CHAPTER XVIII.
KATY STRUGGLES BRAVELY THROUGH A SERIES OF TRIALS.
The morning sun rose clear and bright, casting a flood of light intothe chamber of the sick mother, watched over by the beloved child. Itwas Christmas, and all over the Christian world arose paeans of praisefor the birth of the Saviour. The sufferer was conscious of the fact,and a sweet smile played upon her lips, as she thought of Jesus--thathe had lived and died for her. Pain, that could rack the bones andtriumph over the weak body, was powerless to subdue the loving,trusting spirit, that reposed gently on Him who has invited the wearyto a present and an eternal rest.
"Katy," said Mrs. Redburn, in a faint whisper.
"I am here, mother," replied she, bending over her and endeavoring toanticipate her unspoken desire.
"Is the hymn book on the table?"
"Here it is, mother."
"Won't you read me a hymn?"
"What shall I read?" asked Katy, who could with difficulty keep backthe flood of tears that rose up from her heart.
"'Come, said Jesus' sacred voice.'"
Katy opened the book to the beautiful hymn commencing with this line,and in a voice broken by the emotion she could not wholly control, sheread it through. The smile that played on her mother's face showed howdeep and pure was the consolation she derived from the touching poetry.She could smile while racking pains tortured her frame, while her frailbody seemed hardly to retain its hold upon mortality. How blessed thehope that pours its heavenly balm into the wounds of the sufferer!
Poor Katy was painfully impressed by the appearance and conduct of hermother. She had never before seen her so calm and resigned to thosedreadful sufferings. She had heard her complain and murmur at her hardlot, and wonder why she should be thus sorely afflicted. She fearedthat some appalling event, which she dared not define and call by itsname, was about to happen. She dared not think of the future, and shewondered that her mother could be so calm while she endured so much.
"Katy," said Mrs. Redburn, after the long silence that followed thereading of the hymn, "I feel very weak and ill. Take my hand."
"You are burning up with fever!" exclaimed Katy, as she clasped thehand, and felt the burning, throbbing brow of her mother.
"I am; but do not be alarmed, Katy. Can you be very calm?"
"I will try."
"For I feel very sick, but I am very happy. I can almost believe thatthe triumph of faith has already begun in my soul. The world looks verydim to me."
"Nay, mother, don't say so."
"I only mean that as heaven seems nearer, my hold upon earth is lessstrong. You must be very resolute, my child, for I feel as though thesands of life were fast ebbing out; and that in a few hours more Ishall be 'where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are atrest.' If it were not for leaving you, Katy, I could wish to bidfarewell to earth, and go up to my eternal home, even on this bright,beautiful Christmas day."
"O mother!" sobbed Katy, unable any longer to restrain the expressionof her emotion.
"Do not weep, my child; I may be mistaken; yet I feel as though God wasabout to end my sufferings on earth, and I am willing to go."
"O, no, mother! It cannot be!" exclaimed Katy, gazing earnestly,through her tearful eyes, upon the pale but flushed cheek of thepatient sufferer.
"I only wish to prepare you for the worst. I may get well; and for yoursake, I have prayed that I may. And, Katy, I have never before feltprepared to leave this world, full of trial and sorrow as it has beenfor me. Whatever of woe, and want, and disappointment it has been mylot to confront, has been a blessing in disguise. I feel like a newcreature. I feel reconciled to live or die, as God ordains."
"Do not look on the dark side, mother," sobbed Katy.
"Nay, child, I am looking on the bright side," returned Mrs. Redburn,faintly. "Everything looks bright to me now. Life looks bright, and Ifeel that I could be happy for many years with you, for you have been agood daughter. Death looks bright, for it is the portal of the templeeternal in the heavens, where is joy unspeakable. I am too weak to talkmore, Katy; you may read me a chapter from the New Testament."
The devoted daughter obeyed this request, and she had scarcely finishedthe chapter before the girls came for their candy. She was unwilling toleave her mother alone even for a minute; so she sent one of them overto request the attendance of Mrs. Howard, and the good woman took herplace by the side of the sufferer.
Katy, scarcely conscious what she was doing--for her heart was with hermother,--supplied each girl with her stock of candy, and received themoney for it.
"You need not come to-morrow," she said to them, as they were departing.
"Not come!" exclaimed several. "What shall we do for candy?"
"We cannot make any now; my mother is very sick."
"I get my living by selling candy," said one of them. "I shan't haveanything to pay my board if I can't sell candy."
"Poor Mary! I am sorry for you."
This girl was an orphan whose mother had recently died, and she hadtaken up the business of selling candy, which enabled her to pay fiftycents a week for her board, at the house of a poor widow. Katy knew herhistory, and felt very sad as she thought of her being deprived of themeans of support.
"I don't know what I shall do," sighed Mary.
"I have to take care of my mother now, and shall not have time to makecandy," said Katy.
"Do you mean to give up for good?" asked one of them.
"I don't know."
This question suggested some painful reflections to Katy. If theystopped making candy, she and her mother, as well as orphan Mary, wouldbe deprived of the means of support. She trembled as she thought of thefuture, even when she looked forward only a few weeks. There was notmore than ten dollars in the house, for they had but a short timebefore paid for their winter's coal, and at considerable expenselargely replenished their wardrobes. The rent would be due in a week,and it would require more than half they had to pay it.
