant to buy it for her? She never so much as thought ofit. "Oh!" said she, "how glad she'll be! I hope she'll have betterluck with it than I had. You tell her not to take her on anyjourneys. Is it your own little girl?"
Then Nelly saw the tears come in Mrs. Williams's eyes: her lipsquivered, and she said:--
"My own little girl is in heaven; but this doll is for a little girlI love very much, who looks like my little girl. Run in, dear, andsee what you can find."
The shopkeeper looked quite surprised to see such a little girlcoming up to the counter, and asking if he had any big wax dollswith eyes which would open.
"Yes, sis," he said, "we have two; but they cost too much money foryou, I reckon."
Nelly did not like being called "sis."
"My name is not sis," she said, "and the doll is for a sick lady outin the carriage. Won't you please bring them out for her to lookat?" and Nelly turned, and walked out of the shop.
"Hoity toity!" said the man. "What airs we put on, don't we, forsmall fry! Eastern folks, I reckon;" but he went to a drawer, andtook out his two wax dolls, and carried them to the carriage. Eachdoll was in a box by itself. One was dressed in pink satin, and onein white muslin.
&
nbsp; "Which is the prettiest, Nelly?" said Mrs. Williams.
"Oh, the one in white muslin,--ever so much the prettiest! My mammasays satin is very silly on dolls, and I think so too. Mrs. Napoleonhad a blue satin dress, and I gave it to Mabel Martin. She neverwore it but once,--the day she came; she had it on when she was inthe stocking; but I hated it on her."
"In the stocking!" said Mrs. Williams; "that big doll never wentinto a stocking. What do you mean?"
"Oh, not into a common stocking!" said Nelly; "into one of mygrandpa's stockings. Mamma always hangs his stockings up for us atChristmas."
Mrs. Williams was still more perplexed.
"Why, child," she said, "how big is your grandpa? Is he a giant?"
"Oh, no!" laughed Nelly, "he isn't very big; but these are greatstockings he had made to sleep in. They come all the way up hislegs,--both parts of his leg,--way up above his knee, as far as hislegs go, so as to keep him warm when he's asleep. He doesn't sleepin any night-gown."
Mrs. Williams laughed heartily at this, and was about to ask Nellysome other questions, when the storekeeper interrupted her with:--
"Can't stand here all day, mum. Do ye want the dolls or not: sayquick."
Mrs. Williams was not accustomed to be spoken to in this manner, andshe looked at him in surprise.
"Oh!" he said, in answer to her look, "you ain't in the East, you'llfind out. We Western men've got too much to do to dangle round allday on a single trade. Do ye want the dolls? If not, I'll take 'emback."
"I am sorry you are in such a hurry all the time, sir," said Mrs.Williams, slowly: "it must be very disagreeable. I will take one ofthese dolls as soon as this little girl has decided which one is theprettiest."
"Oh, the white-muslin-gown one, ever so much," exclaimed Nelly.
"Very well. You may put it up for me," said Mrs. Williams, takingout her purse. "How much does it cost?"
"Ten dollars," said the man.
"Oh, oh!" exclaimed Nelly, "mine was only five, and it was just asbig as this one."
The man looked a little embarrassed. The doll did not really costten dollars: it had only cost five; but he thought Mrs. Williamslooked like a rich lady, and he might as well ask all he could get.
"Well, this cost me six dollars in New York," he said; "but thereisn't much sale for them here: you can have it for seven."
Mrs. Williams paid him the seven dollars, and they drove away withthe box with the doll in it, lying in Nelly's lap. Presently Nellysaid:--
"Oh, Mrs. Williams, won't you let me send all Mrs. Napoleon'sclothes to the little girl this dolly's for? I think they'd fit thisdolly: don't you?"
"You dear little thing!" exclaimed Mrs. Williams; "would you reallysend all those pretty clothes to a little girl you don't know?"
"But you know her," said Nelly, "and you said you loved her; so I'dlike to have her have them. Besides, I don't believe I'll ever haveanother dolly like Mrs. Napoleon: at any rate, not for a great manyyears."
"Very well, dear," replied Mrs. Williams: "I will take them. Shewill be all the more pleased to get so many extra suits. When westop at the hotel, you can give them to me."
"The waterproof is torn some," said Nelly: "I guess mamma'll mendit."