Katy was appalled as she thought of the low state of their purse, anddreaded lest some fearful calamity might again overtake them. It wasplain to her that she could not give up her business, even for a week,without the danger of being again reduced to actual want. She thereforereversed her decision, and told the girls they might come as usual thenext day.
When they had gone she shed a few bitter tears at the necessity whichthe circumstances imposed upon her of working while her heart revoltedat the idea of being anywhere but at the bedside of her sick mother.Then she lamented that they had not dispensed with many articles ofluxury while they had plenty of money, and saved more of it for such asad time as the present. But it was of no use to repine; she had onlyto make the best of her situation.
Amid all these discouragements came a bright ray of sunshine--thebrightest that could possibly have shone on the pathway of the weepingdaughter.
Early in the forenoon came the physician who carefully examined hispatient, speaking cheerfully and kindly to her all the while. Thesufferer watched his expression very narrowly, as he bent over her andquestioned her in regard to her pains. He looked very serious, whichMrs. Redburn interpreted as unfavorable to her recovery, notconsidering that he was engaged in profound thought, and therefore hiscountenance would naturally wear an earnest look. Presently she sentKaty to get her some drink, not because she wanted it, but to procureher absence for a short time.
"Do you think I shall get well?" asked Mrs. Redburn, as soon as thedoor closed behind Katy.
"A person who is very sick, is of course, always in danger, which maybe more or less imminent," replied the doctor, with professionalindirectness.
"I beg of you, doctor, do not conceal from me my true situation."
"I cannot foresee the result, my good woman."
"Do you think there is any hope for me?"
"Certainly there is."
"Tell me, I implore you, what you think of my case," pleaded thesufferer, in feeble tones. "I felt this morning that my end was verynear.
"
"O, no; it is not so bad as that. I should say you had as many as fivechances in ten to be on your feet in a fortnight."
"Do you think so?"
"I do not regard your case as a critical one."
"I wish you had told me so last night. It would have saved my poorchild a very bitter pang."
"I was not aware that you thought yourself alarmingly sick, or Icertainly should; for such an opinion on your part would do more tobring about a fatal result than could be counteracted by the mostskilful treatment. A physician does not hold the issues of life anddeath; he can only assist nature, as the patient may by a cheerful viewof his case. This is not your old complaint; you have taken cold, andhave considerable fever; but I think it is a very hopeful case."
The return of Katy interrupted the conversation; but the doctor'sopinion was immediately imparted to her, and it sent a thrill of joy toher heart.
"I was low-spirited this morning, Katy," said Mrs. Redburn, when thephysician had gone. "I really felt as though my end was rapidlyapproaching. I am sorry I mentioned my thoughts to you."
"It was all for the best, I suppose," replied Katy.
But Mrs. Redburn was very sick; and even now the disease might have afatal termination. The best of care would be required to restore her tohealth, and Katy was very anxious. Her mother was still suffering themost acute pain.
The doctor had left a prescription, and Katy was again obliged to callin Mrs. Howard while she went to the apothecary's to procure it; butthe good woman declared she was glad to come, and would bring her workand stay all the forenoon. The medicine, when obtained, to some extentrelieved the sufferer's pain.
As her presence was not required in the chamber, Katy went down-stairsto what she called the candy room. She had an hour or two to spare, andshe put on the kettle with the intention of making a part of the nextday's candy. She was nearly worn out by watching and anxiety, and notfit to perform such hard work; but weak and weary as she felt, herspirit was still earnest, and she resolutely commenced her labors.
At noon she had made half the quantity required. Mrs. Howard was thenobliged to go home, and attend to her own family, for she had twochildren besides Tommy, who had not yet returned from the East Indies.Mrs. Redburn was very restless during the afternoon, and could not beleft alone for more than a short time at once. Mrs. Howard had promisedto come again in the evening, and make the rest of the candy; butCharley came home from school quite sick, seemingly threatened with thescarlet fever, so that she could not keep her promise. Mrs. Sneed,however, dropped in, and consented to remain for two hours, whichenabled Katy to make the rest of the candy.
By this time the poor girl was completely worn out. Her resolute will,even, could no longer impart its strength to the body. Her motherworried sadly about her, and finally induced her to lie down on the bedby her side, on condition that she should be awakened in an hour. Inthis manner she obtained a few hours' sleep during the night; but thesesevere labors were a fearful task to be imposed upon a mere child.
The next day Mrs. Redburn, who could not fail to observe Katy's paleface and sunken eye, fretted so much about her that she was obliged topromise she would not attempt to make any more candy. Mrs. Howard's sonwas still very sick, so that she was unable to render much assistance.The rest of the neighbors, though kindly disposed, had their ownfamilies to care for, and could do very little for others.
With what slight aid her friends could afford, Katy struggled through aweek, when Dr. Flynch appeared, and demanded the rent. There was butlittle more than money enough left to pay it, but Katy would not askhim for any indulgence, and paid him in full.
In a few days more the purse was empty. Katy's most dreaded hour hadcome. She had no money, and almost every day some new thing wasrequired for her mother. But this time she had friends, and shedetermined to use them, as all true friends wish to be used in the dayof sorrow and trial. After considerable debate with herself, shedecided to apply to Mrs. Gordon for a loan of twenty dollars. She wasstill poor and proud, and she could not endure the thought of asking aloan, which might be regarded as a gift, or which, by her own inabilityto pay it, might virtually become such; therefore she proposed topresent her father's silver watch as security for the payment of thedebt.