"Oh, never mind!" said Mrs. Williams. "This little girl's mamma is avery kind mamma: she can mend it."
When they stopped at the hotel, Nelly raced upstairs and burst intoher mother's room.
"Mamma!" she exclaimed almost as breathlessly as Rob was in thehabit of speaking, "mamma, give me all Mrs. Napoleon's clothes. Thesick lady's bought a beautiful wax doll--just Mrs. Napoleon'ssize--her name's Mrs. Williams--I asked her--and she's going to sendit to a little girl she loves very much--her own little girl'sdead--and I want her to have those clothes too, because Mrs.Williams is so kind; oh, she's the sweetest lady! Give me theclothes, quick!"
Mrs. March was looking in a trunk for them while Nelly ran on. Shesmiled as she handed them to Nelly.
"Are you sure you will not want them yourself, Nell?" she said; "youmight have a doll that they'd just fit."
"I don't believe I ever will, mamma," said Nelly, "and even if I do,I'd rather give these clothes away. Mrs. Williams is such a sweetlady--you don't know, mamma!" And Nelly ran downstairs with thepackage in her hand. As she left the room, Rob said to hismother:--
"Mamma, I bet she's bought the doll for Nell! Wouldn't that be fun?Nell's such a goose she'd never suspect any thing!"
"Hush, Rob!" said Mrs. March; "don't put such an idea into Nell'shead. It isn't at all likely."
"Well, you'll see, mamma. I'll bet you any thing."
"Ladies don't 'bet,' Rob; and you know mamma hates to hear you saythe word."
"Oh, dear, mamma!" groaned Rob, "you hate all the nice words! I wishladies were just like boys!"
Late that evening, after Rob and Nelly were fast asleep, a largeparcel was brought to their rooms, addressed to Mrs. March. Sheopened it, and found inside--sure enough, as Rob had said--thebeautiful wax doll which Nelly had told them about; and, in the boxwith the doll, the little bundle of all Mrs. Napoleon's clothes. Anote from Mrs. Williams to Mrs. March was pinned on the outside ofthe package. She said:--
"MY DEAR MRS. MARCH,--Will you allow me to give this doll to your dear, sweet little daughter, to supply the place of the lost Mrs. Napoleon. If you knew how great a pleasure it is to me to do this, I am sure you would not refuse it. Your little girl reminds me so strongly of my own little Elly, who died two years ago, that I only wish I could have her always with me.
"Truly your friend, although a stranger,
"ISABELLA WILLIAMS."
"Well, Rob was right!" exclaimed Mrs. March, as she read this note."See, Robert, what a beautiful doll has come for Nelly from thatinvalid lady she went to drive with this afternoon. Rob said she hadbought it for Nelly, but I didn't believe it. I don't exactly liketo take such a valuable present from a stranger."
Mr. March was reading the note.
"But we could not refuse," he said. "It would be cruel, when shewants to give it to Nelly because she looks so like her little childthat is dead."
"No," said Mrs. March; "of course we could not refuse."
"She had one of the sweetest and saddest faces I ever saw," said Mr.March. "I do not think she will live long. I wish we could dosomething for her."
"I will go and see her to-morrow morning, and thank her for thedoll," said Mrs. March; "and then I will find out whether we can doany thing for her or not. I shall not let Nelly know any thing aboutthe doll till we are all settled. I will pack it away in my trunk."
"Yes, that will be much wiser," said Mr. March; "we won't have asecond Mrs. Napoleon disaster."
Later in the evening, Deacon and Mrs. Plummer arrived; and the nextday was very much taken up in discussing plans with them, and makingarrangements for going on their journey; and it was late in theafternoon before Mrs. March found time to go to the hotel where Mrs.Williams was staying. She found, to her great sorrow, that Mrs.Williams had left town at noon. She had gone, the landlord said, toIdaho Springs; where he believed she was to take the hot baths. Mrs.March wrote a note to her immediately, and the landlord said hewould forward it; but he was not sure of her address, and Mrs. Marchwas very much afraid it would never reach her.
The Marches stayed in Denver a week, but they did not hear a wordfrom Mrs. Williams, and Mrs. March reproached herself very much fornot having gone to see her early the next morning after the dollcame.
"It is evident," she said, "that she never got my note; and whatmust she have thought of us for not acknowledging such a beautifulpresent. It will worry me always, as often as I see the doll